This lesson is a follow up to last Sunday’s piece entitled ‘Never pluralise the word counsel,’ and for the benefit of doubt for those who may raise eyebrows, to get a clearer picture of what I meant to convey. The noun ‘counsel’ was used contextually to point to a group of lawyers. My argument then, which also represent the submissions of the English purists and masters, is that never pluralise the word ‘counsel’ when referring to a group of lawyers arguing a case in court. Rather than speak or write ‘counsels’, using the plural form, as some journalists or reporters do, use the singular noun, ‘counsel.’ Informed writers would instead play safe when reporting the judiciary. One often times read or listen to the statement, ‘the lead counsel,’ or simply, the ‘counsel’ in the case between Mr. ‘A’ and Mr. ‘B’. For instance, the lead counsel could conveniently speak for the other lawyer or lawyers when responding to journalists questions, shortly after the court proceedings.
That is the way to go. English has its rules and pattern which one cannot bend to suit him or her. The secret about knowing and understanding it is to learn it. The language is full of pitfalls and blind spots. It takes constant and rigorous study, sometimes a little bit of patience and perseverance to avoid errors. Even the cliché, ‘burn the candle at both ends’, that is, to work harder than normal, to meet the minimum standard and expectation of the pragmatists, says it all. Read, read, and read to understand and convincingly engage the language of mass communication in Nigeria and the Anglophone countries. Now the exception, ‘counsels’, the plural verb of ‘counsel’. The plural ‘counsels’ is the third person present singular or plural verb to give or offer someone advice. Just as we have it in the noun ‘advice’ and the plural, ‘advices’, a verb, is to give one’s opinion. For example, about what another person should do. In other words, the verbs, ‘counsels’ and ‘advices’ are to instruct or give one’s suggestion in a matter that concerns someone else.
Illustrating it further, one would be right to speak or write, ‘James took the counsels’, or ‘advices’ of the Church elders in good faith’. Don’t confuse the verb, ‘advise’ spelled with a-‘s’ and the noun, ‘advice’ spelled with a-‘c’. ‘Advise’ is used as a verb only. Take for example, one would be correct to say, ‘Mary advised me to seek the advice of the Priest to tell him about my situation’. The noun ‘advice’, on the other hand is to take or follow someone instruction. For instance, ‘she followed the Doctors advice to stop eating fatty foods’. From the breakdown, one can now understand the difference between the noun ‘counsel’, and the verb form, or third person present plural, ‘counsels’. Never pluralise the noun, ‘counsel’ that deals with the lawyer or group of lawyers, while the verb, ‘counsels’ is to advise someone to take certain action, therefore one becomes his or her adviser spelled with a-‘s’. The statement ‘counsel’ is the synonym of ‘advice’, used in this context.
One can altogether, say that a counsellor is the person who gives advice, one who is an adviser to another person. Meanwhile, is it to join the bandwagon, or jump on the bandwagon? The cliché and idiomatic expression much spoken about when the politician and those in the corridors of power abandon their parties to join or defect to the ruling party, or something similar. The correct and current expression is to jump or hop on the bandwagon, not join the bandwagon, as many would speak and write. Join the bandwagon statement is stale, and a cliché, dead and buried. In closing, I appreciate the feedback from a regular reader of this column, and namesake, Mike Alasia from Ijanikin, Lagos, edited for space. It goes like this: ‘Truly I feel delighted reading your articles in the Herald newspaper’. Join me next week for all the details.
