Tanzanian columnist Abdi Sultani has expressed concern over the lack of punctuation sense among educated individuals in the country. In his column, Sultani lamented that many people, including university graduates, fail to demonstrate basic literacy skills, such as starting proper nouns with capital letters and using full stops at the end of sentences. He attributed this to a lack of attention to detail and a failure to apply basic grammar rules.
Sultani's concerns were sparked by a reader, Ms Neshika Msangi, a lawyer who finds it unpardonable that individuals with at least seven years of schooling fail to demonstrate basic literacy skills. Msangi considers it a scandal that even some university graduates are guilty of semi-illiteracy on social media platforms, including WhatsApp groups. Sultani agrees that this is a problem that needs to be addressed, particularly among those who are schooled, to avoid misleading young ones who are widely exposed to social media.
One example of punctuation illiteracy cited by Sultani is an article in a local tabloid, which referred to a regular customer as "one of the most regular mteja" instead of "one of the most regular wateja". The error was compounded by the page handler, who picked the grammatically wrong expression for a blurb, highlighting the author's semi-literacy. Sultani argues that such mistakes are disturbing and reflect a lack of attention to detail.
Another example cited by Sultani is a story in a local broadsheet, which had a headline that read, "Protests erupt in Mbeya as bajaj drivers are banned from the TANZAM Highway". The intro to the story referred to "passenger taxi" drivers, which Sultani considers redundant, as a taxi by definition transports passengers. He argues that such errors are unnecessary and reflect a lack of basic grammar knowledge.
Sultani also criticized a headline in another local broadsheet, which read, "Whoopi blasts Kelly for disgracing Christina". The story referred to Whoopi Goldberg and her fellow hosts taking aim at Megyn Kelly for mocking Christina Applegate over her multiple sclerosis diagnosis. Sultani argues that the phrase "crossed a line" should be "crossed the line", as it refers to a specific boundary.
Sultani's column has sparked a necessary conversation about the importance of literacy skills in Tanzania. He argues that individuals, particularly those who are educated, have a responsibility to demonstrate basic literacy skills and to set a good example for young ones. By highlighting examples of punctuation illiteracy, Sultani hopes to encourage his readers to strive for better.
Ultimately, Sultani's criticism of punctuation illiteracy is a call to action for Tanzanians to take pride in their language skills. He encourages readers to pay attention to detail and to apply basic grammar rules in their writing. By doing so, Sultani hopes that Tanzanians can promote a culture of literacy and improve the overall quality of writing in the country.
Key points
- Tanzanian columnist Abdi Sultani criticizes punctuation illiteracy among educated individuals.
- Sultani cites examples of punctuation errors from local newspapers.
- He encourages readers to strive for better literacy skills and to set a good example for young ones.
