Seated with her boys…

Sample 1: “The mother of three took to her Instagram page to post a picture of herself sitted with her boys who clocked 4.” (Alafin’s ex-wife, Queen Ola, celebrates twin boys on their birthday, News Opera, 26 February, 2022)

Readers would easily spot the outlandish word (or rather) spelling: sitted. No such word exists in the English lexicon. However, scant literacy is a burden; it torments even its bearer, who is often also its victim. As Alexander Pope, the English poet, has famously said, a little learning is a dangerous thing.

It shouldn’t be difficult for educated readers to think up seated as the replacement for the nonsense word for the context under consideration. As a way of guarding against gibberish taking over public discourse, it may be expedient to consider the various forms of the word: sit, sitting, sat, seat, seated, and seating.

 

Let’s illustrate their usage in turn:

(1) He has been sitting there all day, expecting the news of his parents’ arrival.

(2) If he wasn’t sitting down, he was pacing the room anxiously.

(3) He was sitting in his usual chair, watching the television.

(4) Nobody can sit down until the president has done so.

(5) After pacing for a few minutes, he sat down holding his chin ruefully.

(6) I have not sat down because you have no asked me to sit down.

(7) Janet sat beside her husband.

(8) We all sat down as soon as the Chairman left the hall.

In those eight sentences, please note the forms sit (the basic form); sat (the past simple form); has/have sat (the past participle); and sitting (the continuous form). It is especially important to note that the form seating does not feature at all. Why? Because it cannot be used in its continuous form. There is the form seating, yes; but it does not belong to the context of the eight sentences constructed above.

 

Now read the following sentences:

(1) You can now be seated.

(2) Seated in one corner of the room was one gentleman who seemed not to be a part of what was going on.

(3) In this congregation, women are seated separately from the men.

(4) Before seating yourself at the desk, you have to tidy up the room.

(5) Husbands and wives are seated close to each other.

(6) All guests should be seated before the governor arrives.

(7) Guests were seated in groups of four.

(8) I don’t like to be seated close to the window.

 

Next, read the following sentences:

(1) All the seats have been occupied by our visitors.

(2) It is only the person driving that can sit in the driver’s seat.

(3) I usually prefer to sit in the passenger’s seat.

(4) Please take a seat.

(5) What used to be comfortable seats are now in bad shape.

(6) Abuja is the seat of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

(7) Only five seats remain unoccupied in the plane.

(8) You have up till tomorrow to book your seat.

(9) Are universities still regarded as seats of learning?

(10) Two people can join me in the back seat.

(11) The front seats are reserved for the VIPs.

(12) The brain is the seat of human reasoning just as the heart is the seat of emotion.

(13) The Senator’s seat has been declared vacant by the leadership of the Senate.

(14) The court has instructed the chairman to vacate his seat immediately.

(15) He is perhaps the most controversial person to have occupied this sensitive seat.

(16) The presidential seat is the most exalted in the land.

 

Finally, read the following sentences:

(1) The hall can seat one hundred people.

(2) The theatre has a seating capacity of 500.

(3) The protocol officer will take care of the seating arrangement.

(4) The expansion will increase the seating capacity of the building.

(5) Seating plans can be very challenging in situations like this.

(6) The seating plan may change if some other big men decide to come.

Now note the following: You do not say: *”My father was *seating close to my mom”. You should say: “My father was sitting close to my mom. Do not say: *”I was *seating in the driver’s seat”. You should say: “I was sitting in the driver’s seat”. Do not say: *”Be *sitted”. You should say: “Be seated”. Do not say: *”I was *sitted close to my uncle”. You should say: “I was seated close to my uncle”.

Do not say: *”What is the sitting capacity of the hall?” You should say: “What is the seating capacity of the hall?” Do not say: *”The protocol officer is in charge of the *sitting arrangement”. You should say: “The protocol officer is in charge of the seating arrangement”.

It bears emphasising that the form sitted is an aberration. It does not exist in English. The appropriate form is seated.

Sample 2: “It is indeed ironical that within just three years, the same evil that Aregbesola perpetuated against Ambode and uncountable others is being visited on him by God.” (Tinubu for president 2023: sunset on RaufAregbesola’s political career, News Opera, 18 February, 2022)

We are interested in the word perpetuated which occurs in the context:“the same evil that Aregbesolaperpetuated against Ambode and uncountable others.”  It is important to note the word evil which occurs together with the word perpetuated. The context makes it clear that the word perpetuatedhas been used as a near synonym of the word committed as used in the expression “committed a violent crime”. The word evil, let us note, is about misdeed, offence.

It should become obvious that the word perpetuatedhas been used in confusion with perpetrated. The confusion of identity stems partly from inaccurate pronunciation and partly from spelling liability on the part of the reporter. This kind of problem will continue to arise for as long as writers do not take up the challenge of getting thoroughly familiar with the “tools” of their trade – the words of the language. Crimes and other forms of misdeeds are said to be perpetrated. To perpetuate something, on the other hand, is to cause such a thing to continue.

 

Let’s illustrate their respective usage. First perpetrate:

(1) Since the crime was perpetrated long before the law came into force, the offender cannot be successfully prosecuted now.

(2) Poverty cannot be an excuse or justification for perpetrating crime.

(3) Those who perpetrated the violent crime will be brought to justice speedily.

(4) The human rights abuses perpetrated during the military era are still being collated.

(5) The surprising thing is that the crime was perpetrated under the nose of the police.

(6) Any crime perpetrated henceforth shall receive instant judgement.

(7) Several murders have been perpetrated in the neighbourhood in recent times.

(8) All over the world, great evils are perpetrated by the police in the name of keeping law and order.

(9) The thugs on the payroll of politicians perpetrate more heinous crimes than [do] the muchtouted criminals being pursued by the police.

(10) The nation has been subjected to far more danger by the crimes perpetrated by political and technocratic elites than those perpetrated by violent criminals.

(11) Various forms of injustice are perpetrated by the police through taking of bribes and excessive use of force.

 

Now perpetuate:

(1) The interesting thing about genes is that they are perpetuated for as long as new generations are brought into being.

(2) Folk tales are the chief means through which values are perpetuated in traditional societies.

(3) Church doctrines and practices are perpetuated through regular Bible teaching.

(4) Chief executives usually seek to perpetuate their influence in office by replacing themselves with their lackeys.

(5) Instead of perpetuating them, we should do everything we can to eliminate these pernicious habits.

(6) By refusing to punish those misdeeds, we are not only condoning poor work habits, we are actually collaborating to perpetuate them, encouraging people to continue to indulge in them.

(7) Experienced teachers should exercise leadership by not allowing inexperienced teachers to perpetuate incorrect information.

(8) Education is the chief means through which values of previous generations are perpetuated.

(9) Journalists have a great role to play in perpetuating the society’s positive values.

At any rate, the word perpetrated should replace perpetuated in the context under examination.