10 Most Common Mistakes in English | Learn Spoken English | Explanation & Correction
Making mistakes is a natural part of learning English. However, identifying and correcting common errors can significantly improve your spoken English skills. In this guide, we’ll discuss 10 frequent mistakes made by English learners, explain why they happen, and provide the correct usage with examples to help you avoid them.
Table of Contents
- Mistake 1: Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement
- Mistake 2: Using Wrong Prepositions
- Mistake 3: Misplacing Adverbs
- Mistake 4: Incorrect Article Usage
- Mistake 5: Overusing Present Continuous Tense
- Mistake 6: Confusing Homophones
- Mistake 7: Double Negatives
- Mistake 8: Using “Me” Instead of “I”
- Mistake 9: Incorrect Word Order in Questions
- Mistake 10: Literal Translation from Native Language
Mistake 1: Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement
Why It Happens: Learners often mismatch singular subjects with plural verbs or vice versa.
Example:
- ❌ She don’t like tea.
- ✅ She doesn’t like tea.
Rule: Singular subjects require singular verbs (e.g., is, has, does), and plural subjects require plural verbs (e.g., are, have, do).
Mistake 2: Using Wrong Prepositions
Why It Happens: Prepositions vary widely between languages, leading to confusion.
Example:
- ❌ I am good in English.
- ✅ I am good at English.
Rule: Learn common prepositions for specific contexts (e.g., good at, interested in, depend on).
Mistake 3: Misplacing Adverbs
Why It Happens: Adverbs are often placed incorrectly in sentences.
Example:
- ❌ She speaks English fluently very.
- ✅ She speaks English very fluently.
Rule: Adverbs of manner, degree, and frequency should be placed correctly in the sentence, often before or after the verb.
Mistake 4: Incorrect Article Usage
Why It Happens: Learners omit articles (a, an, the) or use them unnecessarily.
Example:
- ❌ I bought new car.
- ✅ I bought a new car.
Rule: Use a/an for singular, nonspecific nouns and the for specific or previously mentioned nouns.
Mistake 5: Overusing Present Continuous Tense
Why It Happens: Learners use present continuous incorrectly for general truths.
Example:
- ❌ I am knowing him for years.
- ✅ I have known him for years.
Rule: Use the present continuous for actions happening now and not for general facts or states.
Mistake 6: Confusing Homophones
Why It Happens: Words that sound the same but have different meanings confuse learners.
Example:
- ❌ I need to loose weight.
- ✅ I need to lose weight.
Rule: Learn the differences between common homophones (e.g., lose/loose, their/there, your/you’re).
Mistake 7: Double Negatives
Why It Happens: Adding unnecessary negatives is common in casual speech.
Example:
- ❌ I don’t need no help.
- ✅ I don’t need any help.
Rule: Use only one negative in a sentence for correct grammar.
Mistake 8: Using “Me” Instead of “I”
Why It Happens: Learners confuse when to use subjective or objective pronouns.
Example:
- ❌ Me and John went to the store.
- ✅ John and I went to the store.
Rule: Use I as the subject of a sentence and me as the object.
Mistake 9: Incorrect Word Order in Questions
Why It Happens: Learners often form questions without proper inversion.
Example:
- ❌ You are coming to the party?
- ✅ Are you coming to the party?
Rule: Questions in English usually require auxiliary verbs before the subject.
Mistake 10: Literal Translation from Native Language
Why It Happens: Learners directly translate phrases from their native language into English.
Example:
- ❌ I have 30 years.
- ✅ I am 30 years old.
Rule: Avoid direct translations. Learn idiomatic expressions in English.
Practice Exercise
Correct the mistakes in these sentences:
- She don’t has a car.
- I am good in solving problems.
- Me and Sarah are going to the park.
- He don’t need no help.
- You are enjoying the party?
Answers:
- She doesn’t have a car.
- I am good at solving problems.
- Sarah and I are going to the park.
- He doesn’t need any help.
- Are you enjoying the party?
