Welcome to European Tribune. It's gone a bit quiet around here these days, but it's still going.
Display:
I was writing it for media people. Dropping verbs is common practice in corporate pithiness.

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Mon Dec 31st, 2007 at 01:28:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]
You're the Pro from Dover.  Just my 2 cents.

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre
by ATinNM on Mon Dec 31st, 2007 at 01:40:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
No, it is important to get input, but in the end it shouldn't be too compromised. The only way to really know if it works is to test, get feedback from the intended audience etc. We often fine tune stuff in different iterations of websites etc on that basis. As I often point out to corporate execs - don't give me a personal opinion because you are not the intended audience. "Your personal reaction is unimportant, except in determining the honesty of the statement - in which you are expert"

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Mon Dec 31st, 2007 at 02:53:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
to induce an action.  The verb should be in the imperative tense.  

This is silly (also manipulative), but it works, even on people who should see through it.  

The Fates are kind.

by Gaianne on Fri Jan 4th, 2008 at 05:43:53 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The most common use of this grammatical device is in corporate slogans eg 'Connecting people' (Nokia), but it is spreading out into ad copy headlines. To me it is the normal evolution of living language. Thou understandeth?

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Jan 5th, 2008 at 07:17:27 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Display:

Occasional Series