Episode 129: It's the solution business are looking for (Just not the grammar)

Bloomberg Television has a commercial where they say that they are 'the solution business is looking for." The business I seek...seek... is a business that knows how to edit its message to the public, through advertising, where the message is succinct and grammatically correct.

Episode 128: Driving for twin grammatical trouble

It is not often that I find a commercial that has two grammatical goofs. It is ironic that the commercial in question has identical twins learning to drive their Subaru.

The jy of learning to drive sometimes includes learning to use your turn indicator. This is something that some adults still have not learned how to do. Sometimes they turn the indicator on after they have moved in to my lane as if to say 'thank you,' and others ride their indicator in the turn-only lane and fail to use it when they are are another lane wanting to move into my lane. The Dad, during the commercial tells his first son: "Turn your blinker on." Signal. Let them know that you are pulling out of the driveway. There are so many options other than ending the sentence with a preposition.

I suppose I should cut them a little slack because Mitsubishi used the same line "Turn your blinker on." I commented on this line this past summer.

Son number two is driving and learning the joy of first gear. The father tells him to "feather it out." Slowly release the clutch.

 I hope that you are enjoying this blog. I have enough material to make it through the end of the year.

Episode 127: Grammar worth fighting for. Walking with a hanging preposition.

I could have a hey day with the the grammatical flubs of on-air announcers. That is not the point of this blog. The point is to illuminate the problems that scriptwriters have with basic grammar. I have a problem with commercials and feature scripts where hanging prepositions and incorrect pronouns are used.

I wrote during the beginning of the month regarding a Disney movie that has grammar worth fighting for, when I highlighted the phrase "Some people are worth melting for" from the movie "Frozen." Another hanging preposition can be found in the trailer for "Walking with Dinosaurs" when the announcer states that this is the story about 'a friendship worth fighting for.'

Some friendships require a journey to forge.

Sometimes you have to fight for a friendship to last.

Sometimes you have to fight for better grammar.

Episode 126: You Need Better Grammar More than Me, Jell-O. "Bad Day" equals Poor Grammar

I was watching television after a long day of cooking yesterday and I saw the new classic Jell-O commercial titled "Bad Day." The commercial features a dad saying how much he likes Jell-O and has the son placing himself into his father's shoes. The son says, at the end of the commercial, "Here. You need this more than me." I know kids don't have the best grammar. I work on grammar and word choice with my daughter on a regular basis. This kid is reading a script! What are these scriptwriters thinking?

Here. You need this more than I do.

Episode 125: Grammar on Demand: Buick lacrosse Intelli-link

This is a new classic commercial with two young kids riding to a school dance in the backseat of a Dad's Buick LaCrosse. The classic songs played, as a warning to the date, included "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by the Georgia Satellites. They say that that using the new stereo systems allows you to have "all your music is ready to listen to."

Preposition. End of sentence. Repeat.

"All of your music at your command."

"All your music, as close as your voice."

Episode 124: St. Jude's. Who would you turn to?

I think that the work that St. Jude's Hospital does is critically important. I find the grammar they use just as important while attempting to tell their story. Note that I did not say "get their message out."

They have a "Fighting Cancer Commercial" that is running right now.  The are looking for for you to turn to them this Thanksgiving and this Christmas to give the gift of Hope and the Gift of Life.

Where would you turn if your child needed help?

What would it mean to you if someone sponsored your child?

Please RT and Repost.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Episode 123: Theravent - for the grammar in commercials that you've dreamt about.

Theravent advertises that its advanced  nightly snore therapy provides "the quiet night sleep that you have dreamt about."

Theravent - provides the sleep of your dreams

Theravent - provides the quiet sleep that has been alluding you.

Theravent - the ultimate snore stopper.

I can come up with so many sentences that do not end with a preposition that I think I will have to stop at this.

I dream that eventually someone will hire me to proofread these scripts or that the bad grammar will disappear.

Episode 122: Grammar to Cheep About

eSurance has an ad that is worth discussing. They have two problems with their grammar in their "Cheep Insurance"  that I am hearing:

"They were built on-line and built to save people money since the beginning. That's what they always have done. Not something they just "Cheep" about." Really? Yet another example of ending a sentence with a preposition.

Talk is Cheap. Grammar is Priceless.

Episode 121: Rolo - Rough Grammar for Such a Smooth Treat

"Get your smooth on."It is such a simple tagline. It is grammatically incorrect. This ad plays off the slag of "get your groove on." Am I getting my smooth on a boat? Am I getting my smooth on a plane? Get your grammar on.  Turn on your grammar check.

"Roll over the rough parts of your day with Rolo" would be my tagline.

"Rolo the rough parts of your day."

Episode 120: Get the grammar you have wished for (from and advertiser)

Mercedes pulls out another example of ending a sentence with a preposition with their "Lanterns" commercial when they say: "Get the Mercedes Benz you have wished for." This could have been as simple as "Get the Mercedes Benz of your wishes" and had some husband or wife muttering "Wish I may, Wish I might, the first star I see tonight....." and then they could go to a red carpet event where everybody is arriving in the new Mercedes Benz."

How about: "Get the Mercedes Benz of your dreams" with someone reading a book where instead of visions of sugar plums danced in their heads it is visions of sedans danced in their heads.

It is so simple to hear when a sentence ends a preposition with.

Episode 119: No Matter which list you are on - This Grammar is Naughty, Not Nice

I started this blog during the Spring of 2013. I am now rolling into the Christmas Season and I am being gifted with more examples of poor grammar, just in time for Christmas blogs.

Mercedes Benz Has their Naughty or Nice Commercal. One side of Santa's Factory has a truckload of white cars heading out the doors, and the other side has a truckload of red cars. I would have made it more stark and had the red cars be black. Remember people sometimes received coal in their stocking. Color choices aside, they conclude the commercial for the "Mercedes Benz Winter Event is back" saying that they "have the perfect vehicle that is just right for you, no matter which list you are on."

They have the perfect vehicle for you whether you have been naughty or nice. Ending a sentence a preposition with is just poor grammar.

Episode 118: Dragon Software needs a grammar check for their commercial

There is a new product being advertised that would make assembling this blog, or any other publication that needs typing, a whole lot easier. The product is Nuance's "Dragon" software. Speak to type. What a concept.

 "It's a fantastic tool that anybody can use and everyone can benefit from."

I hope that it has grammar check so that you are not ending sentences with prepositions.

Episode 117: United Healthcare - shopping around (for better grammar)

The ad has a businessman discussing how his customers have the opportunity to shop the competition. He says "My customers can shop around." Could he have said "My customers like to look at all their options." Which version sounds better than the other? I like options. Am I shopping around town or around the Internet? Maybe he listened to too much Captain and Tennille while he was younger.

Episode 116: More Bad Grammar than We Knoweth what to Do With

I understand that during their "Castle" advertisement that "Flo" and "Jamie are attempting to speak their lines using Ye Olde King's English. The problem is that the voice-over at the end of the commercial says "More savings than we knoweth what to do with."

It may be more interesting to say "More discounts than knights at the round table."

How about "We can shield you from unforeseen accidents and expenses." This would play nicely on the sword and shield theme of the commercial. I think that their "RV Bundling" commercial for the way that it visualizes all the items that a consumer may want to insure.

Ending a sentence with a preposition forsakeths the proper rules of grammar.

I wonder if I will have found ten grammatically incorrect Progressive commercial beforeth the endeth of the year?

Episode 115: A range of Progressive-ly bad grammar to choose from. Name Your Preposition. (7th example)

Progressive is such an easy target for me. Almost anytime there is a Progressive commercial on television my ears perk up to hear the next sentence that ends a preposition with. It is that painful for me.

Sunday, November 10th, during the football games I found an 'ending a sentence with a preposition" double-header.

The first example I highlighted  during Episode 113: The Castle and  "More savings than we knoweth what to do with."

Today's example of ending a sentence with a preposition is the "Superhouse" commercial where the actress is discussing the Name Your Price Tool offered by Progressive with her 'husband.' She says  "I guess you can tell them how much you want to pay and it gives you a a range of options to choose from." The "Name Your Price Tool" does not appear to work for choosing proper grammar. Would it be so bad to say "You tell them how much you want to pay and it gives you a range of options from which to choose?" How about "You tell them how much you want to spend and it gives you a range of coverage options."

"The Name You Price Tool" allows you to tell them how much you want to pay for insurance and they tell you what plans they can offer you.

