By Olayiwola Ridwan
Aminu Introduces Salamatu to His Friends
Aminu: Kabiru, Haruna, Jabiru, meet Salamatu, the grammar guru.
His friends: Assalamu ‘Alaikum, Hajia Salamatu. How are you?
Salamatu: Wa’alaykumus Salaam. I’m quite fine.
His friends: Happy to hear that. Aminu has really told us impressive things about you. He, in fact, told us how you command the English language efficiently.
Salamatu: I’m pleased to hear that.
His friends: You must equally be good at Mathematics.
Salamatu: No, I’m not. I don’t really like Mathematics.
Haruna: I don’t like it TOO.
Salamatu: Pardon?
Haruna: I mean I equally don’t like Mathematics.
Salamatu: Oh! It’s not bad anyway.
Haruna: (curious) Hope I have not committed blunder o?
Salamatu: I don’t have the authority to say that, even if that’s the case.
Haruna: Abeg tell me o. Don’t let our friend alone enjoy the privilege of your knowledge. Let us too learn directly from you.
Salamatu: It’s fine anyway. I wouldn’t say you committed a blunder, rather you made a common mistake. So, I can only guide, not teach you. In that case, the statement “I don’t like it TOO” is grammatically incorrect. The word “TOO” shouldn’t be used loosely. It has a peculiar way of using it. It doesn’t apply in all contexts. In the context of your statement above, the word “TOO” shouldn’t have been used. It would have been correct if you had used an appropriate word.
Haruna: (extremely curious) What’s the appropriate word, please?
Salamatu: Let me do the analysis. The word “TOO” normally in such a context, implies that you maintain the same position with the speaker. That indicates that you have a positive view just as the speaker. Therefore, “TOO” should be used when you have agreement with a speaker. For example:
Speaker: I enjoy reading at night.
You: I enjoy it, too.
You will be correct with your reply here.
Haruna: Hunmm… What if it’s in a negative context?
Salamatu: That’s a good question. This is where the majority commit a mistake. Let me use the same instance:
Speaker: I DON’T enjoy reading at night.
You: I DON’T enjoy it, TOO.
Your response here is ungrammatical. Here, you want to maintain the same position with a negative response; the appropriate word is not “TOO”. It is EITHER. In a negative context, you use EITHER, not too. For example:
Speaker 1: I don’t like James.
Speaker 2: I don’t like him, too.❌
Speaker 3: I don’t like him EITHER.✅
Here, speaker 2 is wrong. The response is a negative statement, so TOO should have been avoided. Speaker 3 is decidedly correct.
Haruna and others: O boy! Omo! This girl is a guru for grammar o.
Salamatu: (received a call from her friend in the hostel, to tell her that a visitor has been waiting for her. She quickly leaves the scene while saying goodbye to Aminu and his friends).