Author: Kirk

“Mobile Mikes Tile Service”

Apostrophes, Common English Blunders, Possessives

I saw this last Sunday on a sign.

Problem:
A possessive apostrophe is missing.

Explanation:
I saw a magnetic sign attached to a pickup truck last Sunday.

The sign’s title was “Mobile Mikes Tile Service”, with no apostrophe anywhere, and there was contact and other information beneath the title.

Nothing on the sign implied that there was more than one person named Mike, so I assume that there is just one “Mike” who runs the business.

Oddly, although many sign makers make the mistake of inserting an apostrophe where it does not belong, this sign’s maker omitted an apostrophe where it did belong.

Solution:
“Mobile Mike’s Tile Service”

“One of you are going home.”

Common English Blunders, Verbs

I heard this in a preview for a TV program that aired last night.

Problem:
The verb does not match the subject.

Explanation:
I was watching a preview for an upcoming episode of the “Hell’s Kitchen” television program when I heard chef Gordon Ramsay say, “One of you are going home.”

I believe that Ramsay succumbed to the common English blunder of getting distracted by the pronoun “you” right before saying a form of the verb “be”.

No matter whether the pronoun “you” is being used in its singular form or its plural form, “You are going home.” is correct.

But “you” is not the subject of the sentence.

Instead, the subject of the sentence is the word “One”, which acts in “One of you” as a singular noun that means a single person.

The solution comes from recognizing that singular nouns require the “is” form of the verb “be”.

Solution:
“One of you is going home.”

“I think we cannot underscore the threat …”

Self-negation

I heard this a week ago on CNN.

Problem:
The speaker said the opposite of what she meant.

Explanation:
U.S. Secretary of State Clinton said on April 22, 2009, “I think we cannot underscore the threat …” in a presentation to the U.S. Congress, and the CNN television network broadcast it on April 23.

I do not recall the end of the statement, but I do remember that Secretary Clinton did not include the word “enough” in her statement.

If I recall correctly, the “threat” referred to the threat of the Taliban taking control of Pakistan’s nuclear arms.

Secretary Clinton was trying to say that she could not overemphasize the threat.

The verb “underscore” in this context simply means underline or pay attention to, not overemphasize.

The solution comes from including the adverb “enough” or the adverb “sufficiently” in the statement.

The Secretary’s misstatement is equivalent to someone saying “I could care less.” when he or she should say instead “I could not care less.”

Solution:
“I think we cannot underscore enough the threat …”