Student Examples of Grammar, Punctuation, or Usage Errors Prepared by Professor Lisa Mazzie Hatlen Marquette University Law School

The Assignment Three weeks before the due date, students are shown a PowerPoint presentation that depicts some grammar, punctuation, or usage error(s). Their task: To go forth into the world and bring back a “real life” example of a grammar, punctuation, or usage error. They must identify the error and indicate how they would fix it. The #1 rule: They cannot do a purposeful Internet search looking for those websites that collect these errors.

Three weeks before the due date, students are shown a PowerPoint presentation that depicts some grammar, punctuation, or usage error(s).

Their task: To go forth into the world and bring back a “real life” example of a grammar, punctuation, or usage error. They must identify the error and indicate how they would fix it.

The #1 rule: They cannot do a purposeful Internet search looking for those websites that collect these errors.

The Assignment - Continued Students have turned in brochures, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, photocopies from pages of their textbooks, and print-outs from websites of all kinds, or they take pictures if they can't physically remove a sign. In the spring semester, the assignment is due just after Spring Break, which gives students the opportunity to use Spring Break travel to locate errors. What follows are some of the best examples I have received from students (with a few of my own thrown in).

Students have turned in brochures, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, photocopies from pages of their textbooks, and print-outs from websites of all kinds, or they take pictures if they can't physically remove a sign.

In the spring semester, the assignment is due just after Spring Break, which gives students the opportunity to use Spring Break travel to locate errors.

What follows are some of the best examples I have received from students (with a few of my own thrown in).

On a student's t-shirt. Submitted (and modeled) by Andy Helminiak

Submitted (and modeled) by Andy Helminiak

Submitted by Kaitlyn Wild

Submitted by Kaitlyn Wild

From a picture/poster hanging in the hallway at the law school.  Photo by Nick DeSiato

Photo by Nick DeSiato

Lack of punctuation, I tell them, can create unintended meanings. Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Submitted by Adam Essman

Submitted by Adam Essman

Shirts on sale in the boys' department at Kohl's Department Store, Madison, Wis. Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

An ad on the side of a bus stop shelter one block from the law school. Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

At the border crossing on the Mexican side, Nogales, Mexico/Arizona. Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Photo by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

A billboard near campus. Photo by Nick Harken

Photo by Nick Harken

The cover a binational business magazine of the U.S.-Mexico Chamber of Commerce. Submitted by Matthew Luening

Submitted by Matthew Luening

At a New Orleans police station, post-Katrina. Photo by Matthew Clabots

Photo by Matthew Clabots

At the Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast Administrative Office Gift Shop. Photo by Annika Thompson

Photo by Annika Thompson

At Dirty Little Roddy's in Ketchum, Idaho. Photo by Jaime Bouvette

Photo by Jaime Bouvette

Manasota Beach, Florida. Error pointed out by Brigid Moroney. Photo by Brigid’s mom.

Error pointed out by Brigid Moroney. Photo by Brigid’s mom.

A page from the Barnes & Noble employment handbook. Submitted by Kate Schmidt

Submitted by Kate Schmidt

Notice how this place in Madison, Wis., handles its dress code. Submitted by Amy Barnes

Submitted by Amy Barnes

Internet news from WKOW-TV in Madison, Wis. Submitted by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Submitted by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Submitted by Adam Ben-Zikri

Submitted by Adam Ben-Zikri

From the local grocery store's community board, McFarland, Wis. Submitted by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

Submitted by Lisa Mazzie Hatlen

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Thanks for watching!