I find it quite problematic the use of ‘invective’ as a count noun by many local newspapers. Like ‘information’, ‘invective’ is a mass noun (non-count noun), for which reason it’s wrong to write or say ‘invectives’. Drop the ‘s’; e.g. Politicians are fond of hurling invective (not: invectives) at one another.
Besides, l cannot fathom why almost everybody says or writes ‘okro’ instead of ‘okra’, e.g. okra soup (not: okro soup). There’s no word as ‘okro’ in English. Let’s consider more wrong expressions that have gained wide currency among many writers and speakers of English in Ghana. Please carefully take note of the expressions and avoid using them:
Write an examination
The following sentence is incorrect: The BECE candidates have started writing their examinations. Within the context of the sentence, examination means ‘a formal test of a person’s knowledge or proficiency in a subject or skill’. Based on this definition, the expression ‘write an examination’ doesn’t sound reasonable. ‘Examination’ cannot be written, so to speak.
The correct expression is ‘take an exam’, ‘do an exam’ or ‘sit (for) an exam’. And this is how the Oxford English Dictionary succinctly puts it: Use take/do/sit an examination, not ‘write an examination’. The sentence should, therefore, be corrected as follows: The BECE candidates have started taking their examinations, or: The BECE candidates have started doing their examinations, or: The BECE candidates have started sitting (for) their examinations.
However, the expression ‘write an examination paper’ is correct, e.g. The BECE candidates have started writing their examination papers.
Request for
The following sentence is incorrect: I’ll request for a loan next week: The expression ‘request for’ is wrong; drop the preposition ‘for’. As a transitive verb, ‘request’ does not take a preposition. However, when ‘request’ is used as a noun, it can take the preposition ‘for’ as in ‘I’ll make a request for a loan next week’.
Hence, the incorrect sentence should be corrected as follows: I’ll request a loan next week.
Advocate for
The following sentence is incorrect: Ms Jean Mensa has advocated for electoral reforms. The expression ‘advocate for’ is wrong; drop the preposition ‘for’. The word ‘advocate’ is a transitive verb, for which reason it does not take a preposition. However, when ‘advocate’ is used as a noun, it can take a preposition as in ‘Ms Jean Mensa is an advocate of/for electoral reforms’. The sentence should, therefore, be corrected as follows: Ms Jean Mensa has advocated electoral reforms.
Across board
The following sentence is incorrect: The government has increased salaries and wages in the public sector across board. The correct expression is ‘across the board’. It’s a fixed expression hence it’s wrong to drop the definite article ‘the’ in the expression. Therefore, the sentence should be corrected as follows: The government has increased salaries and wages in the public sector across the board.
Most at times
The following sentence is incorrect: Most at times, l stay indoors. The expression ‘most at times’ does not exist in English. The correct expression is ‘most of the time’ or ‘most time’. Hence, the sentence should be corrected as follows: Most of the time, l stay indoors, or: Most time, l stay indoors.
In Ghana here
The following sentence is incorrect: In Ghana here, by-laws don’t seem to work. The addition of ‘here’ to the phrase ‘in Ghana’ is superfluous. The correct expression is ‘here in Ghana’. In this expression, ‘in Ghana’ specifies ‘here’. Besides, to avoid confusion, one can simply write or say ‘in Ghana…’ without ‘here’.
The sentence should, therefore, be corrected as follows: Here in Ghana, by-laws don’t seem to work, or: In Ghana, by-laws don’t seem to work.
The writer is a proofreader
Writer’s E-mail: [email protected]
By Anthony Kwadwo Kyei
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Mind your English appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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