• Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Donate
  • Login
Watchdog Uganda
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News
No Result
View All Result
Watchdog Uganda
No Result
View All Result

Avoid These Common Mistakes in English 

watchdog by watchdog
4 years ago
in Conversations with, Op-Ed
5 0
Joseph M. Mumbe

Joseph M. Mumbe

ShareTweetSendShare

By Joseph M. Mumbe

Make a choice of words while writing or speaking in public. Fluency gives weight and credibility to you and your message. 

For example, it is wrong to say: UPDF is looking for run-away fugitives in Karamoja.

Right: UPDF is looking for fugitives in Karamoja.

(A fugitive is somebody on the run, being looked for. Why do you repeat same words?)

Stop saying: Tell me why did you do that? Say: Tell me why you did that.

(In a statement, helping verb –did- should come after pronoun – “you”.

Wrong: When we went to class, we did not find no teacher, no chair, no nothing.

Right: When we went to class, we did not find any teacher; not even a chair.

(Actually ‘nothing’ means not anything)

Wrong: First come, first serve. Right: First come, first served

(The proverb means the first to come should be served first. Not the first to come should serve.)

Wrong: I did not do nothing. Right: I did nothing.

(Two negatives will reverse the sentence. If you didn’t do nothing, you did something.)

Wrong: My mother wanted that I be a doctor. Right: My mother wanted me to be a doctor.

Wrong: The girl wants to get herself married. Right: The girl wants to get married.

(‘Herself’ is a repetition about the girl)

Wrong: Today is more hot than yesterday. Right: Today is hotter than yesterday.

(Comparative degree of hot = hotter. More is used while comparing adjectives with more than two syllables.)

Wrong: I, you and him will do the work. Right: You, he and I will do the work.

(Wrong use of pronoun “he”)

Wrong: If the bills are sent to Parliament, all the resources have to be re spent again.

Right: If the bills are sent to Parliament, all the resources have to be spent again.

(Re- is a prefix meaning again)

Wrong: The ministry shall have no choice and shall not have option but to close the lakes.

(A choice is an option; therefore, both shouldn’t appear in one sentence)

Wrong: Our people they need immediate help of relief. 

Right: Our people need relief. Or: Our people need help.

(Pronoun ‘they’ should be dropped because it stands for noun ‘people’. Relief means help)

mumbej@yahoo.com 

The author is a Theologian and Educator 


Do you have a story in your community or an opinion to share with us: Email us at editorial@watchdoguganda.com
Share1Tweet1SendShare

Related Posts

Phillip R. Ongadia
Op-Ed

PHILLIP R. ONGADIA: NRM primaries: A necessary evil to test the depth of the river

15th July 2025 at 14:57
Rogers Wadada
Op-Ed

WADADA ROGERS: Telecom operators in Uganda should stop re-assigning customer’s phone numbers

15th July 2025 at 10:17
Richard Musaazi
Op-Ed

RICHARD MUSAAZI: The Uganda’s Military-Style Policing

13th July 2025 at 16:37
Next Post
Dr Patrick Bitature

Businessman Patrick Bitature appointed Chancellor of Uganda Technology And Management University 

  • Prostitution in Uganda- Courtesy Photo

    10 dangerous hotspots known for prostitutes in Kampala

    1137 shares
    Share 455 Tweet 284
  • Silent Billionaire Bosco Muwonge Buys Mukwano Arcade at UGX 250 Billion Cash Down

    57 shares
    Share 23 Tweet 14
  • Who is Bosco Muwonge, Uganda’s elusive real estate billionaire?

    41 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

    2291 shares
    Share 916 Tweet 573
  • Uganda’s Billionaires 2025: Once Again Sudhir Ruparelia Leads a Resilient Pack

    52 shares
    Share 21 Tweet 13
Facebook Twitter

Contact Information

Watchdog Uganda is a portal for solution journalism, trending news plus cutting edge commentaries in the fields of politics, security, business, tourism, entertainment, technology, agriculture, climate change, environment, public health et al. We also give preference to Ugandan community news and topical discussions. The portal also publishes community news and topical discussions.

Email: editorial@watchdoguganda.com
To Advertise:Click here

Latest News

Pearl Tower Business Park owned by Uganda's richest man Sudhir Ruparelia is now complete.

A Tour of Pearl Business Park: Kampala’s Pinnacle of Progress and Prestige

16th July 2025 at 01:43
Mashable is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company For more queries and news contact us on this Email: info@mashablepartners.com

Check out

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Minister Muruli Mukasa

LIST: New salary structure for civil servants starting July 2020 out; scientists, lecturers get juicy pay rise

24th May 2020 at 10:45
Pregnant woman

Shock as 17-year old boy impregnates his two sisters during Covid-19 lockdown 

17th June 2020 at 08:17
Sudhir Ruparelia is the undisputed king of Kampala

Billionaire Sudhir’s wisdom on how to invest in real estate

0

How a boy’s destiny turned from cotton grower to communications guru

0
Pearl Tower Business Park owned by Uganda's richest man Sudhir Ruparelia is now complete.

A Tour of Pearl Business Park: Kampala’s Pinnacle of Progress and Prestige

16th July 2025 at 01:43

Rotary New Year Launch Kicks Off with Grandeur at Speke Resort Munyonyo

16th July 2025 at 01:30

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • National
    • Politics
    • World News
    • Media Outreach Newswire
    • Africa News
    • Tourism
    • Community News
    • Luganda
    • Sports
      • Football
      • Motorsport
  • Op-Ed
    • #Out2Lunch
    • Conversations with
    • Politics
    • Relationships
  • Business
    • Agriculture
    • CEOs & Entrepreneurs,
    • Companies
    • Finance
    • Products
    • RealEstate
    • Technology
  • Entertainment
    • Lifestyle
  • People
    • Showbiz
      • Salon Mag
  • Special Report
    • Education
    • Voices
  • Reviews
    • Products
    • Events
    • Hotels
    • Restaurants
    • Places
  • WD-TV
  • Donate
  • China News

© 2025 Watchdog Uganda