30 Most Common English Grammar Mistakes English Learner Make

Learning English and mastering English grammar can feel quite challenging. While native speakers might struggle with "your" vs "you're", English learners face a different set of challenges that go to the heart of English grammar structure. In this comprehensive guide, we'll focus on the most challenging aspects of English grammar that consistently trouble English learners, with clear explanations and practical examples. 

FREE Downloadable Resources: at the end of the article, I added links to (no email required):

• English grammar cheat sheet PDF (summary of the most important tips)
• PDF version of this article

1. Article Usage (a/an/the)

For many English learners, especially those whose native languages don't use articles (like Russian, Japanese, or Korean), mastering English articles is one of the biggest challenges. Even advanced learners sometimes struggle with when to use "a," "an," "the," or no article at all.

Key Rules:

1. Indefinite Articles (a/an)
   
   • Use "a" before consonant sounds: a book, a university
   • Use "an" before vowel sounds: an apple, an hour (silent 'h')
   • Use for first mentions of countable nouns: I saw a dog
2. Definite Article (the)
   
   • Use for specific items: The dog that I saw yesterday
   • Use for unique items: the sun, the moon
   • Use for previously mentioned items: I saw a dog. The dog was brown.
   • Use with superlatives and unique ordinal numbers: the best, the worst, the most, the first, the only
3. No Article (Ø)
   
   • Use for general plural nouns: Dogs are friendly (not "The dogs are friendly")
   • Use for uncountable nouns in general: Water is essential for life (not "The Water is essential for life")
   • Use for abstract concepts: Love is important (not "The Love is important")

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "I bought car yesterday." ✓ Correct: "I bought a car yesterday."

❌ Incorrect: "The life is beautiful." ✓ Correct: "Life is beautiful."

❌ Incorrect: "She is best student in class." ✓ Correct: "She is the best student in the class."

Pro Tip:

Think of "the" as a pointer - if you can point to the specific thing you're talking about (either physically or in context), you probably need "the". If you're talking about something for the first time or any example of something, use "a/an".

Practice Exercise:

Fill in the blanks with a, an, the, or Ø (no article):

1. I need to buy ____ new phone.
2. ____ phone I bought yesterday is broken.
3. ____ happiness is important in life.
4. He is ____ honest man.

[Answers: 1. a, 2. the, 3. Ø, 4. an]

2. Subject-Verb Agreement

One of the trickiest aspects of English grammar for ESL learners is ensuring subjects and verbs match in number. We have published a detailed guide on subject-verb agreement that you can study as well. This becomes especially challenging with complex subjects, intervening phrases, or collective nouns.

Key Rules:

1. Basic Agreement
   
   • Singular subjects take singular verbs: He writes, She sings
   • Plural subjects take plural verbs: They write, The boys sing
   • Present tense singular verbs typically end in -s: plays, runs, thinks
2. Complex Subjects
   
   • Two subjects joined by "and" take a plural verb: Tom and Jerry are friends
   • Subjects joined by "or/nor" agree with the closest subject: Neither the dog nor the cats are inside
   • "Each," "every," "anyone," and "nobody" are singular: Everyone is here
3. Tricky Cases
   
   • Collective nouns can be singular or plural depending on context:
     
     • The team is winning (acting as one unit)
     • The team are arguing among themselves (acting as individuals)
   • "News" is always singular: The news is good
   • Amounts/measurements are usually singular: Five dollars is too much

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "The children is playing." ✓ Correct: "The children are playing."

❌ Incorrect: "One of the students are absent." ✓ Correct: "One of the students is absent."

❌ Incorrect: "The furniture they bought were expensive." ✓ Correct: "The furniture they bought was expensive."

Pro Tip:

When in doubt about agreement with a complex subject, try removing any phrases between the subject and verb. For example: "The box (of chocolates) is empty" - focus on "box" and "is".

Practice Exercise:

Choose the correct verb form:

1. Neither of the answers (is/are) correct.
2. The quality of the products (has/have) improved.
3. A number of students (was/were) late.
4. Mathematics (is/are) my favorite subject.

