Table of Contents
Author’s note ..........................................................................................................................................3
Acknowledgements.................................................................................................................................4
About the Author....................................................................................................................................5
Preface ....................................................................................................................................................8
English for Communicators-Pitfalls and Blind spots ...........................................................................8
Grammar.........................................................................................................................................8
Over used words .............................................................................................................................9
Tautology ........................................................................................................................................9
Clichés .............................................................................................................................................9
Ambiguity......................................................................................................................................10
Homophones.................................................................................................................................11
Homonyms....................................................................................................................................11
Spelling..........................................................................................................................................11
Punctuation.......................................................................................................................................12
SECTION 1 .....................................................................................................................................13
In The Street or On The Street..........................................................................................................13
Will Go A Long Way In…, Will Go A Long Way Towards….................................................................14
Be Rest Assured or Rest Assured ......................................................................................................16
Decampments or Defections ............................................................................................................17
Failed Woefully or Failed Abysmally .................................................................................................19
Reminder of Verbal Blind Spots and Pitfalls .....................................................................................21
SECTION 2 ..................................................................................................................................24
Oh Eight Oh not Zero Eight Zero .......................................................................................................24
Upliftment, Uplift or Uplifting...........................................................................................................25
Rub Minds or Meet Minds ................................................................................................................26
Masquerades or masqueraders ........................................................................................................28
Did I hear you Say Actually, A lot? ....................................................................................................30
Zero Eight Zero or Oh Eight Oh-A Recap...........................................................................................31
SECTION 3 .................................................................................................................................34
Electioneering Campaign or Electioneering......................................................................................34
March Pass or March Past ................................................................................................................35
Ghastly, Fatal Accident......................................................................................................................37
Onset, Outset Mean Different Things...............................................................................................39
Responding to Readers Questions and Comments ..........................................................................40
SECTION 4 .................................................................................................................................43
Strike Action or Industrial Action......................................................................................................43
Grassroot or Grassroots....................................................................................................................45
Pomp and Pageantry or Pomp and Celebration ...............................................................................46
Presently, at Present or Currently ....................................................................................................48
SECTION 5 ................................................................................................................................51
English Pronunciation .......................................................................................................................51
Wrongly Pronounced Words in English ............................................................................................53
Falcons ..........................................................................................................................................53
Pronouncing Bombing, Climbing, Singing .........................................................................................54
Still on English Pronunciation ...........................................................................................................56
Pronouncing the Article the that those.............................................................................................58
Between American and British English .............................................................................................59
Another Piece of Americanism “Like I Said” .....................................................................................61
Preface
English for Communicators which originally appeared in the influential Catholic Herald newspaper is design essentially for those who English is a second language and learners who aspire to improve on the spoken and written words.
The way we communicate our ideas and thoughts to be understood are guided by laid down rules starting with grammar.
Grammar
English language experts, or those regarded as purists and masters of the written and spoken words, submit is the science of mechanics of language, and therefore about the precise way in which we put our thoughts into words; the rules are never rigid or forced on us. We should have at the back of our minds that language came before grammar. Grammar is merely attempt to follow the rules in the use of words in order to avoid misunderstanding and ambiguities.
We should also take note that, even within our local communities, the purpose of language is first and foremost to communicate, therefore anything that serves to hinder that purpose, whether or not is in line with the rules of grammar, constitute a misuse of words.
Study this sentence taken from a popular author to prove that there is nothing grammatically wrong with the construction, “Here is the mouse the cat the dog killed caught.” No one in his right senses who wanted to make his or her meaning clear would write in this manner. The rule of grammar must be observed to make life easier for everyone.
English is an eccentric or odd language and just as there are exceptions to its rules of spelling and pronunciation so there are exceptions to its grammatical rules.
Over used words
Over used words, often times makes one sounds redundant and uninspiring and they are mostly superlative. Show business for instance, has exposed us to words or phrases such as “nice, lovely, charming, adorable, wonderful Lady Gaga.”
Many areas of vocabulary have been unofficially pronounced dead owing to overuse. How often people speak or write, a lot, in the very real sense, what really I want to say, actually, to stress their point of argument. There are several of such expressions one should be mindful of, if you must write right and speak right.
Tautology
Tautology is closely related to overused words-saying the same thing more than once in different ways.
Now look at this phrase culled from a famous writer, Tautology is the practice of saying the same thing repeatedly more than once in different ways. It would have been tautologous, because repeatedly and more than once mean the same thing. The directory contains a comprehensive listing of all the professional bodies in Nigeria. Comprehensive and all is tautology. They mean the same thing. Or, I would return back to the office after the break. Notice the tautology in return and back. Use one and drop the other.
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