Common English Mistakes

Below are 40 common English mistakes that beginners make. Correct the errors in each
sentence and then see the answers and explanations below.

For more error correction exercises, see: 

Exercise 2A (intermediate)
Exercise 2B (intermediate)
Exercise 2C (intermediate)
Exercise 3A (advanced)
Common Mistakes in Emails
Common Mistakes in Emails 2
Error Correction for Spanish Speakers

Correct the Mistakes

1. Do you like it? No, I don’t like.

2. On Sunday, I always go to the church.

3. On Saturdays, I always go to movies.

4. I love listening music.

5. I born in 1962.

6. I could to go to the store tomorrow.

7. The last year I didn’t know much English.

8. Are you agree with me?

9. I’m afraid to the dark.

10. Always, I study before I go to bed.

11. I can’t eating when it’s late at night because I get sick.

12. I’m not very good for cooking.

13. After class, I always go to home.

14. My uncle John is funner than my uncle Mike.

15. These pants are more cheaper than the other ones.

16. Probably he likes soccer.

17. I love that movie because is funny.

18. I’m thinking of to go home because I’m tired.

19. I’m a doctor. So do I.

20. I go every day to school.

21. Do you have a dog? Yes, I have.

22. Do you like to go to the movies tomorrow night?

23. What are you doing? Right now I cook dinner.

24. I don’t dance good.

25. Where did you went yesterday?

26. When did you born?

27. What did you do yesterday? I did go to the mall.

28. There is much noise here.

29. How much restaurants are in your neighborhood?

30. Is very windy today.

31.  I love Brazil because it’s too beautiful.

32.  What you can do in New York City?

33.  I have a daughter. I am too.

34.  I’m glad we’re practicing grammar because I do a lot of mistakes.

35.  Before make a presentation, you should practice a lot.

36.  Things went really good today at work.

37.  My mother always told me a bedtime history when I was a kid.

38.  There isn’t a lot of cars on the road today.

39.  Class today was really bored.

40.  I don’t have no money.

Answers and Explanations

1. Do you like it? No, I don’t like it.

Like is a transitive verb. This means that it must have an object. If we use the verb like,
we have to say what the person likes.

Examples:
I don’t like him.
I don’t like.
We like it.
We like.
They really like us.
They really like.
Do you like this?
Do you like?

Some other common transitive verbs are bring, cost, give, buy, make, show, and tell.

 
2. On Sunday, I always go to the church.

When we talk about attending church, we do not use the article the.

3. On Saturdays, I always go to the movies.

The expression is to go to the movies. We need the article the.

4. I love listening to music.

Between the verb listen and the object, we need the word to.

Examples:
Listen to your mother.
Listen your mother.
I listen to a lot of different types of music.
I listen a lot of different types of music.

5. I was born in 1962.

The verb is to be born. We need the verb to be.

Examples:
My mom was born in 1965.
My mom born in 1965.
The baby will probably be born in April.
The baby will probably born in April.
They were born on the same day.
They born on the same day.

6. I could to go to the store tomorrow.

After all modals verbs (can, would, could, must, may, might, will, should, and shall), we use
the base form of the verb and not the infinitive.

Examples:
I can swim.
I can to swim.
She might go to the movies
She might to go to the movies.
You must have a passport to travel to Canada
You must to have a passport to travel to Canada.

7. The Last year I didn’t know much English.

We do not use the before expressions like last year, next year, last night, last week, next
week, last month, next month, etc.

Examples:
I will see you next Friday.
I will see you the next Friday.
I went to Cancun last year.
I went to Cancun the last year.
Henry saw that movie last weekend.
Henry saw that movie the last weekend.

8. Are Do you agree with me?

To agree is a verb. We do not use the verb to be with agree.

Examples:
I agree with you
I am agree with you.
Mike agrees with me.
Mike is agree with me.
Does she agree with us?
Is she agree with us?

 
9. I’m afraid to of the dark.

The expression is to be afraid of something.

10. Always, I always study before I go to bed.

In general, adverbs of frequency (always, almost always, usually, often, sometimes, hardly
ever, almost never, and never) go before the main verb or after the verb to be.

Before the main verb:

I always study before I go to bed.
I study always before I go to bed.
Always I study before I go to bed.
I almost always drink coffee in the afternoon.
I drink almost always coffee in the afternoon.
Almost always, I drink coffee in the afternoon.

After the verb to be:

They’re always late for class.
They’re late always for class.
Always, they’re late for class.
I’m almost never awake at midnight.
I’m awake almost never at midnight.
Almost never I’m awake at midnight.  

Sometimes is a bit different. It follows the same rules as the other adverbs of frequency, but
can also go at the beginning of a sentence.
I sometimes go to the beach on Saturday.
Sometimes I go to the beach on Saturday.
I go sometimes to the beach on Saturday.

11. I can’t eating eat when it’s late at night because I get sick.

After all modals verbs (can, would, could, must, may, might, will, should, and shall),
we only use the base form of the verb. We don’t use the gerund or the infinitive form of the
verb.
Examples:
I might go to the play.
I might going to the play.
I might to go to the play.

12. I’m not very good for at cooking.

We say good at + gerund, not good for + gerund to talk about things people do well.

Examples:
He is good at cooking.
He is good for cooking.
Karly is good at ice skating.
Karly is good for ice skating.

13. After class, I always go to home.

The correct expression is to go home. Go to home is incorrect.

14. My uncle John is funner more fun than my uncle Mike.

Fun does not follow the rule for one-syllable adjectives. The comparative form
of fun is more fun.

15. These pants are more cheaper than the other ones.

The comparative form of one-syllable adjectives (except for the irregulars good, bad, far,

and fun) is formed by adding “er” to the adjective.

Examples:
Which movie is longer?
Which movie is more long?
I am taller than my brother.
I am more tall than my brother.

16. Probably He probably likes soccer.

We don’t normally start a sentence with probably. Probably usually goes  before the main

verb or after the verb to be.

Before the main verb:

Your dog probably wants to go outside.
Probably, your dog wants to go outside.
I probably have a cold.
Probably, I have a cold.

After the verb to be:

He’s probably sick.
Probably, he’s sick.
We’re probably going to be late because of all this traffic.
Probably, we’re going to be late.

17. I love that movie because it is funny.

After because we need a noun and a verb.

Examples:
I like you because you are such a nice person.
I like you because are such a nice person.
I moved to Florida because it was too cold in New Jersey.
I moved to Florida because was cold in New Jersey.

