Grammar Mistakes That Slip Through
You’ve been studying English for years. Your vocabulary is strong, your confidence is growing — yet certain grammar errors keep sneaking in. You’re not alone. These ten mistakes are among the most common even at advanced levels.
The 10 Mistakes
1. Confusing “Less” and “Fewer”
Use fewer for things you can count, less for uncountable things.
- ❌ “I have less problems now.”
- ✅ “I have fewer problems now.”
2. Misusing “Who” and “Whom”
Who is the subject; whom is the object.
- ❌ “Who did you speak to?”
- ✅ “Whom did you speak to?”
3. Using “Since” Instead of “For”
Since refers to a point in time; for refers to a duration.
- ❌ “I’ve lived here since three years.”
- ✅ “I’ve lived here for three years.”
4. Double Negatives
Two negatives cancel each other out in standard English.
- ❌ “I don’t know nothing about it.”
- ✅ “I don’t know anything about it.”
5. Confusing “Its” and “It’s”
It’s = it is. Its = belonging to it.
- ❌ “The dog wagged it’s tail.”
- ✅ “The dog wagged its tail.”
6. Wrong Preposition After Adjectives
Many adjectives take a fixed preposition — these must be memorised.
- ❌ “She is good in English.”
- ✅ “She is good at English.”
7. Overusing the Present Continuous
State verbs (know, believe, want) are not normally used in continuous form.
- ❌ “I am knowing the answer.”
- ✅ “I know the answer.”
8. Mixing Up “Make” and “Do”
There is no rule — these collocations must be learned individually.
- ❌ “I need to do a decision.”
- ✅ “I need to make a decision.”
9. Article Errors with Abstract Nouns
Abstract nouns used in a general sense don’t take the.
- ❌ “The knowledge is power.”
- ✅ “Knowledge is power.”
10. Incorrect Conditional Structure
The second conditional uses past simple, not would, in the if clause.
- ❌ “If I would have time, I’d help you.”
- ✅ “If I had time, I’d help you.”
How to Fix These for Good
Knowing the rule is only half the battle. The other half is practice:
- Write daily — even a short journal entry forces you to apply grammar consciously
- Read your sentences aloud — errors often sound wrong before you can identify them analytically
- Get feedback — a teacher or language partner catches blind spots you can’t see yourself
At English Council, our courses address these patterns directly with targeted exercises and real conversation practice. Small fixes like these make a significant difference to how natural and professional your English sounds.