If you want to see how many times that there have been examples of bad grammar during Progressive commercials, check out these previous examples:

"A smarter way to shop around."
"How's that atom splitting thing going?"
"We crunch the numbers so you don't have to."
"Progressive gives you lots of choices to choose from."
and the infamous "Them are here"

Episode 114: Families who are connected with to the belief that freedom was worth fighting for. Veterans Day.

Bank of America has a great spot running on Veterans' Day titled  "Hughes Family." The commercial tells the story of one family fighting for us, and for our Freedom, through generations of military service.  I think that this commercial is one of the better commercials that promotes family values and the honor of serving in the military. I think that is is worthy of watching every Memorial Day and every Veterans' Day.

The commercial states, in one long run-on sentence that "Before Captain Caroline Hughes... before William Hughes... before Colonel John Hughes Jr... before Captain John Anderson Hughes...before Corporal Robert Hughes joined the Spanish American War, there were families who were connected with to the belief that freedom was worth fighting for." I wish that they had not ended the sentence with a preposition.

The advertisement could be better if they had stated the story in reverse: "Families similar to the Hughes Family, where Captain Caroline Hughes.... have long been connected with the belief that Freedom is worth risking their lives in the service of their country, our country."

Watch the video. Ignore the grammar. Reflect on the sacrifices that this family and similar families have made for the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave."

Visit the Bank of America site that promises to make donations to non-profits that support service members and veterans for "each photo, message, or video you share." 

Visit the Wounded Warrior Site.

Visit the Independence Fund for the Track Chair Donation site.

Visit the  Battle Saint Bracelet site for those people who are still serving our country.

Always Remember.

Episode 113: They are Them (Part 2) Progressive-ly worse grammar

The line that caught my attention for being so attrocious grammatically was the "Them are Here" line right at the end of the commercial. It plays as an "Abott and Costello" routine regarding the use of  "Them," "They," and "you."

The befuddled woman first says "They are them?" The real sentence, fragment or otherwise, should have been "Those (rates) are theirs?"

A second question the befuddled actress asks makes my head spin a little more: "Are you them?" So, you are you. They are they. Them are them? Yours are yours and those are theirs.  Just reflecting on these phrases sends shivers through my body.

I went to the Merriam Webster site to look up the definition of them. THEY state "used as the subject of a verb chiefly in nonstandard speech for humorous effect."

Is them fighting words? Humerous or annoying? You decide.

If you want more examples of "Progressive Gammar" check out yesterday's post here.

You can also return to this blog tomorrow for more Flo-isms. We haveth more improper grammar from Progressive than we knowth whateth to doith withith.

Episode 112: Cook it Safe(ly) - Say it Correct(ly)

I am a home cook who enjoys proper grammar. There is an interesting USDA commercial that airs from time to time where two teams of cooks are attempting to cook a boxed chicken breast and make sure that it is cooked to the proper internal temperature. They are attempting to cook the chicken safely.

I have problems with the grammatically incorrect statement. I have problems them not explaining why it is important for the cooks to cook it properly. They also need to explain the importance of washing your hands and your utensils after coming into contact with raw meat.

The word that describes how you do something is the adverb. In this instance the adverb needs to end with "-ly."

Episode 111: Nissan: The Best Choice to Get Your Stuff Around (while using Poor Grammar.)

Nissan has a new car and a new advertising campaign. I previously wrote a column regarding 'further, better, easier." The most recent commercial has the line: "The best choice to get your stuff around." What if I want to get my stuff "squared" away. Whoops. That would be another example of ending a sentence with a preposition.

I also really don't like it when advertisers say that we need to get our "stuff" from point "A" to point "B." I have groceries. I have a child and her friends. I have my cats. I have "stuff" that I need to get to recycling.  I normally don't advertise when I am moving "stuff" in my car.

The Best Option to Get Your Precious Cargo Going Where It Needs To Be.

Episode 110: What Kind of Financial Consultant are You Looking For (One who has good grammar in their commercials.)

Charles Schwab has yet another commercial where a sentence, and in this instance two sentences, ends in a preposition. The beginning of the "Financial Consultant" spot has the financial consultant saying that he does not like being "sold to."

I was a real estate salesperson for 13 years. I never sold someone a house. I helped them purchase a home. I helped market a home. I helped negotiate the sale of a home. I sold my skills as a marketer and a negotiator.

The two lines in question could have been:

When I invested with a broker I wanted to be advised how to balance my trades. I did not like being pushed into an investment. I wanted to be guided to a successful  financial destination.

What attributes do you want in a financial consultant?

What kind of investment advice do you want to receive?

This is evidently a new tagline: "What kind of broker are you looking for?" I wrote a previous column on this same tagline. You can find that brief article using the link in the previous sentence.

I am looking for more examples of poor grammar in advertising.

Episode 109: Nissan Easy Choice Advertisement Could Have Used Better Grammar.

"Nissan Easy Choice Sales Event" tells you that you can chose to go further, connect better, and get in easier. Three modifiers just left hanging. I understand that they are saying that you can get better gas mileage, better handling, maintenance, details, and do it now with less down payment or easier credit options. With whom am I connecting through the driving of a particular car? Aren't they treading on the Ford Sales Line "Go Further?"

They could say it so many different ways. They can play off the failed "Obamacare Promise by saying "If you like your mileage you can keep your mileage." How about "You Can Keep Your Car Company if You Like Your Car Company?"  They can also say "We can get you more bang for your buck when you buy a new Nissan and better gas mileage when you drive a new Nissan."

Episode 108: Some Movies are Worth Waiting For (Even with Bad Grammar in the Trailer)

"Frozen" is the new Disney Movie that will be screening this Thanksgiving. I have found previous grammatical goof-ups with Disney's "Lab Rats" introduction sequence. I am sure that I could go on and on regarding script errors if I wanted to do so. The trailer for "Frozen" has a scene where the Snowman says to the heroine "Some people are worth melting for."

The sentiment is romantic. They could have Modern English's song "I Melt With You" playing in the background. They could have an atrocious pun "You are worth the weight." How about "Some people are worth a liquid diet?" How about "Some people are worth a crash diet?"

It is important that dialog geared towards youth be grammatically correct. Please don't end sentences a preposition with.

Episode 107: Transforming Grammar Through a Blog (Not "The Cloud.")

IBM has a new commercial where a woman is spotlighted talking about how she is "transforming business through the cloud." She finished the thought by saying "That's what I am working on."

My job is to make your job easier through cloud computing.
Unleashing your business through the clouds.
Transforming your business through the cloud. Bringing light to your business.

Work on having sentences and thoughts that do not end in a preposition.

Episode 106: Checking grammar would be easier if you didn't have to.

A local tire company, Belle Tire, as part of a television ad, created a screen shot saying "We shop the competition so you don't have to." I understand what they are attempting to say. They are saying we shop the competition so:

• You get the best deal
• You can make you first and last stop with us
• You can get rolling again.

They check the prices of their competitors so you can enjoy buying tires for you car, truck, or van. It is time to check their advertising so that you can enjoy proper grammar while watching television.

Episode 105: Another Example of Bad Grammar in Advertising to Choose from.

Belle Tire is a a local tire company that advertises that it has "so many tires to choose from." I heard this advertisement on the radio this past Spring. I wasn't sure if I heard the commercial correctly. This weekend I saw it on television and happened to have my close captioning working.

Belle Tire: Your Home for Tire Selection.

I doubt that they will change the commercial to "so many tires from which to choose."

Remember to change your clocks today.

Episode 104: Grammar we can get behind (with grammar check.)

HP has a commercial that is geared toward the environmentally conscientious. "It's a growing trend in business - do more with less energy - HP is helping UPS do just that." They detail how they are helping UPS save energy and resources and conclude the commercial with: "That's a trend we can all get behind."

There are four classification of buyers in the world, according to what I was taught: Achievers, Belongers, Emulators, and the Socially Conscious. This ad campaign could focus on the achievers where they can focus on being the first to do something. Emulators want the best items. Belongers want to be a part of a team.

May I recommend: Improving your business while improving the environment.

Better. Faster. Cleaner.

Episode 103: Leave the Ordinary Advertising Grammar Behind (on the Cutting Room Floor)

This is the fourth installment of the BeyondYourDreams.com commercials. My first three commentaries were:

Episode 62: regarding their "Invest in yourself" commercial.
Episode 87 commenting on their "Beyond Your Dreams" spot.
Episode 102 regarding their "On Top of the World" advertisement

Today it is their commercial which is titled: "Leave The Ordinary Behind." They proclaim that 'this is the year to leave the ordinary behind." What are we doing? Are we taking a spin class on the cruise in order to achieve a firmer behind? Ending a sentence with a preposition.

