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Samwalker Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

Filipinisms/Filipinoisms? Ring a bell?

Has anyone heard about Filipinisms/Filipinoism?

Hi guys. In the call center industry, it refers to terms/phrases used by Filipinos in speaking and in writing (sometimes). They gave me a list with corrections and assigned me to send one Filipinism with corrections weekly. However, in my opinion, sending the filipinism and a correction seems not enough.
I want to include reasons/explanations why a certain Filipinism is wrong but I'm neither a teacher nor a native Brit/Am so I don't know how to exlain each entry/correction.
I need your feedback for each entry (What makes them wrong? Is it grammatically incorrect? etc... How do I explain to agents?)
Here is their list:

"Filipinisms are words or phrases that are ususally grammatically incorrect or are almost always results of transliteration."

Filipinism (Correct Usage)

1. Free subscription of... (Free subscription to…) - prepo issue
2. Can I speak with…? (May I speak with…) - To sound more polite/ask permission?
3. Come again? (I'm sorry I didn't get quite get that / Excuse me? / I'm sorry would you please say that again?) - English trainers discourage agents to use this because they say that it could mean 'cum again')
4. It's for free! (It's free. / It's free of charge. / We're sending it to you for free.) - Filipinos have been used to saying 'It's for free'. How do I say that it should be avoided? What makes it wrong?
5. Hold your line/For awhile… (Would you mind if I put you on hold for a second? / Please hold) - hold your line is absurd. any comment? what about for awhile?
6. Open/ close the light/computer (Turn on/off the light/TV/computer) - how do I explain this? it sounds like opening/closing the tv for repair.
7. Do you mind waiting? Yes, I'll wait. (No, not at all. / No, I don't mind at all.) - YES is the issue. wrong response. any other feedback?
8. Anything? (Is there anything I can do for you? / How may I help you?) - fragmented, seems vague?
9. I'll ask her an apology. (I'll apologize to her. / I should make an apology.) - this sounds illogical?
10. We take lunch. (We eat lunch. / We have lunch (every Sunday).)
11. We accept repairs. (This shop repairs cars/cellphones, etc.)
12. We accept painting jobs. (This shop does painting jobs.)
13. Tuck out (Untuck)
14. He was salvaged. (He was assassinated.)
15. She deliveredher baby yesterday. (She had her baby yesterday. / Dr. Smith delivered her baby.)
16. Xerox (Photocopy)
17. Oppositor (Opposition member)
18. Hand carry (Carry - on luggage)
19. It's traffic today. (Traffic is heavy.)
20. Senatoriable (Senatorial candidate)
21. At around 2pm (At about 2pm) - around is Am? about is Brit?
22. I failed in Accent training. (I failed accent training.)
23. We were under Mr. Johnson. (Mr. Johnson was our teacher.) - Filipinos are used to saying 'That student is under my class' so this filipinism has started.
24. My brother is taking up law. (My brother is taking law. / My brother is studying law.)
25. Where are you studying? (Where do you go to school? / What school do you go to?)
26. Pass by my office before you go. (Drop by my office before you go.) - Brit/Am phrasal?
27. We have one participant only. (We only have one participant.) - should they say 'only one participant'?
28. I talked to her already. (I already talked to her.) - I need help on adverb order. This confuses all Filipinos and me too. Where should adverbs be placed?
29. Will you be at the office at 7am? Actually. (Will you be at the office at 7am? Yes.)
30. Actually, I like Jennifer Aniston. (I like Jennifer Aniston.) - Actually/basically has become Filipinos expressions.
31. As per Paul, all request forms should be signed by him. (As per Paul's instructions, all request forms should be signed by him.)
32. Wanted: Sewer (Wanted: Tailor or seamstress)
33. Take home (Take it home / To go. / For take out)
34. I felt kind of tired. (I felt rather tired.)
35. As to the project… (About the project…)
36. Thank you for that/this one. (Thank you for the information. / Thank you.) - I need to send this in a few minutes and I still couldn't think of an explanation. Phrasing sounds awkward to me. But besides getting straight to the point, why did 'for that/this one' make it wrong?
37. I do love playing basketball/volleyball. (I love playing basketball/volleyball.) - this may sound right depending on the flow of the conversation, right? e.g. you don't love playing... No, I do...
38. Currently, I live in Quezon City right now. (Currently, I live in Quezon City. / I live in Quezon City.) - redundant - now and currently.
39. Actually, I like Microsoft, Symantec and Adobe (I like Microsoft Symantec and Adobe)
40. As per Mon, all request forms should be signed by him. (As per Paul's instructions, all request forms should be signed by him.)
41. I do apologize (I apologize.)

Seeing and hearing their errors frustrate me. I wanna help them and tell them why each entry is wrong/grammatically incorrect/vague/illogical/awkwardly phrased/etc. but I'm not a teacher.
I would appreciate if someone could add exlanation to every entry...
  

Top answer

I would consider this exercise damagingly prescriptive; most are neither uniquely Filipino nor wrong. However (and my comments refer to AmE/BrE): 1. Free subscription of...

  • I would consider this exercise damagingly prescriptive; most are neither uniquely Filipino nor wrong.
  • However (and my comments refer to AmE/BrE): 1.
  • Free subscription of...
  • (Free subscription to…) - prepo issue-- AmE/BrE uses the collocation subscribe to.
  • 2.
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26 Answers
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I would consider this exercise damagingly prescriptive; most are neither uniquely Filipino nor wrong. However (and my comments refer to AmE/BrE):

1. Free subscription of... (Free subscription to…) - prepo issue-- AmE/BrE uses the collocation subscribe to.
2. Can I speak with…? (May I speak with…) - To sound more polite/ask permission?-- Both OK. 'Can' is mor
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Thank you Samwalker and Mister Micawber!  This is very useful! Emotion: smile
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Thank you very much, Mister Micawber. Emotion: smile
I really really really appreciate the time and effort you spent in assisting me.
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tnX 4 diz info....my professor told us to make a minor paper about this and.... your work really helps me a lot....
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For the question number 5. When we use "could" instead of "can", it is already polite. We may say "could you hold on for a minute?" We don't need to say "please" if we use "could". Am i correct?
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Incorrect. Please is always good to add to a request.
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greatly appreciate the help samwalker / Mister Micawber ...hope more will be added hehehe..will constantly look forward to both of ur post...but i suppose i have to become a member first..i'll do that later when i'm done with work...any incorrect grammar i have in this post, please feel free to correct^_^v...i do not mean to sound as if im downgrading our english teachers at school but there are j
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i do not mean to sound as if im downgrading our english teachers at school but there are just some things that they didn't teach right... - I agree so much. And that reality's really sad. Thank *** there are experts and forums like these.
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I know this is a very late comment, but since I joined this group only now and saw this message, I thought i'd offer my two cents' worth (in italics)---



I would consider this exercise damagingly prescriptive; most are neither uniquely Filipino nor wrong. However (and my comments refer to AmE/BrE):

1. Free subscription of... (Free subscription to…) - prep
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2. Can I speak with…? (May I speak with…) - To sound more polite/ask permission?-- Both OK. 'Can' is more casual but just as common. - "May" is encouraged especially when looking for customers or requesting something as "can" usually connotes asking someone if they CAN do something, which of course they CAN; like giving them a choice or an option, which in most telemarketing/customer service

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