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15 most common mistakes in English
Bashny.Net
Even if your English is perfect, you are not safe from these pitfalls.
We are so accustomed to the rules of our native language, which automatically apply them to other languages. A grammar is very different. As a result, we make mistakes - funny, or stupid, or even indecent
At the request of Website a teacher of English at www.italki.com spoke about the most common mistakes of Russian-speaking students.
1. I feel myself («I feel») Wrong: I feel myself fine today.
That's right: I feel fine today.
In English, the verb after the feel em> («feel») is not put reflexive pronoun myself em> («self") - native English and so understand what you say about his health. They just say: I feel well \ I feel sick \ I feel happy.
If you say «I feel myself», then for the English-speaking ... it sounds strange. They'll think you're telling them about physical contact with himself or touching himself.
2. Enough («Enough») Wrong: She spoke English enough well to get the job.
That's right: She spoke English well enough to get the job.
In English, the correct order of words is more important than Russian. Place the word enough em> in the proposal depend on what part of speech it belongs: adverb, adjective or noun.
If the enough em> refers to an adjective or adverb, that is after the verb meaning:
- Do you think he's old enough to watch that movie?
- We've done enough today.
Old em> («adult») - adjective, today em> («Today") - the adverb.
If the enough em> refers to the noun, it stands before the verb:
- We had enough money to buy a ticket.
3. Normal («OK») Wrong: How are you? - I'm normal, thanks.
That's right: How are you? - I'm fine, thanks.
In English, we do not usually use the word normal em> («normal») to talk about their mood or the last day. Native English say fine em> or ok em>. And the word normal em> they perceive, rather, in the sense of "average, normal," or just "normal».
Imagine that you ask, "How are you, how are you?" And you say, "I'm normal." Agree, sounds ridiculous: if you are trying to convince the recipient that you are a normal person, not a strange or even crazy. Perhaps a good time to express their normal world, but you are certainly not talking about it.
4. Scientist, scholar («Scientific») Wrong: Scientists study history so that humanity can learn from the past.
That's right: Scholars study history so that humanity can learn from the past.
Both words and scientist em>, and scholar em> - translated to English as "scientist", but they have different value.
Scientist em> - is an expert in precision (chemistry, physics, mathematics, biology) or social (psychology, sociology, political science) sciences.
Scholar em> - is an expert in a particular field of knowledge. He is well versed in the subject matter, because it examines. Scholar em> - a specialist in areas such as history, art and languages. Also called clever student who receives a scholarship - scholarship em>.
The difference in the fact that a scientist em> to study the subject uses scientific methods - building a hypothesis, conducting experiments, making conclusions. A scholar em> is usually complete without this.
5. Prepositions Wrong: I was waiting David on the theater.
That's right: I was waiting for David at the theater.
In the study of the English language are often confused in the Russian-speaking pretexts or even lowered them. We think that the prepositions in English sentences should be the same as they would be in Russian. But it is not. To avoid confusion, you just have to learn the most common expression where the preposition is closely related to the verb.
Depends on em> - «depends». Tired of em> - «tired». To divide into em> - «divided into».
To wait for someone em> - «wait for someone». To graduate from school em> - «to finish school." < / To listen to someone / music em> - «listen to someone / music». To be afraid of someone / something em> - "afraid of someone / something». To explain to someone em> - «explain to someone». To answer a question em> - «to answer the question" (note: no excuse, but with the article).
Coatings (table, wall, floor, boards, roof, shelves): on em>.
- For example: on the roof em>, on the table em>. Technology (computer, TV, radio, screen, DVD, hard disk, CD): on em>.
- On this DVD em>. Public transport (train, bus, tram, plane, ship, ferry): on em>.
- On the bus em>, on the ship em>. Inside the physical object / structure (the book, pocket, drawer number): in em>.
- In his pocket em>, in a box em>. Places (office, stadium, shop, supermarket, station, Theatre, Park): at em> / in em>.
- In the street em>, at the station em>.
6. How and What («How" and "What») Wrong: How do you call this in English?
That's right: What do you call this in English?
Russian speakers often confuse the question words how em> and what em>, asking in English: "What's it called?" They are trying to start a sentence with the usual "how to» - how < / em>. But in the English use is what em>. It is necessary to remember.
7. City Wrong: I am from Moscow city.
That's right: I am from Moscow / the city of Moscow.
It is often said only the name (Moscow, New York, London) and do not add to the word "city". If, however, it is important to clarify that this is the city and nothing else, use the structure the city of em>.
For example: the city of London em>, the city of Boston em>, the city of Moscow em>.
In rare cases, the word "city" part of the name: New York City em>, Salt Lake City em>, Mexico em> City em>. Sometimes it makes it clear that this particular city and not another geographical area with the same name:
I grew up in a small town in the state of New York, but now I live in New York City. em> Although I have lived in Moscow for several years, my parents still live in a small town outside of the city but still in Moscow Oblast. em> I visited Salt Lake City this summer. em>
8. Plural and Singular
(Singular and plural) Wrong: The professor gave us several useful advices for our researches.
That's right: The professor gave us several useful words of advice for our research projects.
And in Russian and English languages have countable nouns that can be easily counted (chair, apple, glass), and uncountable, which can not count without additional units (water in liters, the number of minutes the rice in grams). But often countable nouns in English are innumerable.
An example of uncountable nouns:
- Advice, research, knowledge, accommodation, baggage, equipment, furniture, garbage, information, luggage, money, news, pasta, progress, travel, work. Em>
If you want to use uncountable nouns plural, use additional words: piece, glass, chunk. Em>
For example:
We just bought several new pieces of equipment for our lab. em> I'll have three glasses of lemonade, please. em> She cut off a large chuck of meat and fed it to her dog. em>
- < That's right: Thank God, we have each other. Em>
- < Wrong: Thanks Gods em>
- < That's right: No problem! Em>
- < Wrong: No problems! Em>
- < That's right: We have no comment about the case. Em>
- < Wrong: No comments. Em>
9. Possibility and Opportunity Wrong: I will have the possibility to go to the conference next year.
That's right: I will have the opportunity to go to the conference next year.
Russian speakers are often told possibility em>, when talk about their opportunity to do anything. But