10 Common Mistakes English Learners Make (and How to Avoid Them)

Learning English opens doors to new opportunities, but it can also feel challenging when mistakes keep getting in the way. The good news? Errors are a natural part of learning. The key is to recognize them, fix them, and move forward with confidence.

Here are the 10 most common mistakes English learners make plus easy tips to help you avoid them.

1. Mixing Up He / She / It

Mistake: “She is my brother.”
✅ Fix: Use the right pronoun: “He is my brother.”

Tip: Practice by describing family members or friends out loud. Repetition builds accuracy.

2. Forgetting the –s in Third Person Singular

Mistake: “She play football.”
✅ Fix: “She plays football.”

Tip: Repeat sentences with he/she/it every day to make this automatic.

3. Using the Wrong Prepositions

Mistake: “I’m good in English.”
✅ Fix: “I’m good at English.”

Tip: Keep a list of tricky prepositions (at, on, in, for) and review them often.

4. Confusing Past Simple and Present Perfect

Mistake: “I have seen him yesterday.”
✅ Fix: “I saw him yesterday.”

Tip: Use Past Simple with specific time (yesterday, last week). Use Present Perfect with life experience (I have seen that movie).

5. Overusing Articles (a, an, the)

Mistake: “The life is beautiful.”
✅ Fix: “Life is beautiful.”

Tip: Remember: don’t use “the” before general ideas.

6. Wrong Word Order in Questions

Mistake: “You are going where?”
✅ Fix: “Where are you going?”

Tip: Follow the pattern: Question Word + Auxiliary + Subject + Verb.

7. Forgetting Plurals

Mistake: “I have two cat.”
✅ Fix: “I have two cats.”

Tip: Always add –s or –es when talking about more than one.

8. False Friends (Words That Look Similar)

Example: “Actually” (English) ≠ “Actualmente” (Spanish).
✅ Fix: Learn false friends separately and make flashcards.

9. Mispronouncing Common Words

Mistake: Saying “vegetable” as vege-table.
✅ Fix: /ˈvedʒ.tə.bəl/ (VEJ-tuh-bul).

Tip: Use apps or YouTube to listen and repeat correct pronunciation.

10. Translating Word for Word

Mistake: “I have 20 years.”
✅ Fix: “I am 20 years old.”

Tip: Try to think in English instead of translating from your native language.

Final Thoughts

Mistakes are part of the journey—they show you’re learning. By noticing and correcting them, your English will improve faster than you think.

Want to practice live and avoid these mistakes for good? Join Boston English Center for affordable online English courses with live practice, 24/7 conversation rooms, and free trial classes.

Start today—your fluency is just one conversation away!