One of the hazards of being a former English teacher and occasional copywriter/editor is that it really grates on me when I see spot clumsy, untidy or simply inaccurate grammar. It gets worse when I spot it in materials produced government or government-linked organisations, because it’s the government, of course, that loves to harangue Singaporeans to speak good English.
The National Environment Agency, for instance, thinks that “Switch off your lights when not in use” is an acceptable expression in English. I understand the need to be economical with language in an advertisement, but there’s a limit to how economical one can be before either clarity or elegance is sacrificed.
It could still make sense, because it implies that “you” should switch off the lights when you are not in use, but what does that mean — when one is asleep?
“Switch off your lights when they’re not in use”, folks. That one word is key.
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