LOOK at these little ‘stories’ and see if you can find a mistake in each:
The banker’s son
“Dad,” says the banker’s son, “can you lend me two thousand dollars?”
“Two thousand dollars are a lot of money. What do you have in mind?”
“I have a sure tip on the market.”
“How much profit can we make?” asks the father cautiously.
“Four hundred dollars,” replies the son eagerly. “That’s two hundred dollars for each of us.”
The father takes out his wallet and gives his son two hundred dollars. “Let’s consider that we have made this deal and that it has succeeded, son. You make two hundred dollars, and I save one thousand and eight hundred dollars.”
Two thousand dollars are a lot of money should be Two thousand dollars is a lot of money. A sum of money is thought of as singular.
Santa Story
Santa Claus had a nightmare in which he entered a house through the chimney and helped himself to a glass of milk. When he had finished his drink, he noticed a note on the fridge door. The note read: “If you leave a new cellphone in the kitchen, I will give you the antidote to the poison I put in the milk. In previous years, every Santa who took the antidote quickly recovered. – Tommy.”
The last sentence contains a squinting modifier. A squinting modifier, also called a two-way modifier, can modify the word or words on either side of it.
The sentence has two possible meanings: (i) took quickly; (ii) recovered quickly. To prevent ambiguity, it can be recast in one of two ways (depending on which meaning is intended):
In previous years, every Santa who took the antidote recovered quickly.
In previous years, every Santa who quickly took the antidote recovered.
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