COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Don't say........

• for the main time

• in the meantime

Answer explanation

The correct expression is "in the meantime."

- In the meantime: This phrase means during the intervening time or period. It is used to refer to the time between two events.

- Example: The project will start next week; in the meantime, we can prepare the necessary materials.

The phrase "for the main time" is not standard English and should be avoided.

You should learn to say : ______________________

• I can't love you more

• I can't love you less

Answer explanation

Why? I can't love you more means I love you so much that I can't love you more than I do.

I can't love you less means you don't love her.

Don't say: ❌

• it was an opportune moment to be there.

• I was opportuned to be there.

Answer explanation

Here's why:

• Opportune is an adjective meaning "suitable or convenient for a particular occurrence." It describes something that happens at the right time.

• The phrase "I was opportuned" is not grammatically correct because "opportuned" is not a proper verb form.

So, the correct usage would be:

• It was an opportune moment to be there.

If you want to convey that you had the opportunity to be there, you could say:

• I had the opportunity to be there.

Don't say: ❌

• let's round up the class

• let's round off the class

Answer explanation

Why? Round up means to catch or add up. Round off means to bring to an end.

You should learn to say: ☑☑

• I need to BATHE

• I need to bath

• I need to take my bath

Answer explanation

Why? Bathe is always a verb. Bath is often used as a noun and it originally refers to a bathtub 🛁, a container for bathing. But since most Nigerians don't have it, we call it baf. 😁

Don't say: ❌

• first anniversary

• one year anniversary

Answer explanation

Why? Anniversary already implies the word 'year'.

Don't say:.❌

• She is so lousy.

• She is so noisy.

• She makes noise all the time.

Answer explanation

Why? Lousy means unpleasant or bad and can be used to describe virtually anything, from food to behaviour but it is not synonymous with noisy.

• "She is so noisy": This means that she makes a lot of noise, which is often used to describe someone who is loud or disruptive.

  • Example: She is so noisy during meetings that it's hard to concentrate.

• "She is so lousy": This means that she is of poor quality or performance, or generally unpleasant or ineffective. This term is less common in everyday conversation but can be used to describe someone's behavior or skills negatively.

  • Example: She is so lousy at handling customer complaints that we often have to step in.

So, choose the phrase based on whether you want to describe someone as being loud or as being of poor quality.

Don't say: ❌

• everyone of them are here

• everyone of them is here

Answer explanation

Why? The word everyone or each must always be accompanied by a singular verb.

Don't say: ❌

• She's a talkative.

• She is talkative.

Answer explanation

Why? The word 'talkative' is an adjective. Same thing applies to the word illiterate. Don't say she is an illiterate. Say: she's illiterate.

The correct expression is "She is talkative."

- "She is talkative": This is the standard way to describe someone who talks a lot.

- Example: She is talkative and enjoys engaging in long conversations.

- "She's a talkative": This is incorrect because "talkative" is an adjective, not a noun, so it should not be preceded by an article like "a."

In summary, use "She is talkative" to correctly describe someone who talks a lot.

Don't say: ❌

• Her hair looked unkept

• Her hair looked unkempt

Answer explanation

Why: unkempt means looking messy, tangled and unpleasant.

The correct expression is "Her hair looked unkempt."

- "Unkempt" means not neatly combed or cared for, and it correctly describes hair that is messy or disheveled.

- Example: Her hair looked unkempt after the long flight.

- "Unkept" is not a standard term for describing hair or appearance. The correct term is "unkempt."

So, use "Her hair looked unkempt" to accurately convey that her hair was messy or not properly groomed.