I often say to my students that being ignorant isn't a problem but staying ignorant is. What that means is that once a piece of information is at your disposal and you still choose to remain ignorant, it is rather pathetic. I said that to bring to the attention of readers the following.
It is wrong to use the preposition 'with' with felicitate as in the expression:
I *felicitate with* you on your retirement.
'Felicitate' should be used the same way as 'congratulate'. For example:
I congratulate you on your retirement.
I felicitate you on your retirement.
Let's also consider the difference between 'frown at' and 'frown on'.
To frown is to express worry, anxiety or anger. Hence, you can frown at something or somebody. For example:
He frowned at her.
The angry teacher frowned at the students.
Let's consider the definition provided by Oxford dictionary.
to make a serious, angry or worried expression by bringing your EYEBROWS closer together so that the lines appear on your FOREHEAD: What's are you frowning at me for?
From the definition above, it is obvious that you use 'frown at' when a facial expression is involved.
However, when you disapprove of what someone had done, you use 'frown on' of 'frown upon'. If, for instance, someone does something wrong or misbehaved, you may say:
The principal frowned on the boy's stupid behaviour.
Concerned journalists have frowned on how the social media has become a source of fake news.
I should like to point your attention to another word, the verb 'clap'. You should avoid the use of preposition 'for' with this verb.
The audience clapped the orchestra during the performance.
Would you clap her!
In the same vein, you should always endeavour to use an object after the verb, 'prostrate'. It will thus be wrong to say:
A groom will always *prostrate* before the bride's family as part of the marriage rites in the Yoruba speaking part of Nigeria.
It will be correct to say:
A groom will always prostrate himself before the bride's family as part of the marriage rites in the Yoruba speaking part of Nigeria.
Rather than pay instalmentally, you pay in instalments!
I will pay for the gadgets in two instalments.
I will pay for the gadgets instalmentally*.
There is often the misuse of 'complain' and 'complaint'. Complain is a verb while complaint is a noun.
Madam, do you have any complaint(s)?
not
Madam, do you have any complain*?
The customer complained about something she bought yesterday.
The customer had complaints about something she bought yesterday.
The customer complained about something she bought yesterday but I have promised her (that) her complaints will be properly addressed.
Similar to the above is the misuse of 'afford' and 'avoid'. I have heard speakers of the language use avoid when they should use afford.
I can't avoid* it.
I can't afford it.
To avoid any embarrassments, I can't afford it.
Thank you for reading.
Suggested previous posts:
How to use request/request for
Explanations on some tricky English verbs 1
Mr Jacobs tells his students the meaning of teller
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The blogger, Olabanji O. Odurombi, can be contacted via voice call, text, or WhatsApp on 08037699294.
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