Complaint, Complains, and the Related Verbs: A Grammatical Guide

The correct form is the noun 'complaint,' not the verb 'complain.' The verb 'complain' means to express dissatisfaction or protest, while the noun 'complaint' refers to an expression of dissatisfaction. Here are examples of the verb in use:

1. You cannot complain because you partly created the problem.
2. The man complains too often about food but he hardly gives his wife enough money for domestic matters.
3. Nigerians don't want to pay taxes but complain about poor infrastructure.
4. Western nations often complain about the Nigerian democratic culture forgetting their sordid influence on our history.
5. You have a right to complain and we also have a right to ask you for a better alternative.
6. I would rather complain openly than grumble and backbite.
7. Christians are not to complain about their leaders. Rather, they are to pray for them and, where possible, counsel them.
8. Customers are already complaining about the reduction in the quality and quantity of our products.
9. Students have been complaining about poor quality of instruction.
10. The followers who complain too much about their leaders may lack leadership qualities.
11. Are you surprised that some people complain about God?

The noun form 'complaint' is used as follows:

1. Your complaints are usually baseless.
2. The committee members will not entertain frivolous complaints.
3. All petitions and complaints must be accompanied by supporting documents.
4. The woman says she is sick and tired of her husband's unending complaints about almost everything.
5. I have stopped complaining since my complaints have yielded no positive results.
6. We have lodged a formal complaint against the accountant regarding delay in payment of salaries.
7. The leaders will be forced to act when the complaints are becoming too frequent.
8. Your complaints are being addressed by appropriate authorities.
9. You should not allow your complaints to degenerate into insubordination.
10. Your complaints must be devoid of bitterness, hostility and hatred.
11. Their complaints have nothing to do with money.
12. Repeated and habitual complaints will wear the leaders out.

Common errors to avoid include saying 'My complains are many' instead of 'My complaints are many,' or 'God hates complains' instead of 'God hates complaints.' Similarly, do not say 'This complain is unheard-of' — it should be 'This complaint is unheard-of.' Do not say 'She has been repeating the same complain month after month' — it should be 'She has been repeating the same complaint month after month.'

Three other words worth considering are 'refrain,' 'restrain/restraint,' and 'constrain/constraint.' To refrain from doing something means to deliberately avoid it. Examples include:

1. Members of the public have been advised to refrain from making comments on the desirability or otherwise of the corporate existence of Nigeria.
2. Health officials have been advising residents to refrain from dumping refuse in waterways to avoid disastrous flooding.
3. Principals and headmasters have been warned to refrain from collecting unauthorized fees from students.
4. To avoid being misunderstood by people who are not familiar with the situation, I have refrained from making any pronouncement on the development.
5. Those who cannot refrain from talking are advised to leave the hall.
6. It is in his own interest to refrain from interacting with the controversial lady.

Please note that 'refrain' is a verb and occurs regularly with the particle 'from,' forming an indissoluble idiom.

Now consider 'restrain': When you restrain someone or yourself, you prevent them from doing something or acting in a particular way. The restraining may be physical or emotional. Examples include:

1. It was with great difficulty that I restrained myself from hitting him in the face.
2. She was boiling inside, and it was obvious she managed to restrain herself from making explosive remarks.
3. The man charged towards the policeman, intent on strangling him, but was restrained by two hefty men.
4. Tipsy and horny, it was a miracle that he managed to restrain himself from going the whole hog with the lady.
5. We have a duty as Christians to restrain ourselves from doing anything that is antithetical to our faith.
6. There were already signs that he would soon grow violent, but this time he would restrain himself and avoid destroying the household utensils bought by his wife.

The noun form is 'restraint.' Examples include:

1. Men are often advised to exercise restraint in their dealings with women.
2. In life, there are times for sensible and productive restraint, and there are times for freedom, complete, wholesome freedom.
3. Business activities call for wisdom, calm calculation, and restraint.
4. Seasoned diplomats know when to act swiftly and freely and when to exercise restraint.
5. One should be sensible enough to exercise restraint among strangers and in a foreign land.
6. As one grows older, one's sense of restraint should increase.
7. A sound sense of restraint is usually a function of cultural education.

Finally, consider the verb 'constrain.' A thing that constrains a person limits their action, freedom of action, development, forcing them to do or not do certain things. Examples include:

1. Family ties often constrain people from taking up jobs from particular locations.
2. Poverty constrains people's educational attainment in Africa.
3. There should be laws to constrain parents to send their female children to school.
4. Citizens should be constrained by patriotism to report crime to the police.
5. Constrained by love, he often helps his wife in the kitchen.
6. I feel constrained by honour to confess my misdeeds openly.
7. Expansion of a farm is often constrained by availability of land and funds.
8. The prosperity of any business organization is constrained as much by financial and human resources as by the vision of the founding director(s).

The noun form is 'constraint.' Examples include:

1. The association died a natural death as a result of financial constraints.
2. But for cultural constraints (such as what people would say, what would become of the children, etc) the marriage would have ended in divorce a long time ago.
3. Powerful as the presidency is, it is subject to the constraints of checks and balances.
4. There are constraints on the powers of the governor that guarantee that those powers are not abused.
5. Social constraints even in an overly patriarchal society like ours prevent husbands from acting irresponsibly.
6. Working within the constraints of limited resources, we can only expect modest achievements.
7. The constitution provides the needed constraints on the powers of public officials.
8. Every human being works within the constraint of the limited time available to him in life.

Understanding these grammatical distinctions is essential for effective communication, writing, and academic work in Nigeria and beyond.