12 Common English Mistakes To Avoid

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Did you ever feel stuck in the middle of a sentence ? Or have you ever paused yourself grappling for the right pronoun, word, or adjective? and most importantly, do you want to learn about the common English mistakes to avoid? If yes, then nothing to worry, as I am here with my blog to help you with this juggle. Eliminate the errors while speaking English by learning about some real common English mistakes to avoid. Reading this blog will definitely make you a confident speaker.

Firstly, before moving further, check out the English-speaking course and English-writing course by Henry Harvin, the Top-ranked Education Institute.

In this blog you will get to know about 12 common English mistakes to avoid. I am sure, after reading my blog, none of you will ever commit the same errors again.

1. Superfluous Commas:

Shun the use of commas before any conjunction.

Let’s have a look on Some common English mistakes to avoid under this:

Wrong	Right
Tarun is going to the Doctor,  because he is sick	Tarun is going to the Doctor because he is sick.
Priya went to Kolkata, because she had to attend the conference.	Priya went to Kolkata because she had to attend the conference.

2. Whether vs If:

It’s essential to know when to use ‘whether’ and when to use ‘if’.

Additionally, the rule is ‘if’ is used when there is a conditional sentence, on the other hand, ‘whether’ is used when alternatives are available.

Riya did not know if Raj would arrive on Sunday.

Riya did not know whether Raj would arrive on Saturday or Sunday.

• In the first sentence, Raj may or may not arrive on Sunday.
• And the latter says, Raj can arrive on either Saturday or Sunday.

This is one of the most common English mistakes to avoid.

3. In vs At:

One of the most common English mistakes to avoid is learning about the use of ‘In’ and ‘at’ in the right places. 

• When the location is an area, use “in”.
• But, if the location is a specific point, use “at”.

Let’s clear the confusion with the help of an example:

Example	Explanation
Saurabh lives in Delhi.	Here Delhi is an area.
The train stopped at Delhi.	Here Delhi is a point where the train stopped.

 

One more point to be noted – ‘in’ and ‘at’ are sometimes used about time. 

• When talking about a longer period of time like months, or years, use “in”.
• On the contrary, use “at” when talking about specific time like 5:00 pm.

4. Who vs That:

These 2 words create a big confusion inside a speaker’s mind. This is one of the common English mistakes to avoid. 

• When referring to people, use “who”.
• While conveying about an object, use “that”.

Karan is the one who helped me in every situation.

Sunrisers is the team that won the first prize.

5. Use of singular verb after “people”:

This blunder is one of the most common English mistakes to avoid. People often forget that the noun or the word “people” implies a group of individuals and it is a plural subject.

Wrong	Right
People is very good in India.	People are very good in India.

6. Use of “Watch”, “Look”, and “See”:

• “Look” is a verb that implies turning your eyes in a specific direction.
• Eg- “Look at those colorful flowers, they are beautiful”
• “Watch” means to pay attention to something for a time.
• Eg- “Shweta likes to watch IPL matches”

• “See” is a kind of verb that means just to notice something with the eyes.
• Eg- “Can you see a shooting star in the sky?”

Under this common English mistakes to avoid are:

Wrong	Right
Mukta can look the changes in you.	Mukta can see the changes in you.
Pranav wants to see the movie.	Pranav wants to watch a movie.
See that amazing painting.	Look at that amazing painting.

7. Adjectives that end in ED and ING:

This is a little bit tricky. Just try to understand the rule to be clear.

• Adjectives ending with “ed”= in what manner someone/something feels. Eg- She was amazed. (This implies she felt amazed).
• On the other hand, the adjectives that end with “ing”= description of something that causes an emotion/feeling. Eg- The match was exciting. (This means the match caused me to feel excited).

In this, the common English mistakes to avoid are:

Wrong	Right
This lecture makes me feel so boring.	This lecture makes me feel so bored.
Divita’s work is really very tired.	Divita’s work is really very tiring.

8. Use of Capital Letters:

Let’s quickly revise the Points to remember while talking about the rules of capitalization.

• The first word in the sentence.
• Names of the people, things, and places.
• Pronoun “I” must be in capital letters.
• Name of months, days of the week, and holidays.

The common English mistakes to avoid are:

Wrong	Right
Shashi went to australia in may.	Shashi went to Australia in May.
Pranit loves the french language.	Pranit loves the French language.
Kritika is disappointed with me because i did not call her.	Kritika is disappointed with me because I did not call her.

9. Since or For:

• “Since” is used for the point of time like “It’s raining heavily since 10 am”.
• On the Contrary, “for” is put to be used for the period of time. Eg- “Prakul has been driving for 5 hrs.”

The common English mistakes to avoid under this are:

Wrong	Right
Deepa has been struggling for employment since 2 months.	Deepa has been struggling for employment for 2 months.
That boy is starving and has not eaten anything for 8:00 am.	That boy is starving and has not eaten anything since 8:00 am.

10. Do vs Make:

The difference between these two is quite confusing. Let me explain it to you in the most straightforward manner.

Whenever you are not going to create a physical object, use “Do”.

• Say, “Do the exercise”.
• “Do your homework“.

On the other hand, “Make” is used while talking about creating something.

• Make a portrait.
• And, make a cake.

Common Engish mistakes to avoid are:

Wrong	Right
Pallavi and Aditi always make the dishes.	Pallavi and Aditi always do the dishes.
Your baby does too much noise.	Your baby makes too much noise.
Aashi wants to do a painting for you.	Aashi wants to make a painting for you.

11. Incomplete Comparisons:

At times whiles comparing, the silliest mistake most people make is incomplete comparison. Read the below example to understand.

Eg- Shyam is better.

The above sentence is incomplete, as it is not mentioned that Shyam is better than whom?

Remember to complete the comparison. The common English mistakes to avoid under this point are:

Wrong	Right
Prisha is taller.	Prisha is taller than Priya.
Aryan is smarter.	Aryan is smarter than Armaan.

12. Farther/Further:

“Farther” and “Further” seems like identical twins, instead of being different. Let me explain.

“Farther” is used when you explain something about the distance, on the other hand,

“Further” is related to the progress with respect to distance or qualities.

Common English mistakes to avoid are:

Wrong	Right
Jennifer is moving farther in her profession.	Jennifer is moving further in her profession.
Pranshi lives further than I thought.	Pranshi lives farther than I thought.

 

Future Prospects and Benefits of Learning English Language:

• Learning the English Language widens your employment opportunities.
• You pick up any area of work, English Language is a must.
• Explore the world with confidence as many countries like UK, Canada, and Australia have English as a main Language.
• People become cognitively creative.
• Boosts your self-confidence.

Check out this video from Henry Harvin:

Conclusion:

Here we are done with the most Common English mistakes to avoid. Making mistakes while learning a language is not a big deal, but it should not impact your career or future.

Remember, learning has no end, so it is important to realize that if someone wants to ace the English language, joining the English Speaking Courses as well as the English Writing courses is a must.

Recommended Reads:

• Top 15 English Speaking courses in Gurgaon.
• Top 12 English Speaking courses in Pune.
• Different methods to teach English Language.

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