18. I’m thinking of to go going home because I’m tired.

If we use a verb immediately after a preposition, we need the gerund. We can never use the
infinitive immediately after a preposition. Some common prepositions
are on, of, before, after, to, in, about, and with.
Examples:
I’m reading a book about starting your own business.
I’m reading a book about to start your own business.
After studying all day, I was tired.
After to study all day, I was tired.
Besides running, I also like playing soccer.
Besides to run, I also like playing soccer.

19. I’m a doctor. So do I. So am I.

To agree with a statement which has the verb to be, we use the verb to be in the short
response (or simply say “yes”).

Examples:
He’s hungry. Response:  So am I.
He’s hungry. Response:  So do I.

20. I go every day to school every day.

In general, we put frequency expressions (every day, once a month, three times a year, twice
a day,etc.) at the end of the sentence.

Examples:
I go to the gym three times a week.
I go three times a week to the gym.
Some people clean their house every day.
Some people clean every day their house.
We have English class twice a week.
We have twice a week English class.

21. Do you have a dog? Yes, I have do.

The chart below shows how to form short affirmative and negative responses to yes or no
questions.
Question Affirmative Negative

do or does    

Do you like your job? Yes, I do. No, I don’t.

Does he like his job? Yes, he does. No, he doesn’t.

Do we have to work today? Yes, we do. No, we don’t.

Do they have to work today? Yes, they do. No, they don’t.

to be

Are you Michael? Yes, I am. No, I’m not.

Is he Spanish? Yes, he is. No, he isn’t.  or No, he’s not.

Are you and your wife Yes, we are. No, we aren’t.  or No, we’re
American? not.

Are they managers? Yes, they are. No, they aren’t.  or No,
they’re not.

modals (respond with same

modal in question)

Can you swim? Yes, I can. No, I can’t.

Can he swim? Yes, he can. No, he can’t.

Should we invite him? Yes, we should. No, we shouldn’t.

Will they help us? Yes, they will. No, they won’t.

22. Do Would you like to go to the movies tomorrow night?

There are two main ways to invite someone to go somewhere in English.

Formal: Would you like + infinitive………..?

Informal: Do you want + infinitive……..?

Both forms are correct, but we cannot combine the forms.

Examples:
Would you like to go to lunch?
Do you want to go to lunch?
Do you like to go to lunch?
Would you want to go to lunch?

23. What are you doing? Right now I cook am cooking dinner.

To talk about something that is happening right now, we use the present continuous.

Examples:
I’m eating lunch right now. I’ll call you later.
I eat lunch right now. I’ll call you later.
She’s walking the dog at the moment.
She walks the dog at the moment.
We’re paying attention right now.
We pay attention right now.
Note that some verbs are not normally used in the continuous tenses. We call these verbs
stative verbs. Stative verbs include want, depend, remember, believe and agree. Stative
verbs do not involve actions. They are verbs which communicate feelings, beliefs, or mental
states. For a complete list of stative verbs and examples of their use, see this page.  

24. I don’t dance good well.

Good is an adjective. We use it to modify a noun.

Examples:
This is a good book.
This is a well book.
I had a good day yesterday
I had a well day yesterday. 

Well is an adverb. We use it to modify a verb or adjective.

Examples:
He plays soccer very well.
He plays soccer very good.
How well do you cook?
How good do you cook?
I did very well on my test.
I did very good on my test.

Exception: If we are talking about a verb involving some type of sensation (feel, smell,
hear, for example) we use good instead of well.

Examples:
That idea sounds good.
That idea sounds well. 
It smells really good in here.
It smells really well in here.

25. Where did you went go yesterday?

In general, the formula for forming questions is:

Questions Word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Other (QwASVO)

When the auxiliary is do, does, did or any modal, the main verb needs to be in the base form.
The main verb is never in the simple past for questions with did.

Examples:
What did you eat for breakfast yesterday?
Did you sleep well last night?
What did you ate for breakfast yesterday?
Did you slept well last night?

26. When did were you born?

The verb is to be born. We always use the verb to be before born. We need the auxiliary to
be in the question form.

Examples:
Where were you born?
Where did you born?
Where were they born?
Where did they born?
What time was I born?
What time did I born?

27. What did you do yesterday? I did go went to the mall.

We mostly use did for:

1. questions in the simple past tense

Where did you go yesterday?
2. short answers in the past tense
Did she go to work yesterday. Yes, she did.

If we want to make a statement in the simple past tense, we do not use did unless it is a short

answer to a question (or to express emphasis).
Examples:
I saw a movie yesterday.
*I did see a movie yesterday.
I talked to my boss last night.
*I did talk to my boss last night.
I watched TV on Sunday.
*I did watch TV on Sunday.
* These sentences would be correct if we’re expressing emphasis. See this page for an
explanation.

28. There is much a lot of noise here.

For affirmative statements with non-count nouns, we use a lot of.

29. How much many restaurants are in your neighborhood?

We use How many… for count nouns (things that we can count).

We use How much…for non-count nouns (things we can’t count).
For more information, see this guide to count and non-count nouns.

30. It is very windy today.

Unless we are using the imperative, sentences in English need a subject.

We use it as the subject for statements about the weather, times and dates, and opinions
about places.

Examples:
It is raining really hard right now.
Is raining really hard right now.
It’s 3:35 in the afternoon.
Is 3:35 in the afternoon.
It’s too crowded here. Let’s leave.
Is too crowded here.  Let’s leave.

For more information see this page from the British Council.

 

31. I love Brazil because it’s too really/very beautiful.

We use too before an adjective when there is a greater quantity or number of something than

we want. In the above sentence, the speaker is talking about something good (the beauty of
Brazil). Therefore, we can’t use too.

The words very and really are neutral. They intensify the adjective and can be used to

communicate something good or bad.

32. What you can can you do in New York City?

In general, the formula for forming questions is:

Questions Word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb + Other (QwASVO)

In this example, can is the auxiliary verb. The auxiliary verb needs to go before the subject.

33. I have a daughter. I am do too.

See the explanation to number 21.

34. I’m glad we’re practicing grammar because I do make a lot of mistakes.

We make mistakes. We don’t do mistakes. Make and do, can be confusing. This is

an excellent make vs. do chart which explains some of the tendencies. Also see
these business collocations with do and make and this practice activity.