I suggest "See the extraordinary every day."

Episode 102: Find your Grammar at BeyondYourDreams.com

I have commented on the AlaskaBeyondYourDreams.com in previous posts: Episode 62 where they took grammar further, and higher and Episode 87: where they took my breath away. The newest example of taking a vacation from proper grammar is their "On Top of the World" commercial.

"Alaska: There is only one place where you can stand on top of the world.... and do something that you've never done before."

All that they had to say was "...and do something new and exciting." I have written previously regarding the Emulator, Achiever, Belonger and the Socially Conscious types of buyers. New things will attract one buyer, the achievers, and exciting things will attract the emulators. The outdoor shots will capture the socially conscious people. All they need to do is target the next ad to a family vacation and they will be talking to the "Belongers."

"Alaska: This is the place where you can stand on top of the world and do something that you have never done."

They have seventeen different spots, which means I may have a lot of fodder from which to choose. I already am working on my next column.

Episode 101: Ford - Time to Retread the Tire Commercial Commercial

Mike Rowe has a commercial where he is talking with "Fiona" regarding a Ford Tire Sale. "Who has 11 major brands to choose from?"

Who has 11 major brands (of tires) from which to choose?
Who has 11 major brands of tire choice?
Who gives you the choice of 11 major brands of tires?

I choose better grammar.

Episode 100: Go Further (with your tagline)

When it comes to basic in grammar, a sentence normally has two words: noun and a verb. A person could argue that there are a few instances where one word says it all: "Stop!" "Go!" All parents know the first sentence that their children learn: "No."

 It is very hard to coin a one word phrase for advertising purposes. Ford Motors is attempting to get car owners to maintain their vehicles using the tagline "Go Further." Go further than what? Go further where? Go further how? I blame it all on the infamous "Got Milk" campaign. Two word phrases can be trademarked. Trademarked phrases can still contain bad grammar.

I recommend: "Get more fun for your money." How about: "We keep you moving in the right direction."

Oh, by the way - #101 will also be from Ford.

Episode 99: Now That's Better (Just not the best grammar.)

Wendy's has a new tagline: "Now that's Better." Better than what?

Comparative or qualitative  words  require subjects for comparisons to be made. So Wendy's burgers are better than frozen? Are they better than flame-broiled burgers? Are they better than pizza or chicken?

Would you want to eat better burgers or the best burgers?

Episode 98 - Even Football Promotional Spots Can be Flagged for Grammar Penalties

I enjoy watching NFL Gameday, especially after my team wins. I can't get enough of the highlight films. That is probably where "NFL Gameday" came up with the idea of "We make something you can't get enough of." I obviously have no trouble getting enough examples of sentences ending with a preposition.

NFL Gameday - We get you running and throwing.
NFL Gameday - We catch you coming and going (I would throw a flag for that tagline.)
NFL Gameday - Before, during, and after the big game.
NFL Gameday - We keep you coming back for Seconds, Thirds, and Fourths.

Doh! Promo Spot for "The Simpdon's" is missing proper Grammar.

"It's the show you can't get enough of." The Simpsons" is an iconic lowbrow comedy on FOX. This show, "The X-Files," and "America's Most Wanted" launched the network. I haven't watched it since Bart and the gang went head to head with the Huxtables.

That is no excuse for a scripted promotional commercial to end a sentence a preposition with.

Episode 96: It is Time to Take Our Grammar Back (from Advertisers.)

I like witty advertising. Laser Spine Institute is attemptiong to be witty with the pun "Take Your Life Back." Thet are talking regarding repairing your back, and alleviating back pain, through surgery. Fix your back. Take your life back. I get it. Take your life back (from whom?)

Laser Spine Institute - We Get Your Life Back on Track to a Pain-free Life

Episode 94: To Better Understand what Grammar is All About

AARP has a Medicare Supplement Plan that offers a guide to "better understand what Medicare is all about." I heard this while I was writing another column regarding ending sentences a preposition with. I know that when I get to that age I will want to know what Medicare will cover. That is all that they had to say: Our MSP guide will explain what Medicare covers and what it doesn't cover. It will also explain what the supplemental plan will cover.

 (Medicare will probably not cover that much because it is currently underfunded for the demand that is being placed upon the system. Check out the Social Security Trustee reports for the past few years to discover the status of Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and Social Security Disability Insurance.)

This particular commercial was a bad grammar twofer when they proclaimed that expenses  "can really add up." I realize that "add up" is a common phrase.  Does the website have a calculator to add up the miscellaneous expenses? These uncovered expenses can provide an unpleasant surprise when you can least afford it.

I recommend a pamphlet on improving grammar in advertising.

Something to Write about (Part 3) Ending a sentence with a preposition (11-20)

This is the third installment of "Something to Write About." One of my major pet peeves is advertisers that do not proofread the advertising copy before they film a commercial spot. Here are another ten classic lines from current commercials.

"What 3-D was made for."
"I have had more awkward conservations than I am equipped for."
"Get Your Chef Together"
"Fly Beyond."
"Dip'n Chik'n is Back"
"Worth rushing in for"
"Don't stop taking Eliquis unless your doctor tells you to."
"I have a nice long time ahead."
"What are you waiting for?"
"When was the last time a vacation took your breath away?"

You will have to wait for a while for the fourth installment because the other ten instances have not made it to the blog as of writing these summary blogs.

Something to Write ABout (Part 1)
Something to Write About (Part 2)

Episode 92: There's examples of bad grammar in Progressive commercials

I started this blog when one ad caught my attention. It was after seeing a commercial from Progressive where a 'shopper' was talking about "Them are Here" that I started paying close attention to Progressive commercials.

I have written five previous columns regarding Progressive.
"A smarter way to shop around."
"How's that atom splitting thing going?"
"We crunch the numbers so you don't have to."
"Progressive gives you lots of choices to choose from."
and the infamous "Them are here" I have even caught more examples on bad grammar in that commercial. I was so distracted by the "them are here" statement that I missed other examples of terrible grammar.

This time it is the "Mission Impossible" scene where Flo drops from the ceiling to deliver an insurance package she says "There's doughnuts in the break room." Either there is one last, lonely doughnut in the break room, or there ARE doughnuts in the break room. Or is it donuts?

The ARE plenty of examples of bad grammar in Progressive commercials. I am on the look-out for my next example of Progressively worse grammar.

Something to Write About (Part 2) Ending with a Preposition (21-30)

I have written over forty columns regarding advertising on television where the sentences end with prepositions. Yesterday I listed the first ten that I discovered. Here are another ten:

"Reviews you can count on"
"It gives you what you are looking for."
"Where the cancer is at."
"So they have something to write in."
"Flavors this good are worth searching for."
"We crunch the numbers so you don't have to."
"Having what you want on the network you rely on."
"The house next door was broken into."
"It is the best we are made of."
"In Alaska you vacation goes further. And Higher."

Can you guess which grammatical goof-up belongs to which company? Follow the links if you want to find out who made the goof-ups.

Episode 91: Some Advertisements are Beyonder Words

This advertisement is only one third as bad as I thought it was. I never thought that handsomer was a word. I always thought that it had to be phrased as more handsome. I was wrong.

Less Expensiver is a phrase that I did not have to check. Let me say that I have seen fewer words that are bizzarer than expensiver. Sharperer. Really?

Handsome. Sharp. Inexpensive. Grammar Check.
Hansome. Sharp. Fiscally Responsible.

Something to Write About: Ending with Pepositions (31-40)

I started this column as a frustrated person who was tired of advertisers using poor grammar to promote their products. Haven't they ever hired copy editoirs? Here are the first 40 examples I have uncovered, starting with the first ten that I uncovered while watching television:

"Protect what you worked so hard for"
"Wherever your party is at."
"Is that the package we've been waiing for?"
"There’s isn’t a challenge he isn’t up for…."
 "12 Fish to Stay away from."
 "Helping you and those you are there for."
"Sometimes the hard road is the right road to be on."
When you shut off the water "it goes back to wher eit started from."
"Turn your blinker on."
"What your mouth would dream about."

I may be up to fifty examples by the time I finish this research.

Episode 90: Clear Choice is still not chosing the proper grammar.

One of my first blog postings on poor grammar focused on a woman being afraid of her son being embarrased of her. People are embarrased by their actions and their words.

