This Sign Needs Help

I've cropped the store's name and email to save it the embarrassment. I hope the staff takes a proofreading course during closure! 

How many errors can you find? 

 

Lynn
Syntax Training

Comments

[Virginia Sowell]

I found three glaring errors but I'm sure you'll tell us more! First, they have "an" instead of "any", inconvenience is spelled wrong, and "Inquires" should be "inquiries." Don't even get me started on commas!

[Kelly at Twentysomething Vision]

Hmmm...I see at least three. I see "AN" should be "ANY" (unless it was a single inconvenience!), "INCONVIENENCE" should be "INCONVENIENCE" (I almost missed that one!) and "INQUIRES" should be "INQUIRIES."

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Virginia and Kelly,

I was thinking of the same three errors you spotted--3 of 19 words misspelled! Yes, we could add a couple of periods and a comma, but the spelling is the craziest part.

Thanks for commenting.

Lynn

[Paul]

Hi Lynn,

I can find 5 errors: 2 spelling errors (inconvenience and inquiries), 2 grammatical errors (passive: be reopened, be continued) and 1 with regards to content (upon -> after).

This would be a revised example:

WILL BE REOPENED IN EARLY MAY
ALL PROMOTIONS WILL BE CONTINUED AFTER OUR RETURN
SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED
FOR INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT

Kind regards
Paul

[Patty Rechberger]

I would use "resume" instead of "continue"

[Nathalie Lambert]

Hi Lynn!
Your killing me! What is the answer? I see what everyone else is seeing. Is it the sentence structure?Where do you reveal the answer so that we can learn from this?

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for taking this challenge seriously. I'm saying yes on the two spelling errors--good catches.

But changing active verbs ("reopen" and "continue") to passive ones ("will be reopened" and "will be continued") is not a good idea. It makes the sentences wordy and indirect. Please reconsider that idea.

Similarly, "caused" feels passive. I suggest dropping it.

If you want to read more about my take on passives, check out this post:
https://www.businesswritingblog.com/business_writing/2017/04/everything-you-need-to-know-about-passive-verbs.html

Lynn

[Business Writing Blog]

Patty, replacing "continue" with "resume" is an excellent edit.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lynn

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Nathalie,

I'm smiling at your enthusiasm. The errors I focused on were the spelling of "inconvenience," "inquiries," and "any" (as "an").

Punctuation would also make the sign clearer, but its absence seems to be intentional rather than accidental. But lines like "Inquires please contact" come across as sloppy.

Did you find the same errors?

Lynn

[Bart]

The real question is: would you buy from these people? If they cannot produce a sign, how adept can they be in business?

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Bart,

That IS the question. When I am dealing with a service professional, I always back off when they make mistakes in the small details. However, this sign was from a jewelry store. As long as the jewelry and the prices seemed good, I would shop there--but I would carefully check the bill!

Thanks for commenting.

Lynn

[Senna]

Hyphen should be required in between "reopen" like "re-open".

an inconvenience should be corrected as "the inconvenience"

Spelling error found in "INCONVIENENCE".

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Senna,

There's no need for a hyphen in "reopen." Readers can easily recognize the word without confusing it with another word.

You are right about the spelling error. Please see the comments above.

Thanks for stopping by.

Lynn

[Senna]

hi Lynn,

Thanks for correcting me.

What about using "the" instead of "an".

Further, I was told by one person that;

"Sorry, the inconvenience caused" is the correct way and "Sorry for the inconvenience caused" is incorrect. He mentioned that "for" is not necessary. Is that correct?

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Senna,

"The inconvenience" is fine.

Your person's advice is wrong. If you understood him correctly, I suggest that you not take advice from him about English. "For" is necessary.

Lynn

[Senna]

Thank you very much Lynn. Trust same theory applies with the word "regret".

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Senna,

Not necessarily. This sentence is correct: "I regret the inconvenience."

Lynn

[Senna]

Many thanks Lynn. May be he mentioned about "regret" then.

Thanks again.

[Donna Chambers]

Never buy from a jeweler who advertises his product as jewlery! ;)

[Business Writing Blog]

Hi Donna,

Yes, his attention to detail would certainly be lacking.

Lynn