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Jan 13, 2025 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
An adjective of origin tells the source or origin of the noun it qualifies. While an adjective of shape paints the picture of the figure and that of colour tells whether it is black, white, blue or red etc., the adjective of origin indicates the root/origin of the noun it precedes. Examples are shown in the following sentences:He just bought a Japanese car. The South African player is very strong. He holds a British passport.
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Jan 11, 2025 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
In Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, you can hardly find an extroverted artist. For the literary statesman who has now scored 90 golden goals in the match of life, it is indeed too late to expect a loquacious personality. Yet, a reflective look at the history of his contributions to the development of arts and culture in Nigeria and across the continent reveals a rebellious artist who prefers to tread a different path towards a clearly defined destination.
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Jan 7, 2025 | 
guardian.ng | Akeem Lasisi
In Frank Aig-Imoukhuede, you can hardly get an extrovert artist. From the literary statesman who has now scored 90 golden goals in the match of life, it is indeed too late to have a loquacious personality. Yet, a reflective look at the history of his contributions to the development of arts and culture in Nigeria and continent-wide reveals a rebellious artist who likes to tread a different road to a clearly defined destination.
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Jan 6, 2025 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
Do you sometimes wonder whether ‘data’ should be pronounced as dEYta or dAta? It could be the data we gather in the course of research or the one we buy from telecoms firms for internet purposes. Well, you need not worry much over which way the word should be articulated because both are correct. In other words, it is correct to pronounce the first ‘a’ in ‘data’ as the one we have in date, fame, blame and enslave. It can also be pronounced as the ‘a’ in daft, cash, bat and fat.
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Dec 9, 2024 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
I have been singing all day. She has been reading. Some people have been in government since 1999. The lecturer has been teaching at UNILAG for eight years. He has been sleeping in the other room. The clauses above bear examples of a common verb tense: the present perfect continuous. This is the tense that indicates an action that started in the past and continues now.
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Dec 2, 2024 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
The controversy that greeted the warning afrobeats giant, Davido, gave African Americans in the United States last week is already dying down. He had, in an interview on The Big Homies House podcast, warned them against returning to this country, citing a harsh economic climate. The heat the declaration sparked is easing off; so, it may be advisable to let the dozing dog, even if not the sleeping one, lie. Yet, there is a grammar lesson from the scare, beyond socioeconomic arguments.
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Nov 25, 2024 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
The above question is generated from a clarification sought by a reader. The poser is, however, not a new one as many had pondered the slippery relationship between ‘at’ and ‘in’ as well as other related prepositions. Do we say someone is at a supermarket, restaurant etc. or he is in it? Apart from answering the question in today’s lesson, we will revisit similar ones like those involving whether one sleeps on a bed or in it, or sit on a chair or in a chair.
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Nov 18, 2024 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
“I congratulate President Trump on his election as 47th President of the United States of America, as well as Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and their families. “I also thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for their service to our country. “The strong turnout in this election is a sign of the health of our republic and the strength of our democratic institutions. Laura and I are grateful to the election officials, poll workers, and volunteers who oversaw a free and fair election.
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Nov 11, 2024 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
“Potential’ is an uncountable noun but almost everyone keeps counting and pluralising it. So, often, you hear some say ‘Nigeria has many potentials’, ‘The company has a lot of potentials’ etc. Yet, all Nigeria has is ‘potential’, ‘a lot of potential’ or ‘a great deal of potential’. As we noted in some past lessons in this class, ‘potential’ is not to be pluralised the way we do countable nouns like boy, key and table.
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Nov 4, 2024 | 
punchng.com | Akeem Lasisi
Today, we are looking at some five phrases in which article ‘the’ is a compulsory element, but which is often erroneously left out. The first is associated with phone calls: on the phone. When an ongoing call prevents you from attending to another matter, and you need to state the reason, the standard thing to say is you are/were ‘on the phone’, not on phone:Sorry, I was on call when you entered. (Wrong)Sorry, I was on phone when you entered. (Wrong)Sorry, I was on the phone when you entered.
