Recruiter sends me draft of pre-screening questions for the hiring of a communications person.  One of the questions reads thusly:

Indicate what’s wrong with the lead paragraph in this press release: “The first ever packet router, expected to increase efficiencies by over 90%, is now available to technology professionals, it was announced today by Mitch Romen, Chief Information Officer for AvantForward Networks.”

1. The phrase “it was announced” is awkward

2. There is no real news

3. “Chief Information Officer” should not be capitalized

4. Nothing

According to the questionnaire, the answer is #4.  I call the recruiter.

ME: Hi. I have an issue with the press release thing in the pre-screening questions.  I do see something wrong with the lead paragraph.  It’s not grammatically correct.

HE: What do you mean?

ME: I mean you can’t have a comma between “professionals” and “it.” You’re separating two complete sentences with a comma.  That’s known as a comma splice, or a run-on sentence.

(pause)

HE: I don’t see it.

ME: What you have isn’t a real sentence. You have to put a semi-colon there, or better yet, a period.

HE: Wait...you want a semi-colon where?

ME: Well, ideally you’d tighten up and revise the entire paragraph, but I’m saying that right now you have two sentences mashed together with a comma. Two complete thoughts. Subject.  Predicate. You know...sentences.

HE: I used to be a PR professional, you know.

ME: Uh…

HE: This is actually a sentence I wrote when I did press releases.

ME: Well, I’m suggesting that you should--

HE: (Reading sentence aloud) “It is now available to professionals, it was announced here today...” You know, I don’t agree with you. Putting a sentence there goes against my grain.

ME: It’s not matter of subjective opinion; it’s a run-on sentence.  I wouldn’t hire a communications professional who looked at this sentence and thought there was “nothing” wrong with it.

(pause)

HE: Well, I can put the period there if that’s really what you want.

(Co-worker enters cube)

CO-WORKER: How’s it going?

ME: Is there any tequila located on the company premises?  Anywhere?