This is to bring our classes to an end for the year, after all, even schools go on holiday-lol.
A great festivity to all my tutees!
Lecture starts on January 5, 2016.
Bamgbose G.A.
B.Ed English (LASU), M.A. (Ibadan)
Tutor

English for Today
WORD FORMATION PROCESSES
6. Compounding: This entails the combination of two or more independent words to form another word with an entirely different meaning.
earth+quake= earthquake
water+bed= water bed
black+berry= blackberry
down+grade= down-grade
break+fast= breakfast
7. Conversion: This is a process of converting a word from its original word class to function as another word class in structure.
I take much water(noun)
They water the flowers daily(verb)
There is a bottle on the table(noun)
You can bottle the water(verb).

English for Today
WORD FORMATION PROCESSES
5. CLIPPING: It refers to the shortening of a polysyllabic word to a one or two-syllable word. The reduced form usually has the same meaning as the complex word which it represents. The reduction or deletion can be at the beginning, the end or at both positions of the word.
Deletion at the beginning
1. bus- omnibus...
2. phone- telephone
3. van- caravan
Deletion at the end
4. cab- cabriolet
5. bra- brassiere
6. exam- examination
Deletion at both ends
7. fridge- refrigerator
8. flu- influenza

English for Today
WORD FORMATION PROCESSES
4. Borrowing: This has to do with taking new words from other languages. English has borrowed from so many languages and this explains why it has a very wide vocabulary. These are some borrowed words in English:
1. kudos(Greek)
2. lilac(Persian)
3. tycoon(Japanese)
4. en masse(French)
5. agbada( Yoruba)
6. fufu( Yoruba)
7. knife( Scandinavian)
8. piano( Italian)
9. mullah(Arabic)
10. bishop(Latin)
11. ketchup(Chinese)
12. banana(Portuguese)
13. smuggler(Dutch)
14. kiosk(Turkish)
15. Pyjamas(Indian)

English for Today
WORD FORMATION PROCESSES
2.Backformation: This process involves subtraction or reduction of a word to form another word of a different word class. It is a case of reducing a structure in the class of a noun to a verb:
emote- emotion, liaise-liaison, edit-editor.
3. Blending: blending refers to the process of forming a new word from parts of existing words. In other words, two separate forms are combined to produce a single new term with a different meaning:
1. mo(tor) + (ho)tel= motel
2. br(eakfast)+(l)unch= brunch
3. sm(oke)+ (f)og= smog
4. Span(ish) + (En)glish= Spanglish
5. tele(vision) + (broad)cast= telecast

English for Today
WORD FORMATION PROCESSES
This is concerned with the study of the patterns on which a language forms new words. Like every other language, new words are formed virtually on daily basis in the English language. This lecture series will discuss ten ways through which new words emerge in English.
1. ACRONYMS: They are formed from the initial letters of words, which may constitute the names of some organizations. While some acronyms may retain capital letters, others are reduced to small letters and are pronounced as words. We can categorize acronyms into two:
a) Acronyms pronounced as sequences of letters(otherwise known as alphabetism), e.g.: CD(compact disc), COD(cash on delivery) FBI(Federal Bureau of Investigations)
b) Acronyms pronounced as words:
radar(radio detecting and ranging)
UNESCO(United Nations Educational Scientific and cultural Organizations)
LASU(Lagos State University)

English for Today
AFFIXES
SUFFIXES: They are added to base words at the end.
1. -er: taller, smarter, worker
2. -ess: hostess, princess, waitress
3. -ist: artist, socialist, violinist
4. -ette: cigarette, kitchenette, statuette
5. - al: refusal, normal, national
6. -ce: arrogance, elegance
7. -ness: gladness, happiness
8. -hood: boyhood, motherhood
9. -ing: going, dancing
10. -ster: gangster, fraudster
11. -ment: employment, enjoyment
12. -age: breakage, coinage
13. -cy: constituency, primacy
14. -ity: continuity, feasibility
15. -ful: careful, joyful
16. -less: careless, regardless
17. -ic: graphic, historic
18. -ish: childish, sheepish
19. -ly: godly, orderly
20. -ent: adherent, abhorrent

