34 Common English Mistakes

1. There is very cold in the summer.

2. According to me, that's not true.

3. If I will be late, I’ll call you.

4. I am used to wake up early on weekdays.

5. She sat in the end of the table.

6. I stopped to smoke cigarettes because it’s unhealthy.

7. It is very good weather.

8. I need to concentrate myself on my homework.

9. Did you ever read the book "Moby Dick?"

10. Brian is so stupid man.

11. In Spain are many nice beaches.

12. I told that I will come back later.

13. In my city, bars are closing at 10 p.m. on weeknights.

14. Let's have a dinner together sometime.

15. Do you know where is the nearest police station?

16. I often do mistakes when I speak English.

17. I can't find nothing in my neighborhood.

18. I've seen the movie last Thursday.

19. How does your new painting look like?

- www.englishcurrent.com -
20. I look forward to see you next month.

21. Can I have a question?

22. The news on TV are always sad.

23. What means this word?

24. The capital of the United Kingdom is the London.

25. Doctor is a hard job.

26. Surprising is that no one was hurt.

27. I suggested to buy a new car.

28. My teacher is a 34-years old woman.

29. If I would be taller, I'd play basketball.

30. That's not that bad idea.

31. One of my roommate plays video games every night.

32. It depends on countries.

33. Even I was tired, I still went to the party.

34. I explained her the problem twice.

---

Created by Matthew Barton of Englishcurrent.com

- www.englishcurrent.com -
34 Common English Mistakes – ANSWER KEY

1. It's very cold there in the summer.

Explanation: In the above sentence, 'there' is an adverb (a

place). An adverb cannot be the subject of a sentence.

2. [In my opinion, / I think] that's true.

3. If I am late, I'll call you.

Explanation: This is the first conditional (Future Real).

4. I am used to waking up early on weekdays.

Explanation: the phrasal verb be used to is followed by a

gerund (verb in ~ing form).

5. She sat at the end of the table.

6. I stopped smoking cigarettes because it was unhealthy.

Explanation: stop + gerund describes the activity you no

longer do. stop + infinitive describes the reason why you
stopped.

7. The weather is very good.

Explanation: It = the weather.

8. I need to concentrate on my homework.

Explanation: You cannot use a reflexive pronoun

after concentrate.

9. Have you ever read the book "Moby Dick?"

- www.englishcurrent.com -
 Explanation: When talking about a non-specific time in the
past, use the present perfect tense (have + past participle).

10. Brian is such a stupid man.

Explanation: so changes to such when it is describing a

noun.

11. There are many nice beaches in Spain. / Spain has

many nice beaches.

Explanation: The above sentence needs a subject.

12. I said that I would come back later.

Explanation: The object of the verb tell is a person. The

object of the verb say are the words/message you say.

13. In my city, bars close at 10 p.m. on weeknights.

Explanation: Use the present simple here to describe a

regular action.

14. Let's have dinner together sometime.

15. Do you know where the nearest police station is?

16. I often make mistakes when I speak English.

Explanation: make is an act of creation. There was no

mistake until you created it (made it).

17. I can't find anything in my neighborhood.

18. I saw that movie last Thursday.

Explanation: last Thursday is a definite time in the past.

Therefore, you should use the past simple tense.

19. What does your new painting look like? / How does
your new painting look?

20. I look forward to seeing you next month.

- www.englishcurrent.com -
 Explanation: The phrasal verb look forward to is followed
by a gerund (verb in ~ing form).

21. Can I ask a question?

Explanation: Why do you want a question?

22. The news on TV is always sad.

UNCOUNTABLE NOUN.

23. What does this word mean?

24. The capital of the United Kingdom is London.

Explanation: Countries that are groups of states (republics,

unions, kingdoms, emirates, or states) have the definite
article the before them. Secondly, never use the before a
city name.

25. Being a doctor is hard. / Being a doctor is a hard job.

Explanation: A doctor is a person, not a job. A job is

something you do (a verb, an action). What is hard? Not the
doctor (the person) -- it's the action (= being a doctor).

26. It's surprising that no one was hurt. / The surprising

thing is that no one was hurt.

Explanation: an adjective cannot be the subject of a

sentence.

27. I suggested buying a new car.

Explanation: We use a gerund (verb in ~ing form) after the

verb suggest

28. My teacher is a 34-year-old woman.

Explanation: '34-year-old' is an adjective in this sentence

which describes woman. We don't pluralize (add 's' to)
adjectives.

29. If I were taller, I'd play basketball.

Explanation: This is the second conditional (a present

unreal situation).

- www.englishcurrent.com -
30. That's not that bad (of) an idea.

Explanation: ideas are countable, so you need an article

(an). 'Of' becomes a preposition of the noun 'idea'.

31. One of my roommates is from Brazil.

32. It depends on the country.

Explanation: Always use the definite article (the) and then

(usually) a singular noun after depends on

33. Even though I was tired, I went to the party.

34. I explained the problem twice to her.

Explanation: The object of the verb explain is what you

explain, not whom you explain the problem to.

- www.englishcurrent.com -