The Misuse of the English Articles in Selected Nigerian Newspapers
Chapter One
Purpose of the study
Considering the huge importance of the English language both locally and internationally, an urgent need for attention to be paid to the misuse of English articles in Nigerian newspaper arises. English is an asset in most facets of life and therefore, a functionally correct knowledge of the language is needed.
The aim of this research is to highlight the alarmingly increasing occurrence and frequency of the misuse of the English articles in our newspaper today.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELE VANT LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework
The English Articles
Articles are kinds of determiners occurring in many languages, including English. Articles lack independent meaning but may serve to indicate the specificity of reference of the noun phrase with which they occur. The English articles are divided into definite (the) and indefinite (a/an) articles. The nature of nouns (count/uncount) and their forms (singular/plural) are significant in choosing the suitable article to use. Count nouns are nouns referring to items that can be counted and they can have any article while uncount nouns take only the definite article. Singular nouns can take any article, while plural nouns take only the definite article. In the singular form, non -count nouns do not require a determiner and they are not usually used in the plural. At times, it is not easy to decide if a plural noun is being used as a generalization or in a restrictive context; the choice is that of the speaker or writer to make. For example,
- Lagos buses are yellow in
- TheLagos buses are yellow in
In the first example above, the writer is clearly implying a generalization on the noun group, i.e. All Lagos buses are yellow in colour. In the second example, he is referring to a restricted or defined category of the noun, i.e. Lagos buses are yellow in colour but other buses may be of other colours. In cases like these, the choice is dependent on the context.
An article is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the type of reference being made by the noun. Articles specify the grammatical definiteness of the noun, in some languages, extending to vol ume or numerical scope. Articles belong to the category of determiners i.e. an English class of words that combines arti cles and demonstratives such asthis andthat .
The figure above illustrates the role of the English articles in constructions. In the sentence, James broke abottle that was in the cupboard , there are two articles – “a” and “the” . Both articles appear before nouns – “bottle” and “cupboard”. Without the article “a” in the above sentence, it would be impossible to determine how many bottles were broken by J ames. In the same vein, without the article “the”, it would be difficult to determine which cupboard the bottle was in.According to Skern, “Emails and t ext messages are slowly leading the way to the elimination of ‘the’ a nd ‘a’ in the English Language. Until they disappear completely, it is important to use them correctly in scientific English” (21).
Uses of the Definite Article
The definite article “the” is one of the most utilised words in the English language. As a matter of fact, Yagoda asserts that the“is the most commonly used word in the English l anguage occurring nearly 62,000 times in every million word written or uttered ”(50).This implies that the article “the” is quite important in the English language. “ The” performs a number of important functions in English. “The definite article is used when identifying the thing being referredto; repetition of a word that has been earlier mentioned in a text or conversation ” (Yagoda 10). Examples of the role of “the” are given below:
CHAPTER THREE
METHODOLOGY
Research Design
The study adopted the integration of library research. It is a non – experimental research design based on the linguistic method in i ts analysis of selected newspaper s.
Area of Study
The study involved Nigerian newspapers
Population
The research subjects were non -human elements .The population comprised newspapers published in the English language in Nigeria.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
In this chapter, the data gathered by the researcher is presented and analysed. The relevant data will be used to answer the research questions formulated for the study .
CHAPTER FIVE
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The results of this research are discussed below with reference to the research questions put forward in chapter one.
Research Question One: In what manner do the print media deviate from established grammatical uses of articles? In the first place, this research establishesthe fact that the English ar ticles are misused in Nigerian newspapers. Evidence of this misuse is presented. The study also finds that this misuse occurs in many ways including
- Through the omission of articles where the articles should be g.
*He said that since no nation can gamble with education of its children, … (Table 5).
- Wrong insertion of articles where they should not be g.
* The Governor commended Nigerians for the electing President Goodluck J onathan from the south -south region of Nigeria (Table 6).
- Selectingthe wrong article g.
*They submitted that the fund was seriously required… but noted that bureaucracy might be an hindrance … (Table 5).
Research Question Two : To what extent are the articles misused?With this research question, the researcher seeks to find out how prevalent the misuse of the English articles in Nigerian newspapers is. The results of the research indicate that the misuse of the English articles is quite widespread in Nigerian newspapers. All the newspapers that were consulted had instances of errors of article misuse. As a matter of fact, the researcher sometimes found several cases of the misuse of articles in a single edition of a newspaper. For example, Tables 2 and 6 show fourteen and nineteen wrong expressions respectively in single editions of a newspaper. Where we can find several cases of the misuse of articles in a single edition of a newspaper, then we can safely conclude that there is a high prevalence of the misuse of articles.
