The masters and purists of the language of mass communication, English, widely spoken in Nigeria among other Anglophone countries, are impatient with the manner a large percentage of the people, the sophisticated and highly learned persons, for instance, throw caution to the wind by recycling statements that are considered un-English, sub-standard and strange. There are a plethora of them, either consciously or unconsciously mimicked by the majority of people, in the market place, on the street and even our revered ivory tower, least expected to tolerate bad English, is not spared the malaise that appears to have overwhelmed the pragmatics and advocates of standard English. In this piece, I would point out some of these errors, or would I call it pitfalls in the use of English and why one must avoid them, stand out of the crowd and become the standard bearer of good English, whether in the written or spoken word. Don’t be deceived, cultivate a discerning spirit, desist from jumping on the bandwagon, take your time and find out the correct usage of the word and sentence construction at group or street conversation, especially for the refined minds or those who are considering making a career in public speaking; as TV/radio host, anchor or MC (Master of Ceremony.)
These persons are seen as role models to be imitated, and truly, they are because they must have taken some lessons in the Use of English and communication skills. And now the ‘come 2023 general elections’ phrase the majority of Nigerians talk about as they look forward to the 2023 elections, to be or not be, following the spates of destruction and burning down of the INEC-Independent National Electoral Commission offices in parts of the country; the commission seems to have cleared the air that elections would be conducted notwithstanding the carnage visited on its offices. My concern here is that the statement, ‘come 2023,’ is un-English and should be dropped. The English purists frown at the phrase, regarding it as one among the blind spots or pitfalls in the language we should be wary about. But today, the phrase, though in error, has gained so much currency that no one ever thinks it’s used wrongly or what I may call another Nigerian invention. The ‘come 2023 general elections’ sentence can conveniently be shoved aside and instead replaced with the short but direct and acceptable phrase, ‘in 2023 general elections.’ So, one can correctly speak or write, ‘in 2023 general elections, the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP says it would leave no stone unturned in its quest to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress-APC at the polls.
’ It’s incorrect to speak or write, ‘come 2023 general elections, the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party-PDP says it would leave no stone unturned in its quest to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress-APC at the polls.’ As I said, nothing is cast in gold so long as the language is concerned. Flexibility is allowed in the choice of words to make a sentence, but the standard must be maintained. There are other ways one can express his or her thoughts or opinions when discussing about the 2023 polls. But the leprous phrase, ‘come 2023’ should never cross one’s mind. Still in the group of bad English we mouth every other day are the exclamations or remarks we often yelled out when terrified or express them in anger, ‘how come!, for what?’ Often said rhetorically without expecting an answer. These are more or less colloquial phrases that a polished gentleman, well endowed in the written and spoken English should not romance with. Rather than speak, ‘how come!’ It is safer to engage the one-syllable word, ‘why.’ You will be absolutely right when you ask, for example, ‘why did you come late to class?’ Than speak, ‘how come! You came late to class.’ Similarly, never exclaim, ‘for what?’ in an attempt to vent your anger at certain unpleasant happenings around you. Simply say or ask, ‘what for?’ And that is the standard.
