Dateline: April 28, 2017. This was the ill-fated day that Baba Bayo Oguntunase died! And that marked the end of ‘Mind Your Grammar’ series, which he had written over the years in copious media.
There is hardly any day I do not remember him, especially when I run into grammatical turbulence. I miss Pa Oguntunase probably more than any other person! The next two editions of this column will exclusively pay optimal tribute to the departed language activist, my mentor and English language teacher.
“FMBN to spend N1.3bn on home renovation (home-renovation) loans” (PAGE 2 BUSINESS, April 16)
Now, back to the classroom:“Your exemplary life of leadership and selfless Service (needles capitalization) to humanity has made you a recipient for (of) this honour.”
“CPC to clampdown on illegal microfinance banks” (Daily Champion Front Page Headline, March 30) Phrasal verb: clamp down (two words)—no hyphenation in phrasal verbs
“This time around” (THE NATION OPINION Page Headline, March 30) Not my opinion: this time round (British Standard English, while the extract is American). The choice is yours!
“An acknowledged scholar, a distinguished statesman and a team leader per excellence” (Full Page Congratulatory Advert, March 25) Get it right: leader par excellence.
“New trends in electioneering campaigns” (THISDAY Banner, March 25) Politics Today: just electioneering or political campaigns—‘electioneering campaign’ is sheer verbiage! ‘Electioneering’ encompasses campaign and other related electoral issues.
“INEC asks SSS to crackdown on violent politicians” (Daily Champion Front Page Headline, March 25) Noun: crackdown; phrasal verb: crack down (which applies here).
The next publication under review is DAILY CHAMPION of March 30: “Some countries have taken tobacco manufacturers to court for the damages their products cause.” The will to die: ‘damage‘ is uncountable, except in reparative applications for indemnity.
“With the launching (launch) of the poverty alleviation (a hyphen) programme by the Federal Government, not a few Nigerians desire to see it effectively in place.” (THE GUARDIAN, March 30)
“…what happened was that somebody filed a writ of summon.“ (DAILY CHAMPION, March 24) This way (singular): a writ of summons; plural: summonses.
“It is the Federal Board that is always guilty of that, because it is them who take riff-raffs as welfare officers.” (Nigerian Tribune, March 30) ‘Riff-raff’, just like ‘stuff’, is uncountable.
“Modern technology has reduced the world into (to) a hamlet where the inhabitants are their brothers’ keepers.” This way: brother’s keeper (fixed idiom), irrespective of the number of people involved.
“The coincidence in the timing of all those sleazy gossips in soft-sell magazines and the beginning of his fashion parade….” ‘Gossip’, in this context, is uncountable.
“More overaged players for youth soccer“(Sunday Tribune, April 22) Get it right: overage players.
“Residents of some of the troubled spots in Libya in disarray” (SATURDAY CHAMPION, April 21) Witness to lexical mayhem: trouble spots.
“…rummaging all the bags and ransacking every nook and corner.” (Source: as above) Stock expression: nook and cranny.
“The police requires (require) a redeemer who can uplift the Force from the battering it (they) suffered during the long years of militarization.”
“I inquired from those that appear to know and they said that the president is (was) roaming the country in the name of campaigns.”
“There is (are) no electricity, no security, no water, no roads, and no health facilities in Nigeria.”
“Foreign companies will be falling over themselves (one another) to come and invest here if we get the 2019 elections right.”
“…given the lame-duck posture of the opposition parties, the APC simply held sway from the onset (outset).”
“Reactions on (to) the Pope’s visit, however successful, were mixed in Egypt, a country inhabited by a predominantly Muslim population.”
“Prior to the Pope’s visit, Egyptian Catholics have (had) opted out of the….”
“The first part was published last week Friday.” (THE GUARDIAN, April 23) Monday politics: either last Friday or Friday, last week.
“Vigilante (vigilance) groups, committed to the enforcement of the by-law, are being set up.” (Source: as above)
“Some of these areas include producing enough food to feed our teaming (teeming) population.”
“Rather, the money, including the N200 million per state released for special purposes, was diverted to other uses.” We certainly do not need the last three words in the extract, having been taken care of by ‘diversion’.
The next three blunders are from DAILY CHAMPION of March 30: “Unless the detonating mechanism of extremist religious chauvinism is diffused.” Get it right: defused (not diffused).
“They have decided to sheath their machetes and seek vengeance no more.” Noun: sheath; verb: sheathe.
THISDAY of March 30 requires reformation of four lines: “The sources of revenue in a city like Lagos is very important.” Still on errors of attraction (more below): sources…are.
“…business downturn resulting to (in) drive-wandering.”
“…the rapaciousness of project contractors increase (increases) the country’s debt burden.”
“Senior civil servants’ union berate junior counterparts” Inside business: union berates.
THE GUARDIAN of March 30 questioned linguistic rules twice: “It’s the poet feared most, knowing fully (full) well that one of the….”
“The agitated crowd, who had been whipped to hysteria, demanded for his head.…” To avoid mayhem, delete ‘for’, from the extract.
”…and which provides a noble and humanistic framework for relations between the state and citizens in (on) our continent.”
“But in the welter of these realignment of forces….” Re-thinking development: this realignment of forces.
VANGUARD of March 30 circulated three goofs: “The fear along the room and corridor (corridors) of power of a sovereign national conference.…”
“It is not in doubt that most of the commuters in the luxurious (luxury) buses that ply.…”
“…Aba traders constitute a large proportion of the passengers on commercial aircrafts (aircraft) that fly….”
“Major reorganization of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), which may lead to mass retirement and sack of its men and officers, now looms.” Get it right: a major reorganisation or major reorganizations, as context demands.
“One of the most outrageous abuses occured…” Spelling in the lurch: occur, occurrence, occurred.
“I do not buy the argument that the advent of electronic mails and network computers have rendered postal services absolute.” Not yet time for structural proximity: the advent of electronic mails and network computers has (not have).
“In doing this, however, he must be faithful to the mandate of the ECOWAS Heads of Government under whose platform he operates.” Agenda: on (not under) whose platform he operates.