Learning English can feel like a journey filled with excitement, confusion, and, yes—mistakes. And that’s perfectly okay. In fact, making mistakes is part of the learning process. But what if you could avoid the most common ones and make faster progress?
Hi, I’m Janet from English with Janet, and today I’m here to help you identify the most frequent errors English learners make—and more importantly, how to fix them.
Whether you’re learning English for work, study, or daily life in the U.S., these tips will make your communication clearer and more confident.
The mistake:
Many learners mix up gender-specific pronouns or use “it” for people. For example:
“My mother is a teacher. He works at a school.”
Why it happens:
In some languages, pronouns aren’t gendered or follow different rules, so learners transfer that habit into English.
How to fix it:
Remember:
He = male person
She = female person
It = object, animal (when gender is unknown or not important)
🔧 Fix: Practice using pronouns with familiar people:
“This is my brother. He is very funny.”
“That’s my dog. She loves to run.”
The mistake:
“You are going to the store?” instead of “Are you going to the store?”
Why it happens:
In some languages, word order doesn’t change for questions.
How to fix it:
In English, questions usually follow this pattern:
Helping Verb + Subject + Main Verb
Examples:
Are you hungry?
Do they speak English?
Can she help me?
📌 Tip: Practice turning statements into questions.
“She is tired.” → “Is she tired?”
The mistake:
“Yesterday, I go to the mall.”
This is a common error with past tense.
Why it happens:
English has many irregular verbs, and they don’t follow simple patterns.
How to fix it:
Start with the most common irregular verbs: go → went, come → came, eat → ate.
Keep a small notebook of verbs and review often. Practice in short sentences:
“Today I go to school. Yesterday I went to the park.”
The mistake:
“I have 25 years” instead of “I am 25 years old.”
Why it happens:
Many learners think in their native language and try to translate word-for-word.
How to fix it:
Learn English phrases, not just words. Think in “chunks.”
Examples:
✅ “I’m hungry” (not “I have hunger”)
✅ “I’m cold” (not “I feel coldness”)
✅ “What do you do?” (not “What is your profession?”)
💡 Practice Tip: Use flashcards with whole phrases. Speak them aloud.
The mistake:
“She go to work every day.” (Incorrect)
“She goes to work every day.” (Correct)
Why it happens:
This small change in verb form can be hard to remember.
How to fix it:
In the present simple tense, when the subject is he, she, or it, the verb usually ends in -s or -es.
Examples:
He plays football.
It rains a lot in April.
She teaches English.
🎯 Quick Rule: He/She/It = Add “s”
You/We/They/I = Don’t add “s”
The mistake:
“I am very very tired. It was very very good.”
Why it happens:
Learners often rely on basic adjectives like good, bad, very, nice, etc.
How to fix it:
Build your vocabulary slowly by learning one or two new adjectives each week.
Instead of very tired, try:
Exhausted
Worn out
Drained
Instead of very good, try:
Excellent
Amazing
Fantastic
🎓 Activity: Watch a short video or read a paragraph and underline interesting adjectives.
The mistake:
“I’m good in English” instead of “I’m good at English.”
Prepositions like in, at, on, to, for can be tricky!
How to fix it:
Some expressions need to be memorized. Here are a few common ones:
Good at something
Interested in something
Go to school
Wait for someone
Depend on something
📝 Tip: Make your own sentences with each expression. Repeat them often.
The mistake:
Saying the “k” in know, the “b” in thumb, or mispronouncing comfortable.
Why it happens:
English spelling doesn’t always match pronunciation.
How to fix it:
Use listening and speaking practice to improve. Try this:
Listen to native speakers (YouTube, podcasts, shows)
Repeat phrases out loud
Use apps like ELSA Speak or YouGlish to hear real usage
🗣️ Bonus Tip: Record yourself speaking and listen back.
The mistake:
“Me and my friend went to the store.”
“She gave it to my friend and I.”
Why it happens:
These errors are common even among native speakers!
How to fix it:
Use:
“I” = subject (the person doing the action)
“Me” = object (the person receiving the action)
Correct:
My friend and I went to the store.
She gave it to my friend and me.
🚦 Simple check: Remove the other person and see if the sentence still sounds right.
“Me went to the store”? ❌
“I went to the store”? ✅
The mistake:
Learning grammar and vocabulary, but not using them in real conversation.
Why it happens:
Learners often feel shy or don’t have a partner to speak with.
How to fix it:
Practice speaking every day—even to yourself!
Ideas:
Describe your day out loud
Talk to your pet or mirror
Use language exchange apps like Tandem or HelloTalk
Join online speaking groups
🎤 Challenge yourself: Try one-minute speaking challenges. Pick a topic (like “My favorite food”) and speak for one minute without stopping.
Mistakes are a natural part of learning English. But when you become aware of the most common ones, you can correct them and grow faster.
👉 Don’t worry about being perfect—focus on being better than yesterday. Keep practicing, stay curious, and celebrate your progress.
💬 If you’ve made any of these mistakes before—don’t worry, we all have! Which one surprised you the most? Tell me in the comments below or send me a message on Instagram @englishwithjanet.
And remember—you’ve got this.
Until next time,
Janet 🌻
Your friendly English coach at English with Janet
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