Aaaaand we’re at the end of another week, FFers! Another week of ugly language goofs, but the Grammar Cop is merciful and will only highlight (lowlight?) a tiny fraction of them for you here.

1. MONTREAL TIMES: “Scout Finch, whom is referred to throughout most of the narrative by her original name of Jean Louise, is now…”
2. THE SUBURBAN: “Although the original script from which the film was based was a comedy, the end result is more serious in tone.”
3. MONTREAL TIMES: Okay, this is really special. You may laugh to keep from crying! This is their own ad for marketing services. See how many mistakes you can find.
   “Running a business today isn’t easy.At many times as the owner you have to wear many hats. Social media marketing should not be one of them. With Facebook and Instagrams new algorithm’s your posts can be harming your post placements and eventually they will not be seen. In other words you can do more damage than good! Let us take care of your social marketing online and you do whats best make money from it! We target your vertical cliental, so 100% of the people that see your ad want your product. E-mail us for details:xxxxx.

Ready for the corrections? No? I’ll wait.

How about now? All right.

1. The correct word is not “whom,” it is who, because who is the subject of the verb “is referred to.”
2. It should not say “from which the film was based” – rather, it should say on which… You don’t base something “from” something else, you base it on something else.
3. Okay, in order of the way this sorry sentence is written:
   – There’s a missing space between “easy” and “At.”
   – “At many times” is clunky. Why not just say often?
   – “Social media marketing” should be Social-media marketing. You know why, by now! The term social media is acting here as a compound adjective modifying marketing.
   – “With Facebook and Instagrams new algorithm’s” should be With Facebook and Instagram’s new algorithms.  Simple plurals take no apostrophe.
   – “your posts can be harming your post placements” – much nicer not to repeat “post(s).” Change it to, say, your posts may be detrimental (better word) to their  placement.
   – “…and you do whats best make money from it!” – Ugh! It should be what’s. And after “best” put a colon (:).
   – “your vertical cliental” – Argh! It should be spelled clientele.
   – “100% of the people that see your ad…” – Should be people who see your ad. With people you always use who. (That is for things.) And that is an error worthy of a 7-year-old.
   I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t hire this company to do anything for me that involves words, that’s for sure!

The Grammar Cop emailed the managing editor of the Montreal Times, politely pointing out some of their egregious mistakes and offering her services as a proofreader. So far no response. Stay tuned!