Eats Shoots and Leaves
Monday, May 23, 2011 @ 12:59 PM
EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES
'No matter that you have a PhD and have read all of Henry James twice,' writes Lynne Truss in her bestselling book, Eats, Shoots And Leaves; 'If you persist in writing: 'Good food at it's best', you deserve to be struck by lightning, hacked up on the spot and buried in an unmarked grave.'
What is the point of writing the perfect story; brochure or website copy if the written content is filled with schoolboy howlers? Eats Shoots and Leaves could explain a Panda’s favourite lunch. On the other hand it could describe what a gunslinger did to express his dissatisfaction of a meal or saloon service.
Jim Knight was a Cambridge-educated Member of Parliament. The blog he used to communicate with constituents was littered with poor punctuation and spelling mistakes. The word ‘received’ was spelled ‘receieved’; archaeological appears as archeaological. This MP was the British Schools Minister.
If those who pay you the courtesy of purchasing your book or considering your product are offended by slapdash grammar it sends out a clear message: We are a sloppy outfit.
The reason for badly written copy is that the writer cannot see the faults so presumes there aren’t any. In return for a kindness shown I offered to correct an estate agent’s web content free of charge. He declined as his wife had written it and thought it perfect. Would you buy a villa from a company whose website looks like it was pulled together by a twelve-year old?
All languages are in a constant state of change. This includes writing style but it is important to stick to basics. My advice is to get a second opinion from someone who can write well. That will cost much less than a disappointed reader or lost client.