35. Before make making a presentation, you should practice a lot.

See the explanation to number 18.

 

36. Things went really good well today at work.

See the explanation to number 24.

37. My mother always told me a bedtime history story when I was a kid.

The difference between history and story can be confusing. A history explains a

chronological collection of events that shows how something has progressed, changed, or
developed over time (the history of the world, a person’s medical history, the history of the
Vikings, etc.) A historyusually deals with political, social, or economic topics and often
includes an explanation of the events.
A story is a description of an event or series of events (real or fake) and is often told with the
intent to entertain the listener.

In the example above, we’re talking about something that isn’t real and which is designed to
entertain the listener. Therefore, story is the correct word.

38. There isn’t aren’t a lot of cars on the road today.

We use there is to communicate the existence of a singular noun. We use there are to

communicate the existence of plural nouns. In the example above, we have a plural noun.

39. Class today was really bored boring.

Some adjectives have “ed” and “ing” forms.

annoying/annoyed
boring/bored
confusing/confused
depressing/depressed
exciting/excited
frightening/frightened
frustrating/frustrated
satisfying/satisfied
shocking/shocked

The two forms of the adjectives are not the same. The “ing” adjectives are used for nouns
that cause a feeling or emotion. The “ed” adjectives are used to describe nouns that receive a
feeling or emotion.

 40. I don’t have no any money.

Some languages use double negatives. In English, we do not use double negatives. If we

want to say that the speaker has $0.00, we can say I don’t have any money or I have no
money.

Examples:
He doesn’t have any experience.
He has no experience.
He doesn’t have no experience.
There aren’t any parking spaces.
There are no parking spaces.
There aren’t no parking spaces.

Common English Mistakes – Error Correction Exercise 2A (Intermediate)

Below are 25 common English mistakes that intermediate students make. Correct the errors
in each sentence and then see the answers and explanations below.

For more error correction exercises, see:

Exercise 1 (beginner)
Exercises 2B (intermediate)
Exercise 2C (intermediate)
Exercise 3A (advanced)
Common Mistakes in Emails
Common Mistakes in Emails 2
Error Correction for Spanish Speakers

Correct the Mistakes

1. We are only five on our team.
2. I would rather to work from home than come to the office.

3. We’re used to have a lot of work to do, so meeting the deadline won’t be a problem.

4. My client sent me an email but I haven’t replied her yet.

5. Maybe I’m going to finish this today.

6. Please borrow me your badge so I can get into the storage closet.

7. I can’t finish this by the end of the day. Even though I spend all day on it, I won’t finish
on time.

8. Probably, I’ll go to the beach on Saturday.

9. The Old Man and the Sea was written for Ernest Hemingway.

10. Our office is near to the airport, so it will be easy for you to get here.

11. We have many stuffs to do this week, so I don’t know if I can go to English class.

12. Despite I was tired, I came to work today.

13. If we had a gym here, I can work out after work.

14. I always try to do things very careful and make sure I do them correct. (two mistakes)

15. We have people from all over the world here: India, United States, Venezuela, Canada,
United Kingdom, Germany, and France. (two mistakes)

16. Are we going to have to work overtime again this week? I hope no.

17. Yesterday, he told me that he will send the email after lunch, but he didn’t do it.

18. My schedule often changes, but I normally work since 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

19. I thought you were still with Microsoft. When did you stop to work there?

20. I’m not pretty sure about what we should do.

21. How long time did you work in the public sector?

22. Do you know where is the restaurant?

23. He is well-experienced, so we know that he can do the job.

24. Who is in charge to decide which printer to buy?

25. I had a hard time getting in touch with my supervisor. After calling for hours, I finally
could get in touch with her.

Answers and Explanations

1. We are only five There are five of us on our team.

We say there are five of us, there are seven of them, there are three of you, etc. We don’t
normally say We are five, they are seven, etc.

Examples:
There are five of us working on this project.
We are five working on this project.
There are six of you in your department, correct?
You are six in your department, correct?

2. I would rather to work from home than come to the office.

After rather, we use the base form of the verb (I’d rather go/work/eat/see, etc.).

3. We’re used to have having a lot of work to do, so meeting the deadline won’t be a
problem.

To talk about something that someone is accustomed to doing, we use the following formula:
Subject + verb to be + used to + gerund 

Examples:
I’m used to getting up early, so I don’t mind coming in at 7 a.m.
I’m used to get up early, so I don’t mind coming in at 7 a.m.
She’s not used to speaking English on the phone, so it sometimes makes her nervous.
She’s not used to speak English on the phone, so it sometimes makes her nervous.

Note that we often use this grammatical structure to talk about why something is (or isn’t) a
problem.

4. My client sent me an email but I haven’t replied her yet.

We use reply without an object or followed by “to” + what/who we are replying to.

Examples:
I received an invitation from John, but I haven’t replied yet.
I received an invitation from John, but I haven’t replied him yet.
I haven’t replied to his email yet.
I haven’t replied his email yet.

Note that the same rule applies to the verb respond.

5. Maybe I’m going to I might finish this today.

We don’t use Maybe + subject + I’m going to to communicate a future possibility. Instead,
we use might and the base form of the verb.

Examples:
She might go to the meeting.
Maybe she’s going to go to the meeting.
They might not finish the project on time.
Maybe they’re not going to finish the project on time.

Note that we can also use Maybe +subject + will + base form to communicate a future
possibility that the speaker is thinking about at the moment of speaking. Maybe I’ll watch
the game tonight, for example.
 

6. Please borrow lend me your badge so I can get into the storage closet.

The person who owns the item lends it, and the person who uses the item for a short period
of time borrows it.

7. I can’t finish this by the end of the day. Even though Even if I spend all day on it, I won’t
finish on time.

We use even though or although for something that is true. We use even if to talk about

a hypothetical condition.

Examples:
We’re going to the beach tomorrow even if it rains. (hypothetical condition)
We’re going to the beach tomorrow even though it rains. 
Even though it rained, we had a great time at the beach. (something that is true)
Even if it rained, we had a great time at the beach.

8. Probably, I’ll probably go to the beach on Saturday.

Probably typically goes before the main verb or after the verb to be.
Note that the negative would be I probably won’t go to the beach on Saturday.

9. The Old Man and the Sea was written for by Ernest Hemingway.

In the passive voice, we use by to talk about who created something (a painting, a book, a
story, etc.).

10. Our office is near to the airport, so it will be easy for you to get here.

We say close to or near, but not near to.

