Whenever you see all in a sentence, there is the tendency to think that the verb that will follow it should be plural. The reason is that all readily suggests many, far more than one. So, we know that instead of saying All the boys is here, we say All the boys are here. Most of us also know that All of them visit us regularly is the correct expression – not All of them visits us regularly.But because language is not the same thing as Mathematics, there are contexts in which allrejects plural verbs. This usually applies when it works with mass or uncountable nouns. So, instead of All the salt have been washed away by rain, we have All the salt has been washed away by rain. We also have Not all that glitters is gold, and not Not all that glitter are gold.This leads us to the question asked in the topic of this lesson: All manners of or All manner of? Understandably, a lot of people say All manners of, when they mean different types of something or people. To them, mannershould carry an s in the statement because several or more manifestations are implied. This, is however, wrong. The right expression is All manner of:
Instead of saying ‘Sorry’, he came up with all manners of excuses. (Wrong)
Instead of saying ‘Sorry’, he came up with all manner of excuses. (Correct)
All manners of ideas were canvassed at the summit. (Wrong)
All manner of ideas were canvassed at the summit. (Correct)
On the other hand, the context manners is used may surprise some of us, as they would prefer the word without the s there. This is when we are talking in terms of behavioural code, etiquette or things considered polite. The correct word here is manners, not manner:
The footballer has bad manner; I am not surprised the referee gave him a red card. (Wrong)
Instead of saying ‘Sorry’, he came up with all manners of excuses. (Wrong)
Instead of saying ‘Sorry’, he came up with all manner of excuses. (Correct)
All manners of ideas were canvassed at the summit. (Wrong)
All manner of ideas were canvassed at the summit. (Correct)
On the other hand, the context manners is used may surprise some of us, as they would prefer the word without the s there. This is when we are talking in terms of behavioural code, etiquette or things considered polite. The correct word here is manners, not manner:
The footballer has bad manner; I am not surprised the referee gave him a red card. (Wrong)
Instead of saying ‘Sorry’, he came up with all manners of excuses. (Wrong)
Instead of saying ‘Sorry’, he came up with all manner of excuses. (Correct)
All manners of ideas were canvassed at the summit. (Wrong)
All manner of ideas were canvassed at the summit. (Correct)
On the other hand, the context manners is used may surprise some of us, as they would prefer the word without the s there. This is when we are talking in terms of behavioural code, etiquette or things considered polite. The correct word here is manners, not manner:
The footballer has bad manner; I am not surprised the referee gave him a red card. (Wrong)
The footballer has bad manners; I am not surprised the referee gave him a red card. (Correct)
The way he spoke to the old man showed that he has no manner. (Wrong)
The way he spoke to the old man shows that he has no manners. (Correct)
The marketing manager cannot accommodate the woman’s manner. (Wrong)
The marketing manager cannot accommodate the woman’s manners.
The fact that we cannot separate s from manner in the above brings to memory other words that many treat as singular elements but which must always carry s. They include whereabouts, crossroads, outskirts and loggerheads:
The police say they don’t know the whereabout of the criminal. (Wrong)
The police say the don’t know the whereabouts of the criminal.
Towards every election, Nigeria is usually at the crossroad. (Wrong)
Towards every election, Nigeria is usually at the crossroads. (Correct)
Chief Kiigbe lives on the outskirt of the town. (Wrong)
Chief Kiigbe lives on the outskirts of the town. (Correct)
On mannerism
Linked to manner and manners is mannerism, which refers to the habitual way or gesture of speaking or behaving. It entails what a person says or does repeatedly whenever speaking, but which they may not realise they do. Note that mannerism is different from a slogan or pay-off line. The latter is often for emphasis and advertorial purposes but mannerism is usually a minus for a person.
Virtually everyone has their own mannerism, though it is only people engaged in public speaking that are exposed and are easily nailed for it. These include political leaders, clerics and teachers. Indeed, students are fond of playing up their teachers’ mannerismsto mock them:
Prof. Dende’s mannerism includes saying ‘By the way’.
My brother always repeatedly readjusts his glasses whenever he is addressing a gathering.
Answers to last week’s assignment
- The manager had not submitted the list as of the time, …
(a) still yet (b) even (c) THOUGH (d) although
- You can’t enter. The store is out of BOUNDS to visitors.
