Recently, I have been impressed with the misuse of the English language--and really--most of the misuse is coming from those of us who speak ONLY English. Proper use of grammar and punctuation seem to be disappearing at a rapid clip. How about substituting the verb "are" for the pronoun "our"? Seriously, I've seen this more than once.
Then there was the sign I recently purchased which had a misplaced comma. Everyone makes mistakes, right? But still, I felt badly about asking if the (misplaced) comma could be moved. So much so that I didn't have the heart to point out that the seller had shortchanged me by $2. Maybe she was still flustered by the comma.
But the real clincher was the billboard I saw in Boston today. It was a panel of medical-type-people encouraging us to donate to a blood bank, and the caption read, "You'll never know when you need some".
Really?
You will never know when you need some?
So, you will be unconscious of your need for blood?
Hmmm...
I think if I saw arterial blood shooting from some vital part of my body, I might realize that it would need to be replaced, or if my doctor recommended that I have a transfusion, I'd be conscious of that as well.
I
think what the blood bank and all the professional looking models in lab coats meant to communicate was that
you never know when you might need blood...
How does this stuff pass the proofreading process?
That's enough of my pet peeves for the moment.
Oh, and if you find errors here, then feel free to comment...Fair's fair after all.
