Common Mistakes

Incorrect uses of The

We do not use the word 'the' before the phrases

• Next/Last weekend
• Next/Last week
• Next/Last month
• Next/Last year

Age related mistakes

We say

• I am 25 years old not
• I have 25 years old

We always use the past form of the verb 'to be' with the word 'born'.

• I was born on May 3rd
• They were born in 1989
• She was born in 1939

Never use I'm born or I am born.

Incorrect plural words

• Person

The plural of persons is people and not persons.

Persons is archaic, and it is safe to avoid using it, except in legal writing, which has its own traditional language.

• Child

The plural of child is children and not childs

• Man

The plural of man is men and not mens.

• Woman

The plural of woman is women and not womans.

Present continuous

When using the present continuous in a formal setting, we always use the verb 'to be' before the verb ending in 'ing'.

Formal/Gramatically correct:

• We are going to the party
• Are you going somewhere with this?

In informal english people often omit the verb 'to be', however, please note this is intentional and is improper english.

Informal/Gramatically incorrect:

• We going to the party
• You going somewhere with this?

Common pronunciation mistakes

verbs ending with ed

We do not pronounce the ''-ed" suffix as a separate syllable unless the original verb ends in "t" or "d".

For instance,

Verbs endling in 'alk'

We do not pronounce the 'l' in verbs that end in 'alk'.

• Talk -> tak
• Walk -> wak
• Stalk -> stak
• Balk -> bak

Would, could, should

The L is silent in the words would, could and should, just like in the verbs ending in 'alk'.

Would Could Should

J and Y

The Y in English sounds like an i in Spanish

You Your

The J in English sounds like a Y in Spanish

Jump Jest Jacket

Word Order

In English we place the owner of the noun first and then the object that he owns.

• La casa de David David's house

• El parquedadero del centro comercial es muy caro The mall's parking lot is too expensive