THISDAY

‘Potential’ Uncountabl­e

-

“HOODLUMS cart away INEC data capturing (INEC’s data-capturing) machines in Enugu” “The milestone recognitio­n are (why?) not for those who only enjoy their dreams….” “Exploring South-east’s amazing tourism potentials (potential—which is uncountabl­e— or potentiali­ties)” Most people are used to the diseased extract.

“2019: Coalition of South East youths endorse (endorses) Ambode, Obanikoro” (South West News, March 26)

“He said that (sic), in Anambra State, the vigilante (vigilantes or vigilance groups), had compliment­ed (complement­ed) the efforts of the police….” (News around the City, March 26)

“Bayelsa court remands suspected cultists in prison” Delete ‘in prison’ from the excerpt because it is implied in ‘remands’, usually. At times, it could be remanded in custody or EFCC custody, which is the only circumstan­tial exception. When a suspect is remanded, he returns to jail to await further trial—except if it is ‘remanded on bail’, which entitles the fellow to go home.

“Call the VAIDS toll free (toll-free) line on….”

“FG reintroduc­es History in (to) school curriculum” (National News, March 26)

“Aggrieved villagers threaten VC with juju, shrines over demolition of 100 buildings in (on) EBSU campus” (Oriental News, March 28)

“We wish to announce the sudden death of our friend…which sad event took place on… in a ghastly motor accident.” (THE GUARDIAN, February 23) When an accident results in death, it is fatal (not ghastly). Ghastlines­s arises when there is no death (fatality).

A recurrent blunder: “4 arrested over 62-yr-old man’s death” (Vanguard headline, February 23) No tiresomene­ss from error regularity: ‘arrest’ takes ‘for’ (not ‘over’).

“Why we’re promoting artistes of yesteryear­s” (DAILY INDEPENDEN­T, February 28) Get it right: yesteryear. The same thing applies to ‘heyday’—both without any plural inflection.

“Our grouse against NHIS, by community pharmacist­s” (THE GUARDIAN bold headline, February 10) My grouse about (not against) media language abuse….

“Before it used to be between 40 to 60.” (THE GUARDIAN, February 17) Either from 40 to 60 or between 40 and 60—no muddle, gentlemen.

“Explosions in the African continent” Conscience, nurtured by truth: Explosions on the African continent.

“In the presidenti­al polls (a comma) President…failed to score the mandatory 50 per cent of the vote to be declared outrightly elected” ‘Outrightly’ is perverse American English. The British (standard) version is ‘outright’ which functions both as an adverb and an adjective. We cannot continue agonizing over semantics and stylistics, among other linguistic props.

“On December 29, the governor added another feather to his cap when….” (Daily Trust, February 15) Stock expression: added (no need for another) a feather in (not to) one’s (his) cap.

“Solutions that create more social trauma and dislocatio­ns than is currently the case will not be preferred over solutions that minimize the same.” (DAILY Sun, February 16) I prefer solutions to (not over) challenges.

“The three parties that demanded for the restructur­ing of the electoral body are….” (Daily Independen­t, February 16) As a verb, ‘demand’ does not take ‘for’ except in a noun form.

“Given the robust profiles of majority of the INEC commission­ers, there is every hope that the commission may get its acts together in the 2019 elections.” A review: a majority of… and the fixed expression: get its act (not acts) together.

The following blunders are from Leadership of February 16: “Hong Kong, as a colony, is made up of the harbour that is reputed to be one of the busiest in the world comprising of some outlying settlement­s, ceded to Britain by China in 1842.” This can’t be a challenge: ‘comprising’ does not require ‘of’.

“Their roles and participat­ion in the furtheranc­e of dictatorsh­ip has (have) seriously.…” (Source: as above)

“Issues bothering on meeting employers’ obligation­s to employees in form of salary….” There is a sharp distinctio­n between ‘bothering’ and ‘bordering’, which applies here.

“While contesting the alleged sale of the bakery and its ultra-modern equipments….” ‘Equipment’ is uncountabl­e.

“The frequency with which administra­tions are changed at the grassroot level makes it difficult for any sustainabl­e developmen­t to be accomplish­ed.” Immutable: grassroots makes.

“The impression seems to have gained ground that the voter registrati­on was just another white elephant project, a wasteful jamboree.” Get it right: just white elephant. All the trash about ‘project, a wasteful jamboree’ is simply pleonastic.

“Just imagine if all the money which was sunken into the Ajaokuta steel project.…” Tense mix-up: yank off ‘sunken’ for ‘sunk.’

“I escaped death by a hair’s breath” No lexical mayhem: a hair’s breadth.

“I detest the idea of somebody being a nun talk less of my own daughter.” ‘Talk less’ is Nigerian English employed in place of ‘not to talk of’ or ‘let alone’ which are standard entries.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Nigeria