I am the last one who claims my English is great. It is not my mother tongue. Spell checkers help a lot, but I tend to mix in Dutch grammar sometimes. You will often see Dutch people confusing ‘learn’ and ‘teach’ or ‘borrow’ and lend’ as the Dutch use one word for it.
Prepositions
Prepositions are always a challenge. Is is ‘on’ or ‘at’? Where does it go in the sentence? And it is ‘to mix in the ingredients’ and not ‘ to mix the ingredients in’. Why is is it big- bigger, but not handsome – handsomer? I still say ‘to make a photo’ instead of ‘to take a photo’, much to Alex the Puffins delight. Therefore, I always ask fellow board members to proof read the more official texts I am writing. This blog? Well, I take the risk. Sometimes people do point out mistakes in the comment section though.
But spelling mistakes should be less of a problem, with the current sophisticated spell checkers. However, they are still being made, as you can see on the seven images below. By respectable organisations such as ViaRail, Loblaws, the CBC.
Strangely, I have this odd ‘gift’ that I see a spelling mistake popping out immediately, even the hard to find ViaRail one. But I easily miss my own typos. I assume that that is besuece you epxcet a ceriatn wrod to floolw and yuor mnid adrealy flils it in.
Can you see the 7 mistakes in the signs below?
That is so true. But that is not only a Dutch guy problem, it happens to me too – but then I am Dutch as well. Maybe you have a point.
Bob Krul
Loblaws has a “stationary” sign for writing paper in their stores and say they can’t change it as it came from Head Office