AS PROMISED

Last week, I stated that I would post the corrections for the most recent entry.
Compare your corrections with what is posted below to learn whether or not you were correct.
The corrections delineated here refer to the post immediately below.

EXAMPLE 1

“A bevy of swans gather along Middle Side Road near Concession 6 in Amherstburg on Thursday as the local warming trend continued. Friday’s high temperature was near 4 C. The Environment Canada forecast calls for periods of drizzle Saturday and Sunday with highs near 12C.”

CORRECTION
“Bevy” is singular and as the subject of the verb “gather” it demands a singular verb.
“A bevy of swans gathers along Middle Side Road near Concession 6 in Amherstburg on Thursday as the local warming trend continued. Friday’s high temperature was near 4 C. The Environment Canada forecast calls for periods of drizzle Saturday and Sunday with highs near 12C.”

EXAMPLE 2

“When it came to convincing people to loan him money, Sgt. Robert Mugridge would shed tears, cite problems with addicted relatives, and sometimes asked while in uniform having arrived in his police cruiser.”

CORRECTION
“Loan” is a noun and cannot be used as a verb.
“When it came to convincing people to lend him money, Sgt. Robert Mugridge would shed tears, cite problems with addicted relatives, and sometimes asked while in uniform having arrived in his police cruiser.”

EXAMPLE 3

“Mugridge, who pleaded guilty to 50 counts of discreditable conduct dating back to 2010. He will be losing his job for his actions.”

CORRECTION
The first group of words is not a complete thought because there is no verb for the subject, “Mugridge”.
There are two possible corrections:
join the two groups making one complete sentence;
rewrite the first sentence so that it is a complete thought.
“Mugridge, who pleaded guilty to 50 counts of discreditable conduct dating back to 2010, will be losing his job for his actions.”
“Mugridge pleaded guilty to 50 counts of discreditable conduct dating back to 2010. He will be losing his job for his actions.”

EXAMPLE 4
“There was often a veil of secrecy around the loans with a common request that the person giving him the money not tell his wife.”

CORRECTION
To make better sense, there should be a comma after “loans”.
“There was often a veil of secrecy around the loans, with a common request that the person giving him the money not tell his wife.”

EXAMPLE 5

“Number of EI recipients drop in December as metro Windsor leads way for rest of Canada”

CORRECTION
“Number” is a collective singular noun which requires a singular verb.
“Number” should be preceded by the definite article “the”.
“The number of EI recipients drops in December as metro Windsor leads way for rest of Canada”

EXAMPLE 6

“Hoskins is ‘using incorrect statistics, so whomever gave him those statistics was incorrect,’ Musyj said.”

CORRECTION
“Whomever” is the objective case and is the incorrect word in this case; the subjective case is needed.
“Hoskins is ‘using incorrect statistics, so whoever gave him those statistics was incorrect,’ Musyj said.”
EXAMPLE 7

“Hoskins is ‘using incorrect statistics, so whomever gave him those statistics was incorrect,’ Musyj said.“
‘I take being Canadian very seriously and do value some of the characteristics which make this country quite unique.’ ”

CORRECTION
“Unique” means one of a kind and cannot have a modifier attached to it.
“Hoskins is ‘using incorrect statistics, so whoever gave him those statistics was incorrect,’ Musyj said.”
“I take being Canadian very seriously and do value some of the characteristics which make this country unique.”

EXAMPLE 8

“In my opinion, neither Kevin O’Leary nor Kellie Leitch are fit to carry the luggage of several other leadership candidates.”

CORRECTION
“Neither/nor” demands a singular verb because there is a choice of “one” or “another”, not two beings.
“In my opinion, neither Kevin O’Leary nor Kellie Leitch is fit to carry the luggage of several other leadership candidates.”

EXAMPLE 9

“Farmer Larry Verbeke and three generations of his family have lived off of 50 acres of Leamington farmland since 1912.”

CORRECTION
“Off” is a preposition and “of” is a preposition. These two prepositions cannot be used together; the second preposition “of” is completely redundant.
“Farmer Larry Verbeke and three generations of his family have lived off 50 acres of Leamington farmland since 1912.”

IT IS INSIDIOUS!

When I was in grade 3 I knew more correct grammar than some of the “writers” cited below.
Find, identify and correct the errors in the examples.
I promise that early next week I will post the corrections that should be made for these examples.

 

“When it came to convincing people to loan him money, Sgt. Robert Mugridge would shed tears, cite problems with addicted relatives, and sometimes asked while in uniform having arrived in his police cruiser.”
Postmedia News story, “Officer suspended with pay almost 3 years fired for discreditable conduct”, The Windsor Star, Thursday, February 16, 2017.

 

“Mugridge, who pleaded guilty to 50 counts of discreditable conduct dating back to 2010. He will be losing his job for his actions.”
Postmedia News story, “Officer suspended with pay almost 3 years fired for discreditable conduct”, The Windsor Star, Thursday, February 16, 2017.

 

“There was often a veil of secrecy around the loans with a common request that the person giving him the money not tell his wife.”
Postmedia News story, “Officer suspended with pay almost 3 years fired for discreditable conduct”, The Windsor Star, Thursday, February 16, 2017.

