Hey guys, it's Anna, and this is the English Fluency Journey.
I put together the most common grammar mistakes that English learners make, even advanced learners make.
I made still can make sometimes, but especially those who are at an intermediate level.
And I'm not saying beginners because it's kind of obvious.
Before we get into this, I want you to know that I don't want you to feel embarrassed about this.
It doesn't mean that you're stupid and people who allow themselves to criticize you and to say something like you should really work on your grammar or your grammar is so bad Just don't listen to this.
Yes, you should work on your grammar, just like everybody else.
Everybody makes mistakes. It doesn't matter what they think or what they say.
Believe me, if you're learning, if you're working on yourself, you're improving every day.
You are a very intelligent and smart person. this is not your first language and making mistakes this is a part of the learning process And I know what some people might think, but if a person isn't aware of their mistakes and I want to tell them, it doesn't make me a bad person?
No, it doesn't. But do it nicely. Just think before saying something.
Your words can have a huge impact on someone.
So think. If you really want to help someone and not just show how smart you are, then say this in private and kindly, like I'm sorry, I noticed that you make this mistake a lot and maybe you're not aware of that, so this is just so you know and you can And this is the most important thing in fixing your mistakes.
You have to know, you have to be aware of mistakes you're making.
These are the basics, but the most common mistakes at the same time.
The first one is forgetting to add S or ES at the end of verbs in the third person singular noun or pronoun, like he, she, it.
And I'm not talking about forming plural nouns like tables, cars, trees, buildings.
That's not it. Or forming possessive, like this is my cat's bowl or these are my husband's pants.
This is when we form sentences in the present simple tense that we use to talk about repeated actions and habits, facts, general truths or scheduled events in the near future.
For example I live in Ukraine. I drink coffee everyday.
Alex usually walks to work. My plane leaves at 6pm.
The earth rotates around the sun. And in some cases, we can use the present simple tense to talk about actions that are happening now.
This is when we use non-continuous verbs like smell, believe, appear, need to talk about ongoing situations.
So we can't say it's smelling bad. It is correct to say it smells bad.
Or she's needing you. It's correct to say she needs you right now.
So you noticed. It smells. She needs. Alex walks.
The earth rotates. This is where confusion comes and mistakes happen.
You have to memorize that in the present tense in the third person singular ES is added to the base form of the verb, to the infinitive.
So, he, she, it, we add S or ES. I, you, we, they, no S is added.
And some example sentences. I play guitar.
I teach pronunciation. He runs fast. This pizza stinks.
When it's plural, no as or es is added to the verb.
Kids like playing games. No as is added to the verb Like, because kids is plural.
Statistics tell us that men play sports better than women.
And the second mistake that kind of flows from the first one is using do and does, and questions and statements.
Do-does once again is used in the present simple tense to form a question or a negative statement.
Also, it is used when answering a question and emphasizing something like, do you like croissants?
Yes, of course, I do like croissants. Does he drink coffee?
Yes, he does. When does the store open? Do aliens exist? i don't know what does that mean and the mistake is that people use do but forget to use does or don't understand when to use does.
So remember, I do, you do. Then with plural, they do, we do, and you can be plural as well, like, and do you guys like the channel I hope you do then he she it does example sentences It doesn't matter.
He doesn't work here. She doesn't drink alcohol.
Do you like pizza? Yes, I do like pizza very much.
I'm making an emphasis. especially pay attention to situations when for example someone asks Your child.
You like this ice cream, don't you? But you give an answer and you say, I think she do. but it's supposed to be she does and i get it you heard don't you in a question and that confused you but it's supposed to be I think she does.
And one more mistake. the thing that is confusing remember that when we use does we don't add s or es to a verb like for example she doesn't drink alcohol but she drinks alcohol.
The third mistake is not using at all misusing and is are they are are used in the present simple tense and the present progressive tense with nouns and pronouns.
It is the verb to be in different forms.
So, when we're talking about something that is happening right now in the moment of speaking, we use the present progressive tense. for some fixed plans in the near future, repetition, and irritation usually with the word always. and for some temporary actions that are in progress now.
It is formed using am, is, are plus present participle. a verb with the ing ending.
I am speaking. And we've talked the present simple a little earlier in this video.
One more example. I am a woman. It is said in the present simple tense because it's Fact.
What I want you to remember is that we use am with I. i'm a nice person i'm making this video i'm it's a contraction of i am is with he, she, it and with plurals like you, we, they we use are. as well.
A common mistake is that people forget to use these auxiliary verbs and say something like it's very delicious or miss using them and say something like she are a great teacher So don't forget about them and don't drop them.