Clear Choice now has something else that will embarrass them. The company is promising "life-long results you can be proud of."

Clear Choice: We put the pride back in your smile.
Clear Choice; Your Smile Makes Us Smile.
Clear Choice: Only Your Dentist Will Notice the Difference.
Clear Choice: Taking a Bite out of Time.
Clear Choice: Life-Long Results in One Day.
Clear Choice: We Send You Home Smiling.

Episode 89: What are you better at AT&T?

The setting has become a fixture: The man sitting in the classroom with the kids. He asks them "what are you better at?" Joke telling? The joke is the grammar. This is another example of ending a sentence with a preposition.

Episode 88: Move Free - Healthy Joints Move Free(ly)

There is a new product called "Move Free." I like the concept of the product amd the name. The product promotes joint relief. The sub-title for the product is "Total Joint Relief."  A product with the name "Total Joint RElief" would resonante with me better than "Move Free." Is the product free? Am I moving across the country? Mayve "Move Freely" does not have the same ring? Are they going for the "Got Milk" market?

The problem for Move Free is that there are a lot of joint supplements on the market. There is a product with the trademark "Total Joint Health." There is even a product called Pain Denfense - Advanced Defense with the webite http://www.totaljointrelief.com/ There is even a product called "Joint Juice." Coming up with a new name for a new product may be challenging. It shouldn't be so challenging as to have to corrupt good grammar during the process.

How about "SportsFlex?" SportsFlex - Getting your joints back into motion.

Episode 87: When was the last time an ad took your breath away (to Alaska)

When was the last time a vacation took your breath away? This was a question asked during a commercial for Alaska tourism. If you 'travel' to the http://www.alaskabeyondyourdreams.com  website advertised during the commercial it redirects you to the http://www.travelalaska.com/ website and the opportunity to receive some free information. Ending a sentence a preposition with.

This is not the first time that an Alaskan tourism advertising has caught my grammatical attention. Episode 62 focused on the  "In Alaska you vacations go further. And higher" statement. That commercial raised my ire because the phrase started with a preposition and ended with two modifiers that had nothing which to modify.

When was the last time your vacation made your dreams come true?

Episode 86: Bean Before ( a beautiful lady steps into an elevator.) (Part 3)

"Take Beano before and there will be no gas." Where's the whoopie cushion? This sequence is available on YouTube. I found it while researching the "Suntain Lotion vs. Sunburn Cream" advertisment that is the foundation of Episode 80.

If you need more Beno Before (you start your day) here is Part Two.

Part One is "That ship has sailed."

Looking for bad grammar in advertising is a 'gas.'

Episode 85: I am waiting for (Better Grammar in Advertising) to be Penn-ed

I can't tell you how many times I have watched the Colonial Penn advertisement for 'death benefits' to pay for the cost of burial. I think that I missed this example of bad grammar because it has become common place to say "what are you waiting for."

Why are you waiting? What will it take to make you call Colonial Penn? Are you waiting for a personal invitation from Alex Trebeck?

Ending a sentence a preposition with. I've previously said it and I'll say it again: If it weren't so painful, I might go back and count the number of examples of ending a sentence with a preposition that I have uncovered.

ePisode 84: eSurance's grammar is awesomer

Even the paid spokesman for endurance hesitated before he said the word awesomer in their "Tennis for the Modern world" commercial.  The text for the advertisement is:

Over the last 100 years, tennis has gotten less dainty. Racquets less splintery. Courts more surface-y. Technology made the game a whole lot faster. And Awesomer.

Most awesome. More awesome than.... Awesomeness.... Awesomely bad use of the English language. Perios instead of commas? How about using semi-colons in that terrible paragraph? Surface-y?

eSurance - Insurance for the Modern World.

eSurance - for eXceptional coverage.

eSurance - eXactly what you want when you need it.

Episode 83: HughesNet - Helping you stay connected (with this blog)

HughesNet is a satellite Internet provider. They advertise that they "help you stay connected." Are they connecting you with your friends, your family, your bank, or your work? There is an object to which we are being connected that is missing from the sentence.

I recommend: HughesNet helps you connect with your world, your way.

If that is too wordy, then: HughesNet - When you can't be tied down by cable.

Ah, if only someone would hire me to write these witty bits of advertising.

Episode 82: Gram's Grammar: I attempt to help you speak correctly (right?)

Angie's List has an ad running right now that says "We help you hire right the first time." They last time I checked, Right is not a common name for most people. It is either "We help you hire the right person the first time" or "We help you hire correctly the first time." I don't want to hire a Right or a Left. I want to hire the person with the best reviews.

Angie could also say "Our reviews guide you to the best person available for your needs."

This is not the first grammatical slip-up that I have discovered in the Angie's List commercials. The first commercial that caught my attention was "Reviews you can count on." It was just this past August.

My word to my readers is proof-read your copy before it runs.

Episode 81: Beano Before Part 2 - That ship has sailed

The great thing regarding researching these grammatical goof-ups is that I can find a lot of classic commercials on YouTube. Here is another "Beano Before" spot that has the Beano Before tagline cruising for the shore, just like the Costa Concordia.

Beano Before or gas reliever after

"Take Beano before and there will be no gas."

How about: "Beano helps clear the air."

You can read my first column on this subject - "That ship has saied." - here.

Episode 80: Beano (Part 1): Edit before (you film) or Have me find your grammar problems me after (it airs on television)

The ad asks a question, and I use that phrase loosely, which is better suntan lotion before or sunburn cream after? The ad promotes the concept "Beano Before" and their will be no gas. Beano before what? Obviously you are supposed to take the Beano tablet before you eat your be meal. The subject is implied.

The question of "suntan lotion before or sunburn cream" after is also terrible.  Most of the time people don't think that they will burn from being out in the sun for a short period of time. Sometimes gas sneaks up on you.

A tablet of prevention or a glassful of cure.

Why not a picture of a balloon busting? How about a glass that produces gas, a glass that produces gas with a Beano Tablet in it, and a third where you have to poor in the gas reliever after the gas is formed?

I have two more classic Beano ads to follow.

Episode 79: If More Reliable is Better, is Most Reliable Best?

AT&T is advertising that their 4G service is more reliable and that it is better saying that "More is Better." Fine. More reliable than whom? More reliable than what? Better than whom? Better than what? Is the AT&T $G service better than their 3G service?

Their website, ironically promotes their network better than their television advertising. The say that independent reviews from PC World and PC Mag have awarded their network with being the fastest and most reliable network in the country. How's that coverage? T-Mobile and Verizon seem to be claiming better coverage. Fast is only so fast if their isn't 4G LTE coverage.

S'mores are better than these fragmented advertisements. Any time that you use a comparative word the first object has to be linked to the second object. "More" and "Better" are both comparative words and cannot be linked to one another.

Episode 78: I have unlimited potential ahead (of me) with this blog. Re-tiring grammar.

AARP is advertising Medicare B Supplemental Insurance. There is this retired woman who says "I have a nice long time ahead." The sentence should have been "I plan on having a nice long life ahead of me."

One of these days I will research how many posts have highlighted advertising ending sentences prepositions with.

Episode 77: Eliquis is not so Eloquent

I watch way too many television advertisements. A new ad campaign shows an older gentlemen reliviing his basketball memories while discussing his medication that he is taking to prevent strokes. You and I might call the medicine a blood thinner.

The product in question is  Eliquis. The actor tells the viewer: "Don't stop taking Eliquis unless you doctor tells you to."About the only time I want to hear the phrase "Don't Stop" is when the song is performed by Fleetwood Mac.  Don't stop is a double negative. The fact that the sentence ends in a preposition makes it doubly problematic grammatically. Also, ending a sentence, or sentence fragment, a preposition with is always wrong.

The website cleans up some of the grammar where they state: "Do not stop taking Eliquis (apixaban) without talking to the doctor who prescribed it for you. Stopping ELIQUIS increases your risk of of having a stroke." The senetence should be "Discuss with your physician the risks of eliminating ELIQUIS from your medical routine before you stop taking the medicine."

The website also states that "you might have a higher risk of bleeding if you take Eliquis and other medicines that increase your chances of bleeding." Higher is a modifier. The statement should be that "you have a higher risk of bleeding than...."

My prescription, as always, is to run a grammar check prior to running a new advertisement. Someone should be able to run a grammar check after the script is written and before they are read by the actors.

