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Common Grammar Mistakes of English Learners

The English Language is a difficult beast to tie down. Even those rules which we consider mandatory may actually change very quickly, especially with words moving into ever more fleeting media. However, there are a few mistakes which - for now at least - can make you look very silly...

Most Common Grammatical Mistakes of English Learners

1. Adapt vs. Adopt

'Adapt' and 'adopt' share similar spellings and similar meanings, but they are not one and the same.

To ' adapt ' is to become or make something suitable to an environment or condition.
"It took me a long time after college to adapt to life in the office." "An inability to adapt will prove an obstacle on the road to success."
For Example:

To ' adopt ' is to take something and use it as or make it your own.
"I adopted his policy of neutrality and stayed out of trouble." "We are planning to adopt a child."
For Example:

2. Lose vs. Loose

"Lose" is a verb, to come to be without something; to suffer the loss of something.
"I do not wish to lose more weight." "I was about to lose my ear ring."
For Example:

"She cannot stand the thought of losing him."

"Loose" is an adjective, free or released from attachment; not bound together; not strict.
"My belt is very loose around my waist." "She likes to wear her hair loose and free." "That is a loose interpretation of our document."
For Example:

3. Will vs. Going to

' Will' and ' going to' are the two forms of simple future used in English. They are used more or less interchangeably, but there are certain subtle differences between them that even many experienced English speakers are not aware of. The main rule to keep in mind is that: if the decision to act was made before the time of speaking, ' going to' must be used; if not, ' will' must be used.
Will

There are two primary distinct uses for'will':

Any action that the speaker offers to perform.

Any action that the speaker declines to perform.

Any action that the speaker requests the listener to perform.

To express voluntary action. Voluntary action refers to the following:
"I will come back to work as soon as I make a full recovery." "I will call you later tonight." Going to
To express a promise.

There is one primary distinction for use of 'going to': it is used to express plans, i.e. the intention of the speaker to do something in the future. This can take two forms:
"I am going for the match on Thursday" "I am going to ensure that we have fun on this trip."
To state such an intention:
"Are you going to watch the match on Thursday?" "Are you going to the Zoo with the others?" Will/Going to
To ask about such an intention:
"It looks like it will rain today". = "It looks like it is going to rain today." "I don't think he will do it" = "I don't think he's going to do it."
Both 'will' and 'going to' can be used when making predictions about the future.

4. Write vs. Right.

" Write" is a verb, to express in writing.
"I want to learn how to write well."
For Example:

"Did you write this? Write a letter to Mom"
"Right" is an adjective, correct, justified, suitable, opposite of left.
"The little boy knew right versus wrong." "It's the right way to do things."
For Example:

5. Beside vs. Besides

It is easy to confuse ' beside' and ' besides', but they are not one and the same thing. ' Beside' is a preposition, whereas ' besides' works as both a preposition and an adverb, and although ' besides' is sometimes used in place of ' beside ', they have distinct meaning.

' Beside' means ' by or at the side of'.

For example: " He stood beside his new car proudly."

As a preposition, ' besides ' means 'in addition to' or 'apart from'.

For example: "What are you working on besides the research project?"

As an adverb, it means 'furthermore'.

For example: " He was not selected because he did not have a good grasp of his concepts. Besides, he did not seem very keen."

6. Here vs. Hear

" Here " is an adverb, in this place; in this spot.
"I am here and planning to stay."
For Example:

"I wish you were here."
" Hear " is a verb, to be within earshot; to perceive by ear.
"We do not want to hear the policies one more time."
For Example:

7. Can vs. May

Many English speakers are confused about the usage of the words 'can' and 'may'. For example, ' Can I drink water?' is incorrect. ' May I drink water?' is the correct phrase to use in this case.
Can
The key difference between ' can' and ' may' is that ' can' talks about and ' may' talks about permission.

Can is used in two cases:
"I can finish my homework by 5 pm." "Can you finish your homework tonight?"
To talk about ability.
May
To ask or give permission informally (normally between friends)

May is generally used to ask or give permission formally.

Let us take a situation between a student and a teacher.

Let us take a situation between two strangers.

8. Compliment vs. Complement
Complement
Both words sound the same when pronounced, but their meanings are very different. " Compliment" means to give praise, express admiration or giving congratulations. " Complement", on the other hand, means completing something or to make something perfect. A good way to always remember the difference is to remember that the word with the "e" means complete. In fact, the word complete is almost entirely spelled within complement.

Incorrect: "The striped throw pillows complimented the sofa colors quite nicely." (This implies that the pillows gave praise to the sofa, which is impossible).

Correct: "The colors in the pillows complemented the stripes in the sofa very well." (Complement is a verb in this sentence).

Compliment
Complement is used when what you are trying to convey that something is essentially made complete with something else. For example, if you were describing colors that look good together or a relationship involving two people who seem well matched, complement is the correct choice. Complement functions as both a noun and a verb.

