Language Agenda: "Advice" and "Advise"

The Writer

Question
I need clarification on these two confusing words: "Advice" and "Advise". At what point do we use each? Thanks.

- An aunt of mine.
Answer
"Advice" is a noun, and "advise" a verb in American and British English(es). Below are examples:

● I advise Timtooni to seek knowledge. (Verb)
● Timtooni needs advice. (Noun)
As a noun, "advice" is non-count or uncountable. Therefore, it is wrong to say "advices". Hahahaha! In usage, however, if you want to pluralize it (use it in a plural form), you may allow helping words such as "pieces" or "some" to preceed it. Examples:

● Timtooni needs PIECES of ADVICE.
● Timtooni needs SOME ADVICE.
ALLAH is the Best Grammarian.
■ "Worse" and Worst"
Question
'Hajj, when do we use "worse" and "worst?"' - An elder brother of mine.

Answer
"Worse" and "Worst" are adjectives of varying degrees in relation to "bad." "Worse" is the comparative form of "bad", while "Worst" is the superlative of "bad." As the name suggests, "worse" - the comparative form - is used to compare humans and things in negative terms. Examples:

● Hypocrisy is WORSE than murder.
● Treachery is WORSE than death.
● Armed robbers are WORSE than wild animals.
Contrarily, "Worst" is used to indicate the highest degree. This implies that when "Worst" is used, the context is beyond comparison. We may be right to state that "Worst" is applied in a situation of "Adjectival Supremacy." HaHahahaa! Below are examples:

● Ingrates are the WORST enemies.
● Evil buffoons in Pharaoh Republic are the WORST traitors.

● Terrorism is the WORST crime against humanity.
It is instructive to mention that "Worse" and "Worst" could be used as nouns when the need arises. Examples:

● The economic hardship has become unbearable, but WORSE is expected.

● We are fed up with Kanbondoo's threat; he can do his WORST.

Dear reader, the following techniques may help you overcome any confusion in relation to the usage of the adjectives under review:

● Ideally, whenever "Worse" is used as an adjective, it is immediately followed by "than." (Jealousy is WORSE THAN sickness).

● In the case of "Worst" as an adjective, it is always preceeded by "the." (Hatred is THE WORST madness).

Allah is the Best Grammarian.
■ "Have" and "Has"
Question
"What about 'have' and 'has', Marzuq?" A bosom friend of mine wants some clarification.

Answer
"Have" is an auxiliary verb used for all the grammatical persons except THIRD PERSON SINGULAR. An auxiliary verb helps a main verb in a sentence. Examples:

● I HAVE eaten food this morning (First Person Singular)

● You HAVE gone home. (Second Person Singular)
● We HAVE slept. (First Person Plural)
● You HAVE taught us African Literature. (Second Person Plural)

● They HAVE understood the message. (Third Person Plural)

Contrarily, "has" is used as an auxiliary verb for Third Person Singular - "he", "she", and "it." Examples:

● He HAS gone home. (Has: auxiliary. Gone: main verb)

● She HAS just arrived. (Has: auxiliary. Arrived: main verb)

● It has rained today. (Has: auxiliary. Rained: main verb)

It is instructive to state that "have" and "has" can also be used as main verbs for the relevant grammatical persons. In these contexts, only "have" or "has" is found in the sentence. Examples:

● I HAVE an English Book. (Have: main verb)
● Tungteeya HAS a new car. (Has: main verb)
The past tense of both verbs - "have" and "has" - is "HAD." Examples:

● Before Dawuni arrived, Danaa HAD gone home.
● Tungteeya HAD an old car last year.
Armed with this discourse, colleague learner, you may avoid grammatically offensive constructions such as "Atampugri and Awuni HAS WROTE the letter" and "Wunintira HAVE ENTER the room." 😅😅😅😅!

Allah is the Best Grammarian.
AbubakarMohammed Marzuq Azindoo,
Lecturer, University of Applied Management, Germany - Ghana Campus, McCarthy Hill, Accra.