Estate agent billboard tagged with graffiti in grammar row

Richard James recently put up a poster in Newport Street advertising their business and encouraging people that now was the right time to join the housing market.

The advert included a lighthearted play on words based on the Beyonce track 'Single Ladies' and said 'if you liked it, you shoulda put a ring on it' but the word 'ring' had been crossed out by 'spray paint' and replaced with 'offer'. 

A local resident, Jamie Hill, correctly pointed out that this created a grammatical error as the 'A' should have been changed to say 'an' after 'ring' was changed to 'offer'.

The original billboard before it was 'further' targeted with graffiti (Image: Jamie Hill)

He posted about this on Facebook where he said he was becoming like his dad as the billboard left him 'apoplectic with rage' every time he had driven past. 

He jokingly described the grammar as a 'travesty' and the people responsible as 'cretins' before suggesting that 'a ring' should have been crossed out and replaced with 'an offer' to make it make sense. 

The post garnered dozens of reactions with some agreeing that the billboard was an unmitigated horror and others adding they thought the mistake added to the playful nature of the advert itself and was fine. 

But following this online debate, an unknown artist added a second comical addition to the board with its own grammar mistake and pun, “Your missing the point” pointing to a full stop, and underlining the line “The best time to buy is always 5 years ago”.

Richard James has been selling houses in the town since 1992 after opening a small office in Wroughton that year, but this is the first time one of its pieces of advertising has caused such a fuss. 

Richard James commented: "The original ad was a lighthearted way to make a serious point and highlight the fact that property remains one of the strongest and safest investments you could ever make.

"House prices here are 26% up compared to 5 years ago, and demand remains strong. Swindon is a magnet for buyers seeking value for money, with the gap between prices here and some of our neighbouring cities closing all the time."