Ebere Wabara
YOU are welcome to our language clinic. From THISDAY of October 13 comes this: “Otti, who spoke through his Deputy (deputy), Ikechukwu Emetu….” A rewrite: Abia Deputy Governor, Ikechukwu Emetu, who spoke on behalf of Otti…. Nobody speaks via anybody, please gents. Or, merely, converse for anyone. Emetu who spoke for….
“Nigeria needs officials like Oshungboye, says Oba of Benin” (THISDAY POLITY, October 13) Get it proper: Nigeria wants official like Oshungboye or officers like Oshungboye, Wabara…. (let me blow my very own trumpet—no person will blow it for me!)
“How Super Eagles watched Algeria emerged (emerge) as next foe on FB: “More grease (power) to your elbow.”
“If the deduction of the proposed $1bn is for investment purpose….” Punching under the belt: an funding objective or funding functions
“Lagosians have a cause to celebrate as the state government opens a modern bridge in upscale Lagos Island.” Sights & Signs: on upscale Lagos Island.
“Police is your friend, so extend the hand of fellowship to them (sic).” Either the policeman is your pal, so prolong your hand of fellowship to him or the police are your mates, so prolong the hand of fellowship to them. Even the police themselves are responsible of this juvenile grammatical solecism!
“Peak reiterates commitment to sustain quality” Why not ‘Peak reiterates quality sustenance’?
“On Arsenal web site, the England youth worldwide, who has accepted to play for the
Super Eagles (one other comma) was described as a robust however technically-astute midfielder….” ‘But’ is a contrasting conjunction misapplied right here. The proper phrase must be ‘and’.
“…keep resting in the bossom of the Lord.” Spell-check: bosom.
“Most airports set-up for political motives—Experts” Perhaps, by year-end, we will de- emphasize this continuous abuse of phrasal verbs: arrange.
“The siege on The Nation” The siege to (not on)
“CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: String of loses haunt Rangers” Three factors: losses; Rangers; and string of losses haunts (not hang-out)!
“One may say that in some countries people literarily (literally) fought for their independence.”
“Trouble, nevertheless, began when safety personnels on the stadium adopted the Boko
Haram model.” ‘Personnel’ is non-count.
“I was a witness to a very moving event recently at the Idimu Police Station at the outskirts of Lagos.” From A to Z: on the outskirts.
“A strong grassroot force has to be in the drivers’ seat for the targeted poverty programme.” Richness of language: grassroots.
“The poor has to see themselves properly involved in the programme.” How does it sound? Once extra, the poor assume extra about cash than the wealthy!
“Government should take the bull by the horn and restructure PHCN.” No blackout: take the bull by the horns.
“Nigeria needs a judiciary that would neither be intimidated or humiliated.” Neither…nor and both…or. No carelessness!
“This is because the governor was not really in the good book of the electorate.” A fall foreseen: within the good/dangerous books of the voters.
“Four varsities to re-open, ASUU insists on strike” Get it proper: reopen (no hyphenation).
“Hunger is threatening to crush majority of our citizens.” The form of issues to come: a/the (pay attention to the determiner) majority of our residents.
“The type of exotic jewelleries (jewellery) you can find at museum shop.” ‘Jewellery’ is uncountable. America: jewellery “…the president of the country can be harassed with a degree that bothers (borders) on flippancy….” “The noise have (has) been deafening about imposition of candidates.…”
“Sometimes (Sometime) around (about) 9.35 a.m., a convoy of six cars comprising of….” Do away with the second ‘of’ within the extract.
“There were sporadic explosions while the cars were burning in Maiduguri apparently due to remnants of ammunitions.” ‘Ammunition’ doesn’t take any inflexion.
“Beyond the cloud, pomp and pageantry.…” Either pomp and ceremony or pomp and circumstance
“As the saying goes, money is the root of all evils.” From my file, the love of cash (not cash itself) is the foundation of all evils.
“Also, at the onset (outset) of the computer revolution.…” “The naira permitted it’s (its) designers to inflict on it some tribal (ethnic) marks.”
“They aroused his curiousity and we soon displayed all the denominations of the naira…” Spell-check: curiosity.
“Beyond mere symbols of ethnic jingoism which may prove difficult for the ordinary man in the street to identify….” ‘The man in the street’ doesn’t require any embellishment corresponding to ’bizarre’ as a result of the person is solely bizarre.
