Grammatical Errors in Selected Nigerian Newspapers and their Implications for Communication

Abstract

The Nigerian newspapers are regarded as one of the mediums for, not only having access to current news but also learning good grammar. It is believed that before any information is published, the newspaper editors will ensure that it is error free. However, this view has not been entirely true as most of the newspapers are awash with various grammatical errors. This study therefore, made a grammatical analysis of errors in two selected Nigerian newspapers. The purpose was to identify the errors and their effects on the readers. To achieve this, the researcher adopted qualitative method of research in analyzing the data collected from the selected newspapers. Three research questions were raised for the research. Error Analysis Theory by Pit Corder was adopted in the study because of their relatedness. The researcher discovered grammatical errors such as morphological errors, tautology, concord errors, punctuation errors, among others. It was concluded that these errors have negative effects, such as reduction in readership and commercial patronage, on the newspaper organizations. Based on the findings, the study recommended that, sanctions should be made on the newspaper organizations that fail to properly edit their works to avoid misleading the reading public, since newspapers are the sources of information and education, too; newspaper organizations should employ grammar experts who will check for errors and make correction before they publish their works.