Discovered on the doormat of our illustrious host

Consider the following scenario. You are trying to drum up trade for your business and you want to use a leaflet to help you. Would you, perhaps, consider getting professional assistance? Or, would you knock something up on your home computer, paying little attention to punctuation?

Have you thought?

Now consider this leaflet, advertising a block paving service:

Click to enlarge

I made some scribbles on the original to point out the surplus apostrophe in groundworks - surplus, that is, unless the proprietor is a Mr Groundwork, in which case it could be a possessive. Mr Groundwork, if it is your business then I apologise and compliment you on your clever use of your name in your chosen career.

You may notice an arrow, leading down to the missing apostrophe in the expression 30 years experience, which should have the apostrophe after the s of years, since the experience is of the 30 years.

My final scribble relates to the gratuitous use of clipart - typical for the homemade leaflet. You see, if you cannot understand the words (which is made less likely by the errors), you can look at the pretty picture of a man doing some blockpaving... well, holding a large cog-wheel.

At least the apostrophe errors are in balance. One missing, one surplus, net result zero. Perhaps this may be reflected in Mr Groundwork's success - time will tell.

01 August 2001
Ashley Frieze