THE GUARDIAN of August 26 continues the race this week with this juvenile infraction: “To be concluded next week Saturday” Short story: next Saturday or Saturday, next week.

“Out of control (Out-of-control) Boko Haram kills dozens in Kano Mosque” Preferable: uncontrollable. 

“FRSC, plate numbers and drivers’ licence” Get it right: number-plates

“A well deserved (well-deserved) honour.”

“But we should never lose sight of the fact that like every voracious entrepreneur who has invested billions of dollars on (in) cement plants….”

“Credit Bureaux records (record) 26 million registered borrowers.”

“The health workers strike” Conscience, nurtured by truth: workers’ strike.

“Monetary policy committee at crossroads” This way: at a/the crossroads.

“Having served under a military regime…he needs to bath in the Yoruba River for forgiveness.” Noun: bath; verb: bathe.

“Just before you ponder about this Owerri revelation….” ‘Ponder’ may take ‘on’ or ‘over’, not ‘about’. It’s even more economical and elegant to use it without embellishments.

“When we hear of people talk about glory….” Get it right: hear of people talking…or hear people talk about glory.

“Lack of facilities threaten course accreditation at LACOED” The verb here should be singular.

“What is good for the goose can equally be said to be good for the gander.” What is sauce (not good)…

“Out of 57 years of the nation’s political independence, the military had been on (sic) the leadership saddle for 25 years.”  Democracy In the saddle.     

“CPC to clampdown on illegal microfinance banks” Phrasal verb: clamp down (two words).

“An acknowledged scholar, a distinguished statesman and a team leader per excellence” Get it right: leader par excellence.

“New trends in electioneering campaigns” Politics Today: just electioneering or political campaigns. ‘Electioneering campaign’ is sheer verbiage! ‘Electioneering’ encompasses campaign and other related electoral issues.

“INEC chair asks SSS to crackdown on violent politicians” Noun: crackdown; phrasal verb: crack down (which applies here).

“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.

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“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.“

“…what happened was that somebody filed a writ of summon.” 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, August 22) ‘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, August 20). Get it right: overage players.

“Residents of some of the troubled spots in Libya in disarray” (SATURDAY CHAMPION, August 26) Witness to lexical mayhem: trouble spots.

“…rummaging all the bags and ransacking every nook and corner.” (Source: as above) Stock expression: nook and cranny.

Leadership of August 21 disseminated seven improprieties: “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 (enquired: BrE) 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, 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.”

FEEDBACK

MOST of the print and electronic media reported that President Muhammadu Buhari ARRIVED in Nigeria on Saturday, August 19, 2017, after spending 103 days in London on medical vacation. I oppose the use of ARRIVED because Buhari is not a non-national. He simply RETURNED to his fatherland. He is, therefore, a returnee and not an arrival, old or new.

I submit that candidates do not WRITE examination; they SIT or TAKE it. For instance, Ebere, when are you sitting or taking your final exam? If I am asked to write exam, I will simply pen down EXAM.

Second, I had always thought that the word INDISCIPLINED (adjective), as opposed to UNDISCIPLINED, did not exist until the Chambers 20th

Century Dictionary and some others proved me wrong. They list INDISCIPLINED and UNDISCIPLINED (not disciplined, not properly trained and exercised) as both perfect adjectives. Good English for us.

•Kola Danisa, 07068074257.