Some example sentences. She is the main speaker today or Sarah is the main speaker today.
Then also don't forget to use them in questions by inverting the subject and am, is, are, like Is she the main speaker today?
Or who is the main speaker today? What is your husband doing?
He's helping me to shoot this video. My son is playing and watching cartoons while we're shooting this video.
You are watching this video right now. We are human beings.
They, some people are very politically biased. it is a very useful video.
And, of course, let's not forget about passive constructions like While the pot is being filled up with water, I'm chopping the onion.
The mistake number four. Present simple versus present progressive tense.
And the mistake is that people usually use present simple when present progressive is needed.
Like for example, instead of saying, I'm going home, they say, I go home.
Or instead of I'm at the grocery store buying some food, they say I'm at the grocery store buy food. or when answering a question like, what are you doing?
I speak with my friend or I watch TV and it's supposed to be I'm watching TV because this is what you're doing right now.
And you actually have a cue in the question.
What are you doing that indicates that you have to answer in the present progressive tense?
And very often I can hear questions like, why is he cry?
Or do you speak in English? Can you find the mistakes in these questions?
Write them down in the comments. The mistake number five.
Did and a verb in the past tense. We used it in the past simple tense in questions and negative statements, which is used to show that a completed action took place in a specific time in the past.
Some example sentences. What did you eat for dinner last night?
I didn't watch the news yesterday. And we're making a positive statement in the past simple tense by adding "-edending", to irregular verbs or using an appropriate form of irregular verbs.
We went on a little trip to Rome last month.
We bought a new car a couple of months ago.
We watched a great movie last night. What people usually do when they ask a question is that they use DID and a verb in the past tense. together in a question, like, did you saw the news yesterday? or even did you see the news yesterday did you spoke to him or even like this did you speaking to him or he didn't gave it to me Remember, when we're asking a question or making a statement in the past simple tense, we use DID plus an infinitive.
I didn't wash the car yesterday. I didn't talk to him yesterday.
Did you add salt to the soup when you were cooking it?
Did you happen to see where I put my purse when we came in.
And the mistake number six. misusing were and was.
They can be used either in the past simple tense that we've just talked about or in the past progressive tense for that were in progress at a specific time in the past.
For example, answering a question, where were you last night?
You can sometimes hear I were at the party. and it's supposed to be, I was at the party.
We was watching TV when we heard the sound of a car crash. and it's supposed to be were.
We were watching TV when we heard the sound of a car crash.
So remember, with I, he, she, it, we use was and with plurals, You, we, they, we, yous were.
I was at home cooking when he called. He was fixing his car when it started to rain.
It was very cold last night. in the middle of a passionate discussion when they remembered that they were late for a meeting.
All of us together were making dinner. or the whole family together was making dinner.
Of course, all the tenses and articles and prepositions are very confusing as well.
This video is about the most common basic mistakes and here's where a lot of confusion happens.
And these are the things that I noticed.
So you might think right now, but how can I avoid making those mistakes?
And my answer is you don't want to avoid making these mistakes.
That's not news for you, I know that. A lot of people say this, but why?
From my experience, as I'm still in the position of a language learner, I can say that the best way to fix this situation is First, of course, is to use a language as much as possible.
And then here, inevitably, when you're talking to someone, you're gonna make mistakes.
And when you're making mistakes in real life conversations with people, It's awkward, it's upsetting, right?
But in such moments your brain kind of works the best. thinks okay that was a bad feeling and that was because we made that mistake We don't want to feel it again, so let's just remember this.
Well, at least that's how it is for me and for people that I've talked to about this.
And well, as long as you know that you're making a mistake.
Because when you're in a classroom working with a teacher and making mistakes there, And a teacher corrects you, of course.
It's kind of a safe place. Remember your feelings. you're not stressed, you're relaxed, and you're not even trying to remember this.
And that's why people are so surprised sometimes, and I would even say indignant, because they learn English for years and then still make mistakes.
Because you need to go out there into the real world, put yourself in those awkward situations make mistakes and learn from them.
This is actually how we learn. I'm not an exception.
I make mistakes a lot when I'm speaking and what usually happens is either I speak Pause when I need to think of a word or grammar or I make a mistake, correct myself, and keep talking.
I hope that this information helps you to pay attention and to detect your mistakes.
If you need a more detailed explanation of those grammar points you can always find them online.
I always encourage people to do their research and to learn to self Educate I think is the vital skill.
Okay guys guys, that's it for now. Thank you for choosing our podcast until the next one.
