b03liberty:
How would one answer this?Who are you looking for?

I'm looking for my Idowuogbo.

Thanks for the info

NaMe4:
OP, you don show yourself to be a 1/8th graduate sef! Lol!

You can actually look for someone. Duh!



Ola, something is smelling. Can you hear it...ehen!!! 'HEAR'? English!!!

Seems you concentrated on the HEAR. What is 'Something is smelling' in the 1st place?

One very common one that irritates is eg: Let's make it better for you and I.

It's you and me please!

You know, talking about the phrases 'you and I' and 'you and me. Both are actually interchangeable, they are synonymous but grammatically different. It's a good example of hypercorrection.

To make it easier, when you want to make a sentence, take out 'you and' to see if the sentence sounds right with 'I or Me'

For instance

I want cake vs Me want cake

You'll agree, I want cake sounds better

you and I want cake, it is.

OP don't teach me rubbish... No 10 is correct. Longman dictionary is your friend and help.
I also read somewhere up there that someone said "you can't ASK OF someone you can only ASK AFTER people and ask of things" what!!!! the two don't mean the same thing. ASK after is more of emotional question; you actually want to know how such individual is doing. When you ask for someone you want to know where they are.
OP nice try. you may have achieved an aim different from the one you planned for. Here we can see people "correcting " the right grammar with the wrong one. smh
Anyway folks grab a copy of the dictionary whenever you are confused.
what's worse than having bad info is not having any and the worst is teaching someone the wrong one at the expense of their correct knowledge. If you can't make my grammar better, pls don't make it worse.

Singapore1:
you posted the PROBLEM you didn't post the SOLUTION
please make amendment by giving example of the correct sentence of each wrong statement

NOTE that i am not guilty of any of this

thanks

You just wrote my mind. How can someone put up a problem without stating clearly, the solution? Op, please do the needful. Nice one though

Africans truly have a problem. Education now equals English Language. Accepted it is our official language but remember it isn't out first language. We have many sound doctors, accountants, Engineers etc who aren't fluent in English but are gurus in their field likewise we have the English fluent ones that are empty.

Op, I'm quite sure you are aware of "Academic English" which sometimes defile the basic English language rules.

We need our education system to deliver problem solving feats and not fluency in English language.

Rapmoney:
I know even educated people commit grammatical blunders sometimes but there are grammatical blunders that are just so outrageous and shameful at the same time, when they come right out of the mouths of supposed 'graduates' from tertiary institutions!

If you have been guilty of the following as regard spoken English, then you have clearly moved from being a 'Half-baked' graduate to a 'Quarter-baked' graduate!!!

1) 'You are smarting'...I heard a guy at a plaza who claimed to be a graduate saying this! Gush! Being smart is very different from being fast or slick. By the way, there's no verb such as 'smarting' in English language which means the same thing as what this young man was trying to say!

2) 'You are showing yourself'...just like the one above, how can someone be 'showing' himself/herself? So human being don turn movie? Na wa o!

3) 'Oya, come and go'...two opposite verbs. You are telling the person to come and at the same time, to go! Again, what's the meaning of 'Oya'?

4) 'My body is scratching me'...your body can only itch you and not scratch. You scratch when you use your fingers to stroke a surface roughly! Lol!

5) 'My phone is 'more' better than yours...this sentence can surely make you appear a 'quarter-bakie' You can't use two comparative adjectives in a sentence! We have good, better, best. When you compare two things, the middle one which is 'better' should be used so there's no need for 'more' which is also a comparative adjective but goes with 'than'. As in 'more than'

6) 'Did she went to the market'?...as absurd as this sentence is, I have seen many 'graduates' saying it! Two verbs with past tense form in the same sentence?

7) 'Ola, something is smelling. Can you hear it...ehen!!! 'HEAR'? English!!!

8. 'People has' or 'she have'...'has' is a singular auxiliary verb that goes with a singular subject while 'have' is a plural auxiliary verb that goes with a plural subject.

