Making mistakes while practicing a new language is not only expected, but encouraged. Making mistakes is how we learn. There are some rules in English however, that can be very sneaky. Many advanced students or even fluent English speakers who have learned English as their second language may never learn these rules and never realize it. Here are some common mistakes to practice that we have seen in our guatemalan students, to help you sound as fluent as possible.
1. Look, see and watch:
Look, see and watch are common words that are often mixed up, but they should be used in different situations.
Look — to stare at something directly.
See — to stare at something that comes into our sight that we weren’t looking for.
Watch — to stare at something carefully, usually at something that’s moving.
Mistakes- I look at the rain fall
I watch the church
Corrections
I watch the rain fall
I see the church
2. Loan or Borrow
Mistake- can you borrow me your shirt? You can loan me my dress.
You could confuse the listener because “loan” means “to give” and “borrow” means “to take.” Practice and memorization can help you to remember when to use these words correctly.
Correction: can you loan me your shirt? You can borrow my dress.
3. Its, It’s:
Mistake - its starting to rain again
-the company has changed it’s name.
“It’s” is the abbreviated form of “it is” or “it has”, while “its” is the possessive adjective.
Correction- It’s starting to rain again.
The company has changed its name.
4. They’re, their, there:
“They’re” is the abbreviated form of “they are”.
“Their” is the possessive adjective.
“There” refers to place or as the subject in a sentence, as in “There are five people in my class
mistake-
There leaving at 7:30.
They’re house is very nice.
Their is my backpack.
corrections-
They’re leaving at 7:30.
Their house is very nice
There is my backpack.
“Their” being the possessive adjective, “there” to refer to the place and “they’re”for “they are.”
5. To, too, two
“to” is a preposition of place, “two” is the number, “too” means “also” or “excessively.”
Mistake-
“I walked too the restaurant .”
I want cake two
I have to dogs.
Corrections- I walked to the restaurant.
I want cake too.
I have two dogs.
Another example-
I go to my best friends to help her because she has too many dogs and two children.
To for preposition on place,
Too as in excessively,
Two as in 2 children.
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