Researc h Question Three : To what extent does the misuse of the English articles inhibit effective communication in Nigerian newspapers? This research question was formulated by the researcher to address the issue of the effect of misuse of the English articles on proper effective communication. The results of the data analysis show that the misuse of the English articles inhibits effective communication to a large extent.
The ultimate goal of language is effective communication. In order to achieve this aim, languages develop grammars that must be adhered to by the language users. Words are not combined haphazardly in any language, but follow laid down rules of syntax. The English language is not an exception, and the article system of English is essential to the workings of the language. The misuse of the English articles would therefore inhibit effective communication, because what is written cannot be readily interpreted and comprehended. Generally, articles are seen as precision tools because they enhance the m eaning and scope of nouns. Where an article is misused, the accompanying noun suffers. The wrong use of articles sometimes results in ambiguities. Other times, the misuse of articles results in obscuring the intended meaning of the writer. Below are examples of the misuse of the English article that have led to a gap in communication:
- *… like Farouk Mutallab whom Nigerian Media saw as boy…(Table 2).
- *At the same time, Naira came under intense pressure from the(Table 5).
The omission of the definite article in the first example makes the sentence ambiguous. The sentence could mean that Nigerian Media is a proper noun representing a particular person .Closer reading of the text reveals that, indeed, “the Nigerian Media” as a collective entity is meant. Thedefinite article is sorely missed here. The omission of the definite article before “Naira” in the second instance cited above leads to potential ambiguities. One who is not familiar with the “Naira” which is Nigeria’s unit of currency might assume that ‘Naira” is the name of a person. Currencies of the world are always preceded by the definite article. In the sentence above, this is not the case.
Research Question Four : To what degree does the misuse of the English articles disconnect the relationship between nouns and articles?With this research question, the researcher aims to find out to what degree the misuse of the English articles affect the relationship between the articles and the nouns to which they are attached.
The major syntactic role of an articleis to qualify a noun, that is, give more information about the noun. Nouns are not always preceded by articles, but when they are, there is a clear relationship between them. The articles reference nouns that are alrea dy in context by indicating definiteness or specificity. The nature of nouns (count/uncount) and their forms (singular/plural) play significant roles in choosing the suitable article to use. What this means is that the relationship/connection between nouns and articles is quite significant. So, if these articles are inappropriately used, the connection will definitely be lost. For example:
- Hesaid that in the post -privatization era, private sector is expected to hold 70 per cent … (Table 6).
- Thegangs were alleged to be responsible for a robbery operations
…(Table 6).
In the first example above, there is a disconnect between the singular noun phrase “private security” and the missing article. There are many“sectors” but only one “private sector”. The definite article is needed here to add the feature +specific. In the second example, the indefinite article has been wrongly used with a plural noun phrase. This leads to a clear syntactic error. Generally, arti cles are seen as precision tools because they enhance the meaning and scope of nouns. Where an article is misused, the accompanying noun suffers. Evidence of this has been presented above.
Research Question Five : What are the reasons for the wrong use of the English articles by newspapers in Nigeria?With this research question, the researcher aims to explore the reasons why errors in the misuse of articles are common in Nigerian newspapers.
The study finds that the misuse of articles in Nigerian newspape rs is sometimes deliberate on the part of the editors, and other times, unintentional. Sometimes, especially in writing headlines, newspaper editors intentionally leave out articles. This is intended to make a forceful impact on the reader. The fewer the words in a headline, it is thought, the more forceful the headline.
However, this study does not consider headlines. N ot all the instances of the misuse of the English articles are found in the headlines. The errors are not restricted to the headlines, but appear even in the stories themselves. In these cases, it is clear that these deviations from standard writing practices are caused by a lack of competence on the part of the writers.As has been noted earlier, apart from the omission of articles, articles are sometimes inserted where they are not needed, and sometimes the wrong articles are utilized by writers .
Finally, it is futile for newspaper writers to claim that some of these errors highlighted above are typological errors, and not a result of their incompetence. It has been said that when a mistake appears in writing, it becomes an error. Any piece of writing, espec ially in a newspaper, should be proofread. Where an error appears in the final print of a newspaper, then it is assumed that the writer of the erroneous piece lacks competence in the language. In chapter two of this work, the researcher has already identif ied the major cause of this incompetence – mother tongue interference .
