English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
Common Errors
There was a ~go-slow~ just before that junction (nonstandard).
There was a *traffic jam* just before that junction (standard).
A traffic jam is a long line of vehicles that cannot move forward because there is too much traffic, or because the road is blocked by something. A severe traffic jam is called gridlock. Note that “gridlock” is an uncountable noun and should not attract an “a”:
There was ~a gridlock~ around the junction. ❌
There was *gridlock* around the junction. ✔️
It should be mentioned that go-slow is is an occasion when employees work more slowly and with less effort than usual in order to try to persuade an employer to agree to a higher pay or better working conditions. It is called slow-down in American English:
I sense a go-slow among the workers (British English).
I sense a slow-down among the workers (American English).
GAB
