Real grammar: clarity

Recently, I've started keep track of some of the real world mistakes that I encounter. I thought I would share a few.

Here's one from a campus administrator:

This notice is to inform you that the above student has been working to complete classwork and hopes to complete her classes this semester due to ongoing health issues.

What is wrong with this sentence? Well, it says that she "hopes to complete her classes this semester because of ongoing health issues." Does that make sense? Are her health issues helping her complete her classes? I'm not sure how that would be. 

What the administrator means is "hopes to complete her classes this semester despite ongoing health issues". 

Do we understand what the administrator means by this sentence? Maybe. But it is confusing, especially for me, the instructor of the course. The rest of the email is about attendance issues and problems completing coursework. So, am I to assume that her problems are ongoing? Am I supposed to make arrangements to accommodate her ongoing issues? The actual intention of the email is to say that the student has recovered and wants to make up missed work, but because of this small error, the meaning of the entire message is compromised.


Here's another one from a public bus in Chicago:
Recently, I've started keep track of some of the real world mistakes that I encounter. I thought I would share a few.

Here's one from a campus administrator:

This notice is to inform you that the above student has been working to complete classwork and hopes to complete her classes this semester due to ongoing health issues.

What is wrong with this sentence? Well, it says that she "hopes to complete her classes this semester because of ongoing health issues." Does that make sense? Are her health issues helping her complete her classes? I'm not sure how that would be. 

What the administrator means is "hopes to complete her classes this semester despite ongoing health issues". 

Do we understand what the administrator means by this sentence? Maybe. But it is confusing, especially for me, the instructor of the course. The rest of the email is about attendance issues and problems completing coursework. So, am I to assume that her problems are ongoing? Am I supposed to make arrangements to accommodate her ongoing issues? The actual intention of the email is to say that the student has recovered and wants to make up missed work, but because of this small error, the meaning of the entire message is compromised.


Here's another one from a public bus in Chicago:

This sentence uses something called parallel structure. Parallel structure is two ideas attached to one main idea. For example, if I write

                                I am going to the grocery store. I am going to the post office.

I can combine those two ideas into

                                I am going to the grocery store and the post office.

This combination works because the two items are in the same format; they are both places. What we naturally understand is the root sentence "I am going to the" works with both items in the list.

So, using this same concept, this sign discusses who priority seating is for.

                                 "Priority seating is for 1) customers with disabilities and 2) seniors."

But what it says--which is exacerbated by the inconvenient line break after "with" is

                                 "Priority seating is for customers with 1) disabilities and 2) seniors."

Based on this sign, I can sit in priority seats if I am traveling with my grandmother, but my grandmother cannot unless she is disabled. To clarify its message, the sign should read "Priority seating is for seniors and customers with disabilities."

I'll keep an eye out for more real grammar to share!