Common Mistakes Made by English Learners (and How to Fix Them)

Teacher correcting common English mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes when learning a language, and even advanced learners have a few that keep coming back. Here are some of the most common English mistakes and how to fix them.

1. Confusing homophones

Homophones sound the same but have different spellings and meanings.

there (a place) / their (belonging to them) / they're (they are)
your (belonging to you) / you're (you are)
its (belonging to it) / it's (it is / it has)
to / too (also, excessively) / two (2)

2. Prepositions of time and place

at for times: at 9 o'clock, at the weekend
on for days and dates: on Monday, on 5 June
in for months, years and longer periods: in July, in 2027, in the morning
I'm good at English (not good in); It depends on (not depends of).

3. Present perfect vs past simple

Use the past simple for finished times: I visited London last year. Use the present perfect for experiences or actions connected to now: I have visited London three times.

4. Forgetting the third person -s

She works in a bank, not she work. It's a small mistake, but very noticeable.

5. Articles: a, an and the

Use a/an for something mentioned for the first time and the for something specific: I saw a film. The film was great.

6. False friends

Some English words look like words in your language but mean something different. For many learners, actually means "in fact" (not "currently"), and sensible means "practical" (not "sensitive").