The preposition, if we’re to remind our colleagues again, is a word or group of words used before a noun, pronoun or noun phrase to show direction, time, place, location, special relationships or to introduce a subject. We’re talking words like: by, for, to, into, “in to,” which, at and with.
Prepositions are highly idiomatic, so their usage is fixed—that is, you aren’t allowed to alter or use one differently from the way the indigenous speakers use it!
Now on Page 9 of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet of Friday, April 5, there’s a story whose headline is thus written: ‘South Africa parliament speaker turns herself INTO police.’
A reader who pointed out this goof to us, one Ali Makengo of Dar, said the first impression he got was that the beleaguered SA Parliament boss is interfering with the work of the country’s police!
However, that wasn’t the case, because things became clearer when Makengo checked the intro, for it read:
“South Africa’s Speaker parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Ngaqula has handed herself OVER to the police a day after she resigned over corruption allegations.”
It means the Speaker freely walked to a police station and said something like this: Hey, cops; here I’m and ready to record a statement in regard to the malicious rumours indicating I’m a bad person!
It means the sub-editor should’ve written the headline to read thus: ‘South Africa parliament turns herself IN (not into) TO police.’
Back to Page 5 of the broadsheet, where there’s a story whose headline is written this way: ‘TARURA constructs 826 kms ROADS’ network in Kagera.’
“Roads’ network” would mean a network belonging to roads, which would be nonsensical, of course! We’re certain the sub-editor meant to write: ‘TARURA constructs 826km ROAD network…’
In Para 3 the scribbler reports: “TARURA Regional Manager…said in the three-YEARS period, the budget allocated for roads improved…”
Three-years period? Nope! We say three-YEAR period, for as we keep noting here, when a noun is used as a qualifier, you don’t pluralise it.
On the same page, there’s another story entitled, ‘REO warns against denying girls education’.
In this story, the scribbler reports in Para 3: “Expounding, he said nowadays most women have become good leaders and bread EARNERS…”
No siree! When someone earns a meaningful income and becomes the key provider of a household, he or she isn’t called the bread earner; he or she is called the BREADWINNER (one word).
Page 8 comprises a picture spread entitled, ‘Samia swears in new Government officials.” One of the pictures has a caption that reads:
“High Court of Tanzania Sylvester Kainda ‘with’ A Bible (sic!) takes oath of office at State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday.”
A Bible? Hey, No! We say THE Bible, because this holy book is just one which, according to believers, carries the word of God. You may talk of a “copy of the Bible.” Or a new and different version of the Bible! And Judge Kainda is not “with” the Bible; he’s HOLDING the Bible.
Let’s move on to Saturday, April 6, on which day Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet carries a story on Page 5 entitled, ‘Govt to construct four modern facilities for cancer treatment.’
Reporting in regard to what a minister said, the scribbler writes in Para 4:
“She was responding to a question by Tunza Malapo (Special Seats MP) who wanted to know plans by the Government to improve cancer treatment SERVICES in the country.”
The capped word, services, is a qualifier that adds no value the phrase “cancer treatment.” It’s a sheer waste of print paper space!
On Page 14 of the broadsheet, there’s a story headlined, ‘Firm boosts production with advanced hatchery tech,’ in which the scribbler tells readers:
“Information provided to this journalist HAS THAT the Silversands hatchery project included the implementation of cutting-edge technology…”
Information…has that? A-a! We say “…information has IT that…”
Ah, this treacherous language called English!
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