Mistakes are a part of learning, but some mistakes are more common than others. This page examines the 50 most common mistakes that English learners make in speaking and writing. Have you made any of these mistakes? If so, that's okay. Remember: This is a normal part of the learning process. The purpose of this page is to help identify these mistakes so you can be conscious of them and stop making them in the future. Seeing, hearing, writing, and repeating correct forms is the key to effective and efficient language learning. Good luck!
Note from Alex: This is a list of mistakes that is the result of 15 years of teaching experience and of studying the challenges which speakers of many other languages face when they are learning English. This list takes into account speakers of various language families.
1.
Incorrect: I'm agree.
Correct: I agree.
Subject + verb. (I see. / I go. / I take. / I agree.)
2.
Incorrect: I'm feel pretty good.
Correct: I feel pretty good.
Same as #1.
3.
Incorrect: That's is difficult.
Correct: That's difficult. / That is difficult.
"That" + "be" conjugation. (That's a good question. / That's interesting. / That's nice.)
4.
Incorrect: She have a dog.
Correct: She has a dog.
"Have" conjugation: I/You/We/They have. -- He/She/It has.
5.
Incorrect: She doesn't has a dog.
Correct: She doesn't have a dog.
do/does/did auxiliary verb + base form of the main verb. (Does she have any money? / Do you want one?)
6.
Incorrect: I was go to work yesterday.
Correct: I went to work yesterday.
Past simple sentences: Subject + past simple verb. (We went... / I saw... / They started...)
7.
Incorrect: It's depend.
Correct: It depends.
Third person "It" + verb. (It exists. / It works. / It counts.)
8.
Incorrect: Is no easy.
Correct: It's not easy.
English needs a subject, and you need to use "not" to negate adjectives in 99% of cases. (It's not hard. / It's not good! / It's not finished.)
9.
Incorrect: In my city, have many condos.
Correct: In my city, there are many condos. / We have many condos in my city.
Use "There is"/"There are" to talk about the presence or existence of something. You can also say "We have," "They have," "The country/city/village/town has," etc. to talk about what a place, company, country, etc. possesses.
10.
Incorrect: He no is happy. / He is no happy.
Correct: He isn't happy. / He is not happy. / He's not happy.
"Be" negation: Subject + "be" verb conjugation + not.
11.
Incorrect: You need try harder.
Correct: You need to try harder.
12.
Incorrect: I want other one. (Meaning: I don't want this one. I want a different one or the second of two options.)
Correct: I want the other one.
13.
Incorrect: What do you usually take for breakfast?
Correct: What do you usually have for breakfast?
Word choice. Most English speakers use "have" when discussing meals, as well as when discussing food and drink. (I had a coffee. / Did you have lunch?)
14.
Incorrect: I'm looking forward to see you.
Correct: I'm looking forward to seeing you.
15.
Incorrect: She said me to call her.
Correct: She told me to call her. / She said to call her.
"Say" vs. "Tell". "Tell" + person who receives the information.
16.
Incorrect: I stopped to pay attention. / I quit to pay attention.
Correct: I stopped paying attention. / I quit paying attention.
"Stop"/"Quit" + gerund to mean you stopped an activity.
17.
Incorrect: I made my homework.
Correct: I did my homework.
"Make" vs. Do". "Do" + work/homework/a test/etc.
18.
Incorrect: I'm going to home.
Correct: I'm going home.
"Home" used as an adverb. (We went home. / I need to go home.)
19.
Incorrect: I haven't a dog.
Correct: I don't have a dog.
Negative of "have" possessive is "don't have" or "doesn't have." "Haven't" and "hasn't" are accepted in certain regions, however.
20.
Incorrect: Listen your parents.
Correct: Listen to your parents.
Prepositional verb: "Listen to." (I like listening to music. / Listen to this!)
21.
Incorrect: Sorry, I didn't listen you.
Correct: Sorry, I didn't hear you.
"Hear" refers to the physical ability to register someone's words with your ears.
22.
Incorrect: She is honest person.
Correct: She is an honest person.
Articles with singular nouns preceded by adjectives. See #2 here.
23.
Incorrect: He is teacher.
Correct: He is a teacher.
Articles before job titles. See #1 here.
24.
Incorrect: I have gone to Montreal yesterday.
Correct: I went to Montreal yesterday.
Use the simple past for activities which were finished in the past.
25.
Incorrect: He's married with a lawyer.
