![]() “This practice which makes the government to loss (lose) substantial revenue….” The same thing applies to ‘advice’/‘advise’ and ‘practice’/‘practise’, among many other entries. The excerpted muddle is the American version of it. “Importers and customs agents may have deviced a new strategy to pay lower tariffs….” Noun: device verb: devise. Do you also know that you can now use ‘two’ for three or more items? Elucidation in subsequent editions of this column. I always advocate lexical modernism as a way of life. Don’t depend solely on dictionaries (some of which tolerate a few of these embarrassing contradictions) be inquisitive and exploratory in language usage, which is the hallmark of developmental communication. ![]() Yank away ‘two’ in the interest of linguistic currency. “…defence pact between two unequal partners which was well open to blackmail, curtailment of freedom of speech at the price of democracy. ![]() “The embarrassing development, according to a principal engineer who inspected the damages….” On Guard: ‘damage’ is uncountable except in legalese. “Compatriot Bankole, can you imagine the great rupture your imprisonment would have caused in the placid relationship existing between the three arms of the Nigerian government….” ‘Between the three’ again? Just among the three, I beg you. “…that you will be sent to jail to rotten and regret the day you embarked on those inglorious acts of perjury and forgery.” Adjective: rotten verb: rot. Adidi Uyo will write: a military officer. “In another incident, six suspected armed robbers, including a military personnel….” ‘Personnel’ is a collective noun. “Shortage of such materials as stationeries for printing order papers….” Some of the words that are uncountable: stationery, furniture, cutlery, heyday, jewellery, equipment and loot. “An irate Nigerian wondered why the honourable members were not made to refund the N4,000 daily sustainance allowance.…” Get it right: sustenance. “From all indications, many elected political leaders in our democracy are still basking in the thrills of election victories, copious weeks after they’ve (they’d) been sworn in.” “International Bank helped liberalized (liberalize) the supply end of the financial market.…” “But coming within a shared calender space of one another (a comma) it pointed to one fact….” This way: calendar. “Ondo police discovers illegal arms factory” Police: plural verb always. Even as an ardent supporter of the topmost English team, that was a mismatch now worsened by this local language poverty!īUSINESS of June 10 circulated two embryonic blunders that remind one of dissemblance: “Rescued banks, investors in last minute (last-minute) rush to tie-up (tie up) deals” “Glo’s associates relieve Man U-Barca match experience” Have a lovely week: relive. “More greaze (sic) to your elbow” (Beyond the spelling error (grease), it is ‘more power to somebody’s elbow’, but you can grease somebody’s palm if you have corruptive tendencies! ‘Detonation’ cannot be used in the reported circumstance: “Men of the Anti-Bomb Disposal Squad of the Kaduna State Police Command yesterday recovered and detonated another bomb at one of the gates leading to NNPC staff quarters….” Both the print and electronic media are guilty of this malapropism. “Police detonate bomb in Kaduna”: As irredeemable as our policemen are, they cannot publicly detonate a bomb! What they do is to defuse it. “I heartily write to congratulate you as the flag bearer (standard-bearer) of APGA in the forthcoming Anambra Governorship election….” Exception to this assertion is if the General was dragged along the road in the process of his gruesome murder by bandits! ![]() “Tears, as General…killed along Lokoja-Abuja road is buried” (THISDAY PAGE FIVE, July 17) Get it right: the gallant officer was killed on (at a particular spot)-not along-the road.
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