[Answers: 1. is, 2. has, 3. were, 4. is]

3. Verb Tense System

The English tense system, with its 12 main tenses, is notably complex for ESL learners, especially those from languages with simpler tense systems. The most challenging aspect is often understanding when to use each tense rather than how to form it. We’ve created a detailed guide on all English tenses that you can read here.

Key Rules:

1. Present Perfect vs. Simple Past
   
   • Present Perfect (have/has + past participle):
     
     • For experiences: I have visited Paris
     • For continuing situations: I have lived here for 10 years
     • For recent events affecting the present: I have lost my keys
   • Simple Past (verb + ed/irregular):
     
     • For completed actions: I visited Paris last year
     • With specific past time references: I lost my keys yesterday
2. Continuous vs. Simple Forms
   
   • Continuous (-ing):
     
     • For actions in progress: I am working
     • For temporary situations: I am living in London
     • For future arrangements: I am meeting John tomorrow
   • Simple:
     
     • For habits/facts: I work in London
     • For permanent situations: I live in London
     • For scheduled events: The train leaves at 5
3. Future Forms
   
   • Will: for predictions/decisions made at the moment of speaking
   • Going to: for plans/intentions
   • Present Continuous: for arrangements
   • Present Simple: for schedules

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "I am living here since 2010." ✓ Correct: "I have been living here since 2010."

❌ Incorrect: "I went to Paris three times." ✓ Correct: "I have been to Paris three times." (if no specific time is mentioned)

❌ Incorrect: "When I will arrive, I will call you." ✓ Correct: "When I arrive, I will call you."

Pro Tip:

Think of Present Perfect as a bridge between past and present. If there's a specific time in the past (yesterday, last week, in 2010), use Simple Past. If the action connects to now, use Present Perfect.

Practice Exercise:

Choose the correct tense:

1. I (live/have lived) in this city for ten years.
2. She (is studying/studies) every evening.
3. The train (leaves/is leaving) at 6 PM every day.
4. They (have visited/visited) Rome last summer.

[Answers: 1. have lived, 2. studies, 3. leaves, 4. visited]

4. Prepositions

Prepositions are particularly challenging for ESL learners because they often don't translate directly from one language to another. Many prepositions in English are idiomatic, meaning their usage has to be memorized rather than logically deduced. We recommend reading our comprehensive guide on English prepositions if you struggle with this topic.

Key Rules:

1. Location/Position
   
   • In: enclosed spaces (in a box, in London)
   • On: surfaces (on the table, on the wall)
   • At: specific points (at home, at the door)
   • By/Near: proximity (by the window, near the station)
2. Time
   
   • In: months, years, parts of day (in March, in 2024, in the morning)
   • On: days, dates (on Monday, on July 4th)
   • At: specific times, holiday periods (at 3 PM, at Christmas)
   • For: duration (for two hours)
   • Since: starting point (since Monday)
3. Common Verb + Preposition Combinations
   
   • Depend on (not 'of')
   • Different from (not 'than')
   • Consist of (not 'in')
   • Listen to (not just 'listen')
   • Wait for (not just 'wait')
4. Adjective + Preposition Combinations
   
   • Afraid of
   • Good at
   • Interested in
   • Similar to
   • Different from

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "She is married with John." ✓ Correct: "She is married to John."

❌ Incorrect: "I arrived to London." ✓ Correct: "I arrived in London."

❌ Incorrect: "He is good in math." ✓ Correct: "He is good at math."

Pro Tip:

Instead of translating prepositions from your native language, try to learn them as part of phrases. For example, don't learn just "depend" but learn "depend on" as a unit.

Practice Exercise:

Fill in the correct preposition:

1. The meeting starts ____ 9 AM.
2. I've been waiting ____ you ____ an hour.
3. She's very different ____ her sister.
4. The book consists ____ ten chapters.

