Tuesday, 29 October 2013

The Delights of the Grammar Monster

I regularly enjoy the traps - some of them unavoidable - left sitting around by the grammar monster.  And, even though I refer to the rules of English as a 'monster', I mean it in a kindly way.  The traps, themselves, are usually camouflaged very meagrely.  Nonetheless, journalists, mailshot designers and shopkeepers frequently fall head-first into them.  My current favourite is the tag-line on the clothes shop sign near where I live.  It reads: Gently used ladies' clothes.  You have to ask yourself who or what has been gently used - the clothes or the ladies?

There are a number of these in the forthcoming teachers' books:

Children make delicious snacks.
My dog smells a lot better than me.
It was at the cricket match that I saw her duck.
If you think that any of our waiters are rude or unhelpful, you ought to see the manager.

I do love collecting these; so if you'd like to leave some, please do.  Thanks.

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Grammar Helpers

Grammar Helpers