English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
More on S’s in the English Language
By right, I should be the next king (nonstandard).
By rights, I should be the next king (standard). By rights is used to mean if things had happened or been done fairly or correctly.
His marriage is on the rock (nonstandard).
His marriage is on the rocks (standard). if something such as a marriage or a business is on the rocks, it is experiencing very severe difficulties and looks likely to end very soon.
She has forgotten her root (nonstandard).
She has forgotten her roots (standard). A person’s family origins, or the particular place they come from and the experiences they have had living there are described as their roots.
GAB
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