9) 'They takes people for granted'...this one is common on NL. A plural subject does not go with a singular verb and vice versa. 'Take' is plural and 'takes' is singular which goes with a singular subject as well. Take note of 'They' being a plural subject.

10) 'I am looking for Funmilayo'...you can't be looking for someone. Instead, say 'I am asking of Funmilayo'. You can only look for what is lost! It happens regularly when people go to check on others. We can only start looking for Funmilayo if she is declared missing!

I hope these help! We are all learning. It is only a foolish man that takes offence when he is corrected!

Good day!!!

You can add yours!

Op u need to differentiate pigin English and Standard English here.

The "Oya, come and go" is pigin English.

My own be say me I know kuku understand English language. I just know say we have Standard English and Nigerian English.
I still dey talk am nobody for this our obodo Nigeria fit talk say him be master for standard English, everybody just dey try.
Haha.... Even part of speech you know fit understand am finish. Under verb alone we have different kind of verbs.
Abeg, me na calculation I sabi.

What is the best way to say number seven (Something is smelling.) Is it 'Something smells here'?

Op, I think you are wrong in number seven. One can look for a person (not necessarily a person declared missing). Go and make more research and come and defend this one.

Smarting exists as a valid word. http://www.dictionary.com/browse/smarting

1. Either you are smart or, in a rush or too fasy
2. Making a show of yourself or showing off
3. Now start out or leave or go
4. My body is itchy or i feel itchy
5. My phone is better than yours
6. Did she go to the market or has she left for market or has she gone to the market?
7. Ola something is smelling, can you percieve it?
8. Has she or have they?
9. They take people for granted
10. I can't find Fumilayo.
I hope i'm right

Rapmoney:
I know even educated people commit grammatical blunders sometimes but there are grammatical blunders that are just so outrageous and shameful at the same time, when they come right out of the mouths of supposed 'graduates' from tertiary institutions!

If you have been guilty of the following as regard spoken English, then you have clearly moved from being a 'Half-baked' graduate to a 'Quarter-baked' graduate!!!

1) 'You are smarting'...I heard a guy at a plaza who claimed to be a graduate saying this! Gush! Being smart is very different from being fast or slick. By the way, there's no verb such as 'smarting' in English language which means the same thing as what this young man was trying to say!

2) 'You are showing yourself'...just like the one above, how can someone be 'showing' himself/herself? So human being don turn movie? Na wa o!

3) 'Oya, come and go'...two opposite verbs. You are telling the person to come and at the same time, to go! Again, what's the meaning of 'Oya'?

4) 'My body is scratching me'...your body can only itch you and not scratch. You scratch when you use your fingers to stroke a surface roughly! Lol!

5) 'My phone is 'more' better than yours...this sentence can surely make you appear a 'quarter-bakie' You can't use two comparative adjectives in a sentence! We have good, better, best. When you compare two things, the middle one which is 'better' should be used so there's no need for 'more' which is also a comparative adjective but goes with 'than'. As in 'more than'

6) 'Did she went to the market'?...as absurd as this sentence is, I have seen many 'graduates' saying it! Two verbs with past tense form in the same sentence?

7) 'Ola, something is smelling. Can you hear it...ehen!!! 'HEAR'? English!!!

8. 'People has' or 'she have'...'has' is a singular auxiliary verb that goes with a singular subject while 'have' is a plural auxiliary verb that goes with a plural subject.

9) 'They takes people for granted'...this one is common on NL. A plural subject does not go with a singular verb and vice versa. 'Take' is plural and 'takes' is singular which goes with a singular subject as well. Take note of 'They' being a plural subject.

10) 'I am looking for Funmilayo'...you can't be looking for someone. Instead, say 'I am asking of Funmilayo'. You can only look for what is lost! It happens regularly when people go to check on others. We can only start looking for Funmilayo if she is declared missing!

I hope these help! We are all learning. It is only a foolish man that takes offence when he is corrected!

Good day!!!

You can add yours!

