Frank Brickowski Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Hi English native speaker, I'm looking for a profound linguistic assessment and hope somebody can help me.' Is the following sentence - about a FICTIONAL "sale" offer (meaning it doesn't need to make REAL sense) - properly formulated and clear in its meaning? "Bring a bike - get a car!" The sentence is supposed to express that customers can come to the shop, hand in a bicycle and in return they get a car back (that they can drive away with). Is the above sentence OK or should something be changed? Thank you very much for your comments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyBricks Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 I think it makes sense, although I personally would change the verbs to make it clearer as to the intention: Ride in on a bike; drive out in a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val-E Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 (edited) Sounds ok, but you could also use some phrasal verbs e.g. Drop off a bike, pick up a car or the ride in drive out option above. Edited September 7, 2018 by Val-E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Jedi Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Concur with the above. Technically, it works, but could be clarified with the previous suggestions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJKelly Posted September 7, 2018 Share Posted September 7, 2018 Hi Frank, I think your phrase is fine as is. However, be aware that under strict grammar rules you should use a semicolon, not a hyphen or dash, to separate the two parts. It depends on how accurate you want to be though, and the importance of the overall look and feel of the phrase in its context. Also, depending on the context and any other signage/information available to the viewer, a simple “Ride in; drive out” might suffice. Variations on a theme could include: “Pedal in to drive away”, “Cycle in to drive away”, “Pedal up; drive away”, “Swap your two wheels for four!”, “ReCYCLE your bike into a car!”, etc. Anyway, good luck with whatever you go with. Best wishes, Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Twain Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 This isn’t technically a sentence and I would not use a semicolon in this context. The subject is only implied as “you” and without a clear explicit subject it doesn’t make sense to connect the clauses together. I will say this with the caveat that I am horrible with grammar. Sent from my iPhone using Brickpicker Forum mobile app Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrickLegacy Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Don’t fear the semicolon. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolonSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Twain Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 27 minutes ago, BrickLegacy said: Don’t fear the semicolon. http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk I love semicolons; I dislike passive voice. "Bring a bike -- get a car" is an apt example of passive construction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil B Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 I love semicolons; I dislike passive voice. "Bring a bike -- get a car" is an apt example of passive construction. And we all know: using too many passive constructions makes you a passivist. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrabslayerT Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 Welcome to the pedantic society! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheOrcKing Posted September 8, 2018 Share Posted September 8, 2018 3 hours ago, CrabslayerT said: Welcome to the pedantic society! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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