COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH WITH SAMUEL ALIMI

ORPHANAGE HOME?

Today's class is an opportunity to discuss one of the most popular errors I have noticed on a lot of
signposts. In Nigeria, we have several registered orphanages across various locations. I am glad that we
have many philanthropists supporting the cause of helping orphans.

While traveling to a location, I sighted a signpost that reads: Kindly visit our orphanage home for
donations! Instantly, I was inspired to explain the reason "orphanage" and "home" should not be used
together. I wish I could call the attention of the management of the institution to this unknown error.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an orphanage is "a residential institution for the care and
protection of orphans". The phrase "residential institution" captures the meaning of "home". Therefore,
placing the two words side by side is wrong.

Read the sentences below:

I visited an orphanage home last Friday. (Wrong)

I visited an orphanage last Friday. (Correct)

What is a home? It is a place of care; a dwelling place. " Orphanage" is a "home" for orphans. I hope no
student in this class will join others to say "We have an orphanage home in our community".

RIDE ON!

Whenever you are impressed by a speaker's lectures, you are likely to say "ride on" to motivate them.
However, the use of the expression "ride on" is not acceptable. "Right on" is the correct idiomatic
expression for this context. According to Cambridge Dictionary, "Right on" is an expression of approval.

Below is a sentence cited in the dictionary:

I heard them talking about how we needed to change the way things work around here, and I was
thinking to myself "Right on".

Study the following sentences:

Sir, ride on! Your points are valid. (Wrong)

Sir, right on! Your points are valid. (Correct)

Your plans are possible. Ride on! (Wrong)

Your plans are possible. Right on! (Correct)

TOUT AND LOUT

Other commonly misused words are "tout" and "lout". Several English users can not differentiate their
meanings. A newscaster once mentioned "touts" instead of "louts" while casting news on air. Although it
is a viral error, it is high time we learnt their meanings correctly.
A tout is someone advertising for customers aggressively. Do you remember the advertisers who disturb
people while marketing their products?

A lout is a troublemaker. We have many louts in our towns. Most times, those we refer to as touts are
louts. The violent men we see in our motor parks are louts, not touts. Unless they are advertisers, do not
call them "touts". It is grammatically wrong!

Review the following sentences:

The touts are being sponsored by several politicians for general elections. (Wrong)

The louts are being sponsored by several politicians for general elections. (Correct)

The company employs touts for its products. (Correct)

DOUBLE DATE

Do you really know the meaning of double date? It means "when two couples go on a romantic date
together".

For instance, your friend and his girlfriend decided to go on a double date with you and your girlfriend.
We are referring to two couples here.

The couples will go on a double date next week. (Correct)

This is the emphasis: It is wrong to use " double date" for an unfaithful partner in a relationship.

Sola's boyfriend broke up with her because she double-dated. (Wrong)

The man is a cheat; he double-dates a lot. (Wrong)

What then is the correct word for an unfaithful partner?

Use "two-time" instead of "double-date" to talk about an unfaithful partner.

Sola's boyfriend broke up with her because she two-timed him. (Correct)

The man is a cheat; he two-times a lot. (Correct)

According to Oxford Dictionary, the verb "two-time" means "to be unfaithful to one's (sexual) partner".
Its present participle is two-timing, the simple past is two-timed, while the past particle is also two-
timed.

ASSIGNMENT

Choose the correct answer to each of the following questions:

1. The old students decided to visit ________ in Lagos. (a) an orphanage home (b) an orphanage (c)
orphanage

2. The girl broke up with her boyfriend because he ______ her. (a) two-timed (b) double-dated (c)
double cheat

3. ________, ma. Your works are great! (a) Right on (b) Ride on (c) Rise on
Names of those who answered the questions correctly

Pitan Rasheed, Rasheed Fatah, Idowu Rofiat, Victor Rachael, Adekunle Samuel, Eze John, Mohammed
Adamu, Precious Lydia, Aremu Sunday, Sofiyea Victor, Gbolade Sarah, Osinlolu Emmanuel,
Chukwuemeka Victoria and Albert Peter.

Kindly forward your answers to 07049203179 or samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com