We’ve already posted some advice on dealing with confusing English phrases, rules, and words. However, there are so much of them in English that it is always a good idea to look back at possible errors.
Below is the list of 71 common errors made by ESL students along with the corrections.
1.
Wrong: I go usually to home.
Right: I usually go home.
2
Wrong: If I will be in Miami, I will message to you.
Right: If I am in Miami, I will message you.
3.
Wrong: He goes always to school by bus.
Right: He always goes to school by bus.
4.
Wrong: You like go out with me?
Right: Would you like to go out with me?
5.
Wrong: Every players like the coach.
Right: Every player likes the coach.
6.
Wrong: Where is gas station?
Right: Where is the gas station?
7.
Wrong: I need go now.
Right: I need to go now.
8.
Wrong: How many childrens they have?
Right: How many children do they have?
9.
Wrong: His sister has 10 years.
Right: His sister is 10 (years old).
10.
Wrong: Please explain me how learn new English words.
Right: Please explain to me how to learn new English words.
11.
Wrong: We worked during five hours.
Right: We worked for five hours.
12.
Wrong: Is ready my visa?
Right: Is my visa ready?
13.
Wrong: You are very strong, as your father.
Right: You are very strong, like your father.
14.
Wrong: I came the US to study English.
Right: I came to the US to study English.
15.
Wrong: He said me that he liked her.
Right: He told me that he liked her.
16.
Wrong: I will walk no further today.
Right: I will walk no farther today.
17.
Wrong: My partner has the habit to arrive late.
Right: My partner has the habit of arriving late.
18.
Wrong: He waited on the bus, but it didn’t come.
Right: He waited for the bus, but it didn’t come.
19.
Wrong: You are suppose to prepare reports.
Right: You are supposed to prepare reports.
20.
Wrong: She will bring the monopoly from her boyfriend.
Right: She will take the monopoly from her boyfriend.
21.
Wrong: Who’s the best player, Peter or Billie?
Right: Who’s the better player, Peter or Billie?
22.
Wrong: We’ll stay in New York for awhile.
Right: We’ll stay in New York for a while.
23.
Wrong: My husband soccer player.
Right: My husband is a soccer player.
24.
Wrong: Although it was cold, but we went to the beach.
Right: Although it was cold, we went to the beach.
25.
Wrong: I enjoyed from the play.
Right: I enjoyed the play.
26.
Wrong: There are less chairs.
Right: There are fewer chairs.
27.
Wrong: This t-shirt is too enough for him.
Right: This t-shirt is too big for him.
28.
Wrong: A greater amount of people are attending the conference this year.
Right: A greater number of people are attending the conference this year.
29.
Wrong: She did not called me yesterday.
Right: She did not call me yesterday.
30.
Wrong: I was boring in the office.
Right: I was bored in the office.
31.
Wrong: You must to call her immediately.
Right: You must call her immediately.
32.
Wrong: I look forward to meet you.
Right: I look forward to meeting you.
33.
Wrong: He likes very much root beer.
Right: He likes root beer very much.
34.
Wrong: You cannot get all what you want!
Right: You cannot get all that you want!
35.
Wrong: My father wanted that my brother be lawyer.
Right: My father wanted my brother to be a lawyer.
36.
Wrong: The life is hard!
Right: Life is hard.
37.
Wrong: I am success.
Right: I am successful.
38.
Wrong: I can to play football.
Right: I can play football.
39.
Wrong: Where we can find a pharmacy?
Right: Where can we find a pharmacy?
40.
Wrong: I have visited New York last weekend.
Right: I visited New York last weekend.
41.
Wrong: The man which works in the shop is from Australia.
Right: The woman who works in the shop is from Australia.
42.
Wrong: She’s married with a soccer player.
Right: She’s married to a soccer player.
43.
Wrong: One of the plane is late.
Right: One of the planes is late.
44.
Wrong: I enjoy to have a nap after dinner.
Right: I enjoy having a nap after dinner.
45.
Wrong: This is the most unique painting.
Right: This is the unique painting.
46.
Wrong: He could not decide among the two sweatshirts.
Right: He could not decide between the two sweatshirts.
47.
Wrong: My sister has got a new work.
Right: My sister has got a new job/ has a new job
48.
Wrong: He didn’t find nobody.
Right: He didn’t find anybody.
49.
Wrong: My flight departs in 6:00 p.m
Right: My flight departs at 6:00 p.m.
50.
Wrong: I plan I visit you next week.
Right: I plan I’ll visit you next week.
51.
Wrong: You don’t listen me.
Right: You don’t listen to me.
52.
Wrong: She speaks English very good.
Right: She speaks English very well.
53.
Wrong: The L.A. police is coming here.
Right: The L.A. police are coming here.
54.
Wrong: The car isn’t enough fast.
Right: The car isn’t fast enough.
55.
Wrong: You should not to drink.
Right: You should not drink.
56.
Wrong: Do you like a cup of tea?
Right: Would you like a cup of tea?
57.
Wrong: There is eleven boys in the class.
Right: There are eleven boys in the class.
58.
Wrong: It is more cold this week.
Right: It’s colder this week.
59.
Wrong: Me and Susan live here.
Right: Susan and I live here.
60.
Wrong: You can give him data?
Right: Can you give him some data?
61.
Wrong: She closed very quietly the window.
Right: She closed the window very quietly.
62.
Wrong: They built the house themself.
Right: They built the house themselves.
63.
Wrong: She lives in United States.
Right: She lives in the United States.
64.
Wrong: When he will arrive, he will call me.
Right: When he arrives, he will call me.
65.
Wrong: I’ve been here since five years.
Right: I’ve been here for five years.
66.
Wrong: Susan likes Math more than English.
Right: Susan likes Math more than she likes English.
67.
Wrong: It is John’s and Molly’s house.
Right: It is John and Molly’s house.
68.
Wrong: She almost printed all of the reports.
Right: She printed almost all the reports.
69.
Wrong: Whom do you think she is?
Right: Who do you think she is?
70.
Wrong: Any of the two girls can play volleyball.
Right: Either of the two girls can play volleyball.
71.
Wrong: She is elder than her brother.
Right: She is older than her brother.
FAQ
Which of these 71 mistakes should I focus on first?
Start with errors that most affect meaning and everyday communication: word order, verb tenses, articles (a/the), prepositions, and subject-verb agreement. Fixing these will make your speech and writing much clearer fast.
What are practical ways to remember the correct forms?
Use short, targeted practice: rewrite wrong sentences from the list, make flashcards for recurring patterns, do timed sentence-correction drills, and get feedback on your writing or speaking so you notice and correct the same mistakes.
Are some of these mistakes acceptable in casual spoken English?
Spoken English is often more forgiving (contractions, fragments, reduced articles), but many errors still cause confusion. Aim for clarity: relaxed speech is fine, but correct basics like verb forms and word order to be understood.
