ENGLISH LANGUAGE COACHING
- SPEAK GOOD ENGLISH.
- KNOW THE LEVEL OF YOUR GRAMATICAL ERRORS.
Mind your English for young Nigerian speakers
AcknowledgementMy thanks go to Almighty God for his grace and aids in this article, to all the people who contributed to the success of this write-up, especially My young friends, whose mistakes I have corrected in this article.
To My Reader
Dear reader,
It is a pleasure to share my wealth of knowledge with you as it relates to speaking English correctly. This article is my own contribution to making you have a good command of the English language. It is designed to help you speak English eloquently and correctly, too.
In this article, you will come across so many expressions that you have either been making or hearing people make, which you did not know are wrong.
There is no doubt that some of the corrections you will come across in this article would leave you confused. When you encounter this challenge, do not fail to look up any current English dictionary.
Read this book with every amount of seriousness. I am convinced that you will learn from it.
Best of luck and happy reading!
BRO.PRUDENT JOSHUA.
1. Easy myself or relieve myself?
Don't say; I want to easy myself.
Say; I want to relmieve myself.
NOTE; When you want to politely say that you want to go to the toilet either to urinate or defecate, you should say; I want to relieve myself. Than to say; i want easy myself;
2. Share the grace or say the grace?
Don't say; let's share the grace together.
Say; let's Say the grace.
NOTE, if you want to say a short prayer together during the morning devotion or before a meal, you should say; let's say grace. (see line 14, page 650 of the 8th edition of the Oxford aadvanced learners English dictionary)
3. Longer throat or long appetite?
Don't say; she has longer throat.
Say; she has a long appetite for food.
NOTE, if a person always wants to eat whatever food he or she sees, the person has a long appetite for food. It is not good English to say that the person has 'longer throat; Also, a person who eats too much is called a glutton. Always say the right thing!
4.protector or burglar proof?
Don't say; we lock the protectors before going to bed every night.
Say; we lock the burglar proof before going to bed every night.
NOTE, the rods of iron that are fixed to doors and windows to prevent thieves from entering a house, are called burglar proof, not 'protector' Bear it in mind also that they are not called 'burglary proof' A protector is a person or organization that protects people or things.
5. Greet for me or send my greetings?
Don't say; Greet your parents for me.
Say; send my greetings to your parents.
NOTE, it is wrong to ask someone to greet somebody else for you. People often wrongly say; greet your brothers and sisters for me, etc. When you want to give a massage of good wishes for somebody's health and happiness through another person, ask the person to send your greetings to the person, not to 'greet the person for you, isn't this an interesting correction?
6.sweet soup or tasty soup?
Don't say; my grandma cooks sweet soup for us whenever we visit the village.
Say; my grandma cooks tasty soup whenever we visit the village.
NOTE, when food is sweet, it means that it contains much sugar, but when food such as soup has a very pleasant taste and is enjoyable, it is tasty, delicious, or palatable. So, it's bad English to say that soup or stew is sweet .
7. A Packer or A dustpan?
Don't say; my mum uses a packer to pack away rubbish after sweeping.
Say; my mum use a dustpan to pack away rubbish after sweeping.
NOTE, the flat pan which is used to pack away the rubbish gathered after sweeping, is called a dustpan. It is not a 'packer'. A packer is a person who packs things.
8. Bear-Bear or Beard?
Don't say; my uncle has long Bear-Bear.
Say; my uncle has long beard.
NOTE, the hair that grows on the cheek and chin of a man's face is called beard. It is only those who didn't go to school that calls it bear~bear'.
9. Ringing tone or Ringtone?
Don't say; I enjoy my dad's Ringing tone.
Say; I enjoy my dad's ringtone.
NOTE, the sound which a mobile phone makes when somebody calls, is called ringtone. Do not join those who do not know English in calling it 'ringingtone'.
Be different! Do not join them in 'murdering' the English language.
10. Give excuse or make excuse?
Don't say; my class mate did not come to school and asked me to give an excuse for her.
Say; my classmate didn't come to school and asked me to make an excuse for her.
