English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)
FOSSILIZED ERRORS IN NIGERIAN ENGLISH
Fossilization refers to the process in which incorrect language becomes a habit and cannot easily be corrected. Some fossilized errors among Nigerians are given below:
1. This your bag is fine (wrong).
This bag of yours is fine (right). Possessives and demonstratives do not occur in immediate succession in Standard English.
2. She likes wearing small small blouse (wrong).
She like to wear jumpers (right). Other expressions in this category are: now now (immediately), sharp sharp (quickly), small small (gently).
3. The equipments in the laboratory are outdated (wrong).
The equipment in the laboratory are outdated (right). Other nouns that should not be pluralised are furniture, information, ammunition.
… to be continued
Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (GAB)
Academic Advisor, Distance Learning Centre, University of Ibadan;
&
Doctoral Student of English, University of Ibadan.
