Learning English is a rewarding journey, but even advanced learners make small mistakes that can hold them back from sounding natural. Identifying and correcting these common English mistakes will help you speak and write with more confidence.
1. Mixing Up “Your” and “You’re”
This is one of the most frequent grammar errors.
- “Your” shows possession (e.g., Your book is on the table.)
- “You’re” means you are (e.g., You’re doing great!).
👉 Tip: Try reading the sentence out loud replacing “you’re” with “you are.” If it makes sense, you’ve got it right.
2. Forgetting the Third-Person “-s”
Many learners forget to add “-s” for he/she/it in the present simple tense.
❌ He go to school every day.
✅ He goes to school every day.
It’s a tiny detail, but it makes a big difference in fluency.
3. Confusing “Much” and “Many”
Use much for uncountable nouns (much water, much time) and many for countable nouns (many books, many people).
👉 Remember: If you can count it, use “many.”
4. Using the Wrong Prepositions
Prepositions are tricky because they often don’t translate directly.
❌ Married with someone
✅ Married to someone
❌ Good in English
✅ Good at English
5. Saying “I Am Agree”
Never say I am agree. The correct form is simply:
✅ I agree.
Because “agree” is a verb, not an adjective.
6. Overusing “Very”
Instead of saying very good, try excellent. Instead of very tired, say exhausted. Expanding your vocabulary helps you sound more natural and fluent.
7. Using “Since” and “For” Incorrectly
- Since is used with a specific time: since 2010, since yesterday.
- For is used with a duration: for 3 years, for two hours.
8. Wrong Word Order in Questions
In English questions, the auxiliary verb comes before the subject.
❌ You are going?
✅ Are you going?
This small change makes your sentence sound like natural English.
9. Mispronouncing Common Words
Words like vegetable, comfortable, and chocolate are often mispronounced.
👉 Listen to native speakers or use online dictionaries with audio examples to improve your pronunciation.
10. Translating Directly from Your Native Language
One of the biggest mistakes learners make is thinking in their native language and translating word-for-word. Instead, try to think in English and learn phrases, not just words.
✅ Learn chunks like “It depends on…” or “At the end of the day.”
Conclusion
Making mistakes is part of learning — what matters is recognizing them and improving over time. By avoiding these 10 common English mistakes, you’ll sound more natural, confident, and fluent in both speech and writing.
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