Noun/ [C]
Grammar error which is unique to Singapore that may be mistakenly accepted as Standard English.
We have put together in this notebook some blunders commonly heard in Singapore.
HEARD IN SINGAPORE
At Home
Singaporean Blunder: Please on | off it.
Standard English: Please turn it on | off.
Singaporean Blunder: Please off the tap.
Standard English: Please turn off the tap.
Singaporean Blunder: Please off | close the light.
Standard English: Please turn off the light.
Singaporean Blunder: He likes to play cheat when we play card games.
Standard English: He likes to cheat when we play cards.
Singaporean Blunder: With regards to the matter, I think …
Singapore English: With regard to the matter, I think …
Singaporean Blunder: Why you never do your homework?
Standard English: Why didn’t you do your homework?
Singaporean Blunder: You got eat already?
Standard English: Have you eaten?
Singaporean Blunder: I lazy to go out.
Standard English: I am lazy to go out.
Singaporean Blunder: He got 8 upon 10 for the Math test.
Standard English: He got 8 out of 10 questions right for the Math test.
In the Office
Singaporean Blunder: Lisa is taking writing classes to upgrade her skills.
Standard English: Lisa is taking writing classes to improve her skills.
Singaporean Blunder: Eric wants to apply leave next week.
Standard English: Eric wants to apply for leave next week.
Singaporean Blunder: I feedback to her.
Standard English: I gave her feedback.
Singaporean Blunder: Please revert to me as soon as possible.
Standard English: Please reply as soon as possible.
To revert means to return to a former practice or belief.
However, using revert to mean "reply to" is common in some varieties of English, e.g. Indian English.
Singaporean Blunder: Today is my off day. [an off day is a day when things don’t go well for you]
Standard English: Today is my day off.
Singaporean Blunder: Don’t worry, sure can one.
Standard English: Don’t worry. It will surely work.
Singaporean Blunder: So late already. You never go home?
Standard English: It’s so late. Why haven’t you left for home yet?
At the Shopping Mall
Singaporean Blunder: Where is the in-charge of this shop?
Standard English: Where is the person in charge of this shop?
Singaporean Blunder: Please give me few salt.
Standard English: Please give me less salt.
Less is used with uncountable nouns; few is used with countable nouns.
Singaporean Blunder: The shop is opened from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Standard English: The shop is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Singaporean Blunder: You have key in invalid password.
Standard English: You have keyed in an invalid password.
Singaporean Blunder: You are entitle to discount.
Standard English: You are entitled to a discount.
Singaporean Blunder: You go where?
Standard English: Where are you going?
Here, There and Everywhere
Singaporean Blunder: The driver behind just horned at you.
Standard English: The driver behind just honked /sounded his horn at you.
Singaporean Blunder: He is one kind.
Standard English: He is strange | He behaves strangely.
Singaporean Blunder: I will fetch the kids to school.
Standard English: I will take the kids to school.
Singaporean Blunder: From the SLE, you exit out at Yishun.
Standard English: From the SLE, you exit at Yishun.
Singaporean Blunder: I need to draw money from the ATM.
Standard English: I need to withdraw money from the ATM.
Singaporean Blunder: Got so many car here!
Standard English: There are so many cars here!
Singaporean Blunder: I cannot ownself do.
Standard English: I can’t do this myself.
Singaporean Blunder: The house sell already.
Standard English: The house has been sold.
Redundancies
Singaporean Blunder: To make it more clearer, I will rewrite the proposal. [More is redundant]
Standard English: To make it clearer, I will rewrite the proposal.
Singaporean Blunder: I will reprint the document again. [Again is redundant]
Standard English: I will reprint the document.
Singaporean Blunder: Please repeat your question again. [Again is redundant]
Standard English: Please repeat your question.
Singaporean Blunder: I like blue colour bags. (Colour is redundant]
Standard English: I like blue bags.
Singaporean Blunder: He is big in size. [In size is redundant]
Standard English: He’s big.
Singaporean Blunder: I will return back the files to you later. [Back is redundant]
Standard English: I will return the files to you later.
Singaporean Blunder: We discussed about this during the meeting. [About is redundant]
Standard English: We discussed this during the meeting.
Singaporean Blunder: I didn’t include it in. [In is redundant]
Standard English: I didn’t include it.
Singaporean Blunder: Let me separate them out. [Out is redundant]
Standard English: Let me separate them.
Singaporean Blunder: The manager emphasised on the importance of exercising regularly. (On is not necessary)
Standard English: The manager emphasised the importance of exercising regularly.