Literary Discourse When “a” performs the function of “for” Introduction The verb “await” is interesting. It is a verb in which a morpheme reduces a preposition to redundancy. Yes in “await”, the morpheme “a” makes the proposition “for” needless. This implies that if we use “await”, we do not bring “for.” But if we use … Read more
The expressions “request” and “request for” belong to standard usage, but in different contexts. If it is a verb, “request” does not require a preposition. But when it is used as a noun, “request” demands the preposition “for.” In simple language, we “request”, but we make a “request for” things or favors. Examples: ● Sapashini … Read more
Introduction The word “body politic” is, undeniably, among the active vocabulary of many politicians in Ghana. Arguably, “body politic” is a major victim of abuse in political communication in the country. It is for this reason that LITERARY DISCOURSE today examines the word in relation to its grammatical and semantic properties. Grammar Grammatically, “body politic” … Read more
Introduction Many people claim that the possessive apostrophe is needed after the Proper Noun “Jesus” in the phrase “In Jesus Name.” That is correct. Others insist that failure to bring that apostrophe renders the phrase wrong. That is INCORRECT. HaHahahaa! Dear reader, are you confused? Please, don’t be! Both phrases: “In Jesus’ Name” and “In … Read more
Introduction The headline – Language Matters in Mecca – appears simple in usage. However, it is obviously ambiguous in grammatical analysis. With all humility, LANGUAGE AGENDA discovers ambiguity in the headline, but does not know the type: Syntactic or Lexical. Perhaps, the identification of the type should be left as a mental exercise for readers … Read more
Introduction In the lexicon of International Relations and Diplomacy, one word that suffers a high frequency of wrong use is “CONSULAR.” It is common to hear phrases such as “Ghana CONSULAR in Saudi”, “Iranian Cultural CONSULAR in Ghana”, and “British CONSULAR in Accra.” With all humility, LITERARY DISCOURSE contends that these phrases and similar ones … Read more