 

11. We have many stuffs a lot of stuff to do this week, so I don’t know if I can go to English
class.

Stuff has no plural form. It is a non-count noun.

12. Despite Even though/Although I was tired, I came to work today.

We use despite/in spite of before a noun or gerund.  We use even though/although before a

subject and a verb.

Examples:
Despite being sick, I came to work.
In spite of being sick, I came to work.
Despite I was sick, I came to work.
In spite of I was sick, I came to work.
Although I was sick, I came to work.
Even though I was sick, I came to work.
Although being sick, I came to work.
Even though my sickness, I came to work.

13. If we had a gym here, I can could work out after work.

This is an unreal conditional (also called the second conditional). We use the unreal
conditional to talk about hypothetical or unreal situations in the present or future. For more
information, see this guide to conditionals.

14. I always try to do things very careful carefully and make sure I do

them correct correctly. (two mistakes)

In this sentence, we need to use adverbs instead of adjectives because we are modifying a
verb.

 
15. We have people from all over the world here: India, the United States, Venezuela,
Canada, theUnited Kingdom, Germany, and France. (two mistakes)

We use the in the names of certain countries:

the United States

the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic
the Dominican Republic
the Netherlands
the Philippines
the Bahamas
the Maldives
the United Arab Emirates
the Sudan

General rules for when we use the in the name of a country:

a. if the country or area is a collection of islands (the Maldives, the Canary Islands).
b. If we are using the complete name of the country with the word “of.” The People’s
Republic of China, for example.

16. Are we going to have to work overtime again this week? I hope no not.

The expression is I hope not, not I hope no.

17. Yesterday, he told me that he will would send the email after lunch, but he didn’t do it.

In reported speech, will becomes would or was/were going to.

Examples:
On my first day, they told me that we would have orientation at the end of my first week.
On my first day, they told me that we were going to have orientation at the end of my first
week.
On my first day, they told me that we will have orientation at the end of my first week.
On my first day, they told me that we are going to have orientation at the end of my first
week.
 

18. My schedule often changes, but I normally work since from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For schedules, we use from….to….

19. I thought you were still with Microsoft. When did you stop to work working there?

We use stop + gerund to communicate that an action has finished.

Examples:
I stopped working at 6 p.m. last night.
I stopped to work at 6 p.m. last night.

We use stop + infinitive to communicate that we stopped one action in order to start another
action.

Examples:
I was working this morning, but I stopped to run some errands.
I was working this morning, but I stopped running some errands.

20. I’m not pretty sure about what we should do.

We don’t use pretty sure in the negative. We can say I’m pretty sure, but I’m not pretty
sure is incorrect.

21. How long time did you work in the public sector?

We say How long… for questions about duration of time, not How long time…

22. Do you know where is the restaurant the restaurant is?

After expressions like Do you know…, Could you tell me,.. and I was wondering if… we use
statement order, not question order. These are called indirect questions.

Examples:
Could you tell me what time it is?
Could you tell me what time is it?
Do you know who she is?
Do you know who is she?

23. He is well-experienced He has a lot of experience, so we know that he can do the job.

We can’t use well before all adjectives. Sometimes it works (well-paid, well-educated), but

sometimes it does not (well-knowledgeable, well-interpreted).

24. Who is in charge to decide of deciding which printer to buy?

We say in charge of + gerund.

25. I had a hard time getting in touch with my supervisor. After calling for hours, I
finally could was able get in touch with her.  

We use was/were able to to talk about one successful event in the past. We
use could or was/were able to to talk about what was generally possible in the past.

Examples:
We were able to outbid out competitors. (we outbid them and won the contract)
We could outbid our competitors. (incorrect if we are talking about one successful event in
the past)
When I was younger I could work out every day. (generally possible in the past = was/were
able toor could)
When I was younger, I was able to work out every day. (generally possible in the past
= was/were able to or could)

Note that in the negative form we can use both forms.

Examples:
We weren’t able to outbid our competitors.
We couldn’t outbid our competitors.
Common English Mistakes – Error Correction Exercise 2B (Intermediate)
Below are 25 common English mistakes that intermediate students make. Correct the errors
in each sentence and then see the answers and explanations below.

For more error correction exercises, see:

Exercise 1 (beginner)
Exercise 2A (intermeidate)
Exercise 2C (intermediate)
Exercise 3A (advanced)
Common Mistakes in Emails
Common Mistakes in Emails 2
Error Correction for Spanish Speakers

Correct the Mistakes

1. I never traveled internationally. I might next year, though.

2. I really enjoyed to be there yesterday.

3. If you want to be successful, you need to believe in you.

4. She’s really selfish. She only cares about her.

5. They’ve been married during ten years.

6. Is important to be polite and respectful.

7. I wish I have more time to finish the proposal.

8. I work here since 2010.

9. I’ve been studied a lot lately.

10. The TV is too loud? Okay, I turn it down.

11. When I was a kid I used to playing sports with my friends.

12. Waking up early was hard at first, but now I’m used to do it.
13. This office isn’t as big than the other office.

14. They didn’t think that the house was enough big.

15. I had to think about the problem for a while, but I finally figured out it.

16. I got here late because the traffic.

17. They’re looking forward to go on vacation next year.

18. We need to analyze more deeply this problem.

19. If we hire more people, we wouldn’t be so busy.

20. Today we discussed about potential strategies.

21. This will allow us to concentrate on our business and don’t worry about our IT
infrastructure.

22. They gave him more responsibilities due to he is handling his current responsibilities
very well.

23. They wouldn’t let me to leave early today even though I had something really important
to take care of.

24. In the meantime John prepared breakfast, I worked on putting the finishing touches on
my presentation.

25. I wish to have a relaxing vacation this December.

Answers and Explanations

1. I never I’ve never traveled internationally. I might next year, though.

If we’re talking about not having experienced something that we might experience in the
future, we normally use the present perfect.
Examples:
I’ve never seen a movie in Spanish.
I never saw a movie in Spanish.
I’ve never eaten broccoli.
I never ate broccoli.

Note that we use the simple past if we are talking about not having experienced something
that we will never have the chance to experience.

Examples:
I didn’t go to my high school graduation.
I haven’t gone to my high school graduation.

2. I really enjoyed to be being there yesterday.

After certain verbs, we use the gerund instead of the infinitive. Enjoy is one of these verbs.
Some other verbs that are followed by the gerund are consider, delay, dislike, finish,
imagine, mind, miss, practice, risk, and tolerate.

