At heart, I am also a natural proofreader, and I've started to screen-capture incidents when, well, websites don't proofread things so good well.
My first example is from Jobstreet.com's English Language Assessment test, a set of 40 questions that is meant to test your English proficiency, which is why its failures and fallacies particularly rubbed me the wrong way.
#1. I included the header because it looked so ridiculous. English Language Assessment indeed. "Paweena's", come on. First graders know that.
#2. I'll be honest, this question really confused me because of the TV show Everybody Loves Raymond. Raymond is characteristically arrogant, emotional, and annoying. Not JobStreet's failure per se, but I see it as either a lack in pop culture knowledge, or a poorly placed pun.
#3. I don't know... I really don't know. I chose college dropout, but I felt like I was stereotyping him. In fact, in America I believe the army pays for your college education after you've served in the army. I don't think that makes him irresponsible either, and he could be an army lieutenant or soldier for all I know.
#4. "Dear Jackie." "Dear Jackie, ..." not "Dear, Jackie."
#5. Double whammy image. For No.2, to be honest, I think all the answers apply. JobStreet thinks you are a robot apparently. For No.3, I chose the second option, but I think they marked me as wrong. I read it as my answer being a continuation of the sentence, instead of a reply to the sentence. Again, too much ambiguity in this test.
#6. Again, all of these could apply. Is this how English comprehension should be scored? I don't believe so. If my chosen answer is JobStreet's correct answer, it is not even grammatically correct. "Reason it out", not "reason out". This error made my selection extra difficult.
#7. Another poor question. When put out of context like this, it could go two ways, either like a Christian song - "Oh Lord I am weak but you are strong", or a dodgeball captain choosing between the weakest candidates - "Darn it, he is weak but you are lazy".
#8. Either causes you "to lose teeth" or gives you "loose teeth". Pick one.
#9. When almost an entire word is omitted, it seems as though none of this was proofread at all.
If you're wondering what I scored after this confusing mess, it was 37/40 on the practice, and 38/40 on the real test. In terms of real language skills, at this level I believe I am actually a 40/40.
