Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Tree felling notice grammar along Albany Road
Such poor grammar employed by the council:
“This tree is scheduled for removal as a recent inspection found it to be in a poor condition.”
In this sentence, “condition” refers to the tree’s overall state, which is uncountable, so no article should be used: “in poor condition.”
One would only use “a condition” when referring to a specific type or instance, e.g. “a medical condition.”
“The tree has over 70% dead crown and the base was found to be decayed.”
“Dead crown” refers to part of the tree’s canopy (uncountable), so a preposition is needed for clarity — e.g. “70% of the crown is dead,” not “70% dead crown.”
A clearer version would be: “The tree has over 70% dead crown cover, and the base was found to be decayed.”
Surely the notice should read:
“This tree is scheduled for removal as a recent inspection found it to be in poor condition.
The tree has over 70% dead crown cover, and the base was found to be decayed.”
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Justin Guest
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Priceless. You should offer your copy subbing services to the council! Clearly there is a role waiting for you in your dream job Keith!
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton
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Priceless? Justin.
Perhaps the words useful or helpful might serve better. Could we agree that Priceless should be reserved for the the alleged Alexandra Palace sign in the latest Private Eye magazine. It advises people seeking a toilet "to use the ice rink".A practical joke of course.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter
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Is it not true that a previous Haringey CEO had posted signs on the inside doors of council lavatories—facing the user who could look nowhere else—exhorting better performance?
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I've almost forgotten Nick Walkley's captive-audience posters inside the Haringey Civic Centre toilet doors. My recollection was they addressed professional staff like kids. Which was unlikely to work.
You gotta admit though, they gave us a few chuckles.
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Keith, would it be correct to write,
“This council is scheduled for removal as a recent inspection found it to be in a poor condition.”
and if not, how should the sentence be re-worded in order to be grammatically correct, please?
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Gordon, you can still spot it in some places where re-branding has not yet reached.
Haringey also moved on from their excellent logo, which they dropped in March 2007 in the first of two re-brands.
The first re-brand produced the dismal Squashed Spider ("at the back of a drawer")
The second rebranding in 2015 replaced the spider at a cost of £86,000 with the current "Haringey London" logotype, not including the word "council'.
The lightning flash symbol had been the Borough's logo since 1965 and symbolised the first broadcasts of television from Alexandra Palace in 1936.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/alanstanton/21988550090
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Permalink Reply by Brian Mahoney
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It does have some of the features of genuinely fascistic symbolism.
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