Ever feel a pang of doubt right after you say, “Is it your welcome or you’re welcome?” You’re not alone! Even the most dedicated English learners get tripped up by a few persistent grammar gremlins.
But here’s the good news: these mistakes are predictable, easy to understand, and even easier to fix. At GoatGuru English, we’ve helped thousands of students identify and correct these errors to achieve fluency faster.
Let’s dive into the Top 10 English Mistakes You Must Avoid to sound more natural, confident, and professional today!
1. Your vs. You’re
This is public enemy number one for a reason!
- ❌ Mistake: “Your welcome to join us.”
- ✅ Correction: “You’re welcome to join us.”
- The Rule: Your shows possession (something you own). You’re is a contraction of “you are.”
- 💡 Guru Tip: If you can replace it with “you are,” then you’re is the word you need!
2. Its vs. It’s
Don’t let the apostrophe fool you!
- ❌ Mistake: “The company is known for it’s innovative products.”
- ✅ Correction: “The company is known for its innovative products.”
- The Rule: Its is possessive (the bone belongs to the dog → it’s bone). It’s is only ever a contraction of “it is” or “it has.”
- 💡 Guru Tip: Test it: can you say “it is” instead? If yes, use it’s. If not, use its.
3. Then vs. Than
Mixing these up changes your entire meaning!
- ❌ Mistake: “She is more intelligent then him.”
- ✅ Correction: “She is more intelligent than him.”
- The Rule: Use than for comparisons. Use then to talk about time or sequence (“first this, then that”).
4. There/Their/They’re
The classic triple threat!
- ❌ Mistake: “There going to put they’re books over their.”
- ✅ Correction: “They’re going to put their books over there.”
- The Rule:
- There refers to a place.
- Their shows possession (something belongs to them).
- They’re is a contraction of “they are.”
5. Since vs. For (with Present Perfect)
This is a huge marker of fluency!
- ❌ Mistake: “I have lived here since three years.”
- ✅ Correction: “I have lived here for three years.”
- The Rule: Use for with a period of time (for 10 minutes, for two days). Use since with a specific starting point in the past (since 2020, since Tuesday).
6. Me vs. I
Will you let me help you with this? 😉
- ❌ Mistake: “This is a secret between you and I.”
- ✅ Correction: “This is a secret between you and me.”
- The Rule: I is a subject (the one doing the action). Me is an object (the one receiving the action).
- 💡 Guru Tip: The easiest trick? Remove the other person. You would never say “This is a secret between I,” so you shouldn’t say “between you and I.”
7. Say vs. Tell
These verbs need the right partner!
- ❌ Mistake: “She said me a secret.”
- ✅ Correction: “She told me a secret.”
- The Rule: You say something. You tell someone something. “Tell” almost always needs a person object (tell me, tell him, tell the story).
8. Make vs. Do
A common frustration we can help you do away with!
- ❌ Mistake: “I need to make my homework.”
- ✅ Correction: “I need to do my homework.”
- The Rule: Generally, use do for tasks, jobs, and activities. Use make for creating, constructing, or producing something. (e.g., do the dishes, do your job, make a cake, make a plan).
9. Double Negatives
Using two negatives cancels the meaning and creates a positive, which is confusing!
- ❌ Mistake: “I don’t know nothing about that.”
- ✅ Correction: “I don’t know anything about that.” OR “I know nothing about that.”
- The Rule: In standard English, only one negative is needed to express a negative idea.
10. Editable vs. Audible
- ❌ Mistake: “I am boring in math class.” (This means you are a dull person!)
- ✅ Correction: “I am bored in math class.” (This means the class is not interesting, and you feel bored.)
- The Rule: Use -ed adjectives (bored, interested, excited) to describe how someone feels. Use -ing adjectives (boring, interesting, exciting) to describe the thing or person that causes the feeling.
Ready to Test Your Skills?
Think you’ve mastered them? Put your knowledge to the test with our interactive “10-Mistake Quiz” and see if you can get a perfect score!
[➡️ CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE QUIZ NOW!]
Fixing these 10 common mistakes is one of the fastest ways to improve your accuracy and build confidence. Which one do you struggle with the most? Let us know in the comments below!
Don’t forget to share this guide with a friend who needs it! 📚✨