Knowing common errors. . . Why it is important

Morris Mtisi
I WANT to begin by thanking numerous followers of the education page who say, “Thank you MM” for these columns expressing gratitude that the weekly instalments have tremendously improved their zest for English and for students, bettered their examination results.

Lately, I received sweet feedback from Faith Round of Zimunya High School. She writes:

“Hello Mr Mtisi — I hope I find you well. I want to thank you for your teaching column in The Manica Post. It has helped me ever since I was in Grade Seven. In my mid-year examinations this year, I managed to get an A (90 percent) in English Language. I know I will repeat this in my finals in October. I know that, above all, the excellent teaching I get at school, it is because of my reading of your column that my English is now so improved. Thank you Mr Mtisi. Continue with the good work.” (See the rest of her story next week.)

I receive many such remarks of appreciation and gratitude from both students in and out of school, and adults who are fascinated by the education page. That is one group.

However, I am also aware there is another group, especially schoolteachers, who think I am too meticulous and obsessed with grammatical correctness. Of course, I am. And please note, I do not apologise for being a stickler to rules of grammar and correctness.

Some believe my interest in common errors is meant to mortify them and expose their weaknesses to their pupils. That is nonsense, of course. Only a fool dreams of investment gains from exposing teachers’ weaknesses and limitations. Who do not have their share of weaknesses in this world? After all, who works better than teachers to develop and sharpen children’s minds?

Let me take opportunity to write to serious learners of English Language; both in and out of school and both teachers and learners.

You as a serious writer; writer for whatever purpose; you want to put your best foot forward with your writing. Sometimes we certainly have reasons to breach some of the acknowledged rules of English language, but it is wiser to breach them knowing why.

Whenever you are in doubt about a word or a rule, research!  Look it up! You will save yourself some embarrassment. You will also demonstrate that you are a serious speaker or writer governed by the desire to speak well and write well.

Example One: Many people speak and write about a man “impregnating” a wife, lover or woman. We know what this means but it is not an expression that is English in both essence and structure. No English speaker or writer will use the word “impregnate” in that way. While the expression may be grammatically correct, it is the cultural refinement that makes its use on human beings not only absurd, but rude and unacceptable. A bull will certainly impregnate a cow, but not a man impregnating a woman or a husband impregnating his wife. Impregnating is a tasteless word to use with reference to human beings.

It connotes or suggests the instrumentality of the process, the physical nakedness and process of “impregnating” (maitirwo azvo acho). It is finer and more polite and therefore also more civilised and polished to say, “He made her pregnant.” There is a world of difference between the two: “impregnated someone” and “made someone pregnant”. “Impregnated” conjures up a visual meaning. “Made her pregnant” hides the photographic act and meaning. You see!  Chiyungu chinodaro. Sometimes it is not a matter of committing a criminal grammatical offence but simply an issue of speaking with the correct and or acceptable connotation; with the correct measure of verbal refinement or taste.

LESS and FEWER

The fact that many people do not know the difference between “fewer” and “less” is seen in the number of supermarket aisles and advertisements; e.g. “10 items or less”. The error people make in using “less” when they actually mean “fewer” and the other way round is interesting.

 THE RULES

“Fewer” refers to items you can count individually.

“Less” refers to a commodity, such as sugar, flour, water, beverages and refreshments.

1. There are less cakes at this function. (wrong)
2. There are eight items or less on display. (wrong)

1(a) There are fewer cakes at the function. (Correct)

(b) There are eight items or fewer on display. (Correct)

Consider this: Less sand/fewer grains of sand/maize (both correct).

AMOUNT and NUMBER

Look at the following two sentences:

1. There was a greater amount of people at the Agricultural Show this year. (wrong).
2. There were a greater number of people at the Agricultural Show this year. (Correct). Quite simple isn’t it? We talk about a number of people, not an amount of people.

 

PLEASURE / LEISURE

Leisure simply refers to your free time. It does not mean enjoyment or something you enjoy. It is time to relax and be free from serious business. So you cannot say, “We read books or listen to music for leisure. That is clearly a nonsense statement. Of course, you can say, “We read books and listen to music for pleasure.” I am not sure if a page in a magazine or on a brochure is labelled LEISURE is not in fact referring to PLEASURE given the correct meanings of the two words.

If we label the page LEISURE, are we suggesting this is stuff to read when you have nothing important or serious to do or we are saying this will give you reading PLEASURE? In which case, we ought to label the page PLEASURE! Handizvo here?

Finally, refreshments are drinks. The word has nothing to do with resting. We were having refreshments in the park (correct). We were so tired that we started to think of refreshing (wrong). After a short refreshment we were back on stage (wrong). Of course you can have a refreshment break; meaning break time having, enjoying drinks (refreshments). Notice “refreshment” here is an adjective qualifying the break. It is not a noun. The noun is “refreshments” and it means drinks.

Those who want to learn correct English Language, please continue to enjoy these common errors. And those who feel uncomfortable and mortified, rest assured that is not the intention of these “lessons”.

To quote Moses Mukoyi’s appropriate language: “These Common Errors I am sure are the talk of many, generating much debate, heat and light. They are indeed fertile material for those adept at exaggeration and apprehension.” But like Mukoyi says, I guess when the novelty of guilty conscience mixed with apprehension and being too proud and too big to learn subsides, their salient and poignant features will become more familiar and customised.