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Mistakes Are Part of Learning

Many learners feel embarrassed when they make mistakes. However, mistakes are not failure. They are signs that you are trying to use English actively.

The goal is not to make zero mistakes.

The real goal is to:

notice your repeated mistakes
understand the correction
practise the correct form
use the correction in speaking and writing
review your mistakes regularly

A mistake becomes useful when you learn from it.

1. Article Mistakes: A, An, and The

Articles are difficult for many English learners because different languages use articles differently.

Common mistake:

I have car.

Correct:

I have a car.

Why?

Use a before a singular countable noun when you are talking about one non-specific thing.

More examples:

Incorrect:

She is teacher.

Correct:

She is a teacher.

Incorrect:

I live in the Spain.

Correct:

I live in Spain.

Incorrect:

I saw elephant.

Correct:

I saw an elephant.

Quick Rule

Use:

a/an for one non-specific singular countable noun
the for something specific or already known
no article for most general plural nouns

Examples:

I need a pen.
The pen on the table is mine.
Children need sleep.

2. Preposition Mistakes

Prepositions are short words, but they are often difficult because they do not always translate directly.

Common mistake:

It depends of the weather.

Correct:

It depends on the weather.

Common mistake:

I am interested on English.

Correct:

I am interested in English.

Common mistake:

I have a meeting at Monday.

Correct:

I have a meeting on Monday.

Learn Prepositions in Phrases

Do not learn prepositions alone. Learn them with the words around them.

Examples:

depend on
interested in
afraid of
good at
married to
responsible for
listen to
wait for
arrive at a place
arrive in a country or city

Prepositions are easier to remember when you learn full phrases.

3. Verb Tense Mistakes

Many learners confuse English tenses, especially the past simple and present perfect.

Common mistake:

I have seen him yesterday.

Correct:

I saw him yesterday.

Why?

Use the past simple with finished time words like:

yesterday
last week
in 2020
two days ago

Use the present perfect when the past action connects to the present.

Correct:

I have seen this film before.

More examples:

Incorrect:

She has went to work.

Correct:

She has gone to work.

Incorrect:

I live here since 2020.

Correct:

I have lived here since 2020.

4. Subject-Verb Agreement Mistakes

Subject-verb agreement means the verb must match the subject.

Common mistake:

She don’t like coffee.

Correct:

She doesn’t like coffee.

Common mistake:

He work every day.

Correct:

He works every day.

Common mistake:

The students is tired.

Correct:

The students are tired.

Quick Rule

Use doesn’t with:

Use don’t with:

I
you
we
they

Examples:

He doesn’t like tea.
They don’t like tea.
She works hard.
We work hard.

5. Word Order Mistakes

English word order is usually:

subject + verb + object

Common mistake:

Why you are late?

Correct:

Why are you late?

Common mistake:

I don’t know where is he.

Correct:

I don’t know where he is.

Why?

In direct questions, we often invert the subject and auxiliary verb.

Direct question:

Where is he?

In an indirect question or statement, use normal word order.

Indirect question:

I don’t know where he is.

More examples:

Incorrect:

Can you tell me where is the station?

Correct:

Can you tell me where the station is?

Incorrect:

I know what does she want.

Correct:

I know what she wants.

6. Literal Translation Mistakes

Literal translation means translating word by word from your first language into English.

This often creates unnatural or incorrect sentences.

Common mistake:

I am agree.

Correct:

I agree.

Why?

In English, agree is a verb. You do not need am before it.

Common mistake:

I want to make a question.

Correct:

I want to ask a question.

Common mistake:

I have 20 years.

Correct:

I am 20 years old.

Common mistake:

I am in the bus.

Correct:

I am on the bus.

Better Strategy

Learn natural English phrases as complete chunks.

Examples:

I agree with you.
I’d like to ask a question.
I am 20 years old.
I am on the bus.
I am interested in English.

7. Collocation Mistakes

Collocations are words that naturally go together.

Common mistake:

I did a mistake.

Correct:

I made a mistake.

Common mistake:

I made my homework.

Correct:

I did my homework.

Common mistake:

She gave me an advice.

Correct:

She gave me some advice.

Why?

In English, some words have natural partners.

Examples:

make a mistake
make progress
make a decision
do homework
do exercise
give advice
take a break
have a shower
pay attention

Learning collocations helps your English sound more natural.

8. Pronunciation Mistakes

Pronunciation mistakes are also common. They may involve:

word stress
silent letters
vowel sounds
final consonants
connected speech

Example:

comfortable

Many learners try to pronounce every letter. However, the natural pronunciation is shorter than it looks.

Example:

Wednesday

The letter d is silent.

Example:

island

The letter s is silent.

Word Stress Matters

Incorrect stress can make a word difficult to understand.

Examples:

PHOtograph
phoTOGraphy
phoTOGrapher

When you learn a new word, learn its pronunciation and stress from the beginning.

