“WHAT is the criteria for…?” Get it right: criterion (singular) and criteria (plural). So, what are the criteria for…?
“Rumble in the ‘Desert’: ‘Joshua needs confident (confidence) to over come (overcome) Ruiz”
“We invite you to the commissioning ceremony (We invite you to the inauguration) on Wednesday….”
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“Reps (Reps’) minority crisis: PDP torn between devil and deep blue sea”
This way: between the devil and the deep blue sea (fixed/stock idiomatic expression that should not be altered).
“Banks in last minute (last-minute) rush to meet new lending ratio”
“Independence: Onitsha Main Market, other markets to be shutdown (shut down) in Anambra”
“Kebbi invests N4bn on (in) new settlements infrastructure”
“Zimbabwe opposition lawmakers walk out on president” Either Zimbabwe’s opposition or Zimbabwean opposition
“Recent statistics from the Nigerian Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) indicate that hundreds of Nigerians are presently (sic) in (on) death row in some countries….”
“There should be proper legal assistance to (for) our citizens accused of trafficking….”
“…if any of its citizens is properly tried or convicted or (for) any offense abroad”
“Payback period is between 3-10 years.” (Full-page advertisement by Access Bank) More than banking: between 3 and 10 years or from 3-10 years.
“Woman stabs 2 months (months’) old or 2-month-old baby”
“Police uncover fake hospital in Edo, nabs (why?) killer of 3 policemen”
Now, a special report: “He said he does (did) not know, that the urge comes to him just like that….”
“It is designed to nurture grassroot (grassroots) talents and future football stars for the State (sic) and the Nation.”
“The Football Academy will be commissioned (inaugurated/auspicated) by his Excellency….”
“Adron Homes unveil (unveils) Rufai, Ali, Onyali as its ambassadors”
“SuperSport to view (air, broadcast or televise) IAAF World Championship live”
“As at press time, he neither answered (took) his call nor did replied (reply) text messages.”
“Over the years, she has proven (proved) to be a woman of excellence and repute….” Another form: He is a proven case of incompetency!
“The appearance of Tiwa as one of the models gave the charity a big boast (boost).”
“We’ll handover (hand over) recalcitrant debtors to EFCC…”
“I…join our teaming (teeming) citizens to wish you a very Happy Birthday (unnecessary capitalization).”
“You are a Boss (sic) who inspire (inspires) us with your courage, humility and service for (to) the people.”
“Police absolves security agencies of electoral fraud” It would be astounding for the Nigeria Police to indict fellow state gangsters! And, of course: police absolve (not absolves).
“…even if it means going extra miles….” I will go the extra mile (note the fixed expression) to ensure that this column appears unfailingly every week.
“And like (as) someone said recently….”
“…in the evacuation of dead bodies to mortuary.” On a clinical note: corpses instead of ‘dead bodies’ and a mortuary or mortuaries, depending on the fact of the matter.
“…as well as condoning the place and evacuating the dead and survivors to nearest health facilities.” Bomb blasts and conflicting figures: cordoning off (take note of the spelling and correct entry) the place.
“There seems (seem) to be stiff competitions among the foreign media and local press as well as….”
“…politicians are also culprits in overheating the system with provocative statements in blaming their opponents over (for) every misdeed.”
“Baring few skirmishes which regrettably led to the death of four persons….” An anatomy of the season of linguistic violence: there is a world of distinction between ‘a few’ (which correctly applies here) and ‘few’, which connotatively suggests an expectation of more skirmishes—except if the writer has a weird denotative inclination towards potentialities for more skirmishes! Otherwise, the extract is lexically absurd because of his regret.
“Just imagine a young man that rounded up his apprenticeship as a welder.” This is an indication of the current malaise in scholarship: a situation where a lecturer cannot distinguish between phrasal verbs, ‘round up’ and ‘round off’ (which applies here).
“Will anybody please let us know which country became a super-power by allowing its best brains to roam about the world?” ‘Roam’ encompasses ‘about’.
“News from the universities are no longer about innovation.…” News is news (uncountable).
“The condition, which is said to be due to an abnormality in either the number or structure of the chromosomes, cuts across every races.” Get it right: every race or all races.
“Janet, a twelve-year-old and the third child of her parents’ four offsprings and the only one with the problem…” ‘Offspring’ is non-count.
“Since 1993, funding of oil exploration have (has) been beset by different levels of problems.”
“In answering this question we classify the outcomes into long term and short term implications.” The greatest problem of journalists: unnecessary embellishment (outcome) of words.
“This is clearly a danger signal as the time between discovering an oil field and commercially putting it on stream could be between four to five years.”
No analysis: between four and five or from four to five years.
“Lack of funds cripple waste management activities” Another error of attraction: Lack of funds cripples.
“Nevertheless, the donor country is also interested in this decision to ensure that the loan is repaid as at when due with its accrued interest.”
Without any periscope: the loan is repaid when due (not ‘as at when due’ which is pleonastic).
“If the family cannot truely relish at least a decent meat….” Spelling counts: truly.
“A man does not have to be a money bag (sic) before he can dress well and look charming in his own little way.” Brighten up your English usage: A man does not have to be a moneybags…. Moneybag is a sac!
“…in addition, (sic) to dispensing drugs for immediate relief and giving counsel on the steps necessary to prevent a reoccurrence.” Good grammar: recurrence.
“…it sent the signal that those responsible for the security of lives and properties in Oyo State are working at cross-purposes”. Some caution,
please: life and property.
“The arsonists usually escape with their loot as the embattled market lays in ashes, leaving many traders terminally ruined financially.” There should be no dilemma: ‘lays’ for ‘lies’?
“I still remember vividly that when it was my turn to speak at the occasion….” I thought we had gone past this stage: on (never at) the occasion.
Remembrance: The first and last time when I met with the (vital article often omitted by most writers) late Dr. Ernest Ogunade in his UNILAG mass communication departmental office, he profusely and profoundly commended my newspaper grammatical interventions as published in the heyday of Daily Times. May his cerebral soul continue to rest in peace (not ‘perfect peace’ as abused in Nigeria)!
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