English for Today
AFFIXES
PREFIXES
16. ex: ex-convict, ex-husband
17. re: re-balance, reestablish,
18. ir: irresponsible, irrelevant
19. im: imbalance, immodest
20. tri: triangle, tripartite
21. bi: bilingual, bisexual
22. di: dipole, dicotyledon
23. neo: neoclassical, neo-colonialism
24: pan: pan-african, pan-hellenic
25. en: enslave, endanger
26. arch: archbishop, arch-enemy
27. anti: anti-social, antibacterial
28. il: illegal, illicit
29. ante: ante-room, ante-natal
30. ill: ill-fated, ill-fitting

English for Today
AFFIXES
Affixes are morphemes that are added to a word to derive a new word. The affixes that are added at the beginning are called prefixes while those that are added at the end are called suffixes.
We can have instances of prefixes and the examples of words in which they feature as follows:
1. un- unsafe, unfair, untie
2. non- non-standard, non-smoke
3. in- insane, in-built, invalid
4. dis- disconnect, disloyal
5. a- amoral, asymmetry, afloat
6. ab- abnormal
7. de- defrost, deform, depopulate
8. mis- misguide, misinform, mislead
9. mal- malfunction, malpractice
10. sur- surpass, surtax, surcharge
11. sub- subtitle, substandard, subhuman
12. co- co-pilot, co-tenant, co-operate
13. pro- pro-active, pro-democracy
14. trans- transnational, transplant
15. pre- pre-marital, prenatal

English for Today
LINKING OR COPULA VERBS
These are verbs that connect subjects to their complements( words that complete the meaning of the subjects).
The man IS a teacher(a teacher tells you about 'the man', so IS is a copula verb)
The interesting thing about this class of verbs is that they can be both main and auxiliary verbs. All the finite forms of the auxiliary verb TO BE are linking verbs: is, am, are, was, were.
Certain main verbs like 'turn' and 'grow' can either be linking or main:
He turned right(main)
He turned pale(linking)
In the first, 'turned' shows an action; in the second, it links the complement 'pale' to the subject it describes 'He'.
Now, try using 'grow' as both a main verb and a linking verb.

English for Today
STATIVE AND DYNAMIC VERBS
Verbs have stative and dynamic uses. A stative verb does not  take the -ing form and as such can not be used for the continuous tense whereas dynamic verb can take -ing and be used in the progressive. However, some verbs have both stative and dynamic uses. In the English language, verbs of the sense(feel, hear, ..), links(seem, appear ...). emotion(admire, adore ...) and verbs of mental activity(agree, assume...)  are not normally used in the continuous tense except when they denote some other meanings in structure.
I understand you(right).
I am understanding you(wrong).
We can see the tower from afar(right).
We are seeing the tower from afar(wrong).

English for Today
FINITE AND NON-FINITE VERBS
A verb is considered to be in the finite form when it can function alone as verb in structure and is capable of indicating tense, mood and voice whereas it is in the non-finite form if it cannot occur independently in clause structure or indicate tense distinctions. There are six forms of verbs; three are finite and three are non-finite:
Finite forms: x+ o= sing, x+s= sings, x+d= sang
Non-finite forms= x+g= singing, x+n= sung, to+x= to sing
An attempt to generate examples for them will show that the finite forms can occur alone and reflect changes in number, person and tense while the non-finite forms will need an auxiliary verb or another main verb which will serve as the finite element, e.g., Gani teaches(x+s=finite) English. Gani is(x+s finite auxiliary) teaching(x+g non-finite main verb) English.

English for Today
MAIN OR LEXICAL VERBS
These are verbs that can be meaningful without the support of any other verb. It will suffice to discuss the three major characteristics of lexical verbs: regular and irregular, finite and non-finite, stative and dynamic verbs.
Regular and Irregular
Verbs are either regular or irregular in relation to how the past tense and the past participle are formed. A regular verb forms the past tense and past participle by adding the suffix -ed or -d to the base word, e.g.,
walk walked walked
kill killed killed
refer referred referred
Irregular verbs do not form the past tense and past participle in the regular way but rather vary in forms, e.g.,
go went gone
beat beat beaten
drive drove driven
sing sang sung
split split split

