Infiniti Canada Has Bad Grammar

Comments

The English spoken in Louisiana is quite different from the English spoken in London. And as we all know, a subset of a language is a dialect. Something that is shared by a smaller regional area like say, Cockney.

An idiolect, on the other hand, is a dialect spoken by a very small group or individual.

An Idiolect is marked by departures from the accepted form that aren't shared with the larger community.

Forensic experts probe for idiolectic markers in ransom notes and terrorist threat emails. It was idiolectic distinctions that allowed a Quantico forensic teams to ID the Unabomber.

If I'm getting on your nerves Michael and you tell me to “piss off” I'm not going to urinate from a my roof. And if I seem to be egging you on Michael, you understand what I say has nothing to do with eggs, right?

So when I say you are an Idiolectic you’re not going to get insulted---you know I’m referring to your idiomatic obsession with a perceived wrong usage that in fact is correct and widely accepted and ID’s you as an Idiolect.

"All" is by definition referring to a plural and thus you are dead wrong on insisting on IS in place of ARE and so, Michael you should drop this rant like a hot rock. Advertising is like Oxygen or Advertising are like Oxygen? The accepted convention requires IS, even though advertising is plural, get it?

t's a classic distinction between American and English. Last I listened, the English spoken in Canada owes more the British than American English. If it was an American ad, Michael would be 100% right. "All that's missing are the wings" is truly painful sounding to an educated American. Unfortunately, "The BBC are proud to introduce ..." is also truly painful sounding, but is perfectly correct British English.

The UK version of the BBC website states:
"The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites."
Mr KW Williams, are you British?

it's advertising not grammar class. Who really gives a crap, This ad is feces, is feces singular or plural? This ad are feces? See how handy shit is?

Snake, it's called "subject-verb agreement". In your example, the subject is "ad" which is definitely singular. Feces is the object, so isn't referenced in the tense of the verb. Go back and ask your third-grade teacher if you don't believe me.

I just fink its fab that people care enough about the English langage to argue abat it. Youd be hard pressd to find anyone in Britun under 30 whoze had it tort proply to them at scool. Like.
Dunno wats'like in America, but all I'll say is two words: George. Bush.

Don't really care about infiniti ad, but in a larger sense-

There's grammar and there's advertising grammar. Advertising grammar should fit the tonality of the brand.

The most important thing is that the ad and the writing communicate the message simply and compellingly. "Proper" grammar comes second.

Writing style should not be a slave to grammar unless what you are writing needs to follow a certain form, such as a business letter, an essay, a legal brief, etc.

No, I'm not British, but my vintage British Motor Company posters read "BMC are eager ..." and "BMC are proud ...", and my complete collection of Goon Show CD's all talk about how "The BBC are ...". I've had this discussion with Brits that couldn't understand why I thought it sounded funny, or who tried to correct me for saying things like "Ford is trying to get its quality control improved."

I suspect that the British usage is being contaminated, but not eliminated, by the American usage.

Perhaps Michael Scott could treat us to a parsing of the entire sentence to show us how he comes up with "All" (and only "All") as the subject.

Infiniti is correct. According to Diana Hacker, "A few indefinite pronouns (all, any, none, some) may be singular or plural depending on the noun or pronoun they refer to. Examples: Some of our luggage was lost. None of this advice makes sense. Some of the rocks are slippery. None of the eggs were broken." If the sentence were phrased "The wings are all that's missing" it might be clearer. But then it wouldn't be advertising. Just because Mr. Scott feels strongly about his view doesn't make it right. English grammar rules?! Our language is a hodgepodge, as other commenters have commented! Language is for using. It's too bad Mr. Scott isn't using language to uplift instead of tear down. Oh, and by the way, does he realize that Canada spells "centre" wrong? It's supposed to be "center"!

Look at Fishy, chumming the waters of political discontent.

Snake, you had me at singular. I think the plural is feci. Not sure. How'd it go again in school, lemmee see...

Herd of cattle, pack of dogs, pod of feci?

Oh, I forget. Nevermind. Tell ya what, for any grammar Nazis, I'll just go with CT's take:

IT'S AN AD.

Not everything need not be correct, nor should it not need to be, right? (It's ok. The two double negs cancel each other out.)

Otherwise, Mike better tell Mickey D's corporate that nobody really skewers burgers at parties and calls them apps. Things could get out of hand and then who knows what Tom Foolery and chicanery people will get into.

Hey arthur, I read the same thing at http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Writing/i.html

"An idiolect, on the other hand, is the form of a language spoken by a single person, marked by a set of departures from the "norm" that aren't shared with others, at least not as a package. A person's idiolect constitutes a kind of linguistic fingerprint, since it's by definition unique to an individual. Police forensics folks often look for idiolect markers in, say, ransom letters. It was a series of distinctive verbal tics, for example, that allowed authorities to spot the Unabomber from his "manifesto." [Entry added 14 Sept. 2004.]"

I make lots of grammar mistakes, but not if i were submitting something for real. This forum stuff is just play. I don't work for real or pay. For pay it would be about two or three mistakes, instead of lots. But when i quote text, I usually give a source. When i think independently, then I say it is so with all my quirks and quizical phrases.

Please forgive me if you name is really jack.

Nancy, I think it's fair to say arthur was indulging in sarcasm. stay in school.

Woody,

Is that an effective tool in this forum?

Does Jan Levinson-Gould know how Michael has been spending his time?