Do you nod your head?

Common Errors In English With Samuel Alimi

 

Online banking has its own pros and cons, especially for adults who struggle to understand the operations of fintech apps. Last Monday, I needed to access my app for an urgent transaction at a bookshop, so I entered my PIN. However, I was surprised to find out that my picture needed to be taken for authentication purposes, probably due to the heartbreaking stories of individuals whose money went missing after unscrupulous people illegally accessed their banking details. I was not upset by the bank’s decision to secure their customers’ funds.

The bank (name withheld) instructed me to ‘nod my head’ and complete other necessary requirements for verification. I wrote this expression in my exercise book for today’s topic in the Peoples Daily for a thorough discussion on redundancy. Before writing about this topic, I had already consulted three authoritative dictionaries to confirm the meaning of ‘nod’. Below are the definitions and example sentences observed in the referenced sources.

 

Cambridge Dictionary:

Nod: to move your head down and then up, sometimes several times, especially to show agreement, approval, or greeting, or to show something by doing this:

Many people in the audience nodded in agreement.

When I suggested a walk, Elena nodded enthusiastically.

She looked up and nodded for me to come in.

 

The Collins Dictionary:

Nod: verb [no passive] B2

If you nod, you move your head downwards and upwards to show that you are answering ‘yes’ to a question, or to show agreement, understanding, or approval.

‘Are you okay?’ I asked. She nodded and smiled.

David said nothing, but simply nodded, as if understanding perfectly.

Jacques tasted one and nodded his approval.

‘Oh, yes,’ she nodded. ‘I understand you very well.’

 

Merriam Webster Dictionary:

Nod: to make a quick downward motion of the head whether deliberately (as in expressing assent or salutation) or involuntarily (as from drowsiness)

 

Study the following example sentences:

She nodded in agreement.

The guard nodded to us as we walked in.

The above definitions clearly indicate that the word “head” is already inherent in its meaning.. Therefore, it is completely unnecessary to include it while using the word in this context. Although it is not ungrammatical, using it is absolutely tautological.

I nodded my head in agreement with the newly established rules by the council of elders. (Tautological)

I nodded in agreement with the newly established rules by the council of elders. (Correct)

 

Blink Your Eyes

The Cambridge Dictionary is highly recommended for a proper understanding of word usage and pronunciation. While studying other dictionaries, I discovered that most of them embraced the unnecessary repetition of “blink your eyes”. It is interesting to note that only the dictionary used the word without repeating the word “eyes”. Study the extract below:

When you blink, you close and then open your eyes quickly once or several times, and when an eye blinks, it does this: You’ve got something in your eye – try blinking a few times.

Therefore, instead of saying “blink your eyes”, say “blink” because you would not have blinked your toes. I hope you have gained enough value in today’s class.

 

Cast a Vote or Casted a Vote?

One of the viral grammatical blunders I heard during the 2023 general elections was ‘I casted my vote’. Even guest speakers confidently use the non-existent word. English is not a straightforward language; there are too many exceptions. So, the rule that states that the past tense of ‘kick’ is ‘kicked’ contradicts the rule that emphasizes that the past tense of ‘cast’ is ‘casted’. As a matter of fact, its past participle is also ‘cast’.

 

Study the following sentences:

Have you cast your vote?

Segun, Emmanuel, and Mohammed have cast their votes.

My friend had cast his vote before I arrived.

 

Dear Life,

I had a terrifying experience with over ten cultists during my teaching practice in a private secondary school in Ogun State. I needed to have breakfast, so I decided to visit a restaurant. About five minutes later, they arrived with their weapons, which caused chaos in the entire community. Everyone scattered for safety, especially due to the deaths of members of rival groups. Did I run for my dear life? No. I ran for dear life.

The idiomatic expression “run for dear life” does not require the pronoun “my.”

During the last presidential election, Ngozi ran for dear life after the ballot box was hijacked.

 

Assignment

Attempt the following questions:
1. Has Sandra _____ her vote? (a) cast (b) casted (c) casting
2. The baby _____ her balloons. (a) bursted (b) burst (c) bursting
3. The information ______ her mind. (a) skimmed (b) skipped (c) slipped
Kindly forward your answers to samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com or 07049203179 via SMS.
Names of those who answered the last questions correctly:
Iyunade Bisola, Akinola Jeremiah, Praise Rejoice, Abdullahi Nuhu, Okere Chigozie, Yahyah Aishat, Bello Faroq, Sultan Musa, Phillip Abigail, Alimi Olive, Adedigba Emmanuel, Bolanle Charity, Rasheed Folarin, Bello Sulaimon, Babatunde Esther, Adebayo Bukola, Olalomirin Olawale, Ahmed Roqeeb, Adeyemi Abigael, Solomon Micheal, and Akinbola Micheal.