15 Common English Mistakes ESL Students Make (And How to Fix Them)

After teaching English to hundreds of students from all over the world, I have noticed that certain mistakes come up again and again, regardless of the student's native language. These are not signs of failure. They are completely normal bumps on the road to fluency.

The good news? Once you are aware of these mistakes, they are surprisingly easy to fix. Let me walk you through the most common ones I see in my classes.

1. "I am agree" vs. "I agree"

This is probably the number one mistake I hear. In many languages, "agree" works like an adjective, so students naturally add "am" before it. But in English, "agree" is a verb.

• Wrong: I am agree with you.
• Correct: I agree with you.

The same applies to: "I am understand" (should be "I understand"), "I am know" (should be "I know").

Quick rule: If the word is a verb (an action), do not add "am/is/are" before it.

2. Forgetting Articles (A, An, The)

Articles do not exist in many languages, which makes them incredibly tricky for ESL students. But they matter a lot in English.

• Wrong: I went to store to buy book.
• Correct: I went to the store to buy a book.

Quick guide:

• Use "a/an" when mentioning something for the first time or when it is not specific
• Use "the" when both speaker and listener know which thing you mean
• Use no article for general concepts: "Love is important" or "Dogs are loyal"

3. "Make" vs. "Do"

This pair causes endless confusion. There is no perfect rule, but here is a helpful pattern:

• "Make" is for creating or producing something: make a cake, make a decision, make money, make a mistake
• "Do" is for tasks and activities: do homework, do the dishes, do exercise, do your best

Wrong: I need to make my homework. Correct: I need to do my homework.

4. Confusing "Bored" and "Boring"

This one trips up almost everyone. The "-ed" ending describes how a person feels. The "-ing" ending describes the thing causing that feeling.

• I am bored = I feel boredom (the feeling is inside me)
• The movie is boring = The movie causes boredom

Wrong: I am boring. (This means you are a boring person!) Correct: I am bored. (You feel boredom.)

This pattern applies to many pairs: excited/exciting, interested/interesting, confused/confusing, tired/tiring.

5. Incorrect Preposition Use

Prepositions are notoriously difficult because they rarely translate directly between languages.

Common mistakes:

• Wrong: I am married with him. Correct: I am married to him.
• Wrong: I depend of you. Correct: I depend on you.
• Wrong: I arrived to the airport. Correct: I arrived at the airport.
• Wrong: She is good in math. Correct: She is good at math.

My advice: Learn prepositions as part of phrases, not individually. Memorize "good at," "depend on," "married to" as complete units.

6. "Since" vs. "For" with Time

Both words are used with the present perfect, but they work differently.

• "Since" marks a specific starting point: since Monday, since 2020, since I was a child
• "For" marks a duration: for three days, for two years, for a long time

Wrong: I have lived here since five years. Correct: I have lived here for five years. Also correct: I have lived here since 2021.

7. Double Negatives

In many languages, double negatives are grammatically correct and even required. In standard English, they cancel each other out.

• Wrong: I do not have nothing. (This technically means "I have something")
• Correct: I do not have anything. / I have nothing.

Rule: Use only one negative word per clause.

8. "Much" vs. "Many"

• "Much" goes with uncountable nouns: much water, much time, much money
• "Many" goes with countable nouns: many people, many books, many ideas

Wrong: How much people came to the party? Correct: How many people came to the party?

Tip: If you can put a number before the noun (3 people, 5 books), use "many." If you cannot (you would not say "3 waters"), use "much."

9. Word Order in Questions

English has a specific word order for questions that differs from many languages.

Structure: Question word + auxiliary verb + subject + main verb

• Wrong: Where you are going?

• Correct: Where are you going?

• Wrong: What you did yesterday?

• Correct: What did you do yesterday?

10. Forgetting the "S" in Third Person Singular

In present simple, verbs get an "s" when the subject is he, she, or it. This tiny letter is easy to forget but important for correct grammar.

• Wrong: She go to work every day.

• Correct: She goes to work every day.

• Wrong: It rain a lot in London.

• Correct: It rains a lot in London.

11. "Say" vs. "Tell"

• "Say" does not need a person after it: She said hello. She said that she was tired.
• "Tell" needs a person after it: She told me hello. She told me that she was tired.

Wrong: She said me to come early. Correct: She told me to come early.

12. Using "The" with Country Names

Most country names do not use "the," but some do.

• No article: France, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Ukraine
• With "the": the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Philippines

Pattern: Countries with "United," "Republic," "Kingdom," or plural names usually need "the."

13. "Fun" vs. "Funny"

• "Fun" means enjoyable: The party was fun. Swimming is fun.
• "Funny" means it makes you laugh: The comedian was funny. That joke was funny.

Wrong: The trip was so funny! (unless the trip literally made you laugh the entire time) Correct: The trip was so fun!

14. Misusing "Actually"

In many languages, the word that looks like "actually" means "currently" or "right now." In English, "actually" means "in fact" or "to tell the truth." It is often used to correct a misunderstanding.

• Wrong: I am actually working on the project. (meaning "right now")
• Correct: I am currently working on the project.
• Correct use of actually: Actually, the meeting is at 3, not 2. (correcting a mistake)

15. Pronunciation of Silent Letters

English has many words with silent letters that can trip you up:

• Know (the K is silent): /noʊ/
• Wednesday (the first D is silent): /ˈwɛnzdeɪ/
• Bomb (the B at the end is silent): /bɑːm/
• Listen (the T is silent): /ˈlɪsən/

Advice: When you learn a new word, always check its pronunciation. Do not assume it is pronounced the way it is spelled. English spelling and pronunciation have a complicated relationship!

How to Fix These Mistakes

Knowing about these mistakes is the first step. Here is how to actively fix them:

1. Focus on one mistake at a time. Pick the one you make most often and spend a week paying attention to it.
2. Practice with correction. Ask a teacher or language partner to correct this specific error when you make it.
3. Read out loud. When you read English text aloud, you naturally absorb correct grammar patterns.
4. Keep a mistake journal. Write down your frequent errors and review them weekly.

Remember, every English speaker who is not a native speaker has made these exact same mistakes. You are not alone, and you are doing great. Keep practicing!