Episode 76: Qunol Co-Q10 absorbs better (than basic grammar)

This advertisement makes me scratch my head. Qunol advertises its CoQ-10 for joint pain. They say that they are "the better CoQ10." The hanging modifier drives me nuts. If it is the better CoQ10, which CoQ10 is the best? How is it better?

Do you want good, better, or best? Are they afraid to say that they are better (than one of their competitors?)

I recommend: Qunol - the Only Q you need to know in CoQ10.

Episode 75: Worth Rushing in for

Sears rushed the type copy an advertising when they said that their deals are "worth rushing in for." If ending a sentence with a preposition is bad, ending a sentence with two prepositions is twice as bad.

Our sales are worth the drive.

I have one hundred of these grammatical slip-ups. This is only the 75th example that I have posted. Feel free to come back tomorrow and the next day. Follow me on Twitter. @Gramas_Grammar Retweet me. Leave comments.

Episode 74:Popeye's Chicken Advertisement Leaves Me Hungry for Good Grammar

I only pay partial attention to the fast food commercials that air on television. I am a vegetarian and do not go to many of the hamburger or chicken joints during the course of the year. I will visit them from time to time while traveling with my family.

I was watching the news when the station broke for commercials. The advertisement for Popeye's that I saw was promoting the fact that they are bringing back their Dip'n Chick'n to their menu. The spokeswoman for Popeye's said that "this is the one you can scoop up the sauce with." Her speedy and pleasant delivery made me almost missed that she ended her sentence a preposition with.

While visiting their website and found the above plug for the Dip'n Chick'n. Their Dip'n Chick'n is back (to the television, to their restaurants.) Would their chicken be returning as a sequel? Could they say that their "Dip'n Chick'n is available?"

Maybe the name should be Sauce Scoopers?

They could instill a sense of urgency saying "while they last."

Episode 73: Scottrade: I speak like me - the sequel(s.)

Notice the "I Trade Like Me" commercial link in the
 lower right hand corner of this screen-shot.

I commented on the Scottrade commercial where they say "I don't trade like everybody else, I trade like me"  this past June. Today, I went to their website and found the newest version of the "I Trade Like Me" commercials.

Notice the last line from the homepage under the
"I'm With Scottrade" tag-line.
"Why wait?" or their version "What are you waiting for?"

The new commercial has a spokesperson/actor saying "I get one view of my bank and brokerage accounts...to easily move my money when I need to."  Again, I'll say it is not a good idea to end a sentence a preposition with. All the actor had to say was "...to easily move my money when I need it." Changing "to" to "it" changes it from a sentence with poor grammar to one that has good grammar.

I have also written in previous posts that using a tagline with improper grammar is wrong (See my "Get You Chef Together" column.

I found a second problem with the advertising campaign while visiting the website. They are using the hash-tag #ITradeLikeMe. They are using bad grammar in their hash-tag in an effort to reinforce their bad grammar

I found a third incidence of bad grammar while researching their website. They say "What are you waiting for" in an attempt to spur someone into action.

Episode 72: Emerson: It's Never Been Said (Before.)

"It's never been done before." is what is printed on the screen as a lead in tho Emerson's "Consider It Done" tagline. If it has never been done the time period is presumed to be prior to the statement. That would be the same as saying "It won't ever be done after." After what? Before what?

A minor point of contention is that while I attended grammar school "It's" was the contraction for "It Is" not "It Has" Another minor point of contention is the use of the word "never."

"It hasn't been done becomes we can do it."

"Other companies say it can't be done. We say consider it done."

Episode 71: Grey Goose Helps You Fly Beyond (Bad Grammar)

Grey Goose talks about how its creator defied conventional thinking when he created Gray Goose Vodka. The new ad campaign is even getting a positive peer review. "Fly Beyond" is supposed to be an aspiration and to allude to their symbolic flying geese. Do you need to fly beyond (the hunters?) Do you need to fly beyond (Stoli?) Do you need to fly beyond (flavored vodka?) Is Grey Goose the vodka of choice on certain airlines?

I have written many columns on ending sentences a preposition with. I have also just written a column and ending your tagline with a preposition with my posting on Kraft's "Get You Chef Together" campaign.

Defy Convention.

Let your taste-buds soar.

Goose your taste-buds.

Vodka isn't black and white. Embrace the Gray.

Embrace better grammar.

Episode 70: Get Your Grammar Together (with Grammar Check) While You Are Cooking

There is a new ad campaign by Kraft that is so distracting because of the 'bobble head' chefs raving about the quality of the mostly prepared meal. The home cook just needs to warm the ingredient on a stove-top and serve. I prefer to cook my own sauces so that I know how much salt is in the sauce. The tagline for the product is "so you can get your chef together."

Finishing a sentence with a preposition leaves a bad taste in my mouth.I think that it is even more disturbing that their website tagline  and domain ends with the same preposition.

Get your chef together with our sauces. (Get YOUR Chef together with OUR sauces.)

Think out of the sauce (to play off of thinking out of the box.)

Twice the sauce - half the effort.

Episode 69: Chase-ing the most grammatically correct advertisement

Chase has a very nice mortgage ad with a relocating family as the focus. They are advertising that Chase can get you a mortgage "more effortlessly." If something is without effort can you get more zero than zero? Either the mortgage is obtained with less effort than you have had to previously exert or they make obtaining a mortgage effortless.

Oh, and yes, I know that something is either grammatically correct or it is not. You can't be most correct - that is the point.

Episode 68: Viagra... snips and snails and puppy dog tails.

Yesterday was a busy Saturday for finding poor grammar in commercials. Viagra has been very conversational with regard to their advertising. The most recent version tells the viewer: "This is the age of knowing what you are made of. "Boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails according to the old nursery rhyme.

This is the age of extending your personal peak performance.

This is the age of being able to perform on a moments notice.

This is the era where your chronological age does not determine your emotional age.

This is the era of good grammar.

The is the era of knowing how you define success.

Episode 67: Insure Your Message - Grammar Check Your Commercials

I like the commercials that are realistic. Mass Mutual has a commercial where the dad is talking about raising his two girls as a single parent. The father says "I have had more awkward conversations than I am equipped for." I am a father and I, too, and have had many awkward conversations with my daughter. All that had to be said was "I have had more awkward conversations with my daughters than I thought were possible."

Ending a sentence a preposition with.

Episode 65B: Our grammar has never been worse

I commented this week on a BP ad where the representative said that they are drilling for oil "more safely." I'll say it again - it is either safer, the safest we have ever been, or safely.

The same spokesman finished that same commercial with "Our commitment has never been stronger." It has never been stronger than it is now? It has never been stronger than their grammar? Stronger is a modifier. Check the commercial before it airs, or in this case errors.

Episode 66: Nutrasystem keeps you feeling fuller (than what)

I started watching commericials and getting annoyed with the grammar earlier this year. One of the first commercials that got 'under my skin' was the Nutrasystem commercial with Terry Bradshaw saying "I ordered me" Nutrasystem.

You have probably seen another ad for Nutrasystem, this one with the mom walking out of the pool in her bikini. The voiceover for that spot says that "Nutrasystem  keeps you feeling fuller, longer." Fuller and longer than what?

Fuller and longer are comparative words. A better use of these comparative words would be:

• Nutrasystem keeps you feeling satisfied for long periods of time.
• Nutrasystem keeps you feeling fuller than a soup diet.
• Nutrasystem keeps you feeling fuller than a fast food lunch. Is any of this true? 

If Nutrasystem keeps you feeling satisfied better than a normal meal, or another weight loss meal program, then say so.

Episode 65: BP's grammar needs to be cleaner, clearer.

I was watching a BP Oil commercial yesterday and the grammar bothered me. The spokesman explained that they had learned some lessons after the BP Horizon accident in the Gulf of Mexico. They said that they have learned how to extract oil from the Gulf "more safely." That language is bizarrer than you might think.

Bizarre and safely are words that cannot be modified. The interesting thing is that the root words can be modified, and they are modified in the opposite way. Bizarre things can be even more bizarre  or the most bizarre. Bizarre things cannot be bizarrer or be the bizarrest. Keep that in mind while playing Scrabble with unscrupulous friends.

Conversely, drilling practices can be safer. BP oil can be the safest drilling company. They can drill more safely. They can drill safely. They cannot drill more safely.

Who checks these commercial before they air?

Episode 64: The Gravity of Grammar in a movie review

"Gravity" is a movie with Sandra Bullock and George Clooney out in space at the International Space Station. It is available in IMAX 3D and RealD #D. The second commercial I have watched says that "'Gravity' is what 3-D was made for."  Grammar falls flat. Ending a sentence with a preposition has had more sequels than" Police Academy."

