10 Tips For Learning English

In this lesson, we will give an overview some common mistakes students make.

1. Do not use an article with a proper noun

Proper nouns are the names of particular people, places, languages, countries etc. A proper noun always begins with a capital letter. We cannot use an article with a proper noun.

I met Rahul at the party. (NOT I met the Rahul at the party.)
He works in Australia. (NOT He works in the Australia.)

Note that the names of some countries take the article the with them. Examples are: The United States of America, The United Kingdom, The UAE, The Netherlands.

Note that we use the article the with the names of seas, mountain groups, island groups, rivers and deserts.

The Nile is the longest river in the world.

A common noun is a word used to denote a particular class of people, animals, things etc. Examples are: boys, girls, birds, animals, books, trees etc. A singular common noun is always used with an article.

I have a cat.
India is an old country.
The cow gives milk.

A plural common noun is usually used without an article.

2. Past perfect tense

The past perfect tense is used to say that an action had completed before another action commenced. We do not use the past perfect tense to simply say that something happened sometime ago. The simple past is used for that purpose.

His father died in 2007. (NOT His father had died in 2007.)
His father had died before he was born. (The past perfect is used for the earlier of two past events.)
Suddenly I remembered that I had forgotten to lock the door.

3. Tense in subordinate clauses

When both clauses refer to the future, we use a present tense in the subordinate clause to refer to future.

I will call you when I am ready. (NOT I will call you when I will be ready.)
You will get good marks if you study hard. (NOT You will get good marks if you will study hard.)

4. Too and very

Too shows undesirable extremes. It is used with a negative meaning. Very, on the other hand, shows a higher degree of something. It has a positive meaning.

She is very beautiful. (NOT She is too beautiful.)
It is too expensive. OR It is very expensive.

5. Inversion

When a sentence begins with a negative word (e.g. never, hardly, no sooner, scarcely), we use the inverted word order. That means the auxiliary verb goes before the subject.

Never have I seen such a mess. (NOT Never I have seen such a mess.)
Hardly had I sat down to rest, when I heard a knock on the door. (NOT Hardly I had sat down…)

6. Use only one conjunction to connect two clauses

Correct: Though she studies hard she cannot score good marks.
Correct: She studies hard but she cannot score good marks.
Incorrect: Though she studies hard but she cannot score good marks.

The words though and but are both conjunctions. Use only one conjunction to connect two clauses.

7. Avoid run on sentences

Clauses have to be linked by a conjunction or relative pronoun. If there is no connecting word, separate the clauses with a full stop.

Incorrect: This is Maya, she was my junior at university.
Correct: This is Maya who was my junior at university.
Correct: This is Maya. She was my junior at university.
Incorrect: This is the club, we meet here.
Correct: This is the club where we meet.
Correct: This is the club. We meet here.

8. Since and for

Use since to count from a particular point of time in the past – since January, since 1995, since last year.

Use for to show duration – for two months, for two weeks etc.

Incorrect: Rahul has been absent for Monday.
Correct: Rahul has been absent since Monday.

9. According to

Do not give your own opinion with according to.

According to scientists, the earth is getting warmer.

Use an expression like I think or in my opinion to give your own opinion.

I think global warming is a major problem.
In my opinion, smoking must be banned. (NOT According to me, smoking must be banned.)

10. Position of adverbs

Adverbs should be placed before the verb or after the object.

Correct: I often visit them.
Correct: I visit them often.
Incorrect: I visit often them.