Month: April 2008

“Monster … Gold Angled Spade Connectors (2 Pair)”

Commas, Common English Blunders, Devolution toward Simpler, Number, Plurals

I saw this at Amazon.com.

Problem:
“Pair” is a singular noun being used incorrectly as a plural noun, and two commas are missing.

Explanation:
As I wrote last November, two of anything together is a single pair. Multiples of this means multiple pairs.

I continue to believe that use of “pair” instead of “pairs” helps to prove my “Devolution toward Simpler” linguistic hypothesis. It is simpler to say “pair” than to say “pairs”.

Beyond the “pair” problem, the product heading is missing a couple of commas.

“Gold” and “Angled” and “Spade” modify the noun “Connectors”; when one has multiple modifiers of a noun, commas should appear between the modifiers (in this case to get “Gold, Angled, Spade Connectors”).

I believe that omission of commas in a multiple-modifiers situation also is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis. It’s simpler to omit the commas than to include them, and advertising copywriters lean toward simpler text, even if it is grammatically incorrect and is more difficult to read.

Solution:
“Monster … Gold, Angled, Spade Connectors (2 Pairs)”

“When I was reading up on that, …”

Devolution toward Simpler, Prepositions

I heard this yesterday on an AM-radio gardening show.

Problem:
The two prepositions are overkill.

Explanation:
The prepositions “up” and “on” rarely go together, and this is an example of their NOT belonging together.

The person who spoke “When I was reading up on that, …” was a caller on an AM-radio show about gardening. He was telling the show host that he had been reading about a particular gardening topic.

This gives us the clue: the single preposition “about” should replace the two prepositions “up on” in the sentence.

I believe that the caller’s replacement of “about” with “up on” is consistent with my “Devolution toward Simpler” hypothesis. It’s simpler to say “up on” than to say “about” because the “n” in “on” can be said quickly whereas the “t” in “about” must be held longer for recognition by the listener.

Solution:
“When I was reading about that, …”

Dash vs. Hyphen

Common English Blunders, Hyphens

I often hear people confuse hyphens and dashes.

Problem:
A dash is not the same as a hyphen.

Explanation:
A dash is for setting off part of a sentence: Superman — known to some as “Clark Kent” — has a big red ‘S’ on his chest.

Among its many uses, a hyphen is for connecting two words: A dark-green Ferrari is not a typical sports car.

Solution:
Use a hyphen when connecting two words. Use a dash when setting off a part of a sentence.