Gravity is coming at you in 3-D in your local theater. Gravity's

Episode 63: Choose taste. Choose Flavor.. Choose Better Grammar

I have a lot of fun with this blog poking fun at te advertisers who use poor grammar. Most of my previous entries have focused on ending sentence a preposition with.

This example is one of poor use of words versus poor grammar. You have the sense of smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. You can smell odors, aromas, fragrances. You can taste sweetness, sourness, bitterness, saltiness, and umami. Verb versus Adjective. I could go on and on regarding using the wrong word  when it comes to 'smell-o-vision.' Cooks say "This smells amazing" all the time. The last time I checked, cook foods do not have the sense of smell. Instead they should say "I can smell the fresh herbs, the pepper, the lemon, etc....)

The current case in point is Prego Spaghetti Sauces. They said during a current advertisement: "Choose taste. Choose Prego." It should have been "Choose Flavor. Choose Prego."

I choose home-made sauces.

Episode 62: The Advertisers for Alaskan Tourism Have Taken Grammar Further and Higher (Than Anybody During One Commercial.)

"In Alaska your vacation just goes farther. And higher." Even if they said "In Alaska your vacation goes further, and higher' the grammar is incredibly poor.

Starting a sentence with a preposition is awkward. With a preposition starting a sentence can be very awkward. They end the same sentence, or thought, by saying that vacations go farther. I think we might travel greater distances to vacation in Hawaii. Mount McKinley is the highest mountain on the North American continent. It is not the highest point in the world. Your Alaskan vacation is no further tah your nearest airport.

Anytime a modifier is used it must have something to modify. Bluer than the bluest eyes. Higher than the top of the world.Farther than you have ever previously traveled. I have traveled to Tahiti, so I think that I will have to either travel around the world or at least as far as Australia and New Zealand.

An Alaskan vacation will take you to new heights.

Come to Alaska to chill out. (Okay, that ends in a preposition where slang has almost made it proper.)

You can go further and higher on your Alaskan vacation.

Find your wild side in untamed Alaska.

Episode 95: ODing on prepositions

Anybody who has read any of my previous posts know that most of the issues I have with poor grammar revolve around ending sentences a preposition with.

Old Dominion has a great concept with their current advertising campaign where they have their drivers dressed as everything from astronauts to life guards. The are advertising that they can satisfy your needs for any profession. They say:  "Whatever business you are in, that is the business we are in." Two fragments do not make a sentence. Two fragments that each end in a preposition is really atrocious.

"Your business is our business" That line might be a little scary considering the NSA scandal.

"We keep your business moving."

"Whatever you business, we get you where you want to be."

Episode 60: It is the best we are made of.... Jeep

Jeep has a new commercial where they probably wish that they had used better grammar. The joined the 'End a Sentence with a Preposition" Club when they said "It is the best we are made of." It is the best Jeep that we have ever made.

Episode 58: Stop me if you have heard this before.

Taylor Kia is a Toledo Area car dealer who advertises that they will give you $4500 for a new car "even if you've been turned down before." The owner/spokesman for the dealership is doing just fine. Evidently the phrase wouldn't fit in the allotted screen space if they use proper grammar. Hmm. "Even if you've been previously denied." Their version has 38 characters versus 36 characters with the proper grammar.

Episode 57: Another Week, Another Progressive Grammar Faux Pas

Last week it was Episode 55 and the "atom splitting" episode. This is the fifth time that I have have caught bad grammar coming from Progressive. They are claiming that they are "a smarter way to shop around." Are you shopping around town? Are you shopping around the Internet? Are you shopping around in circles?

There has to be a better way to generate revenue.

We Crunch the numbers so you don't have to.
Progressive "gives you lots of choices to choose from."
So "them are here."

Episode 56: All that remains is to run a grammar check before running a new commercial.

Autumn is upon us. There are probably some big projects that you want to complete before wintr rears its ugly head. Waste Management is obviously experiencing an influx of waste from home remodeling projects. They have a great new concept: "The Bagster."  The homeowner is able to buy a super-sized, durable, canvass bag, into which he/she/they can dispose of construction and demolition debris instead of having to move a large metal dumpster the renovation site,.

Their tagline is: "All that remains is the perfect room you planned for." The "for" is totally unnecessary.  All that remains is the perfect room you planned.

Waste Management: This may be the last carryout you need after creating a new kitchen.
Waste Management: You create the mess and we will  manage it.
The Bagster: Your next renovation project is in the bag.

Episode 55: How is That Grammar Thing going? It's getting Progressive-ly worse.

I thought that I was going to make it through one Progressive commercial without being annoyed by poor grammar or awkward sentences. I posted my first example of poor grammar from Progressive for the "So them are here" line. The next example was when Flo told us that she "gives us lots of choices to choose from."   Progressive's grammar continued to worsen when their commercial  aired the phrase that I referenced in my "Progressive-ly Worse Grammar" column: "We crunch the numbers so you don't have to" .

I thought that I was going to make it through another Progressive advertisement without a grammatical failure, and I was wrong.  Flo utters this sentence during the most recent commercial: "How is that atom splitting thing going?"

How is that Atom Splitting application working?

Do you have that Atom Splitting function working?

Where is Flo going with her advertising? I think that their advertising crew needs to go back to grammar school.

Episode 54: Land Rover - Above and Beyond - Pike's Peak Climb

It appears that the person who created the new Delta advertising campaign created the Land Rover campaign. When you only have two sentences in your commercial, your tag-line should be grammatically correct. This is the third commercial I have viewed this morning, Tuesday, September 17th, where the grammar has caught my attention. The entire message of the commercial is "Land Rover. Above and Beyond." (The other commercials with poor grammar were for the Bagster and Green Giant.)

Two prepositions and a conjunction do not make a sentence.

Episode 53: A Second Look at Delta's New Ad: Service Below and Comfort Above

I like the concept of the new Delta commercial. They pay homage to the innovators in aviation history: Orville and Wilbur, Amelia, and Buzz. If I were them, I might even give credit during a future commercial to the people who have died during the Space Age, during the Mercury, Apollo, and Space Shuttle Eras. It might be a little dicey honoring catastrophic accidents in space, and it could be very rewarding at the same time. All of these disasters took place during the final days of January and the first days of February.

The latest grammatical disaster I found was heard while I re-watched the Delta ad that was the foundation of Episode 49. They said "instead of looking behind, we are looking ahead." That grammatical gaffe distracted me so much that I missed the second gaffe during the same commercial. They state they they have service below and comfort above." Does that mean that they do not serve you while you are in the air? Does that mean that they don't make the gates comfortable for you? Is their service below standard and their comfort above standard?

We serve you from drop-off to baggage claim.
We look forward to making your next flight memorable.
Innovators empowered us. We empower you.

I wish I got paid to clean-up this grammatical gaffes.

Episode 52: When Managing Your Weight Bigger is Better? Really? Better Than.....

Green Giant has a new commercial that says that 'when managing your weight bigger is better.' Bigger is better than what? If people are managing their weight they tend to think that they want to be able to eat their way to a thinner lifestyle.

Episode 51: Verizon: The Grammar You Can Rely On (to provide you service)

Verizon has an interesting advertisement spot that shows a person upgrading his phone whenever he wants. He opens a box, and light and music emit from it. He is asked to stop opening the box during a meeting because the people on the other end of a conference call are receiving feedback from the sound emanating from his Verizon box. They tell us that they have the network you can rely on.

Am I expecting too much for the company whom I have chosen to provide me with my cellular service to have a network upon which I can depend? Am I expecting too much that advertisers will check their ad copy before spending money on running advertising spots?

Verizon: Our Network or their Not-Work
Verizon: Upgrades when you want them. Service where you need it.
Verizon: The Best New Phones and The Most Reliable Connections
Verizon: Smart Phones and Smarter Networks (I know - the modifier is not saying which networks are dumber than Verizon's. It is implied.)

In other words, repeat after me, don't end a sentence a preposition with.

Episode 50 of Alarming Grammar: ADT - The house next door was broken into

I started collecting examples of bad grammar this past February. I started with weekly entries. I was concerned that I would run out of examples too quickly if I published examples every day of the week. I started with the classic Progressive commercial with "Them Are Here." My concerns were quickly eliminated as I started collecting more and more example. I am backlogged at this point in time. I was looking at some of my old draft columns when I came across an oldie and a goody.