NOTE, Excuse is a reason which may be true or not, which somebody gives to explain or defend his/her behaviour. It's better to say make an excuse than to say 'give an excuse'.
11. Beaten by the rain or Drenched by the rain?
Don't say; we were beaten by the rain on our way to school.
Say; we were drenched by the rain on our way to school.
NOTE, when rain falls on you, just say that; you have been drenched or soaked by the rain. It's not good to say that you have been 'beaten by the rain'.
12. Slippers or flip-flops?
Don't say; my slippers have cut.
Say; my pair of Flip-flops has cut.
NOTE, flip-flops is a pair of footwear that looks like a catapult with strings that we wear to take a bath and move around the compound. But 'slippers' is a pair of soft shoes which people wear in the house when they do not want their feet to touch the floor, especially when there is a cold weather. So, don't confuse flip-flops for 'slippers'. If you doubt this, take a look at the pictures of shoes in the Oxford advanced learner's English Dictionary (7th and 8th edition).
13. Nail cutter or Nail clipper?
Don't say; it is better use a nail cutter to cut our finger and toe nails than to use a razor blade.
Say; it is better to use nail clippers to cut our finger and toe nails than to use a razor blade.
NOTE, clippers are the sharp tools we use in cutting small pieces of things, such as hairs and nails. Therefore, you should say; nail clippers or nail scissors, not 'nail cutter" (see page v8 of the 8th edition of the Oxford advanced learner's dictionary of current English)
A nail cutter is a person whose job is cutting of nails.
14. Gateman or gatekeeper?
Don't say; Our school Gateman did not come to school today.
Say; Our school gatekeeper did not come to school today.
NOTE, A person who opens and closes the gate and checks people who come into and leave the premises is called a gatekeeper, note a 'Gateman'.
Does the gate have a man?
15. Open teeth or Gap-toothed?
Don't say; Our class teacher has open teeth.
Say; Our class teacher is Gap-toothed.
NOTE, if someone has wide gaps or spaces between his or her front teeth, it means that the person is Gap-toothed. It is not good English to say that somebody has 'open teeth'.
If you say that somebody has open teeth, what it means is that the person has a hole in the teeth or has tooth decay and should see a dentist.
16. Barbing hair or have a hair cut?
Don't say; I want to go and barb my hair.
Say; I want to go and have a haircut.
NOTE, To make your hairs shorter by using clippers or any other sharp object is to have a haircut.
It's bad English to say 'I want to barb my hair'. A barber cuts hairs, he doesn't 'barb's. Also, it is wrong to say; 'I want to go and cut my hair because you are not going to cut your hair yourself. Someone else will do it for you. Whenever you want to say that you are going to receive a service, use the sentence in the passive. See the examples below:
17. Bad English; I want to go and repair my car.
Good English; I want to go and have my car repaired.
18. Bad English; I want to plait my hair.
Good English; I want to go and have my hair plaited.
19. Bad English; I want to go and mend my clothe.
Good English; I want to go and have my clothe mended.
20. Barbing salon or barber shop?
Don't say; There is a Barbing salon close to our house.
Say; There is a barber shop close to our house.
NOTE, The place where people go to have a haircut is a barber shop or the barber's.
Do not call it a 'barbing salon'. If you do so, your English teacher will be not be happy with you. However, the place where people, especially women receive hair and beauty treatment is called a hair dressing salon or a beauty salon.
21. Next tomorrow or the day after tomorrow?
Don't say; we shall visit the village next tomorrow.
Say; we shall visit the village the day after tomorrow.
NOTE, If you do not want to say in two days' time, say the day after tomorrow, not 'next tomorrow' as people often do.
Please take this correction seriously.
22. Say the truth or Tell the truth?
Don't say; A child of God should say the truth always.
Say; A child of God should tell the truth always.
NOTE, Truth and lies do not go with 'say'. They go with 'tell'. Therefore, it is wrong to ask someone to 'say the truth'. The correct thing to say is: Tell the truth.
To tell the truth. Too many bad expression are made everyday both by the educated and the uneducated.
23. On my way going to or On my way to?
Don't say; On my way going to church, I saw my classmate.
