Readers: Kudos to everyone who caught the mistake in the headline! This is a common goof. It suggests no one likes grammar. Clearly some people, including your “Horribly Wrong” team, like grammar very much. More grammar goofs:
1. All law firms are not alike.
This is a chronic goof similar to the one in the headline. You can argue that many law firms are not alike, but clearly some are alike. Correct: “Not all law firms are alike.”
2. Tebow is an alumni of the University of Florida.
“Alumni” is plural. Tebow is an alumnus. A female is an alumna.
3. The media is picking on the new mayor.
“The media” also is plural. So you’d have to say, “The media are...” But we hate the phrase “the media” anyhow, since it clearly has come to mean more than just reporters, and no one can decide who it includes and excludes.
4. More reporters mean more stories.
“More reporters means more stories.” Again, you are referring not to “reporters” but to “more” which is a single concept.
5. None of the businesses are licensed.
None of the businesses is licensed. You are referring not to “businesses” but to “none,” which takes a singular.
6. The Army, with all its divisions, have one of the world’s greatest fighting forces.
You’re playing off “the Army,” not “divisions,” so the Army has one of the world’s greatest fighting forces.
7. I criticized the people that ran away.
“The people who ran away.” Use “that” for inanimate objects.
8. Red Grange was more an NFL phenomena than a trend setter.
Phenomena” is plural. Red was a phenomenon.
9. The dog was ordered to be euthanized. The bridge was directed to be torn down.
The dog and bridge weren’t ordered to do anything. Neither would listen, anyway. They’re a dog. And a bridge. Maybe you could order the dog to sit. People were “ordered to euthanize the dog” and “directed to tear down the bridge.”
10. It was a meeting of small businessmen.
A meeting of small businessmen? Now that’s a visual! Not to mention offensive to short people! How about: “It was a meeting of owners of small businesses.”
Watch this on video! https://youtu.be/Qog48LhZdKU
Next time: Theres more example’s of bad grammer out their.
Readers: "Something Went Horribly Wrong," features samples of bad writing we see nearly every day. You can participate! Be our duly deputized “grammar police:” Your motto: “To protect and correct.” Send in your photos of store signs, street signs, newspaper headlines, tweets, and so on. It doesn’t have to be a grammatical error. It can be just what we call “cowardly writing.” Include your name and home town so we properly can credit you. You're free to add a comment, although we reserve the right to edit or omit. Now get out there! Send to Eliot@eliotkleinberg.com
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