English for Today
PRIMARY AUXILIARY VERBS
There are just three primary auxiliaries: BE, DO and HAVE. These three have various conjugational forms:
BE: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been.
DO- do, does, did, done, doing
HAVE- have, has, had, having
Importantly, when using 'been' and 'being', it should be noted that the HAVE family goes with 'been' to show the perfective aspect while the BE family goes with 'being' to mark the progressive aspect. Examples:
She has been here(present perfect)
She is being here for a while(present continuous)

English for Today
THE 'NICE' PROPERTY OF AUXILIARY VERBS
N- Negator: Auxiliary verbs are used to negate utterances. I came- I DID not come.
I- Interrogation: Auxiliary verbs can be used to change the form of a sentence from statements to questions. Kunle likes rice- DOES Kunle like rice?
C- Code: By code we mean that auxiliary verbs can be used to shorten expressions, especially when the expression can be understood in the light of an earlier expression. Tunde can drive very well. I think Femi also CAN.
E- Emphasis: Auxiliary verbs can be used to emphasize a speaker's point. Kunle: Does Femi drive? Bisi: Yes, he drives. Kunle: Are you sure? Bisi: He DOES drive.

English for Today
VERB: Is it just an action word?
Verbs describe actions, states or processes.
He KILLED a rat(action)
He LOOKS weak(state)
She BECAME the rector(process)
Verbs are classified into auxiliary and main verbs. Verbs that help other verbs to express their full meanings are called auxiliary verbs. Auxiliary verbs have four main functions known as the NICE property of the auxiliary verbs.
 

English for Today
Report these:
1. 'Come out here', screamed my dad.
2. ' I will not see you tomorrow' said the nurse.
3. ' I saw him yesterday' said Kunle.
4. ' Dele has arrived' said Ifeanyi
5. ' Who can sing this song?', asked the teacher

English for Today
INDIRECT(REPORTED)SPEECH
6. When changing a direct speech into a reported speech, certain changes occur in adverbs, pronouns and verbs.
6a. Adverbials: Now- then, today-that day, ago-before, yesterday- the previous day, tomorrow- the following day etc: 'I saw him today', said Tunde- Tunde said that he saw him that day.
6b. I- he/she, we- they, you-they/them/him/her, us-them, my-his/her etc: 'I am happy', screamed Folake- Folake scremed that she was happy.
6c. Is/am- was, will-would, may-might etc- 'I may come' Kunle said- Kunle said that he might come.

English for Today
INDIRECT(REPORTED)SPEECH
3. A direct speech in the future tense should also be reported in the past tense: ' I will visit your uncle tomorrow', said Kunle- Kunle said that he would visit my uncle the next day. ' I am getting married tomorrow' said Remmy- Remmy said that he was getting married the next day.
4. A direct speech in the past tense should be reported in the past perfect tense: ' yesterday, I was in Lagos', said Debby- Debby said that she had been in Lagos on the previous day. 'My father asked me to close my door', said Wisdom- Wisdom said that his father had asked him to close his door.

English for Today
INDIRECT(REPORTED) SPEECH
This is when a speaker's speech is reported by paraphrasing the words in the speech. It is different from a direct speech where quotation marks are used to mark the actual speech of the speaker. Changing a direct speech to an indirect one requires the knowledge of the following rules:
1. Indirect speeches begin with saying verbs such as 'He asked', 'He said that', 'He concluded that' etc.
2. When the direct speech is in present tense, the reported speech will take the past tense: 'I am happy' said the boy- The boy said that he was happy.
Note: When the direct speech is an eternal truth, the tense of the verb does not change in the reported speech: 'Sugar is sweet' said the Biology teacher- The Biology teacher said that Sugar is sweet.
To be continued.

English for Today
WORDS IN CONTEXT
Every word in English belongs to one word class(part of speech) or the other. But interestingly, we do not determine the actual class of any word except by paying attention to how it functions in the context of a given sentence. We should know what a noun is, and need not know the words that make up the class as any word can function as any word class depending on usage. Pay attention to how the classes of the following words change:
The HOUSE is big(noun)
I HOUSE my friends(verb)
The HOUSE boy is brilliant(adjective)
She is my LIKE(noun)
I LIKE her(verb)
She is LIKE the mum(preposition)
She talks like she know it all(conjunction)
Understanding the class of words in context is essential to effective reading and writing.