(Note the three errors in one story.)

 

“Number of EI recipients drop in December as metro Windsor leads way for rest of Canada”
MAGGIE PARKHILL story headline, The Windsor Star, Monday, February 20, 2017.

 
“Hoskins is ‘using incorrect statistics, so whomever gave him those statistics was incorrect,’ Musyj said.”
Windsor Regional CEO David Musyj, in a Brian Cross story, “Minister calls 6-bed Maryvale ‘under capacity’”, Windsor Star, Friday February 24, 2017.

 

“I take being Canadian very seriously and do value some of the characteristics which make this country quite unique.”
LLOYD BROWN-JOHN, “On Canadian values and Tory candidates”, Windsor Star, February 24, 2017.

 

“In my opinion, neither Kevin O’Leary nor Kellie Leitch are fit to carry the luggage of several other leadership candidates.”
LLOYD BROWN-JOHN, “On Canadian values and Tory candidates”, Windsor Star, February 24, 2017.

 

“Farmer Larry Verbeke and three generations of his family have lived off of 50 acres of Leamington farmland since 1912.”
Julie Kotsis, “ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL”, Windsor Star, March 3, 2017.

PRO WRITER AT WORK
(Too bad he doesn’t know his job.)

There are two errors in the following piece. Find them. Identify and correct each.

“A bevy of swans gather along Middle Side Road near Concession 6 in Amherstburg on Thursday as the local warming trend continued. Friday’s high temperature was near 4 C. The Environment Canada forecast calls for periods of drizzle Saturday and Sunday with highs near 12C.”
Caption of a Dan Janisse Photo, The Windsor Star, Saturday, January 21, 2017.

PAY ATTENTION!

This was published a while back and, from what I hear on a too regular basis, bears repeating. (It does demand, though, that you think of someone ahead of yourself.)

Bill Flanagan: CBS News Contributor

When did everyone born after 1980 decide that “No problem” was interchangeable with “You’re welcome”? Who spread that virus? The Taliban?
Listen, today’s young people: If you want to infuriate someone born before 1980, just keep telling him “No problem” when they ask you to do something that is most certainly NOT a problem.
A very nice young man who worked for me used to have a little trouble getting in on time. Like, every day. Once a week I would say, “Look, you really have to be at your desk at 10 o’clock.” Did he say, “Sorry, I’ll try to do better?”
No. He would just smile and say, “No problem.”
That nice young man does not work for me anymore.
Saturday night, I took my wife to a good restaurant. The waitress asked if we wanted sparkling water, still water, or tap water. I said, “Tap water, please.” She said, “No problem.”
I felt like saying, “Why do YOU think I think it would be a problem for you to get me a glass of water?” Luckily, my wife gave me a look that said, “Don’t start.”
And of course my wife was right. The waitress didn’t mean to be rude. So consider this a public service announcement.
To all the young people of the world: If you want to get good tips or just generally not infuriate older people, PLEASE, only say “No problem” when there is a reasonable expectation that the task you are performing might be PROBLEMATIC; for example:
“Thank you for stopping your car in the rain to help me change a flat tire.”
“No problem.” Appropriate.
“Thank you for lending me ten thousand dollars to stop the bank from foreclosing on my house.”
“No problem.” Gracious.
“Thank you for giving me your kidney.”
“No problem.” Classy.
That’s what “No problem” is for! It’s a graceful way of telling someone you’ve gone out of your way to help, not to feel indebted.
But if you work in a doughnut shop and a customer thanks you for selling him a coffee, don’t say, “No problem.” He’s paying for the coffee!
Just say, “You’re welcome.”
Try it. “Thank you.” “You’re welcome.” Is that so burdensome?
And look at the bright side — all of us old people will be dead soon, and then everybody born after 1980 can say “No problem” to each other for the rest of your lives.
Just hold off till then, okay? Okay.

You’re welcome.

MORE PROFESSIONAL WRITING!

Did the professional writers cited today ever learn any basic grammar?
Based on what I read below, they should try another profession.
Find, identify and correct the errors in the examples below.

“Clothes: Just think about it. Consider the amount of times you have come home and found us face down on the bed wailing, “I have nothing to wear,” when only last week we came home laden down with carrier bags, convinced we had nailed the problem once and for all. What are the chances of you getting it right? Less than zero is what.”
SHANE WATSON, London Daily Telegraph, in a story, “TOXIC PRESENTS TO AVOID”, The Windsor Star, Tuesday, December 20, 2016.

“A group of five Windsor teens are facing charges following an attempted armed robbery early Monday. Chatham-Kent police said officers responded to reports of a break and enter in progress at an apartment on Merritt Avenue shortly before 2 a.m.”
An item entitled, “Five teens held after robbery”, in the Regional Shorts section of the Windsor Star, Wednesday, December 21, 2016.

 

ANNOUNCEMENT

Next week, to help you understand why I become so upset with newspaper writers, I will publish corrections of all their errors that I have presented to you over the last few posts.