[Answers: 1. at, 2. for, for, 3. from, 4. of]

5. Word Order

English follows a relatively strict Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) word order, which can be challenging for learners from languages with different sentence structures (like SOV in Japanese or VSO in Arabic). The rules become even more complex with questions, negatives, and when adding modifiers.

Key Rules:

1. Basic Sentence Structure
   
   • Subject + Verb + Object: She reads books
   • Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object: She gave me the book
   • Subject + Verb + Object + Place + Time: I study English at school every day
2. Question Formation
   
   • Yes/No Questions: Auxiliary/Be + Subject + Main Verb: Do you like coffee?
   • Wh-Questions: Question Word + Auxiliary/Be + Subject + Main Verb: Where did you go?
   • With Be: Be + Subject: Is she happy?
3. Adjective Order Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose Example: A beautiful large old round red Chinese wooden dining table
4. Adverb Placement
   
   • Manner: after the verb/object: She sang beautifully
   • Time: usually at the end: I went to the store yesterday
   • Frequency: before the main verb: I always drink coffee (but after 'be': She is usually tired)
   • Place: before time: I work in London on Mondays

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "I like very much pizza." ✓ Correct: "I like pizza very much."

❌ Incorrect: "Where you are going?" ✓ Correct: "Where are you going?"

❌ Incorrect: "I yesterday went to the store." ✓ Correct: "I went to the store yesterday."

Pro Tip:

Remember SVOMPT: Subject, Verb, Object, Manner, Place, Time. While there can be variations, this order works for most basic sentences.

Practice Exercise:

Arrange these words into correct sentences:

1. often / movies / watch / at home / I
2. book / gave / yesterday / she / me / the
3. where / live / you / do / now?
4. Chinese / red / beautiful / a / vase

[Answers:

1. I often watch movies at home
2. She gave me the book yesterday
3. Where do you live now?
4. A beautiful red Chinese vase]

6. Conditional Structures

Conditionals are complex structures that express hypothetical situations and their consequences. Many ESL learners struggle with mixing tenses correctly and understanding the subtle differences between various types of conditionals.

Key Rules:

1. Zero Conditional (General Truth)
   
   • If + present simple, present simple
   • If you heat water to 100°C, it boils
   • Used for scientific facts, general truths
2. First Conditional (Possible Future)
   
   • If + present simple, will + base verb
   • If it rains tomorrow, I will stay home
   • Used for likely or possible future situations
3. Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
   
   • If + past simple, would + base verb
   • If I had more money, I would buy a car
   • Used for unlikely or impossible present/future situations
   • Also used for polite suggestions
4. Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
   
   • If + past perfect, would have + past participle
   • If I had studied harder, I would have passed the exam
   • Used for impossible past situations (because they're already in the past)

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "If I will have time, I will call you." ✓ Correct: "If I have time, I will call you."

❌ Incorrect: "If I would know, I would tell you." ✓ Correct: "If I knew, I would tell you."

❌ Incorrect: "If I had money, I will buy a car." ✓ Correct: "If I had money, I would buy a car."

Pro Tip:

Remember that 'will' never follows 'if' in these structures (except in special cases like formal promises: "If you will kindly sign here..."). Also, the more unreal the situation, the further back we go with the tenses.

Practice Exercise:

Complete these conditional sentences:

1. If you mix blue and yellow, you ______ (get) green.
2. If it ______ (rain) tomorrow, the match ______ (be) cancelled.
3. If I ______ (be) you, I ______ (take) the job.
4. If they ______ (arrive) earlier, they ______ (not miss) the train.

[Answers:

1. get (zero conditional)
2. rains, will be (first conditional)
3. were, would take (second conditional)
4. had arrived, would not have missed (third conditional)]

7. Modal Verbs

Modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, should, will, would) are particularly challenging for ESL learners because they express subtle degrees of meaning, and many languages don't have equivalent structures to convey these nuances.

