Recently, I read an interesting article on LinkedIn where the writer misused the word ‘live’ while describing the blissful experience he had when he travelled to the United Kingdom. In his words, “I lived in a hotel close to an airport before I returned to Nigeria”. The main point of the conversation was that he never resided there permanently. Therefore, it is grammatically incorrect to describe a temporary residence with the word ‘live’. Furthermore, I explained that ‘stay’ is the most appropriate word to describe his adventure in the guest house in the country.
Consider the following samples:
Femi stayed in his grandfather’s house before he got married. (Correct)
When I visited the ailing minister, I stayed at a guest house close to the Governor’s residence. (Correct)
According to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, the word ‘stay’, as a verb, means ‘to remain in a particular place, especially for a definite or short period of time; sojourn; abide’. Here are some example sentences from the authoritative dictionary:
We stayed in Hawaii for a week.
I can only stay for an hour.
For instance, Adaeze had lived in Lagos before she stayed in her teacher’s house in Ogun State.
TRANSPORT FARE
The phrase above is redundant and commonly used in Nigerian English. Despite of its popularity, I made a post correcting all followers to study other words since the word ‘fare’ denotes ‘money for transportation ticket’.
In a September 2023 column in the Peoples Daily newspaper, I discussed this subject with the following words:
“When you board a car, it is grammatical to say ‘car fare’. For instance, I need to pay the car fare to Nasarawa State tomorrow. ‘Bus fare’ should be used for the cost of an automobile conveying a large number of people to a location. Example sentence: The bus fare to Kano is too high; I would prefer to board a train. ‘Train fare’ should be used for the cost of a train ticket. I need to pay the train fare to Kaduna before the opportunity closes.
AIRFARE
Use the above word for the cost of an airplane trip. Due to the harsh effects of fuel subsidy, airfare to Dubai skyrocketed.”
WHEREABOUT
Dad, I don’t know Segun’s whereabout. (Wrong)
Dad, I don’t know Segun’s whereabouts. (Correct)
Not adding an ‘s’ to the word is incorrect. As a noun, it means ‘where something is situated’, while as an adverb, it means ‘in or near what location’. Interestingly, you can ask, “Whereabouts do you stay?” or “Where do you stay?” Both questions are grammatically valid.
I also received a question from an ardent follower on Facebook. It goes thus: “Countless times, I notice the use of a comma before the conjunction ‘and’. When giving examples in a sentence, is it grammatical to use it before ‘and’ in a series of items?”
Answer: It is grammatically correct to use a comma before ‘and’ in a series of items. For example, “I like dancing, cooking, and eating.” However, the serial comma is optional, and you may choose not to add it to your list.
Consider the following sentences:
I hate these animals: cats, dogs, and monkeys. (Correct)
I hate these animals: cats, dogs and monkeys. (Correct)
In the second sentence, I omitted the comma after ‘dogs’, but that does not make the sentence ungrammatical. It is simply a matter of personal preference.
IN GLASSES OR ON GLASSES?
At a particular bank, a lady once said, “My friend is the lady on glasses”. Wow! I looked around to confirm whether or not she was standing on them. Many English users do not know that the preposition ‘on’ should not be used when someone wearing some clothes or glasses. Instead, use ‘in’.
How many men were on suits during Adamu’s wedding? (Wrong)
How many men were in suits during Adamu’s wedding? (Correct)
Her father looks handsome on red. (Wrong)
Her father looks handsome in red. (Correct)
Assignment
Attempt the following questions:
The serial comma is also known as _________. (a) Oxford comma (b) Cambridge comma © English comma
No one knows the commissioner’s ________. (a) whereabout (b) whereabouts (c) whereabot
The word ‘_____’, as a verb, means ‘to remain in a particular place for a short period of time’. (a) stay (b) live (c) reside
Kindly forward your answers to samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com or 07049203179 via SMS.
Names of those who answered the last questions correctly
Ahmed Roqeeb Bankole Richard, Abdullahi Nuhu, Okere Chigozie, Adeyemi Abigael, Alimi Olive, Rasheed Fatah, Sultan Musa, Olalomirin Pelumi, Adedigba Emmanuel, Bello Sulaimon, Adedeji Ayodeji, Yahyah Aishat, Oreshade Gbenga, Oladunjoye Oluwafemi, Farooq Lawal, Amusan Kayode, Bolatito Feranmi, Nwogboji Emmanuel, Hassan Aliyu, Bala Adamu, Yakubu Usman, Ishaya Biliya and Adamu Sulaimon.