I ran into my first example of alarmingly bad grammar from ADT this past March. They were advertising the ability to monitor package deliveries at a person's home while that person was away at work. This might have come in handy this past Christmas when various delivery companies through televisions over fences or criminals stole the merchandise off the suspect's front porch.

 Someone broke the English language for ADT a second time and I want to know whom. ADT is talking about how a burglar broke into their neighbor's home. That is all that they had to say.  The voice-over said: "The house next door was broken into." I could argue that it should be "The house next door to us (our babysitter, my parents, etc) was broken into (while they were______.)" Ending a sentence with a preposition has been the most common grammatical error that I have recorded here in this blog.

There are a number of other ways around this grammar graveyard. It could have been: "Someone was having a party in our neighbor's home. Our neighbors didn't know that they had uninvited visitors until it was too late." Create a sense of urgency. Another way to create a sense of urgency would be to say "Our new neighbors had an unpleasant welcoming committee visit their home. Their home was burglarized while they were at work." This would be another way to spur someone into action.

The best time to install a system is while you are building a home. The second best time to install a system is before you move into an existing home for the first time. It is always better to install a system before your home has a fire or a burglary.

It would also be a better advertisement if they finished by saying "We can protect you while you are asleep or awake." or "We can protect you home while you are home or while away on vacation."

One last option: Protect your home before someone steals your sense of security.

Thank you for 50 episodes of bad grammar. There will be more examples next week.

Episode 49: This grammar is not flying high in the skies.

Delta has a new advertising campaign where they are attempting to say that they are not resting on their laurels.  They are supposed to be looking toward the future of air travel. They say that "instead of looking behind, we are looking ahead.'

Are they looking behind their planes? Are they looking behind they customers? Are they looking at "behinds?" Are they looking ahead to next week, next year, or the next generation of airplanes?

So many slogans sound so 'lofty' that they almost make sense grammatically. This slogan is no exception.

I suggest: "While other airlines are resting on their accomplishments, we are looking forward to the next generation of air travel." Too "windy?"

Another option: "Learning from our experience and looking forward to improving your experience." Of course, someone in advertising will truncate this to "Learning from our experience to improve yours."

Episode 48: Another school ad with improper grammar

If I ran a advertising agency, and I was running a spot for a back to school commercial, I would make doubly certain that my grammar was correct. Target has a new ad that says "School takes a lot. Target has it all." A lot if what? Time? Effort? Interest? Grammar? It may be the reason that elementary school was called "Grammar School" during my childhood.

Episode 47 Verizon: Having the grammar you want on the blog you rely on

"Having what you want on the network your rely on" is what Verizon Wireless is promoting. They are not promoting proper grammar while they promote their network. This is yet another example of promoting a product with a preposition ending the sentence. Pre-position. Positioned before a word to which the phrase is linked.

What you want, where you want it, when you want it.

The network you want when you need it.

Verizon. You can rely on us

It's your choice: Our Network or their Not-Work.

Episode 46: Add more taste to your grammar

Post Shredded Wheat is promoting adding  more taste to your bowl. I didn't know that my bowl had taste-buds. This is a topic that drives me nuts. Taste is a sense. Flavor is what you taste.

The same holds true for when people say that food smells good. Aroma is supposed to be used for food. Fragrance is supposed to be used for flowers. Odor is supposed to used for unpleasant aromas.

Post Shredded Wheat Wakes-up Your Taste-buds The Right Way.

The Villages - The Sequel - It's the grammar you've been waiting for

It's the lifestyle you have been waiting for. The Village is a retirement community in Florida. This is the second example of bad grammar The Villages from.

The Villages is the lifestyle you:

1.  have earned
2. deserve 
3. you've envisioned (note: not dreamed of)

It is time to get serious regarding the grammar we are obviously not teaching in grammar school.

The Villages - A Place to find plenty of friends to share your bad grammar with

The Villages is a retirement community in Florida where you can play golf and make new friends. It appears to be a place where a person can lose his self or herself in bad grammar. They advertise that they are a place where you can find friend to share your retirement with.

I hope that when I retire I will find someone with whom to share good grammar.

You have enough to worry about.

Binder and Binder law firm says that they will take care of the government, and that we "have enough to worry about.' I worry about bad grammar coming out of the mouths of someone who may want to represent me. It should be 'let us do the worrying for you.' We have enough things on which to focus. We should not have to focus upon the bad grammar of our advertisers.

Do We Really Need Something to Disagree On?

Oreo, that ubiquitous black and white cookie, thinks that during this non-presidential election period of time that we need to debate the timeless question: cookie or crème. They recently ran a commercial where there is a 'quiet yelling' scene set inside of a library. They end the commercial with a plug for an Instagram campaign saying "Finally, something we can disagree on."

Some issues aren't as simple as black and white. Good grammar is not a bad thing. Good grammar is a good thing. Why turn an advertising phrase of the opposite of what you are attempting to say?

Lick or Bite - Oreo is as simple as Black and White.

We should be able to agree upon good grammar.

Progressive-ly Worse Grammar

I have already posted one example of Progressive Insurance having a grammatical slip of the tongue. Progressive Insurance hit me with one of those lovely cellphone ads this morning that stated: "We crunch the numbers so you don't have to." So I don't have to do what? So I don't have to think about ending a sentence with a preposition?

I want to choose good grammar.

Flo from Progressive says that Progresssive "gives you a lot of choices to chose from." This comes after the commercial starts with a woman aggressively asking "does anybody know where Flo is?" Where Flo is sitting? Where Flo is standing?

Can anyone tell me where I can find Flo? I would like the choice of good grammar in my advertisements.

Grammar this bad is worth searching for.

You know the ad: the cat walking through a house, late at night, activating the motion sensors for the lights. The ad for Friskies says that "flavors this good are worth searching for." Cats don't need lights to find treats. Prepositions are placed before the words with which they are associated.

Flavors this good are worth the search.

Flavors this good are worth finding.

Flavors worth the search.

Even school supply providers need to head back to grammar school

Yesterday I found a cornucopia of advertising that contained bad grammar: A higher education facility, a frozen/prepared food company, and an office supply store. I am a parent who survived another year of back to school shopping. The shopping lists provided by our school system often include request for 3-packs of items that are sold in 5-packs.  The schools also ask for items, such as cloth book-covers, that seem to only last for a day. This year they requested the purchase of multiple composition notebooks.

Staples has a back to school commercial promoting 10 cent composition books for returning students. The commercial advertised that you could but the inexpensive composition books "so that they have something to write in." Preposition. Ending? Really?

It is time to send the scriptwriter back to grammar school.

When ED meets GD

Sometimes the grammatical errors that are made during commercials are more understandable than other times. Viagra has a commercial that states: "This is the age of finding what you are made of." The proper way of scrambling those words would be 'this is the age of finding of what you are made.' Grammatical Dysfunction can be cured.

I show you where the state of grammar is at

Cancer Centers of America has a new advertisement for a process of using GPS in the body to identify and treat cancer. The ad says that the technology show you "where the cancer is at." It shows where the cancer is. "At" is a preposition - it is placed pre the subject.

You're Not Making Good Grammar Here

I caught the line: "You're not making a bad choice here" during a Red Lobster commercial. Are we making bad choice while we are eating in other restaurants? Are we making a good choice at Red Lobster? Double negatives have no place in any conversation. If the line was scripted, it was scripted poorly. If the line was coming from an actual customer, they could have chosen a more enthusiastic endorsement for their food.

Nutragrain gives you the grammar you are looking for... not

Nutragrain has an ad that has people walking the forest through. It makes me want to run my room from.  It is amazing the number of commercials I have watched that a preposition they end with.

Nutrgrain is no different. "It gives you what you are looking for." Nutragrain - it gives you satisfaction. Cue the Rolling Stones.

We Give You a Broad Range of Bad Grammar to Choose From

Flo-Bot from Progressive needs to have her grammar circuit updated. Flo-Bot says that Progressive has 'a variety of options to choose from.' I thought that Progressive has a variety of options from which to choose.

Angie's List - Grammar you can count on.

I like Angie's List. I am a subscriber to Angie's list. Angie's List needs to grammar check their commercials.

People have trust issues, in general. People want to trust the people whom they hire to take care of home remodeling, pet sitting, and other services. That is the point of the advertisement.

The ad says that they have "reviews you can count on."  Ending a sentence with a preposition is wrong. The tagline of the commercial should be "Reviews that you can trust."

What Kind of Grammar Are You Looking For?

