Common English Mistakes: 48 Errors Explained
Every English learner makes mistakes — but not random ones. The same errors appear again and again across languages and levels: wrong tenses, confused words, direct translations that do not work, and punctuation traps. This guide identifies the 48 most damaging mistakes and shows you precisely how to fix each one.
48 mistakes · 6 categories
"I am agree"
WRONG. "Agree" is a verb, not an adjective. Use "I agree" — never combine "am" with "agree".
Correct: "I agree with your point about the deadline."
"he don't know"
WRONG. Third-person singular (he/she/it) always takes "doesn't", not "don't", in the simple present.
Correct: "He doesn't know the answer yet."
"since three years"
WRONG. Use "for" with a duration of time. "Since" is used with a point in time, not a length of time.
Correct: "I have been studying English for three years."
"more better"
WRONG. "Better" is already the comparative form of "good". Adding "more" creates a double comparative.
Correct: "Your second draft is much better than the first."
"I have 25 years"
WRONG in English. Unlike Spanish or French, English uses "to be" for age, not "to have".
Correct: "I am 25 years old."
"we must to go"
WRONG. Modal verbs like "must", "can", "will", and "should" are always followed by the bare infinitive (no "to").
Correct: "We must go now or we will miss the train."
"informations"
WRONG. "Information" is an uncountable noun and has no plural form. Use "pieces of information" if you need to count.
Correct: "She gave me some very useful information about the visa process."
"I am boring"
WRONG (usually). "Boring" describes the thing causing boredom. Use "bored" to describe how you feel.
Correct: "I am bored in this meeting" vs "This meeting is boring."
"affect vs effect"
"Affect" is almost always a verb ("to affect"). "Effect" is almost always a noun ("an effect"). "The rain affected the game" / "The rain had a big effect on the game."
"Stress can affect your health. The effects of stress on the body are well-documented."
"lend vs borrow"
"Lend" means to give something temporarily (you are the owner). "Borrow" means to take something temporarily (you are the recipient).
Correct: "Can you lend me your pen?" / "Can I borrow your pen?"
"make vs do"
"Make" is used for creating or producing things. "Do" is used for activities and tasks. These collocations must be memorised.
"Make a decision, make a mistake, make an effort" vs "do homework, do the washing, do your best."
"say vs tell"
"Tell" is always followed by a person (tell someone). "Say" is not — it focuses on the words spoken.
Correct: "She told me the news" / "She said the news was shocking."
"watch vs look vs see"
"See" is passive (happens without effort). "Look" means to direct your eyes. "Watch" means to observe something moving or changing over time.
"I saw a bird" (accidental) / "Look at that bird!" (directed) / "I watched the bird for ten minutes" (sustained).
"fun vs funny"
"Fun" means enjoyable. "Funny" means amusing or humorous — it causes laughter. Calling someone "very fun" is acceptable in informal AmE, but "funny" has a different core meaning.
"The party was fun" (enjoyable) vs "The comedian was funny" (made people laugh).
"sensitive vs sensible"
"Sensible" means having good judgement (a false friend for French/Spanish speakers). "Sensitive" means quick to respond emotionally or physically.
"Wear sensible shoes for the hike." / "She is very sensitive to criticism."
"actually vs currently"
"Actually" does not mean "at this moment" — it means "in fact" or "to be honest". "Currently" means "at this time". Many learners swap these.
Correct: "I actually prefer tea to coffee" / "She is currently working in Berlin."
"in the next week"
WRONG. Do not use "the" with "next" or "last" when referring to the week/month/year relative to now. "The" makes it sound distant and odd.
Correct: "I will call you next week." / "She left last Monday."
"married with"
WRONG. In English, you are "married to" someone, not "married with". This is a very common direct translation error.
Correct: "She has been married to her partner for ten years."
"listen music"
WRONG. You always "listen TO" something. The preposition "to" is obligatory with this verb.
Correct: "I love listening to music while I work."
"discuss about"
WRONG. "Discuss" already implies talking about something — the word "about" is redundant and incorrect.
Correct: "Let's discuss the proposal." (NOT "discuss about the proposal").
"I am at home since morning"
WRONG. The present perfect must be used with "since" in duration contexts, not the simple present or past.
