Multi-talented media personality, Somizi Mhlongo took to Instagram to ask fans to chip in on his grammar.
The former “Idol’s SA” judge, who coined several phrases like “woo shem”, “dishwasher personality” and “acrobatly ostentatiously berivical”, asked his fans if he was grammatically correct for saying, “I’ll make the time”, instead of, “I’ll make time”.
Somgaga said that it all started when his friend asked him if they could meet and when the friend said that it was urgent, he said: “Ok, I’ll make the time.”
In the video clip he said: “One thing I know about myself is that my English is untouchable... I’m the master of English. Subjects that I excel is mathematics and English, the most difficult subjects.
“So this friend says let’s meet...is it urgent, yeah kinda. It’s okay, I’ll make the time, meaning I will clear my schedule, I will make the effort, then he laughs at me and said I’m correcting you. You said ‘the time’, correct English is, ‘I’ll make time’.
He went on to say that he didn’t think either sentence was wrong.
“The issue is that he said I am wrong... So please tell me, was I wrong? I don’t think I’m wrong, I don’t believe I’m wrong, can we have educated people here, and English speaking people also assist. Am I wrong or am I right?
Watch video below:
Fans were divided on the subject. Some suggested that he was correct, others said that he was wrong.
And the rest drifted off topic, saying that he didn’t need friends like that.
@mamdluli_05 wrote: “Firstly English is not ours 🙄 Secondly what matters the most is that the person you were talking to understood FINISH 🙄😂😂.
“You are both right! 🌟Anyway, English came by ship so you shouldn’t even care. You can even say, I time make. 😌,” said @president_obakeng.
@ Gabi_M shared: “You were wrong SomG, “I will make the time” speaks to punctuality… “ I will make time” means ngitawenta sikhatsi sekukubona. ‘The’ is usually used when referring to a subject matter that’s known, and common cause between the parties.
“So with reference to time, it means there’s a date and time set, then you confirm your availability on same … put differently, hypothetically, friend could have asked how far are you & you’d respond by saying ‘don’t worry, I will make the time’.”
Radio personality and Mhlongo’s good friend, Lerato Kganyago, wrote: “Just don’t make time for them 😏.”