If you’ve ever said something in English and immediately thought, “Wait… was that correct?” — you’re not alone.
Even students who’ve studied English for years often make small mistakes that can completely change the meaning of a sentence.
The good news? Most of these errors are easy to fix once you know what’s causing them. In this post, we’ll go through five of the most common English mistakes learners make — and how to stop making them starting today.
Let’s jump right in.
1. Mixing Up “He,” “She,” and “It”
This might sound simple, but it’s one of the most common mistakes for non-native speakers.
In many languages, gender pronouns are used differently — or not at all — so it’s easy to get confused in English.
Example:
❌ She is my brother.
✅ He is my brother.
Or sometimes even:
❌ It is my mother.
✅ She is my mother.
Here’s what you need to remember:
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He → male (man, boy, brother, father)
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She → female (woman, girl, sister, mother)
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It → things, animals (if gender is not known), or ideas
Tip to fix it:
Whenever you learn a new word for a person, say it with the correct pronoun a few times. For example, “My teacher — she teaches me,” or “My friend — he helps me.”
This practice will train your brain to connect the correct pronoun automatically.
2. Using the Wrong Verb Tense
English tenses are tricky — especially because they often don’t translate directly from your native language. The most common issue? Using the present tense when you should use the past or future tense.
Example:
❌ Yesterday I go to the market.
✅ Yesterday I went to the market.
Another one:
❌ Tomorrow I go to class.
✅ Tomorrow I will go to class.
It might feel small, but these little tense errors can make your English sound confusing or incomplete.
Quick fix:
Always look for time words in your sentence:
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Yesterday → use past tense
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Today → use present tense
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Tomorrow → use future tense
Practice this with examples:
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Yesterday I watched a movie.
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Today I’m studying English.
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Tomorrow I will call my friend.
Do this daily, and your tense mistakes will slowly disappear.
3. Forgetting to Use Articles (“a,” “an,” “the”)
Articles are another big challenge because many languages don’t use them the way English does. Yet, using them correctly can make your sentences sound more natural and polished.
Example:
❌ I bought new phone.
✅ I bought a new phone.
❌ Sun is hot today.
✅ The sun is hot today.
Here’s a quick rule:
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a → before words starting with consonant sounds (a book, a car, a cat)
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an → before words starting with vowel sounds (an apple, an hour, an idea)
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the → when talking about something specific or already known (the book on the table, the sun, the teacher you met yesterday)
Pro tip:
If you’re not sure whether to use the, ask yourself:
“Am I talking about something specific?”
If yes → use the. If not → use a or an.
4. Translating Directly from Your Native Language
This one is sneaky — and probably the hardest habit to break.
Many learners think in their own language first, then translate into English. But direct translation often leads to awkward or incorrect sentences.
Example:
In some languages, you might say something like:
❌ Open the light.
✅ Turn on the light.
Or:
❌ Close the fan.
✅ Turn off the fan.
Why does this happen? Because in your native language, that phrasing makes sense — but in English, verbs are used differently.
How to fix it:
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Start thinking in English, even for small thoughts.
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Learn common English phrases instead of single words (for example, “turn on the light” instead of just “light”).
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Watch English videos or listen to podcasts to hear how real speakers use phrases naturally.
It might feel hard at first, but over time your brain will start to form English sentences automatically — no translation needed.
5. Overusing “Very” (and Forgetting Better Words!)
We’ve all done it — saying “very good”, “very bad”, “very happy”, “very cold”… all the time.
While there’s nothing “wrong” with using very, English has stronger, more precise words that make you sound fluent and confident.
Here are a few examples:
| Instead of | Say |
|---|---|
| very good | excellent, great |
| very bad | terrible, awful |
| very happy | delighted |
| very cold | freezing |
| very tired | exhausted |
| very hungry | starving |
| very small | tiny |
| very big | enormous |
Example:
❌ I am very tired after work.
✅ I am exhausted after work.
See how much stronger that sounds? Try to replace very + adjective with one powerful word when possible. You’ll sound more fluent instantly.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes
Here’s something many learners forget — making mistakes is part of learning.
Even native English speakers make grammar and pronunciation mistakes every day!
The key difference is that fluent speakers don’t let fear stop them from speaking.
They correct themselves, move on, and keep practicing.
So the next time you realize you said something wrong, don’t be embarrassed. Smile, fix it, and keep talking.
That’s how real learning happens.
Final Thoughts
English isn’t about memorizing hundreds of grammar rules — it’s about using the language confidently.
If you focus on fixing small mistakes like the ones above, you’ll see big improvements in your speaking and writing.
To recap, here are the five mistakes you should stop making today:
1️⃣ Mixing up he, she, it
2️⃣ Using the wrong verb tense
3️⃣ Forgetting articles (a, an, the)
4️⃣ Translating directly from your native language
5️⃣ Overusing very
Start noticing these in your daily English practice — and fix them one by one. With time, patience, and consistent effort, you’ll sound more fluent, natural, and confident than ever before.