English for Today

Make sense out of this short text using at least five different punctuation marks.

Oh so your mother travelled yesterday Now call her and tell her to bring these  books clothes and phones

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

Ellipsis: It is used when omitting a word, phrase, line paragraph, or more from a quoted passage. There are many methods for using ellipses. The three-dot method is the simplest and is appropriate for most general works and many scholarly ones. The three- or four-dot method and even more rigorous method used in legal works require fuller explanations that can be found in other reference books.


Caret(^): it is used to show that something is missing from a sentence or text. It is used instead of having to cancel or cross an entire line or sentence because of a single omission.

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

Quotation Marks or Inverted commas( ' ' or " ") - The single quotation marks is British-oriented while the double is associated with the Americans. However both are allowed provided one is consistent. 
The following are the functions of the inverted commas:

1. It is used to mark or indicate a quotation: Achebe once said, ' Proverbs are the oil with which words are eaten'.


2. To show words used in special or technical sense, slang, vernacular, etc: So you mean you didn't come with 'kola' for oga and you want to have your way? Note: Kola is either money or any gift in this sense.


3. To encolose names of songs, titles of poems, essays, stories, articles, etc.: My new paper is titled 'A critical discourse analysis of the Oyo State gubernatorial debate'.

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

Dash: This is often mistaken for a hyphen. The hyphen and the dash are not the same. The dash is longer than the hyphen and they perform different functions. Here are the functions of dash:


1. It is used to introduce a list: The group of companies is into so many things~ housing, furniture, cosmetics and farming.


2. It is also used to mark a break or an additional information in a speaker's line of thought: My brother-in-law~ the proprietor of Trendmate School at Oyedeji~ believes in giving out quality.


3. It is also introduced before a repeated word: The University of Ibadan~ the first and the best university in Nigeria~ was founded in 1948.

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

HYPHEN: The hyphen performs the following functions:


1. When two or more nouns are used as adjectives, a hyphen is sometimes used to link all the nouns: A three-man committee. However, to check whether a compound noun is two words, one word, or hyphenated, you may need to look it up in the dictionary. If you cannot find the word in the dictionary, treat the noun as separate words. Here are the three forms discussed: eyewitness (one word compound), eye shadow(two word compound), eye-opener (hyphenated compound). Again, phrases that have verb, noun and adjective forms should appear as separate words when used as verbs and as one word when used as nouns or adjectives: The engine will BREAK DOWN. We suffered a BREAKDOWN in communication.

2. The hyphen joins some prefixes to the main words: co-education, anti-climax


3. It is used to split a word at the end of a line such that the part that cannot be contained is taken to the next line. It is important to break a word at the edge of a line on a syllable and not just in between a syllable: accommo-dation (right) intimidat-ion (wrong)


4. A hyphen is also used between compound numbers from twenty-one to ninety-nine.

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

Semicolon: The semicolon performs the following functions:

1. Use a semicolon in place of a period to separate sentences where the conjunction has been left out: Call me tomorrow; I will give you my answer then.

2. Use the semicolon to separate units of a series when one or more of the units contain commas: This conference has people who have come from Boise, Idaho; Los Angeles, California; and Nashville, Tennessee.


3. Use the semicolon between two sentences joined by a coordinating conjunction when one or more commas appear in the first sentence: If she can, she will attempt that feat; and if her husband is able, he will be there to see her.

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

Colon: The colon performs the following functions:


1. It is used after a speaker's name in a dialogue, especially in a written play. Lakunle: A very good morning to you sir!


2. It is used to introduce formal listing. I found the following in the bag: her wallet, passport, a bunch of keys and some cash.


3. It is used to introduce a formal quotation. According to Fakoya (2008): 'The only variety of English available to Nigerians is Nigerian English.'


4. The colon is used to separate chapters from verses in biblical references. John 3:16.


5. To indicate time. 9:25am


6. It is also used to separate a title and a subtitle of a book. Everyday English: A compilation of English for Today lectures.

