COMMON BUT WRONG EXPRESSIONS

English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)

COMMON BUT WRONG EXPRESSIONS

The expressions that are labelled as wrong are everyday expressions that we speak and write as Nigerians but which are not encouraged in standard usage. Examples are given below.

1. Being that you are my friend, I’ll come (wrong).
For the fact that you’re my friend, I’ll come (right).

2. Had it been you told me, I would have come (wrong).
If you had told me, I would have come (right).

3. If not for you/if not because of you, I would have been embarrassed (wrong).
But for you, I would have been embarrassed (correct).

4. GAB was made reference to in the lecture (wrong).
Reference was made to GAB in the lecture (correct).

Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)
Academic Advisor, Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan;
&
Doctoral Student of English, University of Ibadan.