Don’t say secretary GENERALS, do say SECRETARIES-general

The trouble with English is, you need to learn to use it the way the indigenous speakers do. There’s very limited theoretical construct for you to fall back to whenever you’re stuck.
My advice is, let’s keep on learning by seeking more exposure through more and more reading. Plus, paying attention to those you’re certain have something for you to learn from.
Having thus lectured, let’s move on and share linguistic gems collected over the week. Here we go…
Page 2 of the Friday, April 1 edition of the tabloid closely associated with this columnist ran a story entitled, ‘Mixed views as Kinana, Membe bounce back’. In the middle of Para 5, the scribbler writes:
“Other former secretary GENERALS, Mr Kinana and Yusuph Makamba were also questioned after IMPLICATING them with conspiracy campaigns against the party leader…”
Secretary “generals”? Nope, we say SECRETARIES-GENERAL Kinana and Makamba. And, the two WERE questioned AFTER BEING IMPLICATED (not after implicating them) IN (not with) conspiracy campaigns….
In Para 17, the scribbler writes: “The University of Dodoma don said Mr Kinana’s comeback was also THE challenge to the ruling CCM to strengthen the succession plan by grooming many youth to become bona fide members and TRUSTFUL leaders.”
Being trustful means you are a person who trusts others, sometimes foolishly! You don’t groom (or teach) your youth to be that kind of individuals. Instead, you groom (prepare) them to be TRUSTWORTHY leaders, that is, leaders who can be trusted. Leaders that people can count on!
On Page 3, there’s a story headlined, ‘New grading criteria for hotels in EAC coming’, in which the intro reads:
“A new classification CRITERIA for hotels in East Africa IS under review…”
A (one) new criteria IS…? Nope! Our scribbling colleague is talking about “criteria” as if it were a singular noun! However, the truth is, “criteria” is a plural noun, whose singular is CRITERION. Which is to say, the sentence should be rewritten to read thus:
“New classification CRITERIA for hotels in East Africa ARE under review…” Or, “A new classification CRITERION for hotels in East Africa IS under review…”
On Saturday, April 2, Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet ran a story on Page 4 with the headline, ‘Dar secondary school teachers, students trained on online crime’. The scribbler reports:
“Head Teachers, Tambaza High School and Tahosa Chairman…said it IS high time FOR education stakeholders and the society to PROVIDE their opinions…”
This sentence is bogged down by wrong tenses and the expression “high time”. Instead of dissecting it, we’ll simply redeem it with a rewrite. Here we go:
“Head Teachers, Tambaza High School and Tahosa Chairman…said it WAS (not IS) high time education stakeholders and the society PROVIDED (not to provide) their opinions…”
And then, the scribbler purports to quote an educationist as saying thus:
“Young Tanzanians especially students are THE MOST VICTIMS of online scams.”
Are the most victims? The expression sounds nonsensical—it doesn’t make sense! Let’s give a rewrite:
“MOST OF THE VICTIMS of online scams are young Tanzanians, especially students.”
Still on Saturday, April 2, whereby Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet carried a story on Page 3, entitled, ‘Pomp spices CCM congress’, and the intro reads thus:
“Dodoma central business district became a city of green and yellow for the better part of yesterday, as delegates FLOCKED the popular Jakaya Kikwete Convention Centre (JKCC)…”
Flocked the JKCC? No sir! We don’t flock a place; we flock TO a place.
On Page 20 of the same broadsheet, there’s a story with the headline, ‘Masatu: Simba can win vs USNG’.
In Para 4, the scribbler makes an effort to reproduce in English what one Masatu said in Kiswahili and writes:
“I can say we have 65 per cent chance of reaching INTO the quarters, but they should not relax…”
Hello; you don’t reach into something; you simply REACH IT.
Ah, this treacherous language called English!