English for Today - PUNCTUATION MARKS

COMMA: It performs the following functions:

1. It is used after a formal salutation or complementary close: Dear Sir, Yours faithfully,


2. It is used in addresses, dates and figures: 2, Bello Road, July 29, 2015. 46, 000.000


3. It is used to separate a cluster of words: the handsome, tall, fair, Nigerian man.


4. It is also used to show a short break in a statement: For the first time, actually, surprisingly,


5. It is used to separate a direct quotation: 'Don't say a word', screamed his father


6. It is used to separate names of business partners, degrees and other qualifications: Bamgbose G.A.,                     B.Ed(LASU), M.A.(Ibadan), PhD(in view)


7. It separates words that are used in apposition(possible replacements) to nouns: Vincent Enyeama, the Nigerian     goalkeeper, is diligent.

English for Today - 3 COMMONEST ERRORS IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH

1. MANY/MUCH: 
Many is used for count nouns and much is used for non-count nouns. It is therefore wrong to say: much students. The students are not much(wrong). The students are not many(right)


2. DOUBLE COMPARISON:
Positive adjectives are used for single items/persons(good), comparatives are used for two(better) and superlatives are used for three or more(most). Having two comparative adjectives such as: more better, more taller, more finer is wrong. Kunle is tall. Femi is taller than Kunle(not more taller)


3. Am/ I'm/ I am:
'Am' is a verb. It can not start a sentence unless we are asking a question, e.g., Am I your friend? When we  make statements, we should use ' I am': I am a teacher. However, when we contract, we can say I'm, not am. I'm happy(not, am happy). I'm is used in informal contexts, so 'am' can't be another informal choice. It is outright wrong.

English for Today - YOU MIND WE TAKE A TEST FOR ONCE?

Reduce the words in the following expressions without uttering their meanings.


1. I probably will not be able to come


2. If you think that having blue birds in your yard is a near impossible idea ...


3. Overall, the ultimate goal of Jack Plunket's art is to show the world from the point of view that Plunket's dog 
saw it.


4. It was due to the fact that I was late.


5. The fact that she has not succeeded is surprising.


6. I must bring to your notice the recent happenings in the department.


7. It is apparent that she is sick.

English for Today - CONJOINED WORDS (3)

21. Wear and tear- damage; loss of quality caused by ordinary use


22. More and more- increasingly


23. Home and dry- safe and successful, especially after a difficult time


24. Dribs and drabs- in small amounts or numbers


25. Fits and starts- not continuously


26. Ups and downs- good and bad luck, experiences or events


27. Free and easy- informal; relaxed


28. All and sundry- everyone; all types of people


29. Beck and call- always ready to obey someone's or somebody control or dominion


30. Hustle and bustle- confusion or disorder


31. Ifs and buts- complaints


32. Root and branch- thoroughly; completely; totally

English for Today - CONJOINED WORDS (2)

11. Far and wide/near- everywhere


12. Bread and water- the cheapest possible food


13. Bread and water- the way of earning one's living


14. P's and q's- to be careful about what one says or does


15. Flesh and blood- the human body or human nature with its emotions, weaknesses


16. Ins and outs- the details and aspects of an activity or a procedure


17. Bag and baggage- with all one's possessions or belongings


18. Facts and figures- accurate and detailed information


19. Kith and kin- friends and relation


20. Comings and goings- arrival and departure


To be continued.

English for Today - CONJOINED WORDS

Some words take up special meanings when they are joined by the conjunction 'and'. This lecture series will discuss 30 of such pairs.

1. Safe and sound- secure; protect one from danger.


2. Hale and hearty- strong and healthy.


3. Null and void- having no legal force.


4. By and large- generally speaking.


5. By and by- soon, later on.


6. Nook and cranny- everywhere, every part of a place.


7. Touch and go- to be unsure about the end of something.


8. High and mighty- superior in manner.


9. Black and blue- sustaining bruises or injuries.


10. High and dry- in a difficult situation without help.


To be continued.

English for Today VERBOSITY

Verbosity means wordiness. 

Wordy writing is bad. A reader faced with too many words may give up. Eliminate verbosity from your writing. 

