OUR KIND OF ENGLISH: Apt grammar not good enough, logical flow is just as essential

In the course of expressing ourselves, we need to care, not just about grammatical consistency. Logical consistency must be taken on board too.

We have in mind the essence of ensuring that what a communicator says in one sentence should be linkable to what he says in the next one.

Yes. And what you say in Para 2, for instance, should be logically and syntactically associable with what you have said in Para 1.

In a word, the paragraphs must be harmonised. There should be a logical flow.

This preamble was triggered by what we came across on Page 3 of Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet of Monday, June 29.

In the story entitled, ‘Mwinyi stresses land management system’, the scribbler writes in Para 1: “Zanzibar President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has CALLED FOR the establishment of a strong and efficient land management system to ensure sustainable use of land resources and reduce land conflicts in the country.”

Then, in Para 2, the scribbler continues: “Dr Mwinyi MADE THE REMARKS yesterday during the climax of the Land and Housing Week celebrations…”

“Calling for something” and “making remarks” are two different ideas. The former phrasal verb essentially means to demand or publically request something.

The latter means to express a spoken or written opinion, thought or observation about something.

At a major conference, for instance, a few attendees may be invited to give a few remarks on the keynote speaker’s presentation.

Using the two expressions as if they mean the same thing is erroneous—you entertain disharmony. There is no concordance between them.

Which is to say, Para 2 should be rewritten to read: “Dr Mwinyi MADE THE CALL yesterday during the climax of the Land and Housing Week celebrations…”

And now, a look at Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet of Thursday, June 25, whose Page 2 has a story with the headline that reads: ‘Samia asks why hypertension, cancer attack infants, children.’

In Para 2, the scribbler reports on President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s concern when she officiated at an important function in Moshi:

“Inaugurating a modern radiotherapy unit at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) here yesterday, the President DESCRIBING the trend as a medical puzzle that requires intense scientific attention.”

What is problematic with the above sentence? There’s a serious grammatical goof that, we aver, has been occasioned by absent-mindedness on the part of the scribbler.

Then his overworked gatekeeper we call “sub-editor” failed to notice it.

The reader, however, doesn’t care and they to be forgiven for quickly (and falsely) concluding this is a case of semi-literacy!

We are certain our scribbling colleague set out to write: “…the President DESCRIBED the trend as a medical puzzle that requires intense scientific attention.”

Another goof appears in the last-but-4 Para, where the scribbler reports on what the KCMC executive director said in regard to the future and the intended capacity of the new radiotherapy unit:

“It has plans to expand facilities to be ABLE TO 3,900 (sic!) patients once additional linear accelerators are installed as the hospital is working toward international accreditation…”

What is to be able to 3,900 patients? It does not mean anything. We have no doubt that our scribbling colleague meant to say: “It has plans to expand facilities to ENABLE IT SERVE 3,900 patients…”

Ah, this treacherous language called English!