Examples:
I miss being a college student.
I miss to be a college student.
We finished working on the project around 2:00.
We finished to work on the project around 2:00.
They don’t mind staying late if they have a lot of work.
They don’t mind to stay late if they have a lot of work.

For more information, see this guide to using use two verbs together.

3. If you want to be successful, you need to believe in you yourself.

When the subject and the verb of a sentence are the same, we use reflexive pronouns (myself,
yourself, yourselves, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves).

Examples:
You need to believe in yourself.
You need to believe in you.
He emailed the document to himself.
He emailed the document to him.
They have to cook for themselves.
They have to cook for them.

4. She’s really selfish. She only cares about her  herself.

See the explanation to number 3.

5. They’ve been married during for ten years.

We use during to say over what period of time something happened in the past. To
communicate how long an unfinished action has been happening, we use for or since. We
use for for a duration of time (four months, five years, 26 minutes, nine days, etc.) and we
use since for specific moments in time (9 AM, Thursday, 1963, etc.).

6. It is important to be polite and respectful.

Unless we are using the imperative, sentences in English need a subject.

We use it as the subject for statements about the weather, times and dates, and opinions
about places.

Examples:
It is raining really hard right now.
Is raining really hard right now.
It’s 3:35 in the afternoon.
Is 3:35 in the afternoon.
It’s too crowded here. Let’s leave.
Is too crowded here. Let’s leave.

For more information see this link from the British Council.

 
7. I wish I have had more time to finish the proposal.

With wish statements in the present tense, we use the simple past tense.

Examples:
I wish I were taller. (For wish statements in the present, we prefer were for all subjects.)
I wish I am taller.
She wishes she still worked at her old job.
She wishes she works at her old job.

8. I work I’ve worked here since 2010.

To talk about something that happened in the past and continues in the present, we use the
present perfect or present perfect continuous.

Examples:
I’ve been here since 10 a.m.
I’m here since 10 a.m.
I’ve been working on this project for three weeks.
I’m working on this project for three weeks.

9. I’ve been studied studying a lot lately.

We need the present perfect continuous here. We can use this form to talk about something
that has happened a lot recently. The form is subject + have/has + been + ing.

Examples:
I’ve been working out a lot lately.
I’ve been worked out a lot lately.
She’s been bringing her lunch every day.
She’s been brought her lunch every day. 

10. The TV is too loud? Okay, I I’ll turn it down.

We use will to respond to a request.

Examples:
Oh, do you need the report? I’ll send it right away.
Oh, do you need the report? I send it right away.
Oh, do you need the report? I’m going to send it right away.

11. When I was a kid I used to playing play sports with my friends.

We use used to + base form to talk about something that was true in the past but no longer
true. For more information, see this lesson on using used to correctly.

12. Waking up early was hard at first, but now I’m used to do doing it.

We use to be + used to + gerund to talk about something we are accustomed to doing. For
more information, see this lesson on using used to correctly.

13. This office isn’t as big than as the other office.

We use as + adjective + as for these comparisons, not as + adjective + than

Examples:
The United States isn’t as big as Russia.
The United States isn’t as big than Russia.
Our company is just as strong as it was a year ago.
Our company is just as strong than it was a year ago.

14. They didn’t think that the house was enough big big enough.

Enough goes after an adjective or before a noun.

Examples:
We were worried that our bid wasn’t competitive enough.
We were worried that our bid wasn’t enough competitive. 
I don’t know if we have enough people working on this.
I don’t know if we have people enough working on this. 

15. I had to think about the problem for a while, but I finally figured out it it out.

Most phrasal verbs are separable (the phrasal verb can be separated by its object).
With separable phrasal verbs, the object pronoun must go between the verb and the
preposition.

Examples:
We will send someone to pick you up.
We will send someone to pick up you.
Thank you for backing me up during the meeting today.
Thank you for backing up me during the meeting today.

16. I got here late because of the traffic (or because there was a lot of traffic).

Because is followed by a subject and a verb. Because of is followed by a noun or gerund.

Examples:
They lost some clients because of the scandal.
They lost some clients because the scandal.
They lost some clients because they handled the scandal poorly.
They lost some clients because of they handled the scandal poorly.

17. They’re looking forward to go going on vacation next year.

To is a preposition here, not part of the infinitive. We need the gerund form of the verb after
a preposition.

18. We need to analyze more deeply this problem more deeply.

In general, we don’t place adverbs between a verb and its object.

Examples:
We need to pursue this opportunity aggressively.
We need to pursue aggressively this opportunity. 
They treat their employees poorly.
They treat poorly their employees.

19. If we hire hired more people, we wouldn’t be so busy.

or  If we hire more people, we wouldn’t won’t be so busy.

If we are speaking hypothetically, we need the second conditional.

If we hire hired  more people, we wouldn’t be so busy.
If we are talking about something that is likely to happen, we need the first conditional.
If we hire more people, we wouldn’t won’t be so busy.
For more information, see this guide to conditionals.

20. Today we discussed about potential strategies.

We do not use about after the word discuss.

21. This will allow us to concentrate on our business and don’t (to) not worry about our IT
infrastructure.

We need the negative infinitive of the verb to worry. The word to is optional because we
have already used the infinitive to concentrate after the verb allow. Don’t is incorrect
because this is not an imperative.

22. They gave him more responsibilities due to since/because he is handling his current
responsibilities very well.

Due to is followed by a noun, not a subject + verb. Since and because are followed by a

subject + verb.
Examples:
She was chosen for the position due to her experience.
She was chosen for the position due to she has a lot of experience.

23. They wouldn’t let me to leave early today even though I had something really important
to take care of.

After let, help, make, and have (when have is used to communicate that someone is being

told to do something), we use the base infinitive, not the infinitive form of the second verb.

Examples:
He had his secretary reserve a table for two.
He had his secretary to reserve a table for two.
They made us feel welcome.
They made us to feel welcome.
My niece helped me set up my computer.
My niece helped me to set up my computer.

24. In the meantime While John prepared breakfast, I worked on putting the finishing

touches on my presentation.

To talk about two actions happening simultaneously, we use while. We use in the

meantime to communicate that we are doing something while we are waiting for something
else to happen.