I think that it is time for Charles Schwab to invest in a grammar checker. The current advertisement has a broker who has moved from another company to Charles Schwab. She asks "what kind of broker are you looking for?" I am looking for someone who speaks proper English, especially when it is scripted.

Let's see who can advertise more correctly

Credit Karma has an ad where two women are attempting to since up for free credit reports. The host says "Let's see who can sign up more quickly." I know "More Quickly." "More Quickly" is a friend of mine.  More Quickly would not sign up for a credit check.

The proper sentence could have been "Let's see who can sign up more quickly - contestant one or contestant two." Another option would have been to say "Let's see which of our contestants will be first to sign up for a free credit report."

Either way, More Quickly didn't get his credit report run for free.

Can You Advertise it Correct?

Can you cook it safe? This is a question posed by an advertiser regarding cooking 'tv dinners' correctly. I cook most of my meals from scratch, so I don't worry about reading the box. I also don't eat beef, chicken, or pork, so the internal temperature question of most of what I eat is moot.

Can you cook it safely? Can you advertise correctly? Can you correctly advertise your message? If you can't have a grammatically correct tagline, should I listen to your message?

Real Ginger, Fake Grammar

While watching a Ginger Ale commercial I saw one of my favorite pet peeves rear its ugly head: The confusion between flavor and taste. I get peeved easily while watching cooking shows and the chefs say "the smell is amazing." The aromas are amazing. There are floral scents.

 Taste is a sense. Flavor is what you taste. Bitter, Sour, sweet, savory, salty, spicy and umami are the flavors that we can taste. The "Real Ginger. Real Taste" tagline should be "Real Ginger. Real Flavor."

Don't let them fake you out with their bad grammar.

What your grammar teacher would have nightmares about

McDonald's is airing a series of ads with flying Big Macs. They point blank have printed on the screen during the advertisement: "What you mouth would dream about." I have a proposition for advertisers: do not end a sentence with a preposition and maybe I'll consider buying your products.

May I recommend: Your mouth's dream is our reality.

So if the actor speaks the line correctly and the closed-caption people don't transcribe it properly, is it bad grammar?

I was watching the first episodes of season four for "Warehouse 13" and during the episode "Endless Wonder" Claudia says that "Artie is protecting everyone" Myka says "but from whom." Myka is a literary genius who grew up in a bookstore with her bookseller parents. Myka used good grammar by properly saying "whom." The person who did the subtitles says "from who." Someone must have called them on it because by the time the next episode ran, and they ran the recap vignettes  for what had occurred during previous episodes, the closed-capitioners had corrected the "who" to "whom."."

Turn your grammar check on

It is bad enough that the grammar in the commercial is atrocious. It is probably worse that I only remember the commercial and what it was advertising because I wrote down the the offending line and the name of the advertiser. The commercial in question is a Mistsubishi  commercial that includes the line "Turn your blinker on."

 I don't even remember what version of car the commercial was advertising. I learned to drive while living in the State of Wisconsin. We learned to shoulder check our lane changes and to use our 'turn indicators' to let people behind us know what we intend to do. Every now and again the people behind me think that I am giving them permission to accelerate and block my lane change. Every now and again, while living in North Carolina, while traveling on I-40 through Orange county people would ride the 'lane ending' lane for a half mile or a mile, driving at near full highway speed,  with their 'blinkers' flashing, until they ran out of road.

It would be great if more people used their blinkers. If you are in a turn only lane, then you probably don't need to use it. It would be great if advertisers learned how to avoid ending a sentence or a tag-line with a preposition.

I propose: "Be a Thinker and Use Your Blinker."

I don't speak like everyone; I speak the way I speak.

Imagine placing your business in the hands of the people who cannot edit their commercials properly. Scottrade has an advertisement running right now that ends with the line "I don't trade like everyone else; I trade like me."

Like, for those of you who, like, read this blog from time to time, you know that, like, I don't appreciate misusing the word "like." The first part of that sentence should have been "I don't make the same trades AS everyone else...."

The concluding like is even more problematic.  It is very simple: Don't mix 'persons.' Me, Myself, and I are the choices for the final word. "I trade the way I trade." The final two lines spoken by the actress should be: "I don't make the same trades as everyone else does, I trade the way I trade. I trade with Scottrade.

I guess I'll keep blogging until I run out of material.

Real Ginger. Real Taste. Fake Grammar.

I enjoy cooking and describing food. When you describe the nuances of the food you can talk about bitter, sweet, savory, buttery flavors. Taste is the sense, flavor is what you taste. Smell is a sense. Floral, acrid, foul - that is the aroma or odor that you are sensing.

Real Ginger. Real Flavor.

Panera is on the wrong road with regard to its grammar

Sometimes the hard road is the right road to be on.... except when your pitch is constructed out of weak grammar. I appreciate the quality of the ingredients that Panera uses for its food. Their bread is good. Their grammar - ending in a preposition - not so much.

One Reverse Grammar

They can tell you how much you qualify for.

Former Senator Fred Thompson has a great presence during the commercial for a Reverse Mortgage. I have a problem with the product and his grammar. A reverse mortgage gives you a monthly payment and increases the debt owed on your home. The homeowner will end up owing money when s/he sells the house, and it is possible that they could owe more money than the house is worth.

The problem I have is with his grammar is that it should be "They can tell you how much money you can expect to receive each month from the mortgaging of your home."

And sometimes grammar goes back to where it started from

Has it really been one month since my last post?  I have previously stated that I don't have to worry about running out of fodder for this blog because ad writers write scripts the way that people talk. That underlines the fact that the spoken word has gotten quite sloppy since I graduated from college.

Today's attention is applied to a revolutionary device: The Pocket Hose. This hose is durable and compact. Richard Karn is the spokesperson who, as Al Borland on 'Home Improvement,' has mastered the look of a handyman who really does have a handle on gadgets. His everyday speech patter says that when you are done with the hose and shut off the water is goes back to 'where it started from.' Does it head back to your local home supply store? Does it get sucked back into your television. Did it come from a different state?

When you are finished the hose returns to its original size, ready for easy storage, no knots, except maybe in the spokesperson's tongue.

Attorneys and their spokespeople don't need good grammar, do they?

I was watching the news when an ad for Johnson Law firm aired. I believe that it was there Mesothelioma ad. The ad closed with the line "helping you and those you are there for." Really?  Yet, another case of not editing the script and ending with a preposition.

I might never run out of bad grammar in advertising.

Bad Grammar and the sequester

"Few signs of sequester consequences the White House warned about" was the story-line on Fox New - America's Newsroom at 9:15 AM on April 1, 2013. It wasn't an April foo'ls Day joke, it was sloppy grammar displayed right on the screen and spoken by the newscaster. I guess that even conservative news-people get a little bit liberal with the spoken word.

Clear Choice in Grammar

A woman who was embarrassed by having yellowed teeth decided to receive a dental treatment through Clear Choice Dental Implants. She wanted her son to be proud of her not 'embarrassed of her.' I understand the sentiment. He may be embarrassed by her poor use of grammar. He may be ashamed of her use of poor grammar. He wasn't embarrassed of her, he was embarrassed by her poor teeth.

Where else can we find bad grammar?

It is that time of year. Easter. The arrival of the season means new advertising. The television ad I saw that hatched some bad grammar was a Reese's Easter Egg ad with some new eggs for this Easter. They ended the commercial with "Which eggs are you hunting for?" It's chocolate. It is the Easter Season. I feel a little forgiving. I am not forgiving enough to let it completely slide.

You can't have the same grammar as me.

It is spring sale time, you know, Easter-time sales, and with the arrival those new sales there are new advertisements that did not quite pass the grammar test. The one that caught my ear, yes my ear, is the one that is advertising the Volkswagen Springtober event. A young family is admiring a new VW. The neighbor/friend says "You can’t have the same car as me." This is bad on two accounts. First, he obviously cannot have the same car unless they are car-sharing. Secondly, the sentence should have been: "You can't have the same model of car as  I have. " He also could have said "You can't buy the same model as I just bought." Good Grammar; That would just be weird.

Night(mare) of Grammar at the Museum

I am always amazed at how well lines are delivered by actors and actresses, whether it is for a television show or a movie. I am amazed that there aren't a lot of 'ums and ahs' on these sets. There is only one poor use of grammar in this movie, and that is when Teddy Roosevelt says to Larry the night guard "I'm made of wax, Larry. What are you made of?" It could have been "What of you?' and sounded very historically correct.