Common English Grammar Mistakes

Subject-Verb Agreement

• A common error stems from learners not knowing the subject-verb agreement rule for singular and plural subjects; some languages do not alter verbs based on the subject
• "She go to school every day" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "She goes to school every day"

Articles (a, an, the)

• A common error occurs as many languages, such as Korean, lack articles, influencing learners to omit them
• "I have dog" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I have a dog"
• "The" is used when referring to something specific
• Learners may overuse "the" when talking about general concepts.
• "I like the music" (when referring to general music) is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I like music"

Prepositions

• Prepositions do not often directly translate across languages, so students may mix them up
• "I am good in English" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I am good at English"
• In many languages, prepositions are used differently
• "She is interested for history" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "She is interested in history"

Tense Usage

• Present perfect tense is often mixed with past simple tense
• Present perfect tense is used for actions that happened at an unspecified time before now
• "I have seen him yesterday" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I saw him yesterday"
• After "didn't," the verb should be in its base form, but learners often forget this
• "She didn't studied last night" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "She didn't study last night"

Word Order in Questions

• Word order in questions is different in other languages, so learners might forget to invert the subject and verb.
• "You are going where?" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "Where are you going?"

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

• Some languages make no distinction between countable and uncountable nouns
• This influences learners to treat uncountable nouns like countable ones
• "I have many informations" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I have much information" as "information" is uncountable.
• "Advice" is uncountable, but learners often mistakenly use "few" (which is for countable nouns)
• "I need few advice" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I need some advice"

Pronouns (He/She/It)

• Some languages use pronouns redundantly but in English pronouns are unnecessary if the subject is already clear
• "My sister, she is a doctor" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "My sister is a doctor"
• Learners sometimes omit the subject or use the wrong pronoun
• "I like to play soccer. He also." is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I like to play soccer. He does too."

Double Negatives

• Some languages use double negatives to emphasize the negation
• Double negatives result in a positive in English
• "I don't need no help" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I don't need any help"

Adjective Placement

• Learners might place adjectives after nouns, as happens in some languages
• English adjectives usually come before nouns
• "She wore a dress red" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "She wore a red dress"

Using the Correct Verb Form (Infinitive vs. Gerund)

• Some languages allow verbs to be followed by the infinitive
• Some English verbs require gerunds (verbs ending in -ing) after them
• "I enjoy to read books" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I enjoy reading books"
• "Decide" is followed by the infinitive, not a gerund
• "She decided going to the party" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "She decided to go to the party"

Confusion Between "Some" and "Any"

• "Some" and "any" can be confusing because they are used differently in other languages
• "I don't have some money" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I don't have any money"
• "Some" is used in affirmative statements
• "Some" in questions is usually reserved for offers or requests.
• "Do you want some water?" (in a question) is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "Would you like some water?" or "Do you want any water?"

Overuse of "Very"

• Learners may overuse "very" to emphasize adjectives
• A more specific adjective is a better choice sometimes
• "She is very good at singing" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "She is excellent at singing"

Incorrect Use of "Much" and "Many"

• "Much" is used for uncountable nouns
• "Many" is used for countable ones
• "I have much friends" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I have many friends"

Confusion Between "Because" and "Because of"

• "Because" is used with a subject
• "Because of" is used with a noun
• "I stayed home because of I was sick" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I stayed home because I was sick" or "I stayed home because of my sickness"

"Have" vs. "Take" (in Different Contexts)

• "Take" is used with "rest," "bath," "shower," and similar nouns
• "I have a rest" is incorrect usage
• Correct version - "I take a rest"

Additional Grammatical Errors

• The question-answer format not only highlights the mistake but also helps students understand the reason behind it. It encourages active learning and critical thinking, helping them apply the correction themselves.

Subject-Verb Agreement

• "They is my friends" is incorrect usage
• "Is" is singular and "they" is plural, so they don't match
• Correct version - "They are my friends."
• "Are" is the plural verb form

Articles

• "She is the teacher of our class" is incorrect usage
• Definite article "the" is unnecessary when talking about a general profession
• Correct version - "She is a teacher of our class"

Prepositions

• "I arrived to the station late" is incorrect usage
• "To" should be replaced with "at" when referring to arrival at a specific location
• Correct version - "I arrived at the station late"

Tense Usage

• "By the time we arrived, they already left" is incorrect usage
• Past perfect tense ("had left") is needed to show an action that was completed before another past event
• Correct version - "By the time we arrived, they had already left"

Word Order in Questions

• "What you are doing?" is incorrect usage
• We need to invert the subject and verb in questions
• Correct version - "What are you doing?"

Countable and Uncountable Nouns

• "I don't have much books" is incorrect usage
• "Books" is a countable noun, so "much" should be replaced with "many."
• Correct version - "I don't have many books"

Pronouns

• "Me and my brother went to the park" is incorrect usage
• "Me" is the object form of the pronoun, but the subject form "I" should be used
• Correct version - "My brother and I went to the park."