Examples:
I reviewed my notes one last time while I waited for my name to be called.
I reviewed my notes one last time in the meantime I waited for my name to be called.
John can help us with this, but he’s on vacation until Monday. In the meantime, we’ll have to
do the best we can.
John can help us with this, but he’s on vacation until Monday. While we’ll have to do the
best we can.

25. I wish hope to have a relaxing vacation this December.

We normally use wish to talk about something hypothetical. For something we want to
happen in the future, we can use hope and want.

Examples:
I wish I had more time. (hypothetical)
I hope I had more time.
I hope to retire at age 65. (something the speaker wants in the future)
I wish to retire at age 65. 

Note that  I wish to retire at age 65 isn’t technically wrong, but it sounds old fashioned and
formal. Hope is the better choice.
Common English Mistakes – Error Correction Exercise 2C (intermediate)
Below are 25 common English mistakes that intermediate students make. Correct the errors
in each sentence and then see the answers and explanations below.

For more error correction exercises, see:

Exercise 1 (beginner)
Exercise 2A (intermediate)
Exercise 2B (intermediate)
Exercise 3A (advanced)
Common Mistakes in Emails
Common Mistakes in Emails 2
Error Correction for Spanish Speakers

Correct the Mistakes

1. He’s the one which has the blue tie on.

2. We like very much the new secretary.

3. Could you tell me how can I get in touch with Mr. Yamamoto?

4. We’re not sure he is enough experienced for the position.

5. She’s very sick and has been at the hospital for two weeks.

6. We talked during three hours this morning.

7. We’re using all the informations we have to make an informed decision.

8. They change often our seats at work.

9. They don’t let us to send our clients gifts without getting approval from management first.

10. Do we have some coffee or tea to offer our guests?

11. I called Kate this morning and she told me she’ll call me back in a half an hour.
12. We regularly conduct emergency drills for ensuring that we are prepared for an
emergency.

13. Brad is 32 now. He completes 33 years in October.

14. These are the most cheap gas prices I have seen in my life.

15. Yesterday, I must sent a very important email to a client.

16. We knew there was a gas leak because it smelled really badly inside the house.

17. My parents always told me that it’s important being positive.

18. For the economy, we haven’t been able to hire any new people.

19. He says that he’s been really tired since several weeks ago.

20. A friend of us is going to pick us up at the airport.

21. I’ve worked like a waiter in the past, but I wouldn’t want to do it again.

22. To sleep at work is acceptable in some cultures.

23. Because these problems, we shouldn’t move forward with this proposal right now.

24. I’m going to take my lunch break and then to make some phone calls.

25. I’ve asked everyone to help me with my college admissions essay. Even I asked someone
I met on the bus.

Answers and Explanations

1. He’s the one which who/that has the blue tie on.

We use the relative pronoun which to refer to things. To refer to people, we use who or that.

In formal writing, who is a better choice.
Examples:
He was the one who/that recommended this solution.
He was the one which recommended this solution.

2. We like very much the new secretary very much.

We don’t normally place an adverb between a verb and its object.

Examples:
I like sports a lot.
I like a lot sports. 
The doctor patiently described the surgical procedure.
The doctor described patiently the surgical procedure.

3. Could you tell me how can I I can get in touch with Mr. Yamamoto?

After expressions like Do you know…, Could you tell me,.. and I was wondering if… we do
not invert the subject and the verb. These are called indirect questions.

Examples:
I was wondering if you could help me with something.
I was wondering if could you help me with something. 
Could you tell me how I should do this?
Could you tell me how should I do this?

4. We’re not sure he is enough experienced experienced enough for the position.

Enough goes after an adjective or before a noun.

Examples:
Do we have enough food?
Do we have food enough?
Is the conference room big enough for 10 people?
Is the conference room enough big for 10 people?
 

5. She’s very sick and has been at in the hospital for two weeks.

To communicate that someone is a patient at the hospital, we say in the hospital. If someone
is not a patient, we use at the hospital.

Examples:
The surgery went well. She was only in the hospital for two days.
The surgery went well. She was only at the hospital for two days.
I think Stephanie’s at the hospital visiting her great aunt.
I think Stephanie’s in the hospital visiting her great aunt.

6. We talked during for three hours this morning.

We use for to communicate a duration a time. We use during to communicate over what

period of time something happened.

Examples:
I slept for three hours, and I woke up just in time for dinner.
I slept during three hours, and I woke up just in time for dinner.
No one interrupted during his presentation.
No one interrupted for his presentation.

7. We’re using all the informations we have to make an informed decision.

Information is a non-count noun. There is no plural form of information. Other non-count

nouns students frequently misuse include evidence, advice, stuff, and furniture. There is no
plural form of these words.

8. They often change often our seats at work.

We put adverbs of frequency (always, usually, never, etc.) before the main verb or after the
verb to be.
Examples:
Mike never talks about his ex-wife.
Mike talks never about his ex-wife
Mike talks about his ex-wife never.

9. They don’t let us to send our clients gifts without getting approval from management first.

After let, help, make, and have (when have communicates that someone is being told to do

something), we use the base infinitive of the second verb, not the infinitive form.

Examples:
He had his secretary reserve a table for two.
He had his secretary to reserve a table for two.
They made us feel welcome.
They made us to feel welcome.
My niece helped me set up my computer.
My niece helped me to set up my computer.

10. Do we have some any coffee or tea to offer our guests?

In general, we use some with affirmative statements and any with questions and negative

statements.

Examples:
We’ve had some difficulty getting approval.
We’ve had any difficulty getting approval.
Have you had any difficulty getting approval?
Have you had some difficulty getting approval?
We didn’t have any difficulty getting approval.
We didn’t have some difficulty getting approval.

For practice and a complete explanation, see this some vs. any practice exercise.

11. I called Kate this morning and she told me she’ll she would (or she’d) call me back in a
half an hour.
When reporting what someone said, will becomes would and won’t becomes wouldn’t. We
can leave it as will if it’s something that is still going to take place in the future.

Examples:
Before the election, both candidates promised they wouldn’t raise taxes.
Before the election, both candidates promised they won’t raise taxes.
The meeting went well. Mike said he would consider our proposal.
The meeting went well. Mike said he will consider our proposal. 

Note that They said they will consider our proposal would be correct if the meeting
ended very recently and Mike still hasn’t considered the proposal.

12. We regularly conduct emergency drills for ensuring to ensure that we are prepared for
an emergency.

To describe the purpose of something, we can use the gerund. To describe the purpose of
someone, we use the infinitive. This page does an excellent job describing the difference.