Correct: "I have been at home since this morning."
"a interesting idea"
WRONG. Use "an" before words that begin with a vowel sound. The sound is what matters, not the spelling ("an hour", "a university").
Correct: "That is an interesting idea. It is also an unusual approach."
"go to the home"
WRONG. We say "go home" (no article, no preposition) or "go to someone's home". "Home" used as an adverb takes no preposition.
Correct: "I'm tired. I want to go home." / "Let's go to her home for dinner."
"in television"
WRONG. Use "on" for media and surfaces (on TV, on the radio, on screen, on the phone). Use "in" for enclosed spaces.
Correct: "I saw it on television" / "She appeared on the radio."
"I am knowing you"
WRONG. "Know", "like", "love", "want", "understand", "believe", and other stative verbs do not normally take the continuous form.
Correct: "I know you from somewhere." / "I understand the problem."
"did you went"
WRONG. In questions and negatives with "did", the main verb must be in the base form (bare infinitive), not the past tense.
Correct: "Did you go to the concert?" / "She didn't call me."
"I have seen him yesterday"
WRONG. The present perfect cannot be used with specific past time expressions like "yesterday", "last year", or "in 2010". Use the simple past.
Correct: "I saw him yesterday." / "I have seen him recently." (no specific time).
"When I will arrive, I call you"
WRONG. In time clauses beginning with "when", "after", "before", "until", and "as soon as", use the present simple — not the future.
Correct: "When I arrive, I will call you." / "I'll text you after I finish."
"she is working here since 2019"
WRONG. With "since" expressing an ongoing state from the past to now, English uses the present perfect (continuous), not the present simple.
Correct: "She has been working here since 2019."
"if I would know"
WRONG. In real conditionals (Type 1), use the present simple in the if-clause. In unreal conditionals (Type 2), use the past simple — not "would".
Correct: "If I knew the answer, I would tell you." (Type 2, unreal).
"I am living here for ten years"
WRONG. The present simple or continuous with "for" covering a period up to now requires the present perfect (continuous).
Correct: "I have lived here for ten years." / "I have been living here for ten years."
"He suggested to go"
WRONG. "Suggest" is followed by a gerund (-ing form) or a "that" clause — never by an infinitive.
Correct: "He suggested going out for dinner." / "He suggested that we go out."
"I am embarrassed (embarrassed ≠ pregnant)"
The Spanish/Portuguese "embarazada" means pregnant, not embarrassed. This is a classic false friend causing very awkward moments.
Correct: "I was embarrassed when I forgot his name." / "She is pregnant."
"eventually = finally (WRONG)"
"Eventually" means "at some point in the future, after a delay" — not "finally" in the sense of conclusion. Many European learners confuse this.
Correct: "He eventually found a solution." (after some time) vs "Finally, I would like to thank everyone." (conclusion).
"actual = current (WRONG)"
"Actual" in English means "real" or "genuine", not "current". From French "actuel" or Russian "актуальный" — a very widespread error.
Correct: "The actual cost was higher than the estimate." / "The current situation is improving."
"make a party"
WRONG direct translation. English uses "have a party" or "throw a party" — not "make a party". The verb collocates differently.
Correct: "We're throwing a party for her birthday." / "Are you having a party this weekend?"
"open the light"
WRONG direct translation (common from Semitic and Asian languages). Lights are "turned on" or "switched on", not "opened".
Correct: "Can you turn on the light, please?" / "She switched off the lamp before bed."
"sympathetic = nice (WRONG)"
"Sympathetic" means showing understanding or compassion for someone's problems — not simply "nice" or "friendly". A false friend from European languages.
Correct: "She was very sympathetic when I told her about my loss." / "He is a very friendly person."
"I assist to the meeting"
WRONG. "Assist" means to help. To attend an event, use "attend" or "go to". Confusion arises from French "assister à" or Spanish "asistir a".
Correct: "I attended the meeting." / "She assisted the manager with the report."
"he is very sympathique"
Inserting L1 words into English sentences when the false friend fails. "Sympathique" (French) / "simpático" (Spanish/Portuguese) = likeable/nice, not "sympathetic".