SUMMARY
The English articles are constantly misused in Nigerian newspapers. In Newspaper headlines, for instance, the misuse of the articles could mislead or falsely inform a user of English. Headlines are display windows of newspapers, the major source of information for hasty readers. This unique role of headlines stresses the importance of grammatical accuracy in writing headlines. The misuse of articles creates confusion and ham pers effective communication. According to Hoffman, “what is worse is that the writer can never know if the reader is confused or has misunderstood something, so cannot add more in case of a confused reader, nor can the reader ask a question” (253). A writ er must maintain clarity so that readers can discover what the writer thinks or wants them to know. The effectiveness of communication is measured by the clarity of a message hence; dissemination of a lucid idea is believed to be the ultimate goal of commu nication. In a global language such as English, intelligibility and comprehensibility are worth any price. The correct use of language is of utmost importance to both the writer and the reader because that is only when effective communication takes place and the reader effortlessly decodes the writer’s intended meaning.
It is also important to note that the print media, as influential users of language, are (or should be) beacons of linguistic excellence. The fact that their products are widely spread sho uld make them adopt a better principle of communication because communication becomes successful only when the reader correctly decodes what the writer intends. The newspaper is generally known to be a medium of communication and the reading public comprises both the elite and the layman. Since many consider newspapers to be infallible in the area of English grammar and usage, many readers fail to recognize deviant structures in newspapers as the errors which they are, and assume all what they read to be of the desired standard. The linguistic position of newspaper writers is so sensitive that they ought to keep abreast with the correct use/current use of language with which they communicate information to the reading public. Newspapers reach a wider audienc e because of their reduced prices; written communication like newspaper could transcend continents of the world and stand for a very long time. The world is now a global village, the internet and social networks give newspapers wider coverage. Suffice it t o say that this all-important language should be carefully written and should not involve anything short of the standard.
The English articles are very useful in writing, individualizing and giving definiteness or indefiniteness to nouns they precede. A ny inappropriate use of these articles automatically disrupts meaning and makes effective communication fail. This is the reason the knowledge of the grammar of every written language is a prerequisite to writers of such a language.
Poor knowledge of the grammar of the English language among writers is the reason for a massive misuse of the English articles in many of the Nigerian newspapers.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Newspapers should not exploit journalese at the expense of good grammatical constructions because this affects the meaning of what is meant to be conveyed. News items should be properly edited before being published; this will go a long way in helping the reading public to become acquainted with the correct and acceptable forms of the English languages.
Only competent language users should be retained as writers by the newspapers. Any journalist that cannot effectively communicate to the readers should not be employed.
The readers should be en lightened as to the linguistic shortcomings of the newspapers which they read. Many readers take all they read in the newspapers as gospel, and do not believe that errors can find their way into the newspapers that they read.
Finally, newspaper houses should adhere to employing only well- qualified language experts that are highly proficient in the English language to serve as editors that will competentlyproofread articles before they are published. If these recommendations are put to use by the media houses, they will become pacesetters in the effective use of the English language they ought to be. Newspapers, through this, will enhance maximum comprehensibility of conveyed messages and at the same time promote the standard of English.
CONCLUSION
The importance of the English art icles cannot be over emphasized. The articles play a very important role in writing. Unfortunately, it has been found that there are a lot of errors in the use of the English articles in Nigerian newspapers. This errors come about for different reasons but they all result in hampering effective communication.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDIES
- This research was based onthreeNigerian newspapers namely ;The Sun, The Vanguard and The Independent . A similar study could be carried out using other newspaper s and/or even
- The present study focused on the misuse of the Englisharticles,otherstudies could be carried out on other deviant structures commonly found in Nigerian
- A comparative studyof the use of the English articles among several newspapers can be carried Also, a study could compare the handling of articles by Nigerian newspapers and British/American newspapers.
Works Cited
- Ahukanna, J oshua. “Bilingualism and Code -Mixing in Language Use: The Case of Igbo-English Bilinguals.” Emenanjo 175 -185.
- Babalola, Emmanuel Taiwo. “ Newspapers as Instruments for Building Literate Communities: The Nigerian Experience.” Nordic Journal of African Studies 11.3 (2002): 403-410.
- Baldeh, Fodeh. Better English Learning and Teaching . Nsukka: Fulladu, 1990.
- The Student’s Companion to Good English: An Encyclopaedia of English Grammar and Correct Usage. Nimo: Rex Charles and Patrick, 2001.
- Boadi et al. Grammatical Structure and its Teaching . Ibadan: U of Ibadan P, 2004.
- Brown, D ouglas.Principles of Language Learning and Teaching . 3rd ed.
- New J ersey: Prentice Hall Regents, 1994.
