9 Common English Mistakes ESL Learners Make

Introduction: Why Mistakes Are Normal When Learning English

If you are learning English as a second language, you will make mistakes—lots of them. And that’s not only normal, it’s a good sign. Mistakes mean you are practicing, trying new things, and pushing yourself to use the language in real life. Every learner, no matter where they are from, struggles with certain aspects of English.

The truth is, English can be tricky. Articles, verb tenses, prepositions (most native English speakers don’t even know what prepositions are!), and even small pronouns often confuse learners. But the good news is that most mistakes follow patterns. That means once you know the 9 most common mistakes ESL learners make, you can spot them, fix them, and avoid repeating them in the future.

Let’s go through these mistakes one by one—and learn the easy fixes that will make your English clearer and more confident.

Mistake #1: Mixing Up “a” and “the”

Articles (“a,” “an,” and “the”) are one of the hardest parts of English for learners, especially if your native language doesn’t use them.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “I saw the cat in the park” (when you mean any cat, not a specific one).
• ❌ “She is a best player in the team” (when you should use “the”).

Rule to remember:

• Use “a” or “an” when talking about something general or not specific.
• Use “the” when talking about something specific or already mentioned.

Correct examples:

• ✅ “I saw a cat in the park.”
• ✅ “She is the best player in the team.”

Quick Fix: Imagine asking yourself: “Do I mean any one, or a specific one?” If it’s any, use a/an. If it’s specific, use the.

Mistake #2: Forgetting Verb Tenses

English uses verb tenses to show time, and forgetting to change verbs can confuse your listener.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “Yesterday I go to the store.”
• ❌ “Tomorrow I go to work early.”

Correct examples:

• ✅ “Yesterday I went to the store.”
• ✅ “Tomorrow I will go to work early.”

Why it happens: Many languages don’t change the verb form as much as English does, so learners often stick with the “base” form.

Quick Fix: Pay attention to time words in the sentence (yesterday, now, tomorrow). They are your clues. Match the verb tense to the time word.

Mistake #3: Wrong Prepositions (in, on, at)

Prepositions are small but powerful words. They tell us about time, place, and movement, and learners often confuse them.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “I will meet you in Monday.”
• ❌ “She lives at Paris.”

Correct examples:

• ✅ “I will meet you on Monday.”
• ✅ “She lives in Paris.”

Simple rules to help:

• Use in for months, years, countries, and cities. (in July, in 2025, in Canada, in Toronto)
• Use on for days and dates. (on Monday, on October 5th)
• Use at for specific times or addresses. (at 8:00, at the bus stop, at 25 King Street)

Quick Fix: Memorize short examples for each preposition and copy the pattern.

Mistake #4: Literal Translations from Native Language

When learning English, it’s natural to think in your own language first. But translating directly often causes mistakes.

Common mistake (Spanish to English):

• ❌ “I have 20 years.” (direct translation of “Tengo 20 años.”)

Correct example:

• ✅ “I am 20 years old.”

Common mistake (French to English):

• ❌ “Close the light.”

Correct example:

• ✅ “Turn off the light.”

Quick Fix: Instead of translating word for word, try to learn English phrases as whole units. For example, don’t just memorize “years” and “old.” Memorize the whole phrase: “I am ___ years old.”

Mistake #5: Confusing “he” and “she”

This is one of the most common mistakes for learners whose native language doesn’t use gendered pronouns (like Chinese, Japanese, or Turkish).

Common mistake:

• ❌ “My mother is a teacher. He works at a school.”

Correct example:

• ✅ “My mother is a teacher. She works at a school.”

Why it happens: In some languages, there is only one pronoun for both men and women. In English, we separate them. Some languages (such as French) assign male or female to nouns. English does not do this.

Quick Fix: Connect the pronoun with the person in your head. For example, when you think of your father, link the word “he.” When you think of your mother, link the word “she.” Practice out loud with pictures of people.

Mistake #6: Using the Wrong Word Order in Questions

English word order can be tricky, especially in questions. Many learners simply put a rising tone at the end of a statement, like in their native language.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “You are coming tomorrow?”
• ❌ “He is from Canada?”

Correct examples:

• ✅ “Are you coming tomorrow?”
• ✅ “Is he from Canada?”

Quick Fix: Remember this pattern for yes/no questions: [Be/Do/Will/Can] + subject + main verb. Example: “Do you like pizza?” “Will she call you?”

Mistake #7: Overusing Plurals

Learners often add an s where it doesn’t belong.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “She has many furnitures.”
• ❌ “He gave me two advices.”

Correct examples:

• ✅ “She has a lot of furniture.” (uncountable)
• ✅ “He gave me two pieces of advice.”

Quick Fix: Learn which nouns are uncountable (like furniture, advice, information, money, and news). These don’t take “s.”

Mistake #8: Dropping the Subject

In some languages (like Spanish or Italian), the subject (“I,” “you,” “he,” etc.) can be dropped. In English, it cannot.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “Is raining outside.”
• ❌ “Went to the store yesterday.”

Correct examples:

• ✅ “It is raining outside.”
• ✅ “I went to the store yesterday.”

Quick Fix: Always double-check: Do I have a subject in my sentence? (I, you, he, she, we, they, it)

Mistake #9: Using Too Much Formal English in Daily Life

Learners often study very formal textbook English and then use it in casual conversations, which sounds unnatural.

Common mistake:

• ❌ “Good morning, how do you do?” (to a friend at school)
• ❌ “I would like to request some assistance with this task.” (to a coworker)

Correct examples:

• ✅ “Hey, how are you?”
• ✅ “Can you help me with this?”

Quick Fix: Listen to how native speakers actually talk in casual settings (movies, TV, YouTube). Notice how simple and short their phrases are.

See our blog post 10 Must Know English Phrases for Everyday Life for suggestions on how to speak more casually in daily conversations.

Quick Fixes for Each Mistake

Let’s summarize the easy solutions you can apply right away:

1. Articles (“a” vs “the”) → Ask yourself: “Is this specific or general?”
2. Verb tenses → Look for time words (yesterday, now, tomorrow).
3. Prepositions → Memorize short examples (in July, on Monday, at 8:00).
4. Literal translations → Learn full phrases, not single words.
5. He/She → Link pronouns to people in your mind with practice.
6. Question order → Remember: verb + subject + main verb.
7. Plurals → Learn uncountable nouns (furniture, advice, information).
8. Dropping subjects → Always include “I, you, he, she, we, they, it.”
9. Formal vs casual → Listen to real-life English and copy.

Conclusion: Learn From Mistakes, Don’t Fear Them

Every English learner makes mistakes. Even advanced learners sometimes say “he” instead of “she” or use the wrong preposition. The important thing is not to avoid mistakes, but to learn from them. Each mistake is a step toward becoming more confident.

So the next time you mix up “a” and “the,” or forget your past tense, don’t feel embarrassed. Correct yourself, try again, and remember that mistakes are proof you are learning. With practice and awareness, you’ll soon avoid these common errors and speak English with more confidence.