Kirk here. Kedah State is in Malaysia and is famous for its rice paddies. The group seems to have come to learn about groundwater recharging in Kumamoto:
— start quote — In a statement issued today, it clarified that Sanusi is in Kumamoto City to learn about underground water catchment management to be built in Langkawi, which is slated to become the first-ever project of its kind in the country and Southeast Asia. — end quote —
I feel compelled to comment on the sign, which has an obvious error (it should be “delegation” not “delegate”). As one who has made thousands of typos and other types of errors on this page, I understand that we all make mistakes. On the other hand, if you’re going to make a big sign that will be recorded in a commemorative photo and then published on the internet, I think you should double-check to make sure it’s OK. It shouldn’t be too difficult to ask a native speaker but today one can just ask an AI chatbot. Here’s how ChatGPT responded to my question.
— start dialogue transcript —
Kirk: Many representatives of Kedah State in Malaysia will be coming to Kumamoto. We’d like to make a big sign to welcome them. Our current plan is to put the following words on the sign. What to you think?
WELCOME TO KUMAMOTO KEDAH STATE DELEGATE
ChatGPT: The sign looks great for a warm welcome! However, I’d suggest using “DELEGATION” instead of “DELEGATE,” since it refers to the group of representatives collectively. Here’s the updated version:
WELCOME TO KUMAMOTO KEDAH STATE DELEGATION
This should convey a more formal and inclusive message. What do you think of this revision?
— end dialogue transcript —
What do I think? I think people should get their English checked before making big signs.
