Language Quiz

Here's another little language quiz.

Read the following selection and see if you can identify what's the problem with it.

(Alway remember: maybe nothing is!):

From an article in my hometown paper:

Firemen brings balloon, more to schools

The Previous Quiz:

From an article in the local paper:

South Grove is a good investment for taxpayers who live both inside and outside the city of Knoxville.

This sentence means that it's not a good investement for taxpayers who live either inside or outside the city, only for those with two homes. That's not what they wanted to say.

The problem is the placement of "both". This word makes what follows it apply equally to what precedes it. For instance, "I own both dogs and cats," "He likes both movies and plays," "She speaks both English and Russian." Thus, "He lives both here and there" must mean he lives, well, both places, not either place.

South Grove is a good investment for taxpayers who live either inside or outside the city of Knoxville.

or

South Grove is a good investment for all taxpayers whether they live inside or outside the city of Knoxville.

Look here for Previous Quizzes, 34 so far.