English for Today by Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose (Dr GAB)
Do you tread or thread a path?
You have to ~thread~ carefully to achieve your desire (nonstandard).
You have to *tread* carefully to achieve your desire (standard).
If you tread carefully, you behave in a careful or cautious way. The meaning extends to putting your foot on something when you are walking or standing:
I didn’t mean to *tread* on you please. ✔️
The other forms of “tread” are “trod” and “trodden”:
Bisi has *trodden* that path several times today. ✔️
She ~treaded~ her way through the compound so as to avoid her dad (nonstandard).
She *threaded* her way through the compound so as to avoid her dad (standard).
To thread is to move forwards, often changing direction in order to avoid people or things. The past tense and past participle of “thread” is “threaded”.
Note also that as a noun, thread is also (a length of) a very thin fibre.
GAB
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