FIVE WORDS YOU SHOULD AVOID USING IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

    There are numerous supranational varieties of English in the world today. It is generally known that only two of those varieties are recognized (The Standard British English and The Standard American English). However, several words are misused by foreign speakers of the language while some do not even exist in the English dictionary. Below are some of the coinages and commonly misused words:

1. UPLIFTMENT: I wonder where it came from! I know you are held in disbelief because the watchword of your church is ‘2017, my year of great upliftment’ and you’ve also heard a popular musician use the word upliftment as the title of his track.  The word uplift is both a verb and noun which should appear in your watchword as 2017, my year of great uplift. Get yourself a standard English dictionary and confirm if the word upliftment really exists.

2. PRACTICALISE: I know this also came to you as a surprise because you hear and use it often. The time to stop using it has arrived. Words such as practical, practicability, practicable and practicably are in existence but the word practicalise does not exist in the English Dictionary. Hence, do not say: That theory is hard to practicalise. You should say : That theory is hard to put into practice.

3. INSTALMENTALLY: In standard English, instalment or installment, if you prefer British or American spelling, does not take the ‘ly’ form when it is used as an adverb of manner. Its adverbial form is ‘in instalments’.  So you should say: I will pay for the land in instalments not I will pay for the land instalmentally.

4. MATURED: Many of us misuse the adjective, mature. The word, mature, can be used as a verb and adjective. When used as an adjective, do not add letter ‘d’. Thus, the sentence, ‘She is a matured girl’ is grammatically wrong. You should say: ‘She is a mature girl. However, when used as a verb, you should add the letter ‘d’. As in the sentence: The girl has matured. 

It seems you are confused! Relax; let me give you some hints on how to differentiate between the verb and the adjective:

If it follows the anomalous (has, have and had), it should be used as a verb, i.e. matured. For example: They have matured.

If it follows the primary auxiliary verbs (is, am, was, were, are), it should be used as an adjective. For example: I am mature as you are also mature.

5. OPPORTUNED: I wonder where this word came from! It is not in the English dictionary but that has not stopped its blatant use by all and sundry in Nigeria, especially by media houses. The word, opportune, is an adjective; therefore it has no past tense. However, some verbs can function as adjectives or adverbs in a sentence. These verbs are called participles. They are not pure adjectives. Fattened, amused, disgusted, overwhelmed, bored etc. are all participles. The word, opportune, is a pure adjective which means: ‘Suitable or at a time that is suitable’… So, do not add letter ‘d’.  You should say: I couldn’t have arrived at a less opportune moment. Not I couldn’t have arrived at a less opportuned moment.

Don’t be surprised with what you’ve just read; for more information, please do consult a Standard English dictionary. I am sure you’ve learnt some new things, why not click the share icon and allow others to also learn.