Double Negatives

• "I can't hardly wait for the concert" is incorrect usage
• "Can't" and "hardly" together create a double negative, which is incorrect in English as it can imply the opposite meaning
• Correct version - "I can hardly wait for the concert"

Adjective Placement

• "She wore a beautiful red dress" has correct word order, but it's good to emphasize adjective placement for clarity
• Adjective "red" should come before the noun "dress"
• The adjective "beautiful" should describe "dress."
• Correct version - "She wore a beautiful red dress."

Using the Correct Verb Form (Infinitive vs. Gerund)

• "I want going to the park" is incorrect usage
• "Want" needs the infinitive form of the verb, not the gerund
• Correct version - "I want to go to the park"

Confusion Between "Some" and "Any"

• "Do you have some sugar?" is incorrect usage
• "Some" is generally used in affirmative sentences
• "Any" is more common in questions and negatives
• Correct version - "Do you have any sugar?"

Overuse of "Very"

• "This cake is very delicious" is incorrect usage
• "Delicious" is already a strong adjective, so "very" is not necessary
• Correct version - "This cake is delicious"

Incorrect Use of "Much" and "Many"

• "She has much pens in her bag" is incorrect usage
• "Much" is used for uncountable nouns, and "many" is used for countable nouns
• Correct version - "She has many pens in her bag"

Confusion Between "Because" and "Because of"

• He is sad because of he failed the exam is incorrect usage
• "Because" is used with a subject and verb
• "Because of" is used with a noun
• Correct version - "He is sad because he failed the exam."

"Have" vs. "Take" (in Different Contexts)

• "I am going to have a break" is incorrect usage
• "Take" is the correct verb to use when talking about breaks, rest, or holidays
• Correct version - "I am going to take a break"

Bonus: Mixed Tenses

• "By the time you arrive, I will be already gone" is incorrect usage
• This uses the future perfect tense for an action that will be completed before another future action
• The wording is awkward
• Correct version - "By the time you arrive, I will have already gone"