13. Brad is 32 now. He completes turns 33 years in October.

To communicate the someone is becoming a year older, we use turn, not complete. Also, we

do not say years after the number unless we say years old.

Examples:
I can’t believe my youngest sister is turning 20 this year.
I can’t believe my youngest sister is completing 20 this year.
Let’s have a big party when you turn 40.
Let’s have a big party when you turn 40 years.

See these collocations exercises to practice using correct word partners.

14. These are the most cheap cheapest gas prices I have seen in my life.

To form the superlative form of most one-syllable adjectives, we add “est” to the end of the
word.
Examples:
Are you sure this is the newest release?
Are you sure this is the most new release?
Kevin is the oldest person here.
Kevin is the most old person here.

15. Yesterday, I must sent had to send a very important email to a client.

We don’t use must to communicate a past obligation or necessity. Instead, we

use had or needed.

Examples:
To travel to Indonesia, I had to get a visa.
To travel to Indonesia, I must got a visa.
Marilyn will be right back. She needed to take an important call.
Marilyn will be right back. She must took an important call.

16. We knew there was a gas leak because it smelled really badly bad inside the house.

We use bad, not badly to modify states of being (look, smell, taste, feel, etc.). Similarly, we
use good, not well to modify states of being.

Examples:
This coffee tastes bad.
This coffee tastes badly.
Do you think the decorations look good?
Do you think the decorations look well?

17. My parents always told me that it’s important being to be positive.

The correct form is It’s + adjective + infinitive. We can add for + object before the
infinitive.
Examples:
It’s impossible for us to complete this on time.
It’s impossible for us completing this one time.

18. For Because of/Due to the economy, we haven’t been able to hire any new people.

To introduce a reason, we typically use because of or due to, not for. Both because

of and due to must be followed by a noun or a gerund.

Examples:
Because of its negative side effects, the medication was banned.
For its negative side effects, the medication was banned.
I was late because of the traffic.
I was late for the traffic.

19. He says that he’s been really tired since several weeks ago for the last several weeks.

We use since with a point in time (9 AM, Tuesday, 1994, etc.). We use for to talk about a
duration of time (three days, 12 seconds, two months, five years, etc.).

Examples:
They’ve been in the lobby for two hours.
They’ve been in the lobby since two hours.
They’ve been in the lobby since 10 AM.
They’ve been in the lobby for 10 AM.

20. A friend of us ours is going to pick us up at the airport.

We use the possessive pronouns mine, yours, his, hers, theirs, and ours in these type of
statements. If we are using someone’s name, we use the possessive (Brad’s, Kate’s
Leonard’s, etc.).

Examples:
I saw a friend of yours last night at the party.
I saw a friend of your last night at the party.
Didn’t you say that a friend of Mike’s works at the post office?
Didn’t you say that a friend of Mike works for at post office?

21. I’ve worked like as a waiter in the past, but I wouldn’t want to do it again.

We say someone works as + occupation to communicate what someone’s job is.

Examples:
He used to be a full-time employee, but now he’s working as a consultant.
He used to be a full-time employee, but now he’s working like a consultant.

22. To sleep Sleeping at work is acceptable in some cultures.

When the name of an activity is the subject or object, we normally use the gerund.

Examples:
Fishing is a good way to relax.
To fish is a good way to relax.
My job involves writing technical documents.
My job involves to write technical documents. 

23. Because of these problems (or Due to these problems), we shouldn’t move forward with
this proposal right now.

Because of and due to are followed by a noun or gerund. Because is followed by a subject

and a verb.

Examples:
I was late because of the traffic.
I was late because the traffic.
I was late because there was a lot of traffic.
I was late because of there was a lot of traffic.

 
24. I’m going to take my lunch break and then to make some phone calls.

If we use two different verbs after going to, we do not use the infinitive form of the second
verb. Instead, we use the base infinitive (infinitive without to).

Examples:
Management is going to look at the bids and decide on a vendor.
Management is going to look at the bids and to decide on a vendor.
Monica told me she was going to stop at the bank and deposit the money.
Monica told me she was going to stop at the bank and to deposit the money.

25. I’ve asked everyone to help me with my college admissions essay. Even I I even asked
someone I met on the bus.

We can use even to emphasize something surprising or extreme. The correct form is subject

+ even + verb.

Examples:
I’ve looked everywhere for my keys. I’ve even looked in the refrigerator!
I’ve looked everywhere for my keys. Even I’ve looked in the refrigerator!
They said they’re doing everything they can to save money. They even sold their car.
They said they’re doing everything they can to save money. Even they sold their car.
Common English Mistakes – Error Correction Exercise 3A (Advanced)
Below are 20 common English mistakes that advanced students make. Correct the errors in
each sentence and then see the answers and explanations below.

For more advanced grammar, see this advanced English grammar test.

For more error correction exercises, see:

Exercise 1 (beginner)
Exercise 2A (intermediate)
Exercise 2B (intermediate)
Exercise 2C (intermediate)
Common Mistakes in Emails
Common Mistakes in Emails 2
Error Correction for Spanish Speakers

Correct the Mistakes

1. She recommended me that I take a few days off from work.

2. I tried to explain him the problem, but he had difficulty understanding me.

3. I don’t know why you didn’t go. If I were you, I should have gone.

4. Kate claims that if she got an MBA after finishing her bachelor’s degree, she might have
been considered for the position.

5. Kevin says he stopped to travel internationally because of his family.

6. We regret informing you that your application has been denied.

7. The interview was broadcasted live over the internet.

8. I’m so glad that he spoke in my behalf because I felt awful that I couldn’t make it to the
event.

9. At first I studied engineering in college, but I ended getting a marketing degree.

10. It was a frustrating situation because we were uncapable of helping.

11. When the check came, I tried to pay but John told me to put away my wallet and insisted
that he paid for dinner.

12. They had managed a few crisises in the past, so they were able to handle this situation
fairly well.

13. If you would’ve told me, I would have given you my honest advice.

14. The four participants discussed it between themselves.

15. We thought we were going to expand this year, but we actually have less people now
than we did two years ago.

16. She’s trying to concentrate herself on finishing her degree.

17. Unfortunately, the species has gotten extinct due to human activity.

18. I’m a little afraid to do this by my own.

19. He told me that he had never been in that restaurant before.

20. Never before I had seen something quite like that.

Answers and Explanations

1. She recommended me that I take a few days off from work.

We need to use the subjunctive in this example. An excellent explanation of the English
subjunctive can be found here. The subjunctive form in this example is the infinitive without
“to” (go, eat, do, run, etc.).

