As 2017
gradually comes to an end, my earnest prayer for you (my reader) is a
prosperous 2018. You shall prosper financially, academically, spiritually,
physically and grammatically! Although I have prayed, you must work very hard
to ensure that they come to pass because "faith without work is
dead". In other words, if you must achieve financial prosperity, you must
put in place or do certain things that will elevate your financial status; if
you must excel academically, you must "study to show thyself approved".
In like manner, if your 2018 must be grammatically prosperous, you must leave
the following grammatical blunders in 2017:
1. Don't say "I forgot
my phone at home" but say "I forgot my phone" or "I left my
phone at home". The reason is that you can't use the verb
"forget" when mentioning where you left something; you use
"leave" instead.
2. The habit of calling
SPAGHETTI (a kind of pasta in the shape of long, thin strings)
"supergative" should end in 2017. This is a common error in Nigeria.
It might sound funny, but it is an obvious truth.
3. Don't say "There
is no two ways about it" but say "There are no two ways about
it". In the former, the rule of Concord is broken. There is no agreement
between the verb "is" and the noun/noun phrase, "two boys".
4. Don't say
"lacking behind" but say "lagging behind" as in "The
girl is lagging behind".
5. Don't say "crack
your brain" but say "rack your brain". You are expected to
"rack" your brain when presented with a puzzle in order to get it
correctly.
6. Don't say "low
current" but say "low voltage". When Nigerians say "low
current", they actually mean "low voltage".
7. Don't say
"headquarter" but say "headquarters" when referring to the
head office of an organization regardless of its number.
8. Don't write
"sister in-law" but write "sister-in-law". This is also
applicable to mother, daughter, brother and father.
9. Don't say "funny
enough" but say "funnily enough"; e.g., Funnily enough, I was
just trying to call you before you came.
10. Don't say "the
English alphabets" but say "26 letters of the English alphabet"
or "the English alphabet".
11. Don't say "I am
a staff of Tammy's company" but say "I am a member of staff
of Tammy's company".
12. Don't say "ATM
machine" but say "ATM". When you say "ATM machine",
this is what you mean "Automated Teller Machine machine". This is
also applicable to similar abbreviations like "GTB bank" and "BVN
number". Please, avoid these obvious errors.
13. Don't say
"stuffs" but say "stuff". In Nigeria, you often hear
statements like "get my stuffs out of the car" or "get me my
stuffs". LOL! The word "stuff" is uncountable; that is, it does
have a plural form. Therefore, you should always say "stuff".
14. Don't say "the
both (of you)" but say "both (of you)".
15. Don't say "don't
take it personal" but say "don't take it personally". Despite
the popularity of the former, the latter is grammatically correct.
"Personally" as an adverb is modifying the verb "take".
16. Don't say "the job is tasking" but say "the job is taxing".
17. You can add to the list via the comment box.
Make your language a befitting lounge by making it posh!
17. You can add to the list via the comment box.
Make your language a befitting lounge by making it posh!