Common errors

• Using "fewer" vs. "less"
• "I have less books than you" is incorrect usage
• "Fewer" is used for countable nouns, while "less" is for uncountable nouns
• Correct version - "I have fewer books than you"
• Incorrect use of "since" and "for"
• "I have lived here since 5 years" is incorrect usage
• "Since" is used for a specific point in time
• "For" is used for a period of time
• Correct version - "I have lived here for 5 years"
• Using "too" vs. "very"
• "The cake is too good" is incorrect usage
• "Too" implies excessiveness, while "very" is used for emphasis
• Correct version - "The cake is very good"
• Confusion with "to" and "too"
• "She is going to much work today" is incorrect usage
• "To" is used for direction or purpose and "too" indicates excess
• Correct version - "She is going to do much work today"
• Using "can" instead of "could" in past requests
• "Can you help me yesterday?" is incorrect usage
• "Can" is present tense
• "Could" should be used for past requests
• Correct version - "Could you help me yesterday?"
• Incorrect word order in negative sentences
• "I not like this movie" is incorrect usage
• "Do" or "does" is needed before the verb in negative sentences
• Correct version - "I do not like this movie"
• Double subject in a sentence
• "My friend he is very kind" is incorrect usage
• Avoid repeating the subject when it's already clear
• Correct version - "My friend is very kind"
• Incorrect use of "each" and "every"
• "Each of the students were excited" is incorrect usage
• "Each" is singular, so the verb should be singular as well
• Correct version - "Each of the students was excited"
• Missing subject pronoun
• "Told him to study harder" is incorrect usage
• A subject pronoun is missing in the sentence
• Correct version - "I told him to study harder"
• Incorrect use of "good" vs. "well"
• "He plays the guitar good" is incorrect usage
• "Good" is an adjective while "well" is an adverb that modifies the verb "plays."
• Correct version - "He plays the guitar well"
• Wrong preposition in time expressions
• "I will meet you in Monday" is incorrect usage
• "On" is used for specific days of the week
• Correct version - "I will meet you on Monday"
• Incorrect word choice for duration
• "She stayed at the office for last night" is incorrect usage
• "For" is used for a period of time
• "Since" is used for a specific point in time
• Correct version - "She stayed at the office since last night"
• Incorrect use of the future tense
• "I will going to the party tomorrow" is incorrect usage
• The correct form is "will go," not "will going."
• Correct version - "I will go to the party tomorrow"
• Confusing "advice" with "advise"
• "I will advice you to study hard" is incorrect usage
• "Advice" is a noun and "advise" is a verb
• Correct version - "I will advise you to study hard"
• Mixing "much" and "many" in questions
• "How much cars do you have?" is incorrect usage
• "Cars" is countable, so "many" should be used instead of "much."
• Correct version - "How many cars do you have?"
• Use of "till" instead of "until" in formal writing
• "I will wait till you finish" is incorrect usage
• "Until" is more formal than "till."
• Correct version - "I will wait until you finish"
• Incorrect conditional sentence structure
• "If I would have known, I would have helped" is incorrect usage
• In the third conditional, "would have" is used for both parts
• Correct version - "If I had known, I would have helped"
• Confusing "who" and "whom"
• "Who did you give the book to?" is incorrect usage
• "Whom" is the correct object pronoun in formal English
• Correct version - "Whom did you give the book to?"
• Using "it" instead of "there" in existential sentences
• "It is a book on the table" is incorrect usage
• "There" is used to introduce the existence of something
• Correct version - "There is a book on the table"
• Using "good" instead of "well" after "feel"
• "I feel good today" is incorrect usage
• "Well" should be used as an adverb to modify "feel."
• Correct version - "I feel well today"
• Using "will" instead of "going to"
• "I will buy a new car next year" is incorrect usage
• "Going to" is used for plans or intentions, while "will" is often used for decisions made at the moment of speaking
• Correct version - "I am going to buy a new car next year"
• Confusing "everybody" with "every one"
• "Everybody of the students passed the test" is incorrect usage
• "Everybody" is a singular pronoun, and "every one" refers to each individual in a group
• Correct version - "Every one of the students passed the test"
• Incorrect use of "the" with general nouns
• "She is a best player in the team" is incorrect usage
• "The" is used before superlative adjectives like "best," not "a."
• Correct version - "She is the best player in the team"
• Using "different than" instead of "different from"
• "This book is different than the one I read last week" is incorrect usage
• "Different from" is the correct phrase when comparing things
• Correct version - "This book is different from the one I read last week"
• Incorrect subject-verb agreement with "either" or "neither"
• "Neither of the students have finished their homework" is incorrect usage
• "Neither" is singular, so the verb should be "has," not "have."
• Correct version - "Neither of the students has finished their homework"
• Using "borrow" instead of "lend"
• "Can you borrow me your pen?" is incorrect usage
• "Lend" is used when giving something
• "Borrow" is used when taking something
• Correct version - "Can you lend me your pen?"
• Incorrect verb tense in reported speech
• "She said she will go to the store" is incorrect usage
• In reported speech, we shift the tense one step back (present to past, will to would)
• Correct version - "She said she would go to the store"
• Using "in" instead of "on" for days of the week
• "I will meet you in Monday" is incorrect usage
• "On" is used when referring to specific days of the week
• Correct version - "I will meet you on Monday"
• Double possessive
• "This is my friend's sister's phone number" is incorrect usage
• A double possessive ("friend's sister's") is incorrect. "of" is to show possession in such cases
• Correct usage - "This is the phone number of my friend's sister"
• Using "me" as the subject
• "Me and my friend went to the party" is incorrect usage
• The correct subject pronoun is "I"
• "Me" is used as an object
• Correct Usage - "My friend and I went to the party"
• Misplacing adverbs
• "She quickly ran to the store" is incorrect usage
• Adverbs like "quickly" typically come after the verb, unless the action is being emphasized at the beginning of the sentence
• Correct version - "She ran quickly to the store"
• Incorrect form of "too"
• "She is too smarter than I am" is incorrect usage
• "Too" is used to indicate excessiveness, not comparison and "smarter" is sufficient for comparison
• Correct version - "She is smarter than I am"
• Incorrect plural form
• "There are too much people in the room" is incorrect usage
• "People" is countable, so "many" should be used instead of "much"
• Correct version - "There are too many people in the room"
• Incorrect word order in conditional sentences
• "If I will go to the store, I'll buy some milk" is incorrect usage
• We do not use "will" in the "if" clause in the first conditional
• Correct version - "If I go to the store, I'll buy some milk"
• Using "between" for more than two things
• "The money is divided between Tom, John, and Jane" is incorrect usage
• "Between" is used for two things
• "Among" is used for more than two
• Correct version - "The money is divided among Tom, John, and Jane"
• Using "which" instead of "who" for people
• "The teacher, which is very kind, helped me" is incorrect usage
• "Who" refers to people
• "Which" refers to things or animals
• Correct version - "The teacher, who is very kind, helped me"
• Confusing "to" and "for"
• "I bought a gift to you" is incorrect usage
• "For" is used when giving something to someone
• "To" is used for direction or movement
• Correct version - "I bought a gift for you"
• Incorrect comparison using "more" and "than"
• "She is more smarter than me" is incorrect usage
• "Smarter" is already a comparative adjective, so "more" is unnecessary
• Correct version - "She is smarter than me"
• Using "was" instead of "were" in hypothetical situations
• "If I was you, I would take the job" is incorrect usage
• We use "were" for all subjects (subjunctive mood) in hypothetical situations
• Correct version - "If I were you, I would take the job."
• Wrong use of "until" and "by"
• "I will finish the work until tomorrow" is incorrect usage
• "Until" refers to the duration up to a point in time
• "By" means before or at a specific time
• Correct version - "I will finish the work by tomorrow"