Correct: "He is very likeable." / "She is a really nice person to work with."
"its vs it's"
"It's" (with apostrophe) = "it is" or "it has". "Its" (no apostrophe) = the possessive pronoun. This is the single most common punctuation error in written English.
Correct: "It's a great idea." / "The company increased its profits last year."
"alot"
WRONG. "A lot" is always written as two words. "Alot" does not exist. Also note: "a lot" is informal — use "a great deal of" in formal writing.
Correct: "I have a lot of work to do this week." (informal) / "There is a great deal of evidence to consider." (formal).
"run-on sentences"
Joining two independent clauses with only a comma creates a run-on (comma splice). Use a full stop, semicolon, or coordinating conjunction instead.
WRONG: "The report was late, the manager was angry." CORRECT: "The report was late, so the manager was angry."
"I am looking forward to hear from you"
WRONG. After "look forward to", use a gerund (verb + -ing), not an infinitive. "To" here is a preposition, not part of the infinitive.
Correct: "I look forward to hearing from you." / "She is looking forward to starting her new job."
"Dear Sir/Madam, ... Best, [Name]"
Mixing formal opening ("Dear Sir/Madam") with casual closing ("Best") is a register mismatch. Formal letters use "Yours faithfully" (when you don't know the name) or "Yours sincerely" (when you do).
Correct: "Dear Sir/Madam, ... Yours faithfully," / "Dear Mr Smith, ... Yours sincerely,"
"however, + comma splice"
"However" is a conjunctive adverb — it cannot join two independent clauses with just a comma. Use a full stop before it or a semicolon.
WRONG: "The plan was good, however it failed." CORRECT: "The plan was good; however, it failed." / "The plan was good. However, it failed."
"I would like to inform you that..."
Overuse of this phrase makes emails verbose. In modern business English, directness is valued — state what you need to say without this preamble.
Instead of "I would like to inform you that the meeting is cancelled", write "The meeting on Thursday has been cancelled."
"would + present in academic writing"
Writing "this would suggest" when presenting your own research sounds overly tentative. Use "this suggests" or "the data indicate" for your own conclusions.
Weak: "The results would seem to show..." Strong: "The results show..." / "The data suggest..."
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common grammar mistakes in English?
The most frequent grammar mistakes are: using "I am agree" instead of "I agree" (treating a verb as an adjective), omitting the third-person -s ("he don't"), confusing "for" and "since" with time expressions, double comparatives like "more better", and misusing continuous tenses with stative verbs like "know" and "understand". These errors appear across learners from almost every native language background.
Why do learners confuse "make" and "do" in English?
"Make" and "do" are translated as a single verb in many languages (faire in French, hacer in Spanish, machen in German, делать in Russian), so learners struggle to know which to use. The general rule is that "make" applies to things you create or produce, while "do" applies to activities and tasks. However, many expressions are fixed collocations that must be memorised: make a decision, make a mistake, do homework, do your best.
How can I stop making tense mistakes in English?
The most effective strategy is to learn tenses in context rather than in isolation. Focus on two contrasts that cause the most errors: (1) simple past vs. present perfect — remember that the present perfect cannot be used with finished time expressions like "yesterday" or "last year"; and (2) present simple vs. present continuous with stative verbs. Exposure to large amounts of authentic English through reading and listening is the most proven way to internalise correct tense use.
What are false friends and why are they dangerous?
False friends (also called "false cognates" or "faux amis") are words that look or sound similar in two languages but have different meanings. They are dangerous because they seem familiar and learners use them with false confidence. Common examples include "actual" (English: real; many European languages: current), "eventually" (English: at some future point; European languages: finally), and "embarrassed" (English: feeling shame; Spanish/Portuguese: pregnant). The best way to avoid them is to create a personal list of false friends from your native language.
Do native speakers make English mistakes too?
Yes — several of these errors are extremely common among native English speakers in writing. "It's" vs "its", "their/there/they're", run-on sentences, and comma splices appear regularly in informal native writing. The difference is that native speakers usually make these errors through carelessness rather than lack of knowledge. For English learners, the goal is to understand the rule, while also recognising that informal writing norms are more relaxed than formal academic or professional standards.
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