The complexities of English usage

A simple problem“What is ‘three into nine’?”I posed this question to my students during a classroom interaction.“What a simple question!” exclaimed one of the students confidently. Without giving it a second thought, he answered, “27!”A few others nodded in agreement, apparently convinced that the answer was correct. I then challenged them by saying, “No, the answer is three!”Suddenly, the classroom fell silent. Most of the students began blinking in confusion, while a few started thinking, trying to figure out how I had arrived at that answer. After all, they had learnt that “three into nine equals 27”. So, how could the answer possibly be three?The duality of ‘into’The confusion arose from the way the word “into” is used in mathematical expressions. In traditional mathematical terminology, particularly in the Indian school system, the expression “three into nine” is often used to mean “three times nine,” which gives us 27. However, in standard English usage, into is also associated with division in expressions such as “nine into three,” which means three divided by nine in ordinary mathematical language.This difference in convention can easily confuse students who are accustomed to hearing mathematical expressions without fully understanding the language behind them.To avoid such confusion, it is better to use unambiguous expressions such as “three times nine equals 27” or “three multiplied by nine equals 27.” Similarly, when referring to division, we can say “27 divided by nine equals three.”This little classroom incident reminds us of how easily we can become confused when we memorise mathematical expressions without understanding the language behind them. It also highlights the importance of using words precisely. PHOTO: MAGNIFIC Correction timeA few days ago, a friend sent me 10 audio recordings of his students’ speeches and asked me to evaluate them in terms of content, pronunciation, fluency, coherence, word choice, and grammar. As I analysed the speeches one by one, I noticed several incorrect expressions in one of them. Take a look at the transcript of the speech:Good morning, everyone!Myself Ramesh, and today I’m going to share an interesting experience from my college life.Last week, our teacher asked us to prepare a presentation for the annual college festival. I was the leader of a team that comprised of five members. Unfortunately, two of our team members were absent, and we had to cope up with the situation.Today morning, I reached college early and entered into the room where our team was supposed to meet. We sat together to discuss about the problem and find a solution. Our teacher also joined us and emphasised on the importance of teamwork. She encouraged us to avail the opportunity to showcase our talents.After the discussion, we went to the canteen to order for food. While we were eating, I told my friends, “Guys, do one thing! Let’s divide the work equally so that everyone has something to do.”Everyone agreed, and we started working on our presentation. Our teacher asked me to mention about the issue of environmental pollution. Before leaving, she said, “Complete your work by tomorrow and revert back to me with your progress.”That evening, I worked hard and completed my part. Finally, I returned back home, feeling tired but happy. To be honest, I was quite nervous yesterday night because I wasn’t sure whether we could finish everything on time.But guess what? The next day, our presentation was a great success! Our teacher praised us, and everyone appreciated our teamwork.This experience taught me an important lesson: when we work together, share responsibilities, and support one another, we can overcome challenges more easily.That’s all from me, friends. Thank you for listening, and have a great day!The passage contains 14 expressions that are grammatically incorrect, redundant, or less appropriate in formal communication, although they are commonly used in Indian English. Some of these expressions may sound unnatural to speakers of other varieties of English. The following points explain the preferred alternatives to these 14 expressions:1. “Myself Ramesh” – Say “I am Ramesh” or “My name is Ramesh.”2. “Comprised of five members” – Prefer “consisted of five members” or “comprised five members.”3. “Cope up with the situation” – Say “cope with the situation.”4. “Today morning” – Use “this morning.”5. “Entered into the room” – Say “entered the room.”6. “Discuss about the problem” – Say “discuss the problem” or “talk about the problem.”7. “Emphasised on the importance” – Use “emphasised the importance” or “placed emphasis on the importance.”8. “Avail the opportunity” – Prefer “take advantage of the opportunity” or “avail oneself of the opportunity.”9. “Order for food” – Say “order food” or “place an order for food.”10. “Do one thing” – Although common in Indian English, “Here’s an idea” or “Let’s do this” may sound more natural in international communication.11. “Mention about the issue” – Say “mention the issue” or “talk about the issue.”12. “Revert back to me” – Use “get back to me,” “reply to me,” or “update me.”13. “Returned back home” – Say “returned home” or “went back home.”14. “Yesterday night” – Use “last night.”Learning these distinctions helps us understand the importance of grammatical accuracy, avoid unnecessary words and prepositions, and communicate more clearly and confidently. It is also important to recognise that some expressions are established features of Indian English, while others are genuine grammatical errors. PHOTO: MAGNIFIC Dear readers, you might wonder whether the words classmate and batchmate are examples of Indian English.The word classmate is a standard English term used worldwide, including in British and American English, to refer to someone who studies in the same class as another person at school or college. The word batchmate, on the other hand, refers to someone who belongs to the same batch or intake, particularly in an educational institution. Although batchmate is widely used in Indian and other South Asian varieties of English, it is less common in British and American English.(Dr Albert P’Rayan is a Professor of English, ELT resource person, and Education columnist. Send your feedback to englishmatters2024@gmail.com)