Common expressions followed by the subjunctive:

recommend that
insist that
demand that
request that
asked that
suggest that

Examples:
They demanded that we lower the price.
They demanded us that we lower the price.
They demanded that we lowered the price.
My boss requested that I use my vacation days before the end of the year.
My boss requested me that I use my vacation days before the end of the year.
My boss requested that I used my vacation days before the end of the year.

For practice, try these subjunctive exercises.

2. I tried to explain him the problem the problem to him, but he had difficulty understanding
me.

Some verbs can be followed by the indirect object and then the direct object. For example,
we can say I gave John the book. John is the indirect object and book is the direct object.
However, not all verbs follow this pattern. Recommend, explain, and describe are three
common verbs that take the following form:
recommend/explain/describe + what + to whom

Examples:
We explained the situation to the client.
We explained the client the situation.
Could you describe the problem to our IT manager?
Could you describe our IT manager the problem?

3. I don’t know why you didn’t go. If I were you, I should would have gone.

To talk about a hypothetical past, we can use would/might/could + have + participle. We do

not use should to talk about a hypothetical past. We use should to criticize past actions or
express regret.

 
4. Kate claims that if she got had gotten an MBA after finishing her bachelor’s degree, she
might have been considered for the position.

To talk about a hypothetical past, we need to use the past perfect in the if clause. For more
information on conditionals, see this conditionals guide.

Examples:
What would you have said if you had been there?
What would you have said if you were there?

5. Kevin says he stopped to travel traveling internationally because of his family.

We can use the verb stop with both the gerund and the infinitive. When we use stop with the
gerund, it means that someone was doing something and then stopped. When we
use stop with the infinitive, it means that someone stopped an action in order to start doing
something else.

Examples:
Kevin stopped working at 6 p.m. last night.
Kevin stopped to work at 6 p.m. last night.
At 10 AM, Lucy and Fernando always stop to take a coffee break.
At 10 AM, Lucy and Fernando always stop taking a coffee break.

For more verbs that can be used with both the infinitive and the gerund, see this page.

6. We regret informing to inform you that your application has been denied.

Regret is normally used with the gerund. However, to communicate bad news (usually in
writing) we use regret + infinitive. For more verbs that can be used with both the infinitive
and the gerund, see this page.

7. The interview was broadcasted live over the internet.

Broadcast is an irregular verbs. It doesn’t change in the simple past and participle form, just
like the verbs let, bet, set, put, cut, and shut.
 

8. I’m so glad that he spoke in on my behalf because I felt awful that I couldn’t make it to
the event.

This is a collocation with on that students typically have difficulty with. We say speak on

someone’s behalf. For practice, try this in vs. on collocations exercise.

9. At first I studied engineering in college, but I ended up getting a marketing degree.

We use end up instead of end to talk about something that eventually happened after other
things happened first.

Examples:
We couldn’t decide on where to go for dinner, so we ended up eating at home.
We couldn’t decide on where to go for dinner, so we ended eating at home. 

10. It was a frustrating situation because we were unincapable of helping.

Overusing the prefix “un” is a common mistake. See this page for a more complete
explanation of how to correctly use negative prefixes.

11. When the check came, I tried to pay but John told me to put away my wallet and insisted
that he paid pay for dinner.

See explanation to number 1.

12. They had managed a few crisises crises in the past, so they were able to handle this
situation fairly well.

Many words that end in “is” have an irregular plural form that ends with “es.” The plural
form rhymes with the word “cheese.”
Examples:
crisis – crises
diagnosis – diagnoses
hypothesis – hypotheses
analysis – analyses

For more irregular plurals, see this page.

13. If you would’ve had told me, I would have given you my honest advice.

To talk about a hypothetical past, the if clauses takes the past perfect. We

use would/might/could + have + participle in the result clause.

Examples:
What would you have done if you had been there?
What would you have done if you would have been there?
If I had known the weather was going to be so bad, I might have chosen a different day for
the party.
If I would have known the weather was going to be so bad, I might have chosen a different
day for the party.

Note that we could also use the inverted form of the third conditional here (Had you told me,
I would have given you my honest advice).

14. The four participants discussed it between among themselves.

We need to use among here because we are talking about more than two things that are not
distinct items. For a good explanation on when to use between and when to use among,
see this page.
Note that amongst would also be correct, but it is not as commonly used as among.

15. We thought we were going to expand this year, but we actually have less fewer people
now than we did two years ago.
Although using less before count nouns (cars, people, resources, etc.) is becoming more
acceptable, the rule is that we use fewer before count nouns and less before non-count nouns
(time, patience, determination, etc.).

Examples:
We have fewer candidates for this position than we expected.
We have less candidates for this position than we expected.
Carl has less stress now that he has started working out after work.
Carl has fewer stress now that he has started working out after work.

16. She’s trying to concentrate herself on finishing her degree.

We don’t use reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, etc.) after the verb concentrate.

Examples:
We need to concentrate on the task at hand.
We need to concentrate ourselves on the task at hand.

17. Unfortunately, the species has gotten become/gone extinct due to human activity.

We can often use get to communicate that  something has changed or transformed (get

angry, get depressed, get scared, get excited, etc.). However, we can’t always use get (get
famous, , get available, for example). See this page to learn about using turn, become, get,
and go to talk about changes and transformations.

18. I’m a little afraid to do this by on my own (or by myself).

We have the expressions by myself and on my own. By my own does not exist.

19. He told me that he had never been in to that restaurant before.

We say been to, not been in to communicate places that we have visited (countries, cities,
towns, restaurants, stores, etc.). Note that If we are talking about a specific room, we would
use in.

Examples:
Have you been to Italy?
Have you been in Italy?
I can’t believe you’ve lived in Paris for 10 years but haven’t been to the Louvre.
I can’t believe you’ve lived in Paris for 10 years but haven’t been in the Louvre.
I’ve been to his house, but I’ve never been in the basement. (specific room = in)
I’ve been to his house, but I”ve never been to the basement.

20. Never before I had had I seen something quite like that.

We use subject-verb inversion when we start a sentence with a negative adverb (never,
hardly, seldom, etc.). For more examples of when to use subject-verb inversion, see this
page.