Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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Teaching ideas

You can find more real life examples of SPaG errors by searching for different hashtags on Twitter (#errantapostrophe, #grammarpolice, #grammarnazi, #spellingfail, #grammarfail, #punctuationfail). Set students the task of finding their own examples from social media for homework, and create a dynamic classroom display (or wall of shame). Encourage students to correct them.

Some common mistakes are particularly amusing. Try this blog (http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/), dedicated to unnecessary speech marks, and ask students to choose their ‘favourite’ speech mark oddity!

Set students/teams the challenge of finding as many mistakes as they can within a time limit, and award points (and prizes if you wish) for corrected versions.

Try a ranking or sequencing activity and ask students to rank the images from worst offender to least problematic, and explain why.

Spelling mistakes

Ask them to choose the most embarrassing of the spelling errors (in terms of context, effect on reputation, public exposure etc.).

Can students identify which spelling rules have been ignored or flouted (-es plural etc.)?

Encourage students to share the words they find most difficult to spell, and create a spelling prompt word wall for your class.

Grammar mistakes

For the grammar images, ask students to identify what’s problematic about the grammar (syntax, word class, tense, comma splice etc.).

Alternatively, use the idea of football penalty shoot outs, and invite teams to take turns scoring points by correctly spotting the error/s.

Try a grammar auction. Students/teams bid for the right to say whether an image is right or wrong and/or correct it, doubling the money they bid if they are right and losing that money if they are wrong.

Punctuation

Show students a video of Victor Borge’s phonetic punctuation (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF4qii8S3gw). Practise the different sounds and invent sounds/actions for any missing punctuation marks, such as apostrophes or semicolons. Ask students to read (a corrected version of) one of the punctuation images using phonetic punctuation.

There are a number of apostrophe errors in the image set. Ask students to identify which rules have been wrongly applied.

Encourage students to find out about the history of different punctuation marks for a Speaking and Listening presentation.

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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Punctuation

Identify and correct any punctuation mistakes you can find in the images below, taken from real signs, posters and adverts.

© Glenn Loos-Austin 2005 https://flic.kr/p/6Fggf © B.Rogers

© Ulick Palmer

© Avi 2008 https://flic.kr/p/4ph9J9

© K. Lee

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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Quinn Dombrowski 2007 https://flic.kr/p/4edHYn

Email offer screenshot

© @TLComer (Twitter)

© Gordon Joly 2006 https://flic.kr/p/tRBPb

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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© Rrravenita 2010 https://flic.kr/p/84dbsf

© Ken Jones 2009 https://flic.kr/p/7x1H3B

© K. Lee

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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The images on this page appear to have mistakes, but in fact the punctuation has been chosen for stylistic reasons, or because times have changed for punctuation trends. Identify and comment on the interesting choices.

© L. Palmer

© L. Palmer

© Francis Storr 2005 https://flic.kr/p/6vFSD

© L. Palmer

© David Goehring 2010 https://flic.kr/p/7EsTzq

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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Spelling

Identify and correct any spelling mistakes you can find in the images below, taken from real signs, posters and adverts.

© Ulick Palmer

© Ulick Palmer

© Damien Ayers 2005 https://flic.kr/p/3RnJE

© jmawork 2009 https://flic.kr/p/6Y9dBq

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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© Stephen Fulljames 2009 https://flickr/p/6ivHXJ

© Steven Kay 2008 https://flic.kr/p/4tv1S1

© http://www.shoozographer.co.uk/ 2005 https://flic.kr/p/ioUt

© Daniel Oines 2012 https://flic.kr/p/bn39t2

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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Grammar

Identify and correct the grammar mistakes in the images below, taken from a real poster and sign.

Can you explain why these signs look like they contain errors?

© Garrett Coakley 2006 https://flic.kr/p/rQ2KE

© Kyle James 2010 https://flic.kr/p/7BpRip

© Ulick Palmer

© Ulick Palmer

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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SPaG mistakes

Identify and correct any spelling, punctuation or grammar mistakes you can find in the images below:

Screenshot of online estate agent details

© K. Lee

© Stephen Fulljames 2010 https://flic.kr/p/8RLHeD

Posters, adverts and signs - Spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes

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Nina J. Grant 2006 https://flic.kr/p/oBWaL

© Niccolo Caranti 2008 https://flic.kr/p/4YPtB5

© Mick Baker 2011 https://flic.kr/p/a4h1Eh

© Verity Cridland 2011 https://flic.kr/p/9GSkZs