Common Mistakes In English Language

English is the language of communication in many countries. In our daily spoken and written English, we make lots of mistakes without knowing they are wrong. It cuts across all phases including board meeting, business lunch, political meeting, annual general meeting, high school, editorial work or research and even in the University.

This article brings out various errors in different aspects of English Language.  They include:

1. Wrong to say: the book is sold for Hundred Naira. Say the book is sold for One Hundred Naira.
2. Wrong to say: students between the ages of 20 to 25. Say students between the ages of 20 and 25. It is also correct to say from the ages of 20 to 25.
3. Wrong to say: The girl is too much. Rather say the girl is good.
4. Wrong to say: You must crack your brain. Correct to say you must rack your brain. Crack your brain does not exist as an idiom. It is merely an expression of joke. Rack your brain on the other hand, has to do with thinking. To think hard and come up with something.
5. Wrong to say: The Nollywood actor is happily married to his wife, Mrs. Edna Oboli. Correct to say the Nollywood actor is happily married to Edna. It is still correct to say: Mr. Oboli is happily married to Edna.
6. Wrong to say: He perceived the smell. Correct to say he noticed the smell. Note that we perceive with the eyes. We hear a sound but notice a smell.
7. Wrong to say: I wish you journey mercy. Say I wish you safe journey. Journey mercy is a wrong expression. When you want to wish someone a good journey, you say safe journey.
8. Wrong to say: Thank God for journey mercy. Say Thank God for safe journey.
9. Wrong to say: I will see you at 9pm in the evening. Simply say I will see you at 9pm. It is therefore tautological to say 9pm which is known to be in the evening and mentioning 9pm and evening.
10. Wrong to say: John is a troubleshooter. I don’t want to see him in my office anymore. Correct to say: John is a troublemaker. I don’t want to see him in my office anymore. Please note, troublemaker is one who often makes or causes trouble. Troubleshooter on the other hand, is someone who finds solution to problems in an organization or company.
11. Wrong to say: She will try as much as possible to make it. Correct to say: she will try as hard as possible to make it. It is also correct to say she will make as much effort as possible to make it.

Other correct examples are: She will try hard to win the race. She will make much effort to win the race.

12. Wrong to say: He emerged into the water. Rather say he immerged into the water. To emerge is to rise out of. to immerge is to plunge into.
13. Wrong to say: The executive governor of Lagos State. Simply say the governor of Lagos State. Here the mention of executive governor is unnecessary whether he has executive power. So, adding executive does not add any meaning intended.
14. Wrong also to say: the executive president of the federal republic of Nigeria. Rather say the president of Nigeria.
15. Wrong to say: He has eaten government money. Correct to say he has stolen government money.
16. Wrong to say: Congratulation on your success at the pool. Correct to say congratulations on your success at the pool. An s must be added to congratulation to mean (congratulations).
17. The meeting will be held at 12 O’clock in the afternoon. Correct to say the meeting will be held at noon. Note that noon is midday. It begins from 12.01.
18. Wrong to say: He does not know the deference between black and white. Correct to say he does not know the difference between black and white. While deference stands for respect or regard for another person’s wishes, difference means dissimilarity. It also means controversy.
19. Wrong to say: I am interested on the matter. Correct to say I am interested in the matter.
20. Wrong to say: You need to do alot to be noticed. Correct to say you need to do a lot to be noticed. Please, note alot is an error of spelling.

In summary, we strongly hope that the above corrections have been noted for our daily written and spoken English Language, which cut across board meeting, business lunch, political meeting, annual general meeting, in our examinations, high school, editorial work or research and even in the University.