English is a global language, thus learning and knowing how to speak English properly can help you in several aspects of your life. Since you are not a native speaker, there are some common mistakes that people make whenever conversing in English. This blog by Ms Sonu Goel, Founder and Director of Café Converse, Delhi’s top English learning institute talks about common mistakes made by us while we speak.
Use of Double Negative
As most of us try to translate a sentence to English from the native language, thus, one ends up adding double negative while speaking out. This is wrong.
For example:
One says – “I don’t know nothing.”, this means that you know something, but the correct one is
Correct form is “I don’t know anything.”
Use of Two Comparatives/Superlatives Together
A sentence should not have two superlatives or comparatives together.
For example:
You say – This could never have turned out to be more better. Here, better is the comparative of the adjective good and more is the comparative to the adjective much. Thus, the right one is
“This could never have turned out to be better”.
Use of the Wrong Tense
Several amongst you have the tendency to use the wrong tense.
For example:
“I didn’t cried while I saw the show”. Here the word didn’t is not followed by the past tense verb. Thus, the right one is I didn’t cry when I saw the show.
I vs Me
Set it in your mind that I is the subject and me is the object. One normally gets confused between the two.
Some say – “They are going to send my wife and I a ticket.” Here, if one removes the person and preceding the I. It will sound; “They are going to send I a ticket.” This is incorrect.
Right – “They are going to send me a ticket.”
Similarly, if you say “Tim and me are going to the movie.” what’s incorrect here? When you remove Tim and. The sentence becomes “Me am going to the gym”. This is also incorrect. The correct one is
“Tim and I are going to the gym.”
Less vs Fewer
The word fewer is only needed for items that can be counted, whereas less is needed for the uncountable. For example:
You say – “Today, the shop has less people.”
Right – “Today, the shop has fewer people.”
Tell vs Say
While you speak in English, most of you make mistake differentiating between say and tell. For example:
First with “Say”
You say – “Say me your name.” Here, “say” is not the proper word because it is usually, used to express something in words. Whereas, the sentence asks to say something. The correction made is as follows:
Correct – “Tell me your name.”
Now, with “Tell”
You say – “So I told what a brilliant idea.” Told is an improper word because here, the sentence needs to express the phrase “what a brilliant idea”. So, the right one here is: “So I said what a brilliant idea.”
Ms Sonu Goel is a professionally acclaimed certified ESL trainer from the British Council having 15 years of strong background for teaching the English language in both online and physical classes. She is dedicated to teaching of English in an interactive and practical way, whereby learners feel enriched with knowledge and experience the language hands-on. She uses creative ideas and aids to let the learning happen as organically and efficiently as possible. Ms Goel has travelled to various European countries and experienced an array of cultures and linguistic skills for the English language.
To learn more about Sonu Goel please visit : https://cafeconverse.com/best-english-tutor-coach-teacher-sonu-goel.html
