Friday, January 2, 2009

Writing That Makes You Go, "Huh?"

Everyday I read really good material written by bloggers and everyday I read newspaper copy that goes without proofreading. There are lots of accounts that make you go: "Huh?" Here is today's gem:

"The study identified food 'stressors', such as sugar, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate as improving mental health when participants reduced or removed them from their diets.' "

People relying on spellcheckers without anyone actually reading through the copy are sure to produce statements that make you go, "What did they say?"

In writing as everywhere else, we have come to rely on technology and some of us tend not to double check by reading and perhaps having someone else read our copy.

Shall we re-write that sentence so you know what was really being said?

"The study showed that sugar, caffeine, alcohol and chocolate are detrimental to mental health. Improvement results when these foods are removed from the diet."

You got that now?

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