Incorrect: "She paid her boss a complement about how well her hair highlights complement her complexion". (The first complement is incorrect because "her boss" does not complete anything, which is implied by spelling the word with an "e."

Correct: "She paid her boss a nice compliment on how well her new hairdo complemented her complexion." (Compliment is a noun in this sentence).

RELATED TOPICS

TRENDING NOTES

Compliment is used when you are aiming to offer praise. For example, you might compliment someone on a new hairdo or on an outfit that is particularly flattering. In its plural form it can mean you are offering multiple expressions of praise, or it can mean best wishes. Compliment functions as both a noun and a verb.

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Common Grammatical Mistakes of English Learners

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Common Grammar Mistakes of English Learners The English Language is a difficult beast to tie down. Even those rules which we consider mandatory may actually change very quickly, especially with words moving into ever more fleeting media. However, there are a few mistakes which - for now at least - can make you look very silly...

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1 Up in the air
"(to be) up in the air " is and English Idiom meaning that something has not been resolved, finished or answered yet. It usually refers to a plan or a decision that has not been decided or being uncertain.
"I think I can do it quickly, but the exact schedule is still up in the air."

2 Hit the books
This idiom simply means to study, especially with particular intensity. It is used as a verb - hit the books.

"They go to the beach when they should be hitting the books and then they wonder why they get bad grades"

3 Hit the sack
"(to) hit the sack" generally means to go to bed. You can also say " hit the hay " which has the same meaning.
"...A soldier gets tired feet and is eager to hit the sack."

4 Twist someone's arm
The idiom " twist someone's arm" generally means to persuade someone to do something. If someone twisted your arm, it means that someone has done a great job of convincing you to do something you might not have wanted to do.
"They had to twist his arm, but they got him to join the project"

5 Stab someone in the back
The saying " stab someone in the back" simply means to betray someone. It is used as a verb - stab someone in the back.
"He was stabbed in the back by his friends."

6 Lose touch
The idiom "(to) lose touch" means to cease to be familiar with someone or something (e.g. some certain skills or talent). This also refers to the lost in the ability to communicate or have contact with others. To make it simple, if you lose your touch, you lose your ability or skills you once had when working with things/situations, or dealing/communicating with people.

"Suddenly, friends found me again that I had lost touch with years ago""It looks like you've lost your touch with the girls in class"

7 Sit tight
The saying "(to) sit tight" means to wait patiently or to remain quiet or relatively motionless. If somebody tells you to sit tight, they would like you to wait and take no action until they say otherwise.
"I'll be back in a few minutes, so sit tight while I go find her"

8 Pitch in
The saying " pitch in" is an English idiom simply meaning to help out, to lend assistance; or to contribute. It is used as a verb - pitch in.
"If we all pitch in, we can raise enough money for the renovation of the church"

9 Pull someone's leg
The saying " pull someone's leg " means to tease someone, to lead someone on or to goad someone into overreacting. The term usually implies teasing or goading by jokingly lying. A brief translation of this saying could be to "fool or trick someone".
"I hadn't pulled Ms Jane's leg for any of that stuff, she had just handed it to me on a platter, and that wasn't my fault"

10 Face the music
The idiom "(to) face the music" means to accept or confront the unpleasant consequences of one's actions. It is used as a verb - face the music.
"He failed the exam as he was so lazy. So he's going to have to face the music"

11 On the ball
The saying "(to be) on the ball" is typically used to reference someone that is alert, active, or attentive. A brief translation of this idiom would be " on top of things".

If you say someone is "on the ball", you mean that he or she understands the situation well.
"If I had been more on the ball I would have asked when he called me"

12 Rule of thumb
The saying " rule of thumb " refers to a general guideline, rather than a strict rule. Thus "rule of thumb" is a common understanding which is based on experience or general knowledge.
"The usual rule of thumb says that to calculate when an investment will double, divide 70 by the interest rate."

13 Ring a bell
This idiom is very simple. Particularly, the saying " ring a bell" means to seem at least vaguely familiar. It is used as a verb - ring a bell.
"His face rings a bell. I wonder if I know him from somewhere."

14 Under the weather
The saying "(to be) under the weather" is generally used to reference someone that is somewhat ill or gloomy. So " feeling a bit under the weather " simply means feeling slightly ill.
"I'm sorry, I feel a bit under the weather, I think I cannot join the party tonight"

15 Blow off steam
The idiom " blow off steam" simply means to rant ( talk loudly and in a way that shows anger) or shout in order to relieve stress. It is used as a verb - blow off steam.
"Don't take it personally when he shouts like that. He's just blowing off steam"

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15 Essential English Idioms for Sounding Like a Native

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15 Essential English Idioms for Sounding Like a Native An idiom is a phrase or a fixed expression that has a figurative, or sometimes literal, meaning. An idiom's figurative meaning is different from the literal meaning. There are thousands of idioms, and they occur frequently in all languages.

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British Council - LearnEnglish Teens - Improve your listening

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