Between ‘awhile’ and ‘ a while,’ studying the key distinction is imperative for all learners of the English language. Arguably, the latter is not commonly used in Nigerian English, as observed in both hard copy books and online writeups. Many online articles suggest that they can be used interchangeably in informal writing. However, it is crucial to understand them for effective usage in both casual and formal writing. ‘Awhile’ is a noun phrase meaning “for a period of time,” often preceded by a preposition (e.g., of, etc.), while ‘a while’ is an adverb that means ‘a period of time’.
Study the following example sentences:

Awhile
After the general exercise, the old women rested awhile before the scheduled session.
The children played awhile in their grandmother’s residence before their school resumption.
Kolade slept awhile in the hotel before he left for the United Kingdom.

While
It’s been a while since I have prayed.
The man will go to the hospital in a while.
Musa spent a while praying to God for a safe recovery.
You need to leave for school in a while if you don’t want to miss your examination.

Subject-verb Agreement
Example mistake: The federal government need to work toward the stability of the economy.
In the above sentence, the subject (federal government) is a singular subject, therefore; it must attract a singular verb ‘needs’.
Corrected version: The federal government needs to work towards the stability of the economy.
Other examples and their corrections.

The list of items are on the professor’s desk. (Incorrect)
The list of items is on the professor’s desk. (Correct)
Femi and Lazarus complains about the level of corruption in the organization. (Incorrect)
Femi and Lazarus complain about the level of corruption in the organization. (Correct).
It’s or Its?

Examples:
The dog bit it’s tail. (Incorrect)
The dog bit its tail. (Correct)
‘Its’ is the possessive version of the dog, meaning that the tail that was bitten belonged to the dog. ‘It’s’ is a contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’.

Consider the following expressions:
It’s heavily. (Correct)
It’s heartbreaking to recall the robbery incident at the bank. (Correct)

Misuse of ‘had’:
I had went home before she arrived. (Wrong)
I had gone home before she arrived. (Correct)
They had already travelled home for Christmas break before the school announced that there would be a holiday. (Correct).
They have already travelled home for Christmas break before the school announced that there would be a holiday. (Wrong)
‘Had’ should be used alongside past participles.
‘Look’ and ‘see’ are both verbs that are similar, but they have different meanings. According to the Oxford Dictionary, ‘look’ means ‘direct one’s gaze toward someone or something or in a specified direction.’

Below are some examples extracted from the dictionary:
People were looking at him.
Let me get a closer look.
Alternatively, the Cambridge Dictionary also defines ‘look’ as ‘to direct your eyes in order to see’.
Examples extracted from this source include:
They looked at the picture and laughed.
Look at all these toys on the floor.
She looked up from her book and smiled at me.
I looked out of the window.
The difference between ‘look’ and ‘see’ is that ‘look’ is intentional, while ‘see’ can be unintentional.

Literally or Figuratively?
Use ‘literally’ when you mean ‘actually’.
It’s literally wrong to talk while eating.
It’s literally cold out there.
‘Figuratively’, which is typically metaphorical, can be used for words in a more imaginative way.
Figuratively speaking, I hope to run into the robbers again. (meaning you want to meet them after their arrest, not necessarily run into them during a robbery).

Assignment

Choose the correct option for each of the following questions:

The dog barked at _____ owner. (a) it (b) its (c) it is
Literally means ________. (a) real (b) unreal (c) metaphorical
The teachers ______ students for their academic success. (a) teach (b) teaches (c) teaching

Kindly forward your answers to samueltolulopealimi@gmail.com or 07049203179 via SMS.

Names of those who answered the last questions correctly:
Bello Sulaimon, Precious Adaeze, Olive Alimi, Ephraim Innocent, Eze John, Ahmed Roqeeb, Phillip Solomon, Oladunjoye Oluwafemi, Adebayo Bukola, Yahyah Aishat, John Solomon, Farooq Lawal, Korede Boluwatife, Samuel Joy, Bankole Richard, Shaibu Mercy, Sultan Musa, and Okere Chigozie.