Sound or Noise?

Both “noise” and “sound” are not commonly used as countable nouns, especially among educators and learners in their respective centers of learning in order to encourage effective teaching and learning processes. Noise is categorized as an unwanted and unpleasant sound. A typical high school student will sternly warn their classmates against disruptive practices in the classroom with the phrase “Don’t make noise!”. The absence of the indefinite article “a”, which is usually used for consonant sounds, shows that the speaker does not recognize the word as countable.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, both words can be used as countable or uncountable nouns depending on the context. The similarity between them is that they both refer to something that you can hear. Below are some example sentences using these words:
– There were lots of sounds in the forest. (countable)
– It travels faster than the speed of sound. (uncountable)
– She made a lot of noise. (uncountable)
– There were some funny noises coming from the engine. (countable)
Imagine someone walking up to you with the expression, “Why did you make a noise during the tutorial?” What would be your reaction? If you had not learned that ‘noise’ is also a countable word, you would have thought that the speaker had committed an unpardonable grammatical infraction, especially if uttered in public.

Fill Gas?
This intriguing lesson was inspired by Montell Benson, a professional editor, proofreader, and grammarian, in one of his recent educative posts on English grammar on Facebook. It is important to emphatically state that ‘gas’ is defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as “a fluid (such as air) that has neither independent shape nor volume but tends to expand indefinitely.” The Collins Dictionary also mentions that it is “a substance in a physical state in which it does not resist change of shape and will expand indefinitely to fill any container.” The dictionary further explains that it can become liquid if it meets a very high pressure.
Interestingly, gas is not stored in a container, so it is incorrect to say that you would fill your gas. This expression, popular in Nigerian English, has become widely accepted in filling stations and shops where gas is sold for cooking or heating purposes.

Study the following sentences:
The students were warned against filling their gas during their internship at the pharmacy. (Incorrect)
The students were warned against filling their gas cylinders during their internship at the pharmacy. (Correct)
The students were warned against filling their gas tanks during their internship at the pharmacy. (Correct)

Who would you like to congratulate?
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines ‘felicitate’, with its earliest known use in 1928 in George Wither’s literary work, as to ‘congratulate someone on their achievements or good fortune’. However, it is important to note that using the preposition “with” is grammatically incorrect, despite being used by some writers, even in national newspapers (not the People’s Daily Newspaper).
We felicitate with the chairman on his induction as pharmacist in the United Kingdom. (Incorrect)
We felicitate the chairman on his induction as pharmacist in the United Kingdom. (Correct)
The workers felicitated with the newly elected president on his electoral victory despite the overwhelming challenges he faced. (Incorrect)
The workers felicitated the newly elected president on his electoral victory despite the overwhelming challenges he faced. (Correct)

Congratulations on your re-election, Mr. Governor!
During my travels to a specific location for an official assignment, I came across a billboard with the message “Congratulations, Mr. Governor, over your re-election.” Curious about the grammar, I consulted dictionaries to see if “over” could be used with the noun “congratulations.” However, the correct phrase is “Congratulations on.”
We congratulate someone on something.
Congratulations on graduating from the university.
Congratulations to the colonel on his well-deserved promotion.
The couple was congratulated on their wedding by the school management.

In TikTok?
We are in a digital age where connecting with people all over the world is easy and stress-free. In some online articles, I cringed at avoidable mistakes involving prepositions for social media platforms. Use “on” instead of “in” when referring to your or someone’s presence on the platforms for effective communication.

We are on Facebook. (Correct)
The teachers discussed the meeting plans on WhatsApp. (Correct)
Five hundred professional CV writers held a meeting on LinkedIn. (Correct)
Over one thousand videos on English pronunciations are on YouTube. (Correct)
The trolls on X are heart wrenching and discouraging. (Correct)

Assignment

Choose the correct answer to each of the following questions.
The articles on AI have been posted ________ Google. (a) in (b) on (c) at
Congratulations _____ your investiture. (a) on (b) over (c) with
The students ________ their teachers on his fully funded offer to study in Canada. (a) felicitate (b) felicitates © felicitated with
Kindly forward your answers via samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com; 07049203179.
Names of those who answered the last questions correctly
Abdullahi Nuhu, Muauso Olufemi, Alimi Olive, Orogun Jeremiah, Bolaji Adedeji, Samod Audu, Nathan Solomon, Samuel Ayodeji, Godwin Peace, Godwin Mary, Adewale Damilola and Christian Peace