“You can’t make an omellette without breaking some eggs.”
Have you heard that expression before?
That’s how I feel about speaking.
Mistakes are fine.
In fact, they’re absolutely necessary when you’re practicing.
But when you’re writing, and especially when you’re writing a sign… No, no, no — take your time, use spell check, or even ask a native speaker for help.
Because if you don’t, someone like me may photograph your sign and send it all over the world…
And The Winner Is…
Yesterday I showed you this sign from the building where I’m renting an apartment in Prague:
I asked for your suggestions on how to improve it.
The best answer came from Lorenzo:
Dear visitors. Welcome to our residence. Please don’t make noise so that we can all rest. Thank you very much for your consideration—management.
The main mistakes are:
- Welcome in > welcome to (ex. Welcome to the Jungle)
- House > building/residence. A house is for one family and is usually outside the city (ex. The White House). A building has many apartments and is in the city.
- no shout > do not shout (or: No shouting.)
- stamp > stomp. If you need to send a letter you’ll need to lick a stamp. If it’s late and you want to be quiet you should not stomp your feet.
More Pictures, More Fun
Let’s keep going!
I’ve got two more for you today.
A chance to review what you’ve already learned…
As usual, hit “reply”, send your suggestions, and I’ll share the winner tomorrow.
seen in Prague
seen in Prague