Don't call us...

Categories: language

Date: 20 August 2009 14:19:07

I recently received notification via a translators' website of a software programme purporting to be indispensable to all those earning their living from writing in one way or another.  The blurb breathlessly promised translators, journalists and copywriters that they would create flawless sentences using this company's brand new "grammer and writting software".

Apart from the fact that they clearly do not use their own product (or perhaps they do... in which case it is even less of a convincing advert) I could not help but think they were targeting the wrong market. Those who earn their living from words are perhaps less likely than others to misuse apostrophes or make howling spelling mistakes.  No one is infallible and, inevitably, errors are made. However, I cannot help but feel that the software is not going to be able to detect subtle and debatable points of grammar if the company's marketing department cannot spot the glaring mistakes in its own copy!