Correct: He's married to a lawyer.
26.
Incorrect: I'm so boring today.
Correct: I'm so bored today.
-ed adjectives for internal feelings. -ing for external judgements. (I'm bored. The movie is boring.)
27.
Incorrect: This movie is bored.
Correct: The movie is boring.
Same as #26.
28.
Incorrect: I must to complete the application.
Correct: I must complete the application.
Modal verb + base form of the main verb. (should/must/will/may/might/would/can/could + base form of the main verb)
29.
Incorrect: He can't to drive.
Correct: He can't drive.
Same as #28.
30.
Incorrect: I will do it when I will see you.
Correct: I will do it when I see you.
"Will" only needed once in conditional sentences (in the result clause, as in "We will call you when we arrive" or "I will inform you if I have any questions.")
31.
Incorrect: Do you like desserts?
Yes, I like!
Correct: Yes, I do! / Yes, I like them!
"Like" is a transitional verb. It needs to be followed by an object.
32.
Incorrect: Is good the movie?
Correct: Is the movie good?
"To be" yes/no question structure: "Be" + subject. (Is it ready? / Are you sure?)
33.
Incorrect: I have two childs. / I have two childrens.
Correct: I have two children.
Singular = child. Plural = children.
34.
Incorrect: I have 28 years. / I am 28 years. / I have 28.
Correct: I'm 28. / I'm 28 years old.
35.
Incorrect: Let me give you an advice.
Correct: Let me give you some advice.
"Advice" is not countable. Use "a piece of advice" if you want to count it. (Example: Let me give you two pieces of advice.)
36.
Incorrect: They have lived here since two years.
Correct: They have lived here for two years.
"For" + duration of time. "Since" + specific period in the past.
37.
Incorrect: I saw him in/at Monday.
Correct: I saw him on Monday.
"On" + days of the week and specific dates on a calendar. (On my birthday. / On January 27th. / On Friday.)
38.
Incorrect: One of my friend live there.
Correct: One of my friends lives there.
"One of" + plural noun. (One of them. / One of my colleagues. / One of the reasons...)
39.
Incorrect: I like very much that class.
Correct: I like that class very much.
Similar to #31.
40.
Incorrect: How I can contact you?
Correct: How can I contact you?
Modal question structure. Question word + modal verb + subject. (Where should I go? / Who can we call?)
41.
Incorrect: I don't speak good.
Correct: I don't speak well.
Use "well" when modifying verbs. (They played well. / We did well.)
42.
Incorrect: This is not enough big.
Correct: This is not big enough.
Structure: adjective + "enough." (Is it strong enough? / It's not small enough.)
43.
Incorrect: It's so nice place!
Correct: It's such a nice place!
"So" vs. "Such." "Such" + noun phrase.
44.
Incorrect: Can I have other drink, please?
Correct: Can I have another drink, please?
"Another" vs. "Other." Use "another" to mean "an extra one" or "a different one."
45.
Incorrect: He doesn't talk to others people. / He doesn't talk to other person.
Correct: He doesn't talk to other people.
"Another" vs. "Other." Use "other" with plurals.
46.
Incorrect: They talked during two hours.
Correct: They talked for two hours.
"For" + period of time. "During" + event or period being discussed. (Example: They talked during the game.)
47.
Incorrect: The technology is changing rapidly.
Correct: Technology is changing rapidly.
Plural or uncountable noun for general statements. Articles are unnecessary when discussing all members of a category. See #4.
48.
Incorrect: He is as you!
Correct: He's like you! / He's the same as you!
Use "like" to talk about similarity. Use "as" + adjectives and adverbs when making comparisons. (He's as tall as you. / I'm not as fit as him.) Or use "the same as," as in the second correct example above.
49.
Incorrect: I'm taking this course for improve my skills.
Correct: I'm taking this course to improve my skills.
50.
Incorrect: I learning English.
Correct: I'm learning English.
Did you enjoy this resource? Do you want to continue improving your English? Purchase a PDF, e-Book, or physical version of one of my books! All of my materials are intended to help English learners acquire practical language skills they can use in their daily life. Take a look!
Thank you for this useful list of grammar mistakes. Your job is well!
Hello Alex sir! How are you?
I'm Pallavi! I sent you an email please see that. Teacher, I made a drawing of yours and sent it to you on your email. Please see that teacher. It's not well made but still.
Thanks a million for this lesson. 🌸🙏❤️😊