Stroke is Countable!

Common Errors in English With Samuel Alimi

With tears flowing uncontrollably down my cheeks, I was in the hospital where my sister had a successful surgical operation. During this challenging period, a relative of a patient fighting for her life said, “Doctor, I have headache.” She complained about the mosquitoes that had feasted on her body while staying up all night to watch over her sick cousin. Expressing her feelings to the medical doctor was commendable, but her statement was riddled with an error. This is the question: What exactly is wrong with the expression?
A headache is a pain in the head that many of us have experienced numerous times. The article ‘a’ is necessary in this expression because ‘headache’ is a countable noun. You can verify today’s lesson by consulting any reliable English dictionary in your library.
Review the following sentences:
I could not travel to Enugu because I had a headache. (Correct)
The principal cannot attend the meeting because he has a headache. (Correct):
In a figurative sense, a headache can also refer to an unpleasant problem. For example, the Federal Government had a headache with the Labour Union concerning the fuel subsidy.
Stroke
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a stroke is defined as “the loss of brain function that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted.” I have heard news several times about people who suffered strokes before they passed away. The case of a man in his 30s who experienced the same illness is particularly tragic.
Many medical practitioners may not realize that it is incorrect to omit the article ‘a’ when discussing the medical condition. Consider the following sentences:
The man had stroke before he died in our hospital. (Incorrect)
The man had a stroke before he died in our hospital. (Correct)
Whoever has stroke should consult certified doctors instead of herbalists. (Incorrect)
Whoever has a stroke should consult certified doctors instead of herbalists. (Correct)
The word ‘stroke’ can also be pluralized with an ‘s’ inflection because it is a countable noun.
For example:
In 2021, several old men died of strokes in Canada.
Mr. Bala and his wife had strokes before they passed away.
Orphanage Home?
While traveling to a location, I spotted a signpost that read: “Kindly visit our orphanage home for donations!” Instantly, I was inspired to address why “orphanage” and “home” should not be used together. I wish I could bring this error to the attention of the institution’s management.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an orphanage is “a residential institution for the care and protection of orphans.” The phrase “residential institution” already includes the concept of a “home,” so using both words together is redundant.
Consider the following sentences:
I visited an orphanage home last Friday. (Incorrect)
I visited an orphanage last Friday. (Correct)
A home is a place of care and a dwelling place. An orphanage is a home for orphans. I hope that no student in this class will say, “We have an orphanage home in our community.”
Ride On!
When you are impressed by a speaker’s lectures, you are likely to say “ride on” to motivate them. However, the use of the expression “ride on” is not acceptable. “Right on” is the correct idiomatic expression for this context. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “Right on” is an expression of approval.
Here is a sentence cited in the dictionary:
I heard them talking about how we needed to change the way things work around here, and I was thinking to myself “Right on”.
Study the following sentences:
Sir, ride on! Your points are valid. (Incorrect)
Sir, right on! Your points are valid. (Correct)
Coma
In life, several people struggle with sad occurrences. My boss once narrated the story of a woman who was in a coma for three years. However, I puzzled over the popular omission of the correct article whenever we talk about someone in an unconscious state.
Examples:
The man who was in coma last week just died. (Wrong)
The man who was in a coma last week just died. (Correct)
The armed robber just came out of coma. (Wrong)
The armed robber just came out of a coma. (Correct)
Kindly note that it is ungrammatical to omit these articles (‘a’ and ‘an’) before some nouns in your conversations. Several English users commit these blunders because they believe that these highlighted nouns do not require articles.

Assignment

Choose the correct answer to each of the following questions.
1. The teenager had _________ before he came back from school. (a) headache (b) head ache (c) a headache
2. Felix’s grandma slipped into ______. (a) some coma (b) a coma (c) coma
3. The man in his 30s has ______. (a) stroke (b) a stroke (c) some stroke
Kindly forward your answers to 07049203179 or samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com.
Names of those who answered the questions correctly
Ojeka Victoria, Babatunde Johnson, Eze Bright, Nwachukwu Innocent, Abdullahi Azeez, Owolabi Okikiola, Pitan Rasheed, Odumeso Fatima, Rasheed Fatah, Ibrahim Bukola, Alimi Olive, Oluwagbenga Sunday, Isaac Nelson, Lawal Babalola, Victory Precious, Bola Seun and Johnson Seyi.