Sample 1: “What ladies that dress decently guide jealously and with pride is what other ladies sun-dry for any pair of eyes to savour without limits.” (Angel and Venita of BBN had no scruples, Opera News, 30 July, 2021)
The word of interest is guide which occurs in the context: “what ladies that dress decently guide jealously and with pride….” If we understand the word guide as meaning providing direction, giving light, showing the way, it would seem unlikely that ladies would “guide[their bodies] jealously”.To guide one’s body would be at best unreasonable and at worst downright absurd.
Evidently, the choice of the word guide is the problem. The word required in the context is guard. The more reasonable thing to say is that ladies guard their bodies jealously. What idiomatic usage permits is: guard jealously and not guide jealously.The speech and writing of some Nigerians betray a lack of understanding of the difference between the words guide and guard. Many writers in the Nigerian context, limited by pronunciation weakness, are unable to distinguish usefully between the forms guide and guard.
Now read the following sentences:
(1) You can’t drive unless somebody guides you.
(2) People should be guided by their conscience.
(3) Leaders are expected to guide their followers.
(4) Those who commit violent crimes usually refuse to be guided by their conscience.
(5) I’m going to the palace; can you guide me?
The word guide has been used as a verb in each of the five sentences above. To guide a person is to show him or her which way to go, the right direction, the best course of action, how to do a thing, etc.
This word can also be used as a noun as the following sentences demonstrate:
(1) Since I have never lived in this town, I am not a reliable guide here.
(2) What you have said can serve as a guide to them.
(3) If you want to succeed, make God your daily guide.
(4) Unless you have a guide you’ll miss your way.
A guide is a person or thing that guides’ – that gives direction, shows the way, that enlightens. The word also occurs in such contexts as guideline. Whether it occurs alone or as a part of another word, guide always carries the idea of showing direction or giving enlightenment.
There is another noun form you need to learn very carefully: guidance.
The following sentences illustrate how the noun is typically used:
(1) You must rely on God for your guidance.
(2) Before they choose their career, young persons should seek guidance.
(3) Children cannot dispense with the guidance provided by their parents.
(4) John is studying Guidance and Counselling at the university.
Now guard: The sense of the word guard can be gleaned from the following sentences:
(1) Two policemen are detailed to guard the bank.
(2) You should guard our interest jealously.
(3) God’s angels guard his people.
From the sentences above, we know that the word guard, a verb, means to protect, keep watch over or preserve. This word is clearly different from guide.
The word can also be used as a noun:
(1) Two fierce-looking guards are keeping watch over the palace.
(2) A new guard has been employed.
(3) The guard was dismissed for breaking into the house he was supposed to be guarding.
From the sentences above, we could see that a guard is someone who guards. We should carefully distinguish the word guide (and its various forms) from the word guard (and its various forms).
Do not say: *”The soldier is *guiding the bank”, when you mean: “The soldier is guarding the bank”. Do not say: *”The teacher is to give guardiance to his pupils”, when you mean: “The teacher is to give guidance to his pupils”.
Again the word *guidian does not exist in English. What we have is guardian.
A guardian is someone who takes care of a child or a ward. We also talk of a guardian angel – an angel believed to attend to every individual and protect them. The phrase *guidian angel does not exist in English. There is indeed no newspaper in Nigeria called *The Guidian; what we have is The Guardian.
Furthermore, we talk of guarded enthusiasm by which we mean that the enthusiasm is limited, restricted or restrained. The expression *guided enthusiasm is unlikely in English since it does not make much sense. But it is possible to have both guided movement and guarded movement.
A person may be accused of making an unguarded statement or talk in an unguarded manner. The adjective unguarded in these phrases means not cautious, thoughtful or careful enough. It is not impossible to have unguided statement. But it is unusual or uncommon.
Sample 2: “It is an organized session where the people had been numbered based on there arrival at the venue of counselling.” (How Evangelist Obadare stunned a visitor…Opera News, 31 October, 2021)
The word deserving attention is there whichoccurs in the following context: “the people have been numbered based on there arrival at the venue of counselling.”It is a matter of elementary grammar that the form theirshould be the appropriate word in the context. This, I think, is one of the basic points of grammar we learnt at the elementary school. It is obvious that the writer has no grasp of the grammatical difference between the forms there and their. The error is irritatingly shameful.
In the light of this, it is important to illustrate the difference between the words there and their.
Please read the following sentences:
1) There are many more people outside the hall than inside.
2) There is no wisdom in that suggestion.
3) There were rumours that the president had another woman in his life.
4) There is no reason to leave so early since the programme is scheduled to commence late in the afternoon.
5) There were many undercover security men snooping around.
6) There was no truth in the story.
7) Neither the chairman nor the secretary was there.
8) I was able to pick some useful information here and there.
9) How soon will you be there?
10) I was there waiting for you for almost three hours.
For the proper usage of the word their, please read the following sentences:
1) Their house is not far from ours.
2) The ancient Jews and their forefathers are part of the heroes of the Christian faith.
3) Their lawyers are holding a meeting with our own lawyers next week.
4) Sadly, their plan is to destroy their opponents’ business interests.
5) I find it difficult to understand why they could not mind their business.
6) Their directors are planning to reduce the workforce.
7) It is not their duty to tell us how to run our own affairs.
8) Their students are not even half as brilliant as our own.
9) Their house is directly opposite the bank. 10) How can our failure be a reason for their celebration?
The following sentences each contain the two words under consideration:
1) Were you not there when their thugs attacked our chairman?
2) It is their fault that their representatives were not there when the case started.
3) There were a few men at the meeting who claimed to be representing their bosses’ interest.
4) A lady went there, met the children, claimed be their mother’s friend and took some money from them.
5) I was there when our president visited that country and said something positive about their political system.
It should be obvious now that the word their should replace there in the context under review.
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