(a) bounds (b) bound (c) bondage (d) boundary
- The boy as well as the little girls WANTS to recite a poem.
(a) is wanting (b) are wanting (c) want (d) wants
Those who got all the answers right
A.T Perepou, Olutomilola O.O, Ifeayinchukwu Ibekwe, Rasheedat Zakariyau, Oladipupo Muhammed, Omirin Ayomipo, Oladimeji Sunday, Blessing Aghojare, Bukola Gaji, Halimat Awonuga, Akin Gandonu, Gani Oladipo, Tope Erijiyan, Charles Ekereke, Abdwakil Ashafa, Adegoke Tiwalola, Peter Inyang, Mikairu G.Y, Yakubu Suleman, Fasooto Ademola, Foluke Ogunsanya, Bolarinwa Nurudeen, Asan Kafilat, Oladipo Isaac Wole Ogunsade, A. B. Adejumo, Gift Uturu, Olugbenga Adu, Tunde Egbedokun, Olawale Ayodeji, Idongesit Ekpamfon, Ihekwoaba Ndidi, Rotimi Adeleye, Kolapo Barakat, Bernad Danldi, Ajayi Christopher, Patrick Olus, Adegbite Wasiu, Akinola Ilesanmi, Ofonime Etim, Abraham Akpoesienwa, Abosede Da-Silva, Olayinka Akomolede, Josiah Abu, Alonge Seun, Alonge Moses and Akbar Bello.
Those who also did well
Awonowo Adekunle, Afolabi Olalekan, Adeosun Taiwo, Arigbabu Olawale, Emmanuel Odiete, Adetokunboh Alonge, Ibrahim Abd’majid, Olahore Folahan, Ibukun Emmanuel, Olawale Lawal, Akinola Arowojolu, Ishola Oluwatoyin, Akande Akeem, Folashade Israel, Abraham Okwe, Kunbi Aina, Ephraim Odeiga, Bayo Adekoya, SFasai Sunmonu, S. Ajayi, Fasasi Kehinde, Nnamdi Chiegbo, Shola, M, David Osita, Effiong ArAdebayo Abdumajeed, Ndeyarka Mercy, chibong, M. S. Adelugba, Sulaiman Baleeqs, Roland Olisa, Gabriel Okioghenete, Tony Unogu, Adewunmi Maria, Hunye Abel, Oludare Olufade, Tope Ajayi, Chukwudi Iheanacho, Ustadh Faisol, Goodluck Henry, Rotimi Jaiyeoba, Yekeen Mutiu, Emmanuel Oni, Nseobong Brown, Ven Falodun, Anyaka Augusta, Ayanlola Oluseyi, Steve O.A, Egberongbe Niyi, Seyi Adewuyi, Abiodun Elesin, Olaoye Folashade, Kolawole Kareem, Olatunde Adeleke, Godwin Akpoghome, Hussainat Dawuda, Muoka Johnny, Nath Garnvwa, Adeleke Taiwo, Daramola Oloniruha, Louis Obodiwe, Adediran Abass, Judepaul Chibueze, Muogho Kingsley, Chima Nkemakolam, Akomolafe Damilola, Adelowo Adetunji, Abiodun Oyeyemi, Sunday Oyesiji, Olayinka Adesina, Toyin Oyewoga, Ogunlade Kayode, Akinyemi Taiwo, Moshood Afolabi, Famuyide Funke, Aransiola Oluwole, Oyedare Segun, Olorunmateda Adenaike, Dickson Ogala, Aremu Afolabi, Raheem Jimoh, Saleh B.G, Babatunde Akinwale, Peter Anaman, Olunye Olayinka, Chinasa Nnesi, Enyidiya Ekelemi, Okesanya Omoadoni, Titi Ajayi, Alabi Mustapha, Omatayo Sunday, Okoghene Henry, Leziga Mitee, Tomi Joseph and Tunde Anibaba.
Homework
- I don’t like the — in which he spoke.
(a) mannerism (b) manner (c) manners (d)mannerlessness
- “You have …
- to thank God,” the pastor told the woman.
(a) cost (b) cause (c) course (d) coarse
- My concern is on the … of the programme.
(a) sustainance (b) sustaning (c) sustenance (d) sustained
source: http://www.punchng.com/all-manners-of-or-all-manner-of/