Say; On my way to church, I saw my classmate.
NOTE, It's bad English to use the phrase 'on my way' with 'going'. You should always say: On my way to or As i was going to. Don't also say: 'On my way coming back'.
Say: As I was coming back or on my way back.
24. You suppose to or You are supposed to?
Don't say; You suppose to tell me before taking my pencil.
Say; You were Supposed to tell me before taking my pencil.
NOTE, When you want to tell somebody what he or she should have done, or is expected to do, tell the person that he or she supposed to do it, don't say that 'the person suppose to do it.'
It's introduced by an auxiliary verb such as is, was, were, are, etc. E.g. it is/was supposed to...., I am supposed to....., he/she is /was supposed to....., etc.
As a good student, you are supposed to speak good English at all times.
25. Shooling at or Being schooled at?
Don't say; I am schooling at a private school.
Say; I am being schooled at a private school.
NOTE, The place where you are being taught or trained is the place you are being schooled, not 'the place you are schooling', the noun 'schooling' means 'the education somebody receives at school', so, you are either 'being schooled at a place' or 'you receive schooling at a place'.
It is also wrong to say that: 'you schooled at a place.' The correct thing to say is that: You were schooled at the place.
26. Dress for... Or Shift for...?
Don't say; please dress for me.
Say; please shift for me.
NOTE, when you are in a car, on a bus or sitting on a bench, and the space left for you to sit is not enough to make you comfortable, you should ask the next person or people to shift for you, not to 'dress for you.
27. Drink tea or sip tea?
Don't say: I drink tea everyday.
Say: I sip tea everyday.
NOTE, To drink something and to sip something are not exactly the same. When you drink, you take liquid into your mouth and swallow it steadily, But when you sip, you are shallow a very small quantity each time.
Therefore, while we drink water, we take a sip of tea, a sip of wine, etc.
28. A caterpillar or An earth-moving machine?
Don't say: my friend is a caterpillar driver.
Mercy for or have mercy on?
Don’t Say: Please mercy for her.
Say Please have mercy on her.
Note: It is bad English to say: mercy for me, mercy for us, mercy for them, etc. because ‘mercy’ is a noun not a verb.
The correct thing to say is: Have mercy on…, e.g. have mercy on me, have mercy on her, have mercy on them, have mercy on us, etc. May God have mercy on people who speak bad English! Can I hear you say ‘Amen!’
Lick oranges or suck oranges?
Don’t say: I want to lick oranges.
Say: I want to suck oranges.
Note: to suck something, such as an orange, is to use your mouth and draw liquid out of it. Do not say, ‘I want to lick oranges’ because it is bad English. If you don’t believe this, look up the dictionary.
More better or Much better?
Don’t say: Our new school is more better than the old one.
Say; Our new school is much better than the old one.
Note: It is not good English to say ‘more better’ ‘More and ‘better’ cannot be used at the same time and in the same sentence because they are both comparatives. The correct thing to say is that something is better than the other. When you want to say that something is better to a great extent, say that: it is much better.
Shout on or Shout at?
Don’t say: Stop shouting on me.
Say : Stop shouting at me.
Note:To speak to somebody in a loud and angry voice, is to shout at the person or to shout to the person. It is a bad English to say: ‘Stop shouting on me.
Off the Phone or switch off the phone?
Don’t say: please off your phone
Say: Please switch off your phone.
Note: You would be speaking bad English if you say: off the phone ‘or’ on your phone’.
If you want to tell somebody to stop his/her phone from working for a short period of time by pressing the ‘off’ button, you should say: switch off the phone or turn off the phone.
If somebody says ‘off the phone’ where you are, please respectfully correct the person.
Take your time or be Careful?
Don’t say: You are becoming too rough; take your time.
Say: Be careful!
Note: People wrongly say ‘take your time’ when they should say ‘be careful’. Take your time means ‘don’t be too fast’ or ‘don’t be in a hurry’. So when you want to tell somebody to show some care, tell the person to be careful, not ‘take your time. Don’t read this book in a hurry. Just take your time.
Catch cold or catch a cold?