Key Rules:

1. Ability/Permission
   
   • Can: general ability/informal permission
     
     • I can swim (ability)
     • Can I go now? (informal permission)
   • Could: past ability/more polite permission
     
     • I could swim when I was young (past ability)
     • Could I ask you something? (polite permission)
   • May: formal permission
     
     • May I come in? (very polite)
2. Probability/Possibility
   
   • Must: strong certainty
     
     • He must be home - his car is there
   • Should: expectation
     
     • The package should arrive tomorrow
   • Might/May: possibility (about 50%)
     
     • It might rain later
   • Could: theoretical possibility
     
     • Anything could happen
3. Obligation/Necessity
   
   • Must: strong personal/internal obligation or strong conviction
     
     • You must wear a seatbelt
   • Have to: external obligation or requirement
     
     • I have to work tomorrow
   • Should: recommendation or mild obligation
     
     • You should exercise regularly
   • Need to: practical necessity
     
     • I need to buy groceries

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "I must to go now." ✓ Correct: "I must go now." (modals never take 'to')

❌ Incorrect: "You should to visit Paris." ✓ Correct: "You should visit Paris."

❌ Incorrect: "She can to speak French." ✓ Correct: "She can speak French."

Pro Tip:

Remember that modal verbs are always followed by the base form of the verb (without 'to'). The only exception is 'ought to', which does require 'to'.

Practice Exercise:

Choose the appropriate modal verb:

1. You ______ (must/should) see a doctor - that cut looks serious!
2. ______ (Can/May) you pass me the salt, please?
3. The train ______ (must/might) be late - there's heavy snow.
4. You ______ (don't have to/mustn't) come if you're busy.

[Answers: 1. should, 2. Could (most polite), 3. might, 4. don't have to]

8. Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are essential for combining information into single, complex sentences. ESL learners often struggle with choosing the correct relative pronoun and deciding whether to use defining or non-defining clauses.

Key Rules:

1. Relative Pronouns
   
   • Who: for people
     
     • The woman who lives next door is a doctor
   • Which: for things/animals (non-defining clauses)
     
     • My car, which I bought last year, is very reliable
   • That: for people/things (defining clauses)
     
     • The book that I'm reading is interesting
   • Whose: for possession
     
     • The man whose car was stolen called the police
   • Where: for places
     
     • The house where I grew up is now a restaurant
   • When: for times
     
     • I remember the day when we first met
2. Defining vs. Non-defining Clauses
   
   • Defining (no commas):
     
     • Gives essential information
     • The woman who called yesterday is my sister
     • Cannot be removed without losing meaning
   • Non-defining (with commas):
     
     • Gives extra information
     • My sister, who called yesterday, is coming to visit
     • Can be removed without losing core meaning
3. Contact Clauses (omitting the relative pronoun)
   
   • Possible when the relative pronoun is the object:
     
     • The book (that) I'm reading
     • The person (whom) I met
   • Not possible when it's the subject:
     
     • ❌ The person lives next door (missing 'who')
     • ✓ The person who lives next door

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "The man which lives there is my uncle." ✓ Correct: "The man who lives there is my uncle."

❌ Incorrect: "The book who I bought is interesting." ✓ Correct: "The book that I bought is interesting."

❌ Incorrect: "My brother which is a doctor works in London." ✓ Correct: "My brother, who is a doctor, works in London."

Pro Tip:

Think of non-defining clauses as "bonus information" that could be put in parentheses. If the information is crucial to identifying what you're talking about, use a defining clause without commas.

Practice Exercise:

Choose the correct relative pronoun and decide if commas are needed:

1. The restaurant _____ we had dinner was excellent. (where/which)
2. My cousin _____ lives in Paris is visiting next week. (who/which)
3. The car _____ engine failed has been repaired. (whose/which)
4. Tokyo _____ is the capital of Japan is a huge city. (that/which)

[Answers:

1. where (no commas - defining)
2. who (no commas - defining)
3. whose (no commas - defining)
4. which (with commas - non-defining)]

9. Countable/Uncountable Nouns

This distinction is particularly challenging for ESL learners because what's countable in one language might be uncountable in English, and vice versa. This affects article usage, quantifiers, and verb agreement.

