‘Bank donates cement to construct CLASSES?’ No. It’s CLASSROOMS

Words that sound alike but are spelt differently and have different meaning—homophones—tend to confuse scribblers, messing up even the best among us. We’re talking about words like bear/bare; it’s/its; insight/incite; there/their or set/sat.

Check out this one. The Friday, January 27, edition of the tabloid closely associated with this columnist has a story entitled, ‘Reasons NMB Bank shareholders should be content’. In her intro, the scribbler writes:

“NMB Bank Plc has recorded a WHOOPING Sh428.85 billion OF net profit in 2022 as the industry HOLDS momentum on growth post pandemic years.”

The sentence as a whole is problematic but first, let’s note that the scribbler has made a “homophobic goof” by writing “whooping” (meaning, shout) when he had in mind WHOPPING (meaning, very large).

Now let’s mend the whole sentence: “NMB Bank Plc recorded a WHOPPING Sh428,85 billion IN (not of) net profit in 2022 as the BANKING industry (not just the industry) BUILDS/GAINS (not holds) momentum...” On Page 2, there’s a photo whose caption reads: “Tanzania Commercial Bank Mbagala Branch (TCB) manager Edward Mwoleka hands over 150 bags of cement to the principal of Kilamba Primary School…being given by the TCB for the improvement of school CLASSES.”

Improvement of classes? No, sir! Cement is used to improve (or most likely, build new) CLASSROOMS. Class is a learning session, which may take place, not necessarily in a classroom, but anywhere, so long as there’s an instructor/teacher.

Come Saturday, January 28, and Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet ran this story on Page 2: ‘Dealers OF metal products urged to adhere to standards’.

Hello! We don’t say a dealer “of” this or that product; we say a dealer IN this or that…

Towards the end of his story, the scribbler tells readers what a senior official with Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) said, by writing:

“According to him, TBS will continue to fully MANAGE the responsibility of ensuring the quality of these products in this country…”

Just a minute, siree! We do not ‘manage’ the responsibility, we BEAR the responsibility….

Then, Page 3 has a story entitled, ‘Clerics vow to take lead in UHC awareness campaigns’, and therein, the scribbler’s intro reads:

“Religious leaders have vowed to TAKE LEAD in the awareness campaign for the envisaged universal health coverage…”

The omission of an article in the headline is pardonable, but not in the text. Let’s rewrite: “Religious leaders have vowed to take THE lead in the awareness campaign…

As if to demonstrate he’s allergic to the use of articles, our colleague writes in Para 3:

“MAJORITY of Tanzanians do not afford paying for health insurance…so there IS NEED to consider these issues.”

I will rewrite and insert the missing articles: “A MAJORITY of Tanzanians CANNOT (not do not) afford paying for health insurance…so there’s A NEED to consider these issues.”

And then, I’ve in my hands a copy of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet of Saturday, January 28, whose Page 1 has this story: ‘Dar envisions to become fuel trade hub’. Therein, the scribbler purports to quote a senior government official as saying:

“The MoU signing opens up A DOOR for further talks activities can be affected…” Opens a door? Nope; the idiom, which means “availing the opportunity,” is “opens THE door”.

On Page 4, there’s another story: ‘Tanzania host YOUTH and Climate Change Conference’. In this one, the scribbler messes the intro when he says “More than 500 YOUTHS from across the world…” instead of “more than 500 YOUTH…”

Youths, if we’re to say it for the zillionth time, refers to young MALES alone!

Para 2 reads: “The conference has been organised by… and the GYL of the United States…participants will come from more than 50 countries who will take part in the meeting THROUGH online.”

Hang on! Delegates won’t participate “through” online; they’ll simply “participate ONLINE.”

Ah, this treacherous language called English!