Don’t say: He caught cold after the rains.
Say: He caught a cold after the rains.
Note: To catch a cold is to have a common illness that affects the nose and make your body feel hot. You should put the article ‘a’ before ‘cold’ it will become bad English if you say that you or somebody ‘has caught cold’.
Senior brother or Elder brother?
Don’t say: My senior brother is in another school.
Say: My elder brother is in another school.
Note your sibling, who is older than you are, is your elder brother or elder sister. Do not say ‘senior brother’ or ‘senior sister’. You can just say that somebody is your senior in age, your senior in the family, your senior in class, etc. it is also correct to say: ‘older brother/sister.’
Clean the board or Wipe the board?
Don’t say: He cleaned the board before I finished writing.
Say: He wiped the board before I finished writing
Note: To remove what is written on the board by using a duster, cloth or any other thing, means to wipe the board. To clean something is to remove dirt from it.so, do not say ‘clean the board’ because it does not convey the idea you have in mind. Say: Wipe the board.
Cleaner or Eraser?
Don’t say: I don’t have a cleaner.
Say: I don’t have an eraser.
Note: The rubber which you in removing what you have written in pencil is not called ‘a cleaner’. It is called an eraser. A cleaner is a person or machine which cleans people’s homes and offices.
With leg or on foot?
Don’t say: We don’t like going to school with leg.
Say: We don’t like going to school on foot.
Note: When you walk to a place, it means that you have gone to the place on foot. To go on foot for a long time means trekking. So, bear it in mind that you may go on foot, walk to a place or trek, not ‘go with leg’.
My own or Mine?
Don’t say: the pencil is my own.
Say: The pencil is mine.
Note: If you want to say that you are the owner of something, say: it is mine. Don’t say ‘it is my own’. It is better English to use possessive pronouns to show what belongs to a person or people. See the sentences below:
If it belongs to a girl, say: it is hers, not it is her own’.
If it belongs to a boy, say: it is his, not it is his own’.
If it belongs to two or more other people, say: it is theirs, not it is their own.’
If it belongs to you and another person or people, say: it is ours, not it is our own.’
Coloured television or colour television?
Don’t say: We have two coloured televisions.
Say: We have two colour televisions.
Note: it is very, very bad to say ‘coloured televsion’. The right thing to say is colour television because it shows many different colours.
Under the sun or in the sun?
don’t say: They kept us under the sun through out the day.
Say: They kept us in the sun throughout the day.
Note When the sun is shinning and you are outside, it means that you are in the sun, not ‘under the sun’. ‘under the sun’ is an idiom. It means ‘many things’. E.g. I discussed everything under the sun with my friend. This means that ‘I discussed many different things with my friend.’ It is also wrong to say’ under the rain’. You should say ‘in the rain’.
Cube of Sugar or Sugar cube?
Don’t say: I always put two cubes of sugar in my tea.
Say: I always put two sugar cubes in my tea.
Note: The solid sugar which has six sides that we put in the tea is called a sugar cube. Do not call it a ‘cube of sugar’.
In the bus or on the bus?
Don’t say: We were in the school bus when it was raining.
Say: We were on the school bus when it was raining/
Note: When you are travelling by a bus, you should say that you are on the bus. Don’t say ‘in a bus’.
Air fresher or Air freshener?
Don’t say: I love the smell of the air fresher
Say: I love the fragrance of the air freshner.
Note: Air freshener is a kind of substance we put in the house, office or cab to give us fresh and sweet smell or fragrance. It is only those who do not know English that call it ‘air fresher’.
Ten over Ten or Ten out of Ten?
Don’t say: I got ten over ten in the test
Say: I got ten out of ten in the test.
Note: if an exam or test, you get a certain number of answers correctly, say that you got ‘a number out of a number’ instead of ‘a number over a number.’ E.g. five out of ten, ten out of twenty, three out of six, etc.
Lick ice cream or Eat ice cream?
Don’t say: I enjoy licking ice cream.
Say: I enjoy eating an ice cream
Note: ice cream is a type of very sweet cold food made from milk, fruit, chocolate and other things