Key Rules:

1. Countable Nouns
   
   • Can be counted: one apple, two books
   • Have singular and plural forms
   • Use: a/an, many, few, these/those
   • Examples: car, book, idea, student
2. Uncountable Nouns
   
   • Cannot be counted directly
   • No plural form
   • Use: much, little, some, any
   • Common categories:
     
     • Liquids: water, milk, coffee
     • Materials: gold, wood, paper
     • Abstract concepts: advice, information, knowledge
     • Mass nouns: furniture, luggage, traffic
3. Special Cases
   
   • Some nouns can be both:
     
     • Glass (material) vs. a glass (container)
     • Paper (material) vs. a paper (document/newspaper)
     • Light (illumination) vs. a light (lamp)
   • Some nouns are uncountable in English but countable in other languages:
     
     • advice (not "advices")
     • information (not "informations")
     • furniture (not "furnitures")

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "I need some advices." ✓ Correct: "I need some advice."

❌ Incorrect: "She gave me many informations." ✓ Correct: "She gave me a lot of information."

❌ Incorrect: "I bought new furnitures." ✓ Correct: "I bought new furniture."

Pro Tip:

If you need to count an uncountable noun, use a unit expression:

• a piece of advice
• a bottle of water
• a loaf of bread
• a grain of rice

Practice Exercise:

Choose the correct word:

1. How (many/much) sugar do you want?
2. There are too (many/much) people in the room.
3. I need (a few/a little) help with this.
4. He has (few/little) experience in teaching.

[Answers: 1. much, 2. many, 3. a little, 4. little]

10. Passive Voice Construction

The passive voice can be particularly challenging for ESL learners, especially those from languages where passive constructions are rare or formed differently. Understanding when and how to use passive voice is as important as knowing how to form it.

Key Rules:

1. Basic Formation
   
   • Structure: be + past participle
   • Present: is/are + past participle
   • Past: was/were + past participle
   • Perfect: has/have been + past participle
   • Future: will be + past participle
2. When to Use Passive
   
   • When the doer is unknown/unimportant
     
     • My car was stolen (unknown thief)
   • When the action is more important than the doer
     
     • The documents were signed (signing matters more than who signed)
   • In formal/scientific writing
     
     • The experiment was conducted
   • When the doer is obvious
     
     • He was arrested (obviously by police)
3. Adding the Agent
   
   • Use 'by' to mention who did the action
     
     • The house was built by my grandfather
   • Only include 'by' if the information is important
     
     • Don't say: The criminal was arrested by the police
     • Better: The criminal was arrested

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "The window broke by someone." ✓ Correct: "The window was broken by someone."

❌ Incorrect: "My phone was stolen by." ✓ Correct: "My phone was stolen."

❌ Incorrect: "The book is wrote by J.K. Rowling." ✓ Correct: "The book is written by J.K. Rowling."

Pro Tip:

If you can add "by zombies" after the verb and the sentence still makes sense grammatically, you've probably formed the passive voice correctly!

Practice Exercise:

Convert these active sentences to passive:

1. Someone stole my bicycle.
2. They are building a new mall.
3. Shakespeare wrote this play.
4. They will announce the results tomorrow.

[Answers:

1. My bicycle was stolen.
2. A new mall is being built.
3. This play was written by Shakespeare.
4. The results will be announced tomorrow.]

11. Gerund vs. Infinitive

One of the most puzzling aspects of English for ESL learners is knowing when to use a gerund (verb + ing) and when to use an infinitive (to + verb). Unfortunately, there's often no logical explanation - it's largely idiomatic.

