As we conclude this topic today, tell me the problem with each of the sentences below:
The director frowned at the manager’s decision to sell the goods on credit.
The police accused the man of stabbing the welder on the back.
Let’s see as soon as they round up the meeting.
The fact is that they harbour the last set of prepositional errors we are identifying in the series we started discussing two weeks ago. I believe old members of the class will easily be able to spot the mishaps. Should I mention names of such people so that we can hear from them? Well, I won’t. So, no one should panic.
Frowning at vs frowning upon
Although ‘frown at’ is not outright wrong, it is not acceptable in the above context. You can frown at people when you show annoyance, worry or confusion by looking at them, bringing your eyebrows together. In other words, ‘frowning at’ is a physical activity you undertake with your eyes. When you, however, disapprove of, dislike or consider something (an idea, occurrence etc.) unacceptable, you frown on or upon it. This means that, in the first sentence, the director frowned on/upon the manager’s action, not at it:
The director frowned at the manager’s decision to sell the goods on credit. (Wrong)
The director frowned on the manager’s decision to sell the goods on credit. (Correct)
Seeing the way her mother frowned on her, the girl quickly returned the biscuit to the owner. (Wrong)
Seeing the way her mother frowned at her, the girl quickly returned the biscuit to the owner. (Correct)
Stab on the back?
Although you can pat, slap, hit etc. someone on the back, arm head etc., you only stab them in the back or in any other part of the body — not on it. When the action involves the use of an object like a knife, which enters the body during the assault, we say ‘stab in’:
The hooligans stabbed the passenger on the back. (Wrong)
The hooligans stabbed the passenger in the back. (Correct)
The deceased was said to have been stabbed on the neck. (Wrong)
The deceased was said to have been stabbed in the neck. (Correct)
Round up vs round off
The third introductory clause also brings to focus the confusion often caused by ‘round up’ and ‘round off’. We can round off a meeting, party, game etc. when we mean ending it. On the other hand, ‘round up’ means arrest (by security officers) or sum up (in calculation). This indicates that what the other guy means is round off the meeting, not round up. You round off events but round up (arrest) people or some offending animals:
The police have rounded off 15 of the people said to be involved in the arson. (Wrong)
The police have rounded up 15 of the people said to be involved in the arson. (Correct)
The minister left before they rounded up the summit. (Wrong)
The minister left before they rounded off the summit. (Correct)
Concluded
