1	grammar, syntax, diction, humor, English

Detecting a misspelling is easy.

Knowing when to use an adverb is harder.

Clearly, something is out of service temporarily.

For our next sign, there's actually nothing wrong though the phrasing is somewhat awkward, even this is already widely accepted.

The word "times" refers to a more or less definite period of time now or previously present. If you want to use it in a sentence, you may refer to Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." If you want to be more precise in announcing what time your business opens and closes, just use the standard: "Business Hours"

As regards our next sign, please read the sign's first three lines.

Now let's focus on the problematic phrase.

"First and foremost" is redundant because both mean the same thing. If you want to use just one word to substitute for this redundant phrase, you could use "primarily" or "mainly." Needless to say, "first and foremost" should be avoided, along with other redundant phrases like "cease and desist" and "part and parcel."

But the focus of this "funny signs" installment is the use of prepositions. Now that you have a clue, would you know what's wrong with our next sign?

Let's take a closer look if you still can't find the mistake.

The establishment being advertised is located on the ground floor, in the same way that a house is located on a particular street. The floor of a building has many establishments, so the preposition at cannot be used due to the lack of a more precise location.

By this time, you should know what's wrong with the next sign, taken inside a popular mall in Quezon City.

For our next sign, there's nothing wrong with the preposition. It's the pronoun that's problematic.

Again, let's take a closer look at the sign.

Still can't find the error? Let's zoom in once more.

Since the word "gifts" is used, the pronoun should be "them," not "it" as written. Yes, knowing the proper pronoun is as hard as determining the right preposition.

Anyway, grammar lessons are over. More funny signs next week. Thank you for reading!