Over, Over, Over…
On a high note this was a busy news week, not the striking and enterprising stories but some crime, disagreements, political stunts, and traders’ disgruntlements.
One of my new Years resolutions is to gently tighten my diction if only it can add a spark to the way we communicate.
There are a set of words that we constantly misused over the last year, someone is accused OF and not accused for…and I hope that each of us can find some time to reflect on them and actually cast them away to clean our writing act.
One of the words we have misused is “over”
We are aware of such sentences “He was arrested over Murder, “MP grilled over UGX 29m” “Police arrested over UGX 60,000 bribe”
I may sound like a reformed criminal talking tough against the crimes that I once committed, but I must say that some of the misused words actually add humor to my day.
But slowly and with the resolve to tighten our writing we can always go above the glitches of grammar.
Grammatically, the word “Over” can be used as a preposition meaning:
In a position above;
• There was a pretty doormat spread over the door step
• I took a stroll over the highway
• She scanned over his son’s school report.
• Won’t tell you over the phone.
• The director presided over the meeting
• Shall have a chat over a cup of tea
It can be used as an adverb:
• The cost of the dam is over the country’s annual budget.
• The milk spilled over
• He invited us over for a party
As an adjective, the word “Over” can apply as in this example: The dirty relationship is over now
Over can also be used as a verb as in this example: I am over the sickle cell attack and I feel happy today.
The exclusion of the word over does not detract or distort the sentence. He was arrested for murder; MP grilled in connection with a UGX 29m bribe.
My explanation may not be exhaustive but be encouraged to grab your dictionary and look up the word over.
Its not all over until its over
The URN Web style guide encourages us to refer to it to make our writing right, just as a preacher would refer to a bible to make his sermon bright.
Story Tips of the Week
Following last year’s high inflation and the tough economic times, the opening of the new school year is around the corner
• Visit popular schools in your areas and find out the difficult decisions the schools are struggling with.
• Find out the enrollment trends in some of the popular schools whose fees were hiked. Someone has the figures to give you a proper assessment of the enrolment trends.
• Talk to the head teachers on some specific budgetary adjustments
• Parents too must be dealing with difficult choices, -withdraw children from boarding or ?
Quote of the Week
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life, don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking…” Steve Jobs
