1. Subject-Verb Agreement
Wrong: The team are going to the tournament.
Right: The team is going to the tournament.
When the subject is a collective noun (team, group, class), use a singular verb in American English.
2. Confusing “Its” and “It’s”
Wrong: The cat lost it’s toy.
Right: The cat lost its toy.
Remember: “its” is possessive, “it’s” is short for “it is” or “it has.”
3. Incorrect Word Order
Wrong: I like very much this book.
Right: I like this book very much.
In English, adverbs of manner typically come after the object.
4. Misusing Prepositions
Wrong: I’m interested on learning new languages.
Right: I’m interested in learning new languages.
Prepositions are often the trickiest part of English. Learn them alongside their collocations.
5. Omitting Articles
Wrong: I went to school yesterday.
Right: I went to the school yesterday. (to attend a specific school)
Or: I went to school yesterday. (as a student)
Articles matter! “The” indicates specificity, while omitting it has a different meaning.
6. Confusing “Been” and “Being”
Wrong: I have being studying for two hours.
Right: I have been studying for two hours.
“Been” is the past participle, “being” is the present participle of “be.”
7. Double Negatives
Wrong: I don’t want nothing to do with it.
Right: I don’t want anything to do with it.
Avoid using two negative words in the same clause—it’s grammatically incorrect in standard English.
8. Mixing Up “Affect” and “Effect”
Wrong: How will this effected your plans?
Right: How will this affect your plans?
- Affect (verb): to influence
- Effect (noun): a result or outcome
9. Using “Who” Instead of “Whom”
Wrong: Who did you meet at the conference?
Right: Whom did you meet at the conference?
Use “who” for subjects and “whom” for objects. When in doubt, try replacing it with “he” (use “who”) or “him” (use “whom”).
10. Incorrect Capitalization
Wrong: i love studying english in the summer.
Right: I love studying English in the summer.
Always capitalize:
- The pronoun “I”
- The first word of a sentence
- Proper nouns and languages
Practice Makes Perfect
The best way to avoid these mistakes is through consistent practice. At English Council, we provide:
- Personalized feedback on your writing
- Correction and explanation of common errors
- Strategies to improve accuracy
- Regular practice with native speakers
Start correcting your English today and build confidence in your communication skills!