.

freecocoa:
You can't show yourself in that context(well except you are an artwork or an exhibitionist ), you can only show yourself if you were hiding from something or from doing something.

Showing your hand is an idiomatic expression, used to mean to 'reveal' something, mostly used in a game of cards.

It's best to ask for someone if you expect another person to give you that information, and if you seek to find someone on your own, you search for the person assuming you don't know where they are, but if you know where they are, you go there and look for them.

"Showing yourself" too can be idiomatic to fit that situation. I say this for 2 reasons

1) "Showing yourself" logically can never be literal because you can't literally step outside yourself and present your body.

2) "Showing yourself" is actually the most concisem practical and appropriate way to say that someone is either revealing their true self or some hidden talent.

3) The op did not show any context for "showing yourself".....so how can you claim that I used it in the wrong context

=======================================================

As for "looking for someone", you are talking a whole lot of nonsense.

When the police come to someone's door in American/British movies, what do they say?

"We are looking for MR Thief, do you know his whereabouts"

"We are asking for/asking about Mr Thief, do you know his whereabouts"

This rapmoney of guy never reply any of my query ooh. Ebi like say him no get any medicine for my sickness. Nawouh! English teacher kwa!

freecocoa:
You search for someone one, people or things.

You look at things or people.

When you look. You stare at a particular direction.

When you search, you try to find something by seeking for it thoroughly and carefully.

To 'look for' someone/something is correct.

Guilty of no 10

freecocoa:
You know, talking about the phrases 'you and I' and 'you and me. Both are actually interchangeable, they are synonymous but grammatically different. It's a good example of hypercorrection.

To make it easier, when you want to make a sentence, take out 'you and' to see if the sentence sounds right with 'I or Me'

For instance

I want cake vs Me want cake

You'll agree, I want cake sounds better

you and I want cake, it is.

You are correct with the example you gave. Still, ME and I are not interchangeable in any given sentence.

I is used as a subject before a verb/action.

Me follows a preposition.

Eg

I bring papers here everyday Cannot be interchanged with 'Me bring paper here everyday.

This was done by Me' Cannot be interchanged using 'this was done by I'

As you rightly said, when making certain sentences involving the 2nd and 1st persons, One of the persons should be removed to ascertain if the sentence sounds correct.

Blessograo:
1. Either you are smart or, in a rush or too fasy
2. Making a show of yourself or showing off
3. Now start out or leave or go
4. My body is itchy or i feel itchy
5. My phone is better than yours
6. Did she go to the market or has she left for market or has she gone to the market?
7. Ola something is smelling, can you percieve it?
8. Has she or have they?
9. They take people for granted
10. I can't find Fumilayo.
I hope i'm right

Yea, you are

I doubt N0 10

who english don epp abeg?

amaechi say wike no fit speak english but na govr, hon patrick agodomigodo wey dey confuse people with english na just common sheef of staff to govr.

we scientist dont deal with english but experiment. we did english only in our first year so wetin consain us wid english. infact most times na pidgin our lecturers dey tek teach us.

Rapmoney:
I know even educated people commit grammatical blunders sometimes but there are grammatical blunders that are just so outrageous and shameful at the same time, when they come right out of the mouths of supposed 'graduates' from tertiary institutions!

If you have been guilty of the following as regard spoken English, then you have clearly moved from being a 'Half-baked' graduate to a 'Quarter-baked' graduate!!!

1) 'You are smarting'...I heard a guy at a plaza who claimed to be a graduate saying this! Gush! Being smart is very different from being fast or slick. By the way, there's no verb such as 'smarting' in English language which means the same thing as what this young man was trying to say!

2) 'You are showing yourself'...just like the one above, how can someone be 'showing' himself/herself? So human being don turn movie? Na wa o!

3) 'Oya, come and go'...two opposite verbs. You are telling the person to come and at the same time, to go! Again, what's the meaning of 'Oya'?

4) 'My body is scratching me'...your body can only itch you and not scratch. You scratch when you use your fingers to stroke a surface roughly! Lol!

