Saturday, July 16, 2011

The apostrophe is unnecessary. This one is from Fuddruckers in Branson, Missouri. 

The apostrophe in the headline is unnecessary because the writer intends to say that there is more than one 3-year-old, not that the 3-year-old owns a walk. 

Friday, July 15, 2011

Thursday, July 14, 2011

This one is also from a student. It should read "No UNaccompanied children."

Syrop should be syrup. Thanks to a student who found this one in Greece. 

Run-on

Personifying the toilet is entertaining. A period after "Please help me out" would help me out by correcting the run-on sentence between what should be two imperative sentences. 

Split Infinitive

An infinitive is TO plus a verb. To sing, to dance, and to report are examples of infinitives. A few stuffy, old grammar types still hold to the rule that one should not split an infinitive by placing a word or words between the words of an infinitive. In some instances, I must confess, splitting the infinitive seems the most natural and logical thing to do, and it is awkward not to split the infinitive. This is not one of those situations. The word NOT could be better placed before the infinitive. 

This one is difficult to read. APPLE should APPLY. 

Colon

A colon should not follow a verb. 

Colon

A colon should not follow a preposition.

Subject/Verb Agreement Error

The verb STAYS should be STAY because there are two simple subjects in that sentence: TRADITION and COMMITMENT.  

Your/You're

This is one of the most common mistakes I see. You're means you are. Your shows ownership. I found this one at a Walgreens in Branson, Missouri. 

Monday, July 04, 2011

I found this one at a fireworks stand. It should say GUARANTEED.