English at times could be weird. If you get something incorrect, it is probably that the individual you are talking to will still understand you and perhaps would not correct you which can make it harder to improve.
Ms Sonu Goel, Cafe Converse, Delhi’s top institute for learning spoken English says to avoid these common mistakes in English that are mainly made by non-native speakers.
Double negative
Certain languages require multiple negative words in a sentence in an attempt for it to make sense, however, in English, not just is this wrong, but it will reverse the meaning.
For one instance, I don’t know nothing is actually suggesting that you know something. Rather, you need to say I don’t know anything.
Double negatives are things that certain native speakers get wrong as well.
Agreeing with negatives
If someone says “I don’t prefer fish and chips” and for any bizarre reason you also do not like fish and chips, it may feel appropriate to reply “me too”.
While someone might understand what you mean by this, it is not correct. The proper response here would be “neither do I” or “me neither”.
Leaving out ‘the’
It is quite simple to leave out a “the” in various sentences, since, the rules can seem quite inconsistent. Take the following two phrases:
I study in the UK
I study in Wales
Only the second instance is correct. As “UK” is short for the United Kingdom, it requires a ‘the’ in front of it because there is just one United Kingdom.
Wales on the other hand is a name and although there is only one Wales, it conducts differently. It behaves in the same manner as your name or anyone’s name, and you will not put a ‘the’ in front of your or anyone’s name if you are talking about them. “I was going for a movie with the Alex” for instance would be incorrect.
In the UK and Wales example above, Wales is the same as Alex or any other person’s name.
Focusing excessively on grammar
This is an error that many people commit irrespective of the language they are trying to learn. If you wish to learn English, do not focus too much on grammar. Listening to and understanding spoken English is a lot more important. The more you become familiar with it, all of the above and more will easily begin to stand out as wrong.
Speaking with the locals will certainly assist with this, but if you wish to get better at listening to English, then you may also want to try learning English with movies or even by playing video games. This could get you used to hear it prior to going to learn English abroad.
Not sufficient confidence
Lastly, this is an issue that is simple to talk about but difficult to fix. You must never feel so scared of making common mistakes that it hinders you from talking or attempting to talk in English.
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