5) 'My phone is 'more' better than yours...this sentence can surely make you appear a 'quarter-bakie' You can't use two comparative adjectives in a sentence! We have good, better, best. When you compare two things, the middle one which is 'better' should be used so there's no need for 'more' which is also a comparative adjective but goes with 'than'. As in 'more than'

6) 'Did she went to the market'?...as absurd as this sentence is, I have seen many 'graduates' saying it! Two verbs with past tense form in the same sentence?

7) 'Ola, something is smelling. Can you hear it...ehen!!! 'HEAR'? English!!!

8. 'People has' or 'she have'...'has' is a singular auxiliary verb that goes with a singular subject while 'have' is a plural auxiliary verb that goes with a plural subject.

9) 'They takes people for granted'...this one is common on NL. A plural subject does not go with a singular verb and vice versa. 'Take' is plural and 'takes' is singular which goes with a singular subject as well. Take note of 'They' being a plural subject.

10) 'I am looking for Funmilayo'...you can't be looking for someone. Instead, say 'I am asking of Funmilayo'. You can only look for what is lost! It happens regularly when people go to check on others. We can only start looking for Funmilayo if she is declared missing!

I hope these help! We are all learning. It is only a foolish man that takes offence when he is corrected!

Good day!!!

You can add yours!

you goofed with your first point. learn from this link : http://www.dictionary.com/browse/smarting

That's goid,it helps

kudoxs:
Graduates don't go to university or polytechnic to learn how to speak good english. This is pure african mentality, many indians guru out there went to the best Universities and can't even speak good English but they work in reputable organizations all over the world. You want to know why? It's because spoken language doesn't matter but how well you can contribute to an organization or the world at large.

You couldn't have said it better.
I am tired of people always attacking Nigeria graduates as if they don't speak "perfect English", they have wasted their time in school.
According to John Bridges' book "How to be a Gentleman", he said, you don't correct people's grammar UNLESS You are teaching them in an English class.
OP I am not condemning your thread but branding graduates "quarter baked" because of these "common" mistakes doesn't cut it for me. Unless you are referring to people who studied English, Linguistics or related courses.
Even at that "common mistakes" do occur over time which the person committing it may see it as the correct usage.
For me as far as someone's life/career is not at stake, I just correct them and move on. There's really no need branding us "quarter baked" or "half baked" because we do not speak perfect English.

Fadekebisola:

u still dont get it thats the problem.....assuming i want to borrow #100 from you,how will i put the question?....the correct way is..'can you lend me #100'?
thats what i mean and insist on....


whats your highest level of education? u seem so daft to learn a new thing

Mumu they worry all of you, you guys are saying the same thing and you are both right.

As I no come go school nko?

OP, you really cracked up here. Generally, the use of English is very poor in Nigeria especially the pronunciation.

Sometimes, I get confused but had to understand that it is societal problem.

Fadekebisola:

u still dont get it thats the problem.....assuming i want to borrow #100 from you,how will i put the question?....the correct way is..'can you lend me #100'?
thats what i mean and insist on....


whats your highest level of education? u seem so daft to learn a new thing

Haha!

Number 7 sha. SMELL AND HEAR? Funny walahi

Smarting is synonymous to 'hurting'. E.g: I rubbed my smarting eyes. They are still smarting from their defeat last week.

But seriously, what is wrong with 'oya come and go'

Oya (oti ya) means its time.

Come and go... Come (probably to me or home ) first before you proceed (go) to any other place.

yaki84:
who english don epp abeg?

amaechi say wike no fit speak english but na govr, hon patrick agodomigodo wey dey confuse people with english na just common sheef of staff to govr.

we scientist dont deal with english but experiment. we did english only in our first year so wetin consain us wid english. infact most times na pidgin our lecturers dey tek teach us.

First of all, speaking good English is absolutely necessary. People will tend to respect you and you could get a good job. Moreso, when you need a cool chick, once you speak a lovely English, she's all yours.