CORRECT USAGE OF SOME COMMONLY ABUSED WORDS (Part 1)


CORRECT USAGE OF SOME COMMONLY ABUSED WORDS (Part 1)

You may have been told at one time or the other, that certain words you used in spoken form or in written form, were wrong or abused.  This may have happened because the words you abused looked like the correct ones you had in mind, or had spellings that were similar to those of the correct ones.
To help correct the situation henceforth, we will, in this edition and other subsequent ones, discuss some of such commonly abused words, and learn about their correct usage.
1.   ADVICE  & ADVISE
The word advice is a noun while advise is a verb.  Each word must be recognized as a different part of speech and used accordingly.
Examples:
(i)              The principal advised all the final-students to come for extension    
classes.
(ii)           The principal gave an advice to all the final-year students to come for                          extension classes.
(iii)                       I always advise youngsters to keep their integrity.
(iv)                       I always give advice to youngsters to keep their integrity.
(v)           God advised Cain against his murderous plot, but he did not heed.
(vi)                       God gave an advice to Cain against his murderous plot, but he did not                  heed it.

2.   CONTINUAL  &  CONTINUOUS
Continual is an adjective, and it is used to describe something that is happening repeatedly or something that is happening frequently with occasional breaks.   
Continuous is an adjective, and it is used to describe something that is happening non-stop without a pause, interruption or break.
Examples:
(i)              The rain has been falling continuously since dawn.
(ii)           The rain fell continually for one week.
(iii)                       The director conversed with his assistant on the phone continuously                                                 for thirty minutes.
(iv)                       Umukoro, the great farmer, plants different crops continually round        the year.
(v)           Breathing is a continuous process, but sleeping is continual.
(vi)                       The new employees are being evaluated continually.

3.   PRACTICE  &  PRACTISE
In British English, the word Practice is a noun, while practise is a verb.
The two words belong to two different parts of speech and should be used as such.
Examples:
(i)                Dr. Oghenero Owena has been practising medicine and surgery for the past thirty years.
(ii)             Dr. Oghenero Owena has been in medicine and surgery practice for the past thirty years.
(iii)           “Would you like to practise engineering, or would you rather go into business?”, Mama Umuto asked her son, Okoro.
(iv)           Immoral practices should be shunned as they mar the culprits’ reputation.

4.   AFFECTION & AFFECTATION
Affection is a noun which means having a strong feeling of liking or fondness for a person or place, while affectation (which is also a noun) means a behaviour or speech that is not sincere.
Examples:
(i)                Aunty Umukoko has a strong affection for her son, Okorode.
(ii)             Susan does not actually love her fiancĂ©, Patrick; she only has affectation for him because of his money.
(iii)           Most politicians’ promises are more of affectation than fondness for the electorate.
(iv)           Genuine friendship should be borne by affection and not affectation.

5.   RESPECTUL, RESPECTABLE & RESPECTIVE
Respectful is an adjective, and it means showing admiration for someone or something or showing politeness or honour to someone or something.
Respectable is an adjective, and it means reputable, highly regarded, well thought-of, or decent.
Respective is an adjective, and it means relating to or belonging to each of the separate people or things which have just been mentioned (in a given situation or context).
Examples:
(i)                Omovogho is a very respectful boy.
(ii)             Even though he is a millionaire, Chief Okorotete is ever respectful to his elders.
(iii)            Those who earn honest income are more respectable than those who have ill-gotten wealth.
(iv)           For a teacher to be respectable, such one must be disciplined, hardworking and morally upright.
(v)             The pupils were instructed to remain in their respective classrooms when the weather suddenly became stormy.
(vi)           Juliet, Janet and Jennifer are 10 years, 12 years and 14 years old respectively.

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