Defy or defile? Investment on or investment in? Check this out:
SAMPLE : “Although the Federal Government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas, it has been defiled by the Boko Haram sect…The change of poll date means that political parties are back to square one, despite the heavy investment on mobilization and campaigns in the last one month. (Fragile
Nation at the Mercy of Failed President, The Nation On Sunday, February 8, 2015)
Let’s pay attention to the verb defiled which occurs in the following context: “a state of emergency…has been defiled by the Boko Haram sect…” How contextually appropriate is the word defiled? It is completely unsuitable being as contextually incongruous as any wrong choice can be. Cheated by poor pronunciation and hobbled by intellectual indolence, the writer has committed a blunder in his choice of defiled rather than defied. The two words are totally semantically unrelated, similar as they may seem at the levels of spelling and pronunciation.
When a person, place or thing is defiled, that person or thing is made unholy, violated, robbed of his/its sacredness, sanctity. The word is often used by journalists to say that a man has slept wrongfully or forcefully with a lady. In that case, the lady has been violated. Please read the following sentences: 1) God’s sanctuary has been defiled by offerings derived from the proceeds of crimes. 2) Armed robbers now regularly defile the worship centres by breaking into them and making away with sacred valuables. 3) These days marriage beds are defiled unconscionably. 4) The courts have been defiled by judgments that are inspired by pecuniary benefits. 5) The armed robbers shot their way into the house and defiled all the ladies there. 6) Officiating priests in the Jewish temple were expected to avoid things, including sex, that could defile them as they presented themselves for God’s service.
Now read the following sentences: 1) The president often defies the national assembly by implementing policies not approved by it. 2) Members defied the rain and attended the rally in large numbers. 3) The police defied the court order and rearrested the suspect. 4) Miracles are by definition acts and developments that defy science and common sense. 5) The military government defied public opinion and executed the suspects. 6) I defied my doctor’s order and left the hospital without being formally discharged. 7) Children who constantly and flagrantly defy their parents’ instructions are in danger of divine wrath. 8) Most criminals defy their conscience when they engage in heinous acts. 9) Defying all protocol and security checks, the man went straight to the president and shook hands with him. 10) Defying the threats and foreboding associated with darkness in the jungle, the hunter went out in search of his abducted son. 11) The mystery in the air defies description. 12) The love he has for her defies any explanation.
When you defy something, you act in spite of it; when something defies another thing it works or functions in spite of or contrary to it.
At any rate, the word defied should replace defiled in the context under examination.
Next, we note the expression, “investment on” which occurs in the following context: “despite the heavy investment on mobilization.” Deserving particular attention is the particle on brought into a collocational relationship with the noun investment. Please noun that investment is the noun form of the verb invest. The verb invest takes the particle in and not on. You invest in something and not on it. Read the following sentences: 1) Every government that hopes to achieve food security should invest heavily in agriculture. 2) You should learn to invest your time in profitable activities. 3) Many Latin American nations invest in football.4) The lady is unwilling to quit the relationship because she has invested a lot in it. 5) It was only recently that the government thought it expedient to invest in the power sector. 6) She is investing so much emotion in her career that has husband has had cause to ask her to choose between him and her career.
The noun form takes the particle in as well. Now read the following sentences: 1) The government’s investment in the power sector will soon begin to yield positive results. 2) The investment of time in a relationship does not necessarily guarantee that it will not fail. 3) The university’s investment in books runs into billions of naira. 4) The government’s investment in solar energy is likely to translate into a drastic transformation of the economy. 5) The lady seems to be concealing her investment in the stock market from her husband. 6) Heavy investment in the educational sector is the only way to guarantee the future of the younger generation.
SAMPLE : “Although the Federal Government has declared a state of emergency in the affected areas, it has been defiled by the Boko Haram sect…The change of poll date means that political parties are back to square one, despite the heavy investment on mobilization and campaigns in the last one month. (Fragile
Nation at the Mercy of Failed President, The Nation On Sunday, February 8, 2015)
Let’s pay attention to the verb defiled which occurs in the following context: “a state of emergency…has been defiled by the Boko Haram sect…” How contextually appropriate is the word defiled? It is completely unsuitable being as contextually incongruous as any wrong choice can be. Cheated by poor pronunciation and hobbled by intellectual indolence, the writer has committed a blunder in his choice of defiled rather than defied. The two words are totally semantically unrelated, similar as they may seem at the levels of spelling and pronunciation.
When a person, place or thing is defiled, that person or thing is made unholy, violated, robbed of his/its sacredness, sanctity. The word is often used by journalists to say that a man has slept wrongfully or forcefully with a lady. In that case, the lady has been violated. Please read the following sentences: 1) God’s sanctuary has been defiled by offerings derived from the proceeds of crimes. 2) Armed robbers now regularly defile the worship centres by breaking into them and making away with sacred valuables. 3) These days marriage beds are defiled unconscionably. 4) The courts have been defiled by judgments that are inspired by pecuniary benefits. 5) The armed robbers shot their way into the house and defiled all the ladies there. 6) Officiating priests in the Jewish temple were expected to avoid things, including sex, that could defile them as they presented themselves for God’s service.
Now read the following sentences: 1) The president often defies the national assembly by implementing policies not approved by it. 2) Members defied the rain and attended the rally in large numbers. 3) The police defied the court order and rearrested the suspect. 4) Miracles are by definition acts and developments that defy science and common sense. 5) The military government defied public opinion and executed the suspects. 6) I defied my doctor’s order and left the hospital without being formally discharged. 7) Children who constantly and flagrantly defy their parents’ instructions are in danger of divine wrath. 8) Most criminals defy their conscience when they engage in heinous acts. 9) Defying all protocol and security checks, the man went straight to the president and shook hands with him. 10) Defying the threats and foreboding associated with darkness in the jungle, the hunter went out in search of his abducted son. 11) The mystery in the air defies description. 12) The love he has for her defies any explanation.
When you defy something, you act in spite of it; when something defies another thing it works or functions in spite of or contrary to it.
At any rate, the word defied should replace defiled in the context under examination.
Next, we note the expression, “investment on” which occurs in the following context: “despite the heavy investment on mobilization.” Deserving particular attention is the particle on brought into a collocational relationship with the noun investment. Please noun that investment is the noun form of the verb invest. The verb invest takes the particle in and not on. You invest in something and not on it. Read the following sentences: 1) Every government that hopes to achieve food security should invest heavily in agriculture. 2) You should learn to invest your time in profitable activities. 3) Many Latin American nations invest in football.4) The lady is unwilling to quit the relationship because she has invested a lot in it. 5) It was only recently that the government thought it expedient to invest in the power sector. 6) She is investing so much emotion in her career that has husband has had cause to ask her to choose between him and her career.
The noun form takes the particle in as well. Now read the following sentences: 1) The government’s investment in the power sector will soon begin to yield positive results. 2) The investment of time in a relationship does not necessarily guarantee that it will not fail. 3) The university’s investment in books runs into billions of naira. 4) The government’s investment in solar energy is likely to translate into a drastic transformation of the economy. 5) The lady seems to be concealing her investment in the stock market from her husband. 6) Heavy investment in the educational sector is the only way to guarantee the future of the younger generation.
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