Do You Make Mistakes Like These in English?

Do You Make Mistakes Like This in English

An obituary contained this sentence: “Greg Garrison, a pioneering TV director, worked with stars like Dean Martin, Jack Benny, and George Burns.”

My friend, top copywriter Don Hauptman, points out that the use of “like” in this situation is a mistake, because Mr. Garrison really worked with Dean, Jack, and George – not just people “like” them.

To fix the sentence, change “stars like” to “stars including” or “stars such as.”

Source: Don Haupman, Word Ways, Vol. 38, No. 4.

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Do You Make This Mistake in English?

I often get letters that begin something like this:

“As a subscriber to XYZ magazine, I want to offer you a special discount on ABC.” This common error is called a dangling modifier. Are you making it?

The modifier is the phrase “As a subscriber to XYZ magazine.” It refers to “you” … the recipient … yet it is incorrectly placed next to “I,” the letter writer … which is not the subject it is intended to describe (modify).

To correct this error, write: “As a subscriber to XYZ magazine, you are entitled to a special discount on ABC.”

This way, the subject, “you,” appears directly after the modifier describing it.

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Why Every Piece of Copy Should be Proofread—TWICE

The theme of PriceLine’s new radio commercials featuring Star Trek’s William Shatner is, “Chat with Shat.”

Now, am I the only one who is aware that “Shat” is the past tense form of the vulgar version of the verb “defecate”?

-Bob Bly

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