16 Common English errors you should leave in the hands of 2017

As 2017 gradually comes to an end, my earnest prayer for you (my reader) is a prosperous 2018. You shall prosper financially, academically, spiritually, physically and grammatically! Although I have prayed, you must work very hard to ensure that they come to pass because "faith without work is dead". In other words, if you must achieve financial prosperity, you must put in place or do certain things that will elevate your financial status; if you must excel academically, you must "study to show thyself approved". In like manner, if your 2018 must be grammatically prosperous, you must leave the following grammatical blunders in 2017:

1. Don't say "I forgot my phone at home" but say "I forgot my phone" or "I left my phone at home". The reason is that you can't use the verb "forget" when mentioning where you left something; you use "leave" instead.

2. The habit of calling SPAGHETTI (a kind of pasta in the shape of long, thin strings) "supergative" should end in 2017. This is a common error in Nigeria. It might sound funny, but it is an obvious truth.

3. Don't say "There is no two ways about it" but say "There are no two ways about it". In the former, the rule of Concord is broken. There is no agreement between the verb "is" and the noun/noun phrase, "two boys".

4. Don't say "lacking behind" but say "lagging behind" as in "The girl is lagging behind".

5. Don't say "crack your brain" but say "rack your brain". You are expected to "rack" your brain when presented with a puzzle in order to get it correctly.

6. Don't say "low current" but say "low voltage". When Nigerians say "low current", they actually mean "low voltage".

7. Don't say "headquarter" but say "headquarters" when referring to the head office of an organization regardless of its number.

8. Don't write "sister in-law" but write "sister-in-law". This is also applicable to mother, daughter, brother and father.

9. Don't say "funny enough" but say "funnily enough"; e.g., Funnily enough, I was just trying to call you before you came.

10. Don't say "the English alphabets" but say "26 letters of the English alphabet" or "the English alphabet".

11. Don't say "I am a staff of Tammy's company" but say "I am a member of staff of Tammy's company".

12. Don't say "ATM machine" but say "ATM". When you say "ATM machine", this is what you mean "Automated Teller Machine machine". This is also applicable to similar abbreviations like "GTB bank" and "BVN number". Please, avoid these obvious errors.

13. Don't say "stuffs" but say "stuff". In Nigeria, you often hear statements like "get my stuffs out of the car" or "get me my stuffs". LOL! The word "stuff" is uncountable; that is, it does have a plural form. Therefore, you should always say "stuff".

14. Don't say "the both (of you)" but say "both (of you)".

15. Don't say "don't take it personal" but say "don't take it personally". Despite the popularity of the former, the latter is grammatically correct. "Personally" as an adverb is modifying the verb "take".

16. Don't say "the job is tasking" but say "the job is taxing".

17. You can add to the list via the comment box.

Make your language a befitting lounge by making it posh!