These are instances of verbose expressions and their possible rewrites.


1.Take into consideration that(why not, consider that)


2. If you want to save on time(why not, to save time)


3. As it stands right now(why not, as it stands)


4. This is over and above other ideas you might consider( why not, also consider)


5. You may want to put a gasket( why not, put a gasket)

English for Today - PHRASAL VERB (2)

11. Hear out- to listen to someone to the end.


12. Buzz off- to go away


13. Make do- to manage what one has; contend with


14. Leave out- to omit


15. Bring round- to revive someone that fainted


16. Round up- to gather, surrender, or hold together.


17. Round off- to end or complete something well.


18. Stand by- to support or help


19. Start back- to begin to return


20. Break in on- to interrupt or disturb


21. Break away- to escape or leave


22. Gloss over- to treat something briefly


23. Glaze over- to show no interest or expression.


24. Go into- to investigate


25. Glory in- to take pleasure or pride in something


26. Get along with- to have a comfortable or friendly relationship with somebody


27. Ginger up- to make somebody or something lively


28. Get hold of- to catch someone


29. Bent on- to be determined to do something.


30. Black out- to lose consciousness or memory temporarily

English for Today - PHRASAL VERB

They are combinations of verbs with prepositions or adverbs to generate meanings that are entirely different from those of the verbs. This lecture series will discuss some phrasal verbs, giving that the list is inexhaustible.

1. Hedge against- to do something to protect oneself.


2. Pep up- to make something or somebody more lively.

3. Catch on- to understand or comprehend.


4. Break even- neither gain nor loss.


5.Fall through- to fail.


6. Stand up for- to defend.


7. Pick on- to blame or punish unfairly.


8. Tackle aback- to shock or surprise somebody.


9. Put off- to postpone.


10. Alight on- to find something by chance.
 
To be continued.

English for Today - Use a word instead (3)

31. Impossible to understand or explain- inexplicable


32. Not capable of making mistakes- infallible


33.That can not be challenged or denied- indisputable


34.Lasting for a very short time- ephemeral


35.Having no harmful effects- innocuous


36. Difficult to believe- incredible


37. That can not be rubbed out or removed- indelible


38. That which can not be conquered- invincible


39. That which can not be seen- invisible


40. A speech or writing containing high praise of a person or thing- eulogy

English for Today - Use a word instead (2)

16.Too great to be estimated- invaluable

17. Able to use both hands well- ambidextrous

18. Not suitable to be eaten- inedible

19. Good to be eaten- edible

20. Done according to law- legitimate/legal

21. Brief and to the point- precise

22. To take word for word- verbatim

23. To compel people to join the army- conscript

24. Those wounded or killed in a war- casualties

25. To release someone from the army- demobilise

26. Occurring once in two years- biennial

27. Occurring twice in one year- biannual

28. Living forever- immortal

29. A song written to mourn the dead- dirge(elegy)

30. Unable to pay one's debt- insolvent

To be continued.

English for Today - Use a word instead

Brevity is a virtue in communication. So, keep it short and simple:

1. That can be easily broken- fragile


2. That can be found everywhere- ubiquitous


3. To dig up a corpse- exhume


4. To die leaving a will- testate


5. To die without leaving a will- intestate


6. To be easily deceived- gullible


7. To destroy completely- vandalize


8. Loss of memory- amnesia


9. That can not be read- illegible


10. That can be read- legible


11. One that hardly spends money- miser


12.  To learn something by heart- memorize


13. To quote something off hand- recite


14. Unable to pay one's debt- insolvent


15. A writer of play or drama- playwright or dramatist


To be continued.

English for Today - WRITING NUMBERS IN NUMERAL (2)

Sometimes, numbers can be written in multiple ways. The following are instances:

4. Decades are either spelled out or written in numeral:  She lived in San Francisco in the eighties(correct). During the 1980s she lived in San Francisco(correct). She lived in San Francisco in the '80s (correct)

5. TIME: We usually spell out time when it is followed by o'clock or when a.m. or p.m. is not mentioned. However, we use numeral(even with o'clock) when we need to emphasize the exact time: We have to get up at six o'clock (correct). She gets home around eight.(Correct). The match started at 8:30 p.m. (Correct). We have to get up at 6 o'clock to be on time for school (this is also correct for the sake of emphasis)

6. We usually spell out noon and midnight instead of writing 12:00p.m and 12:00am: We came home around midnight and slept until noon the next day.