“…eyes where poor man (a poor man) can own mansions in (on) Victoria Island.”
“One is gratified by the rising attention on (to) consumerism in the organized private sector.”
“In addition, there had been no report that he had gone to condole (condole with) the family of (the) late….” “…he may be able to warm (worm) himself in (to) the recognition and acceptance of the various nationalities and interest groups in Nigeria.”
“The police officer noted that since armed bandits have (had) shifted their operation to the churches….” Whoever wrote ‘armed bandits’ clearly doesn’t perceive the
nature of banditry. There is not any banditry with out arms. Otherwise, it turns into one other type of criminality, not banditry.
“They demanded for money only after they had made sure that the victim would not survive the shooting” Delete ‘for’.
“…Most victims of sexual exploitation had been discovered to be younger women aged between 13 to 18 years. Between 13 and 18 or from 13 to 18.
“…that effort at sensitizing Nigerians on (to) the essence of the Vision 20-2020 is well in an advanced stage.” What is the definition of the cliché ‘advanced stage’? Any type of public communication—gestural, written or verbal—that’s topic to individualistic interpretations shouldn’t be environment friendly and efficient.
“ACF urges Boko Haram to sheath swords” Truth is a burden: sheathe swords.
“New car owners stranded over plate numbers” Aso Chronicle: quantity plates “New Year bomb victim dissatisfied over (with) treatment abroad.”
“Muslims in all continents of the world would today celebrate Eid-El-Kabir.” My remark: on all continents.
“It is hoped that those engaging in acts inimical of (to) the nation’s corporate progress….”
“We seize today’s occasion of….” For Americanism and all its informalities, that is acceptable. But, in formal (commonplace) British entry—which I strongly advocate—you are taking or use an event/alternative. ‘Seize’ has an inherent, elemental drive (connotatively and denotatively), imperativeness of sociolinguistics however. “Entrepreneurs team-up (team up) with Rivers on investment”
“Each passing day I pray that the lord will wipe my tears, heal the wound and the pains that your sudden departure have (has) left in my heart.”
“I still thank God because I believe that you are resting peacefully in His bossom (bosom).” And this, by the best way: in God’s bosom, peace is integral and assured. My condolences, the avoidable slips however
“We are however rest assured that you are been (being) taken care of and that one day, we will meet to part no more.” “…many Nigerians have expressed mixed reactions over (to) this development.”
“The herbalist allegedly demanded for his wife’s eyeball….” Delete ‘for’ in pursuit of lexical excellence.
“Nigerian women are not mediocre” Our girls usually are not mediocrities or mediocrists. Put otherwise, Nigerian girls usually are not mediocre folks (adjectival parlance).
“Several (Many, preferably) innocent Nigerians have been killed by uniform (uniformed) men at checkpoints for failure to give bribe (bribes).”
“He received the girl’s cellphone quantity and texted (text-messaged) her N500 cellphone
(recharge) credit score.” “…until such a time his adversary is able to proof (prove) to the court that he is not the rightful king.”
“I doff my hat for the resilience of those who staked their necks to confront the excesses of the military.” Dogma on the barricades: I doff/take off my hat to (not for) newspaper contributors, the occasional Freudian slips however.
“Others just ridiculed me outrightly.” A protester on the American embassy: Others simply ridiculed me outright.
“NCP raises alarm over alleged harrasments of market women” Across the nation: harassment. Also word that ‘harassment’ is uncountable, not like ‘embarrassment’. “…but the incidence rather than subdue you, (sic) should instead spur you to greater hights (heights).” The human angle: incident (not incidence). ‘Instead’ has no perform right here.
“Gather every members of your family.” Either each member of your loved ones or all members….
My expensive reader, please word that ‘banter’ is uncountable. “…the chilling story of Calabar’s rival gang members who not only slaughter themselves (one another) but.…”
“Eagles confront Malawians under scorching sun” This approach: in (not beneath) the scorching
solar.
“Recent statistics from the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) point out
that lots of of Nigerians are presently (sic) in (on) dying row in some nations….”
“There must be correct authorized illustration to (for) our residents accused of drug
trafficking….” “…if any of its citizens is properly tried or convicted or (for) any offence abroad”
‘”In instances previous, the media may even have queried the double requirements.”
Professionalism: double commonplace—not requirements.