Key Rules:

1. Verbs Followed by Gerunds
   
   • Enjoy, avoid, finish, practice, suggest
   • Mind, consider, delay, deny, discuss
   • Keep, quit, stop, postpone
     
     • I enjoy swimming
     • She quit smoking
     • We discussed moving to Paris
2. Verbs Followed by Infinitives
   
   • Want, hope, plan, decide, expect
   • Learn, agree, refuse, promise, forget
   • Seem, appear, tend
     
     • I want to learn
     • They agreed to help
     • She hopes to graduate
3. Verbs That Can Take Both
   
   • With different meanings:
     
     • Stop to smoke (pause in order to smoke)
     • Stop smoking (quit the habit)
   • With the same meaning:
     
     • Start to rain / Start raining
     • Begin to work / Begin working
     • Like to read / Like reading

4. Verbs That Change Meaning:

Remember

• Remember + to-infinitive = remember to do something in the future
  
  • I must remember to lock the door (thinking about a future action)
  • Remember to call your mother (don't forget to do it)
• Remember + gerund = remember something that happened in the past
  
  • I remember locking the door (memory of a past action)
  • She remembers visiting Paris as a child (recall of past experience)

Stop

• Stop + to-infinitive = pause in order to do something
  
  • I stopped to get coffee (paused my journey to get coffee)
  • She stopped to check her phone (interrupted another action)
• Stop + gerund = cease an activity
  
  • I stopped smoking (quit the habit)
  • They stopped talking (ended the conversation)

Try

• Try + to-infinitive = attempt to do something (make an effort)
  
  • I'll try to finish the report (make an effort)
  • He's trying to learn Japanese (attempting)
• Try + gerund = experiment with something
  
  • Try adding more salt (experiment with this option)
  • Try sleeping earlier (test this as a solution)

Forget

• Forget + to-infinitive = fail to remember a future task
  
  • I forgot to mail the letter (didn't do a planned task)
  • Don't forget to buy milk (reminder for future task)
• Forget + gerund = forget a past experience
  
  • I'll never forget meeting her (memory of past event)
  • He forgot having the conversation (past experience slipped from memory)

Mean

• Mean + to-infinitive = intend to do something
  
  • I meant to call you (it was my intention)
  • She means to succeed (that's her intention)
• Mean + gerund = involve or require
  
  • This job means traveling a lot (involves/requires travel)
  • Success means working hard (involves/requires hard work)

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "I look forward to see you." ✓ Correct: "I look forward to seeing you."

❌ Incorrect: "She suggested to go to the beach." ✓ Correct: "She suggested going to the beach."

❌ Incorrect: "I am interested to learn Spanish." ✓ Correct: "I am interested in learning Spanish."

Pro Tip: 

Think of verb + to-infinitive as pointing to the future or a goal, while verb + gerund often refers to general experiences or the past.

12. Subject/Object Pronouns and Possessives

Understanding when to use different types of pronouns can be tricky, especially when combined with prepositions or in compound subjects/objects.

Key Rules:

1. Subject Pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
   
   • Use as the doer of the action
     
     • She likes pizza
   • Use after than/as in comparisons
     
     • He is taller than I (am)
   • Use with "to be"
     
     • It is I (formal) / It's me (informal)
2. Object Pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them)
   
   • Use as the receiver of the action
     
     • Give it to her
   • Use after prepositions
     
     • between you and me
     • with him
3. Possessive Adjectives/Pronouns
   
   • Adjectives (my, your, his, her, its, our, their)
     
     • Come before nouns: my book
   • Pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs)
     
     • Stand alone: That book is mine

Common Mistakes and Corrections:

❌ Incorrect: "Between you and I" ✓ Correct: "Between you and me"

❌ Incorrect: "Me and John went shopping." ✓ Correct: "John and I went shopping."

❌ Incorrect: "This is her's book." ✓ Correct: "This is her book." or "This book is hers."

Pro Tip:

For compound subjects, try removing one person to check correctness. "Me went shopping" sounds obviously wrong, so "John and I went shopping" must also be wrong.

Free PDF Resources (no email required)

1️⃣ Download PDF: “Common grammar mistakes cheat sheet for English learners”

2️⃣ Download this article as a PDF