The Filipino's Most Common English Error

...from someone's blog, worth reading...;)

The Filipino’s Most Common English Error

Yesterday I spent some time calling campus administrations. I was trying to set up True Love Waits seminars for February. One of the secretaries needed to put me on hold and uttered a phrase that I’ve heard hundreds of times over the last five years: “For a while.” 

I remember hearing this awkward expression at fast food restaurants when I first arrived. I was then intrigued by the almost universal acceptance of its use as Standard English. I’ve heard it from almost everyone—from McDonald’s cashiers to college deans. 

Let me explain why this is bad, awkward English. “For a while” is a dependent clause. This means that it is not designed to be spoken by itself—it has to be connected to another clause to make it a complete thought/sentence. Here are some correct uses of this phrase, which refers to an unspecified length of time:

I’m going to the mall for a while.
I’ve been here for a while. 
I waited for quite a while (implying a longer time). 
He’ll be here in just a little while (implying a shorter time).

In each sentence, you see that “for a while” is modifying the independent clause. Each of these sentences would make sense if “for a while” was completely removed. Dependent clauses, however, make no sense whatsoever when they stated alone (with nothing to modify). 

Correct Alternatives 

I’m guessing that my beloved Filipinos think that “for a while” is the English equivalent ofsanda li lang. It isn’t. Sanda li lang is best translated, “just a moment.” Here are some correct alternatives for formally asking someone to wait:

“One moment, please” 
“Hold, please.” (for telephone situations)

For informal situations, you could also use these:

“Hang on”
“Just a minute/second”

These phrases may not look any better, but trust me, they are. The missing nouns and/or verbs are automatically added in our minds. 

I’ve traveled to other parts of Asia, and I can say that the Filipino’s English is quite superior to that of other Asian countries (at least, the ones I have visited). Let’s keep it that way. Please pass this along to other Filipinos—let’s not allow this mistake to be the first thing that foreigners hear.