English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) ACADEMIC ENGLISH Appreciate your supervisor on the ~acknowledgement~ page (nonstandard). Appreciate your supervisor on the *acknowledgements* page (standard). Your ~table of content~ should be well structured (nonstandard). Your *table of contents* should be well structured (standard). Students submit ~bounded copies~ of their projects (nonstandard). Students submit *bound copies* of their projects (standard). GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Avoid the S’s He appeared ~out of the blues~ to claim the child (nonstandard). He appeared *out of the blue* to claim the child (standard). If something happens out of the blue, it happens unexpectedly. Continue to seek ~feedbacks~ from your customers (nonstandard). Continue to seek *feedback* from your customers (standard). Feedback is an uncountable noun. If you get feedback on your work or progress, someone tells you how well or badly you are doing, and how you could improve. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s The company seems to be at ~a crossroad~ (nonstandard). The company seems to be at *a crossroads* (standard). If you say that something is at a crossroads, you mean that it has reached a very important stage in its development where it could go one way or another. It’s best to make impact at the ~grassroot~ level (nonstandard). It’s best to make impact at the *grassroots* level (standard). The grassroots of an organisation or movement are the ordinary people who form the main part of it, rather than its leaders. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s Everyone is amazed about his ~rag-to-riches~ story (nonstandard). Everyone is amazed about his *rags-to-riches* story (standard). You use rags to riches to describe the way in which someone quickly becomes very rich after they have been quite poor. They have been at loggerhead for some days (nonstandard). They have been at loggerheads for some days (standard). If two or more people or groups are at loggerheads, they disagree very strongly with each other. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s Many people ~jump into conclusion~ (nonstandard). Many people *jump to conclusions* (standard). This idiom means to come to a conclusion prematurely, without sufficient thought or on incomplete evidence. He’s bothered because his business is ~on the rock~ (nonstandard). He’s bothered because his business is *on the rocks* (standard). if something such as a marriage or a business is on the rocks, it is experiencing very severe difficulties and looks likely to end very soon. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s You should really thank your ~star~ (nonstandard). You should really thank your *stars* (standard). To thank your stars or to thank your lucky stars is to be thankful for what appears to be good luck. She got a new pair of ~tight~ (nonstandard). She got a new pair of *tights* (standard). Tights are a piece of clothing which cover the hips, legs, and feet. They are usually made of nylon. I should be there to pay my last ~respect~ (nonstandard). I should be there to pay my last *respects* (standard). If you pay your last respects to someone who has just died, you show your respect or affection for them by coming to see their body or their grave. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s Dr GAB is an eloquent master of ~ceremony~ (nonstandard). Dr GAB is an eloquent master of *ceremonies* (standard). We should not ~take side~ if we want peace (nonstandard). We should not *take sides* if we want peace (standard). You take sides but you can take someone’s side: She always takes her husband’s *side* (standard). She achieved with the president’s good ~office~ (nonstandard). She achieved it with the president’s good *offices* (standard). Someone’s good offices are the help that they give to other people who are trying to achieve something. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s President Tinubu-led administration is flexing its ~muscle~ on economic development (nonstandard). President Tinubu-led administration is flexing its *muscles* on economic development (standard). If a group, organisation, or country flexes its muscles, it does something to impress or frighten people, in order to show them that it has power and is considering using it. No country grows because her citizens speak in ~tongue~ (nonstandard). No country grows because citizens speak in *tongues* (standard). Put your stuff on ~a wheel~ so you can easily move with them (nonstandard). Put your stuff *on wheels* so you can easily move with them (standard). Something on wheels has wheels attached to the bottom, so that it can be moved easily. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) Important S’s His doctorate was on humour and I’m doing something along the same ~line~ (nonstandard). His doctorate was on humour and I’m doing something along the same *lines* (standard). Note that this is different from saying “along the line”. He was sacked because he cooked the ~book~ (nonstandard). He was sacked because he cooked the *books* (standard). If you say that someone has cooked the books, you mean that they have changed figures or a written record in order to deceive people. First ~thing~ first, let’s eat (nonstandard). First *things* first, let’s eat (standard). You say ‘first things first’ when you are talking about something that should be done or dealt with before anything else because it is the most important. GAB
English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB) WAVE or WAIVE? Muslims are now ~waiving~ at Ramadan and trusting God this won’t be their last (nonstandard). Muslims are now *waving* at Ramadan and trusting God this won’t be their last (standard). If you wave or wave your hand, you move your hand from side to side in the air, usually in order to say hello or goodbye to someone. Islam ~waves~ fasting for sick people although they have to observe it later (nonstandard). Islam *waives* fasting for sick people although they have observe it later (standard). If someone waives a rule, they say that people do not have to obey it in a particular situation. GAB