9. Writing Mistakes

Writing mistakes often happen when learners try to write long sentences without clear structure.

Common problem:

Run-on sentences

Weak sentence:

Many students want to improve English they study grammar every day but they do not practise speaking so they cannot communicate well.

Better version:

Many students want to improve their English. They study grammar every day, but they do not practise speaking. As a result, they may struggle to communicate confidently.

Good writing needs:

clear sentences
correct punctuation
one idea per paragraph
logical transitions
examples and explanation

10. Speaking Mistakes

Speaking mistakes are often connected to confidence, speed, and translation.

Common speaking problems include:

speaking too slowly because of translation
using single words instead of phrases
avoiding speaking until grammar is perfect
memorising long speeches instead of practising real interaction
using fillers too often

Better approach:

Use simple, useful phrases.

Examples:

Let me think.
Could you repeat that, please?
I’m not sure.
In my opinion, ...
What I mean is ...
Could you explain that again?
I agree with you.

Speaking improves through repetition, not waiting for perfection.

Real-World Examples

Casual English

Incorrect:

I am agree with you.

Correct:

I agree with you.

Professional English

Incorrect:

The meeting depends of the client’s availability.

Correct:

The meeting depends on the client’s availability.

Academic English

Incorrect:

The results shows a significant difference.

Correct:

The results show a significant difference.

Everyday English

Incorrect:

I have a meeting at Monday.

Correct:

I have a meeting on Monday.

Common Mistakes and Corrections Table

Mistake	Correction	Reason
I have car.	I have a car.	Use an article before a singular countable noun.
I am agree.	I agree.	Agree is a verb.
She don’t like coffee.	She doesn’t like coffee.	Use doesn’t with she.
It depends of you.	It depends on you.	The correct phrase is depend on.
I have seen him yesterday.	I saw him yesterday.	Use past simple with finished time.
I am interested on English.	I am interested in English.	The correct phrase is interested in.
I did a mistake.	I made a mistake.	Use the collocation make a mistake.
Why you are late?	Why are you late?	Use question word order.

How to Fix Your Mistakes Faster

The fastest way to improve is to keep an error log.

An error log is a simple table where you record your repeated mistakes.

My Mistake	Correction	Rule	New Example
I am agree.	I agree.	Agree is a verb.	I agree with your idea.
depend of	depend on	Correct preposition phrase	It depends on the weather.
She don’t	She doesn’t	Use doesn’t with she	She doesn’t like coffee.

Review your error log every week.

This turns your mistakes into personalised lessons.

Key Learning Points

Mistakes are normal and fixable.
Articles, prepositions, verb tenses, and word order are common problem areas.
Literal translation often creates unnatural English.
Collocations help your English sound more natural.
Pronunciation should be learned with vocabulary.
Writing improves when sentences and paragraphs are clear.
Speaking improves through practice, not perfection.
An error log helps you correct repeated mistakes.

Pro Tips for Faster Learning

Tip 1: Track Your Top Five Personal Mistakes

Do not try to fix everything at once.

Choose your five most repeated mistakes and focus on them first.

Example:

I am agree.
depend of
interested on
she don’t
I have seen him yesterday

Tip 2: Correct One Category per Week

Focus on one area at a time.

Example plan:

Week 1: articles
Week 2: prepositions
Week 3: verb tenses
Week 4: subject-verb agreement
Week 5: word order

This is more effective than trying to correct all mistakes in one day.

Tip 3: Ask for Pattern-Based Feedback

Do not only ask:

Is this correct?

Ask:

What mistake do I repeat most often?

Better feedback helps you see patterns.

Tip 4: Practise Corrections in New Sentences

Do not only read the correction. Use it.

Mistake:

I am interested on English.

Correction:

I am interested in English.

New examples:

I am interested in history.
She is interested in design.
They are interested in learning new skills.

This helps the correct pattern become automatic.

Practice Exercise

1. Correct the sentence

Incorrect:

I have a meeting at Monday.

Correct:

I have a meeting on Monday.

2. Correct the sentence

Incorrect:

She don’t like coffee.

Correct:

She doesn’t like coffee.

3. Write one sentence with “interested in”

Example answer:

I am interested in improving my English speaking skills.

4. Correct the sentence

Incorrect:

I am agree with you.

Correct:

I agree with you.

5. Correct the sentence

Incorrect:

I did a mistake in the test.

Correct:

I made a mistake in the test.

Final Summary

The most common mistakes English learners make are usually connected to articles, prepositions, verb tenses, word order, pronunciation, collocations, and literal translation.

These mistakes are normal. They do not mean you are failing. They show you what to practise next.

Use this method:

notice the mistake + write the correction + understand the rule + practise a new example + review weekly

With repeated correction, your English becomes clearer, more accurate, and more natural.

Resources and Further Learning

Cambridge Dictionary – Common Mistakes in English

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