7. Amount of money: This can be written out when there are only a few words: He earned two million dollars last year.

For large numbers we write in numeral form($5, 385, 673)

English for Today - WRITING NUMBERS IN NUMERAL.

WRITING NUMBERS IN NUMERAL

Numbers should be written in numeral in the following cases:

1. Numbers 10 and above should be in numeral (and not in words): She has written 12 books.

2. Dates and years are written in numeral: Schools begin on August 27, 2009.

NOTE: We do not use ordinal numbers (i.e, 1st, 2nd, 3rd with full dates).

The play is on March 23, 2010 (right).

The play is on March 23rd, 2010 (wrong)

3. Percentages are written in numeral: Her performance was 52% last year.

NOTE: If a percentage begins a sentence, it should be spelled out: Sixty percent of students fail English in WAEC yearly.

To be continued

English for Today CLARIFYING PREPOSITIONS (2)

CLARIFYING PREPOSITIONS

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME: AT, ON, IN

AT is used with the exact time: He came at 8 O'clock in the morning.


ON is used with days and time: On Sunday we go to church. 
My sister's birthday is on the third of November.


IN is used with a period of time: In summer, the weather is warm.

English for Today - CLARIFYING PREPOPOSITIONS

CLARIFYING PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions of place:

TO and AT


TO is used for movement from one place to another: I walk to school everyday.


AT is used to denote position or rest: He is waiting at the door.


IN and INTO


IN denotes position or rest inside something: The pencil is in the box.


INTO denotes movement towards the inside of something: They walk into the room.


To be continued.

English for Today - INCORRECT OMISSION OF PREPOSITIONS

INCORRECT OMISSION OF PREPOSITIONS: Sometimes, prepositions are erroneously omitted where they form important parts of the structures. 

Examples are given below:


1. Dispose of a thing, not dispose a thing:
He will dispose of all his property (not, He will dispose all his property)


2. Knock at the door, not knock the door:
Who's knocking at the door? (not, Who is knocking the door?)


3. Reply to a person, not, reply a person: He has not replied to me yet.(not, He has not replied me yet)


4. Supply a person with something, not supply a person something: Can you supply me with all I need? (not, Can you supply me all I need)

English for Today - THE USE OF THE GERUND: -ING VERBS (2)

The gerund(and not the infinitive) should be used:

4. After the adjectives 'busy' and 'worth': He was busy WRITING a book. This date is worth REMEMBERING.

5. After certain phrases, such as 'it's no use', 'I can't help' 'would you mind', look forward to'.: I think it's no use 
TRYING again. I can't help FEELING angry about it.

The gerund or the infintive(infinitives are verbs that are preceded by the preposition 'to'- to do, to dance, etc) can be used after certain verbs, such as: begin, like, dislike, hate, love, prefer: He began TO TALK(right). He began TALKING(right).

English for Today - POSITIONS OF GERUND:- ING VERBS

The gerund should be used:

1. After prepositions: He worked without STOPPING. She played instead of WORKING.

2. After words which regularly take a preposition such as: fond of, insist on, tired of, succeed in:
    I am tired of DOING the work. He succeeded in KILLING the tiger.

3. After certain verbs such as avoid, enjoy, finish, stop, risk, excuse: Boys enjoy PLAYING football. The wind has       stopped BLOWING.

To be continued

English for Today COLLECTIVE NOUNS (3)

41. A pack of rascals
42. A paddling of ducks
43. A hail of fire
44. A team of oxen
45. A fleet of ships
46. A team of players
47. A suite of rooms
48. A flight of doves
49. A bench of magistrates
50. A bouquet of flowers
51. A bench of bishops
52. A fusillade of shots
53. A clutch of eggs
54. A caste of flower-pots
55. A brood of chickens
56. A crate of eggs
57. A coffle of slaves
58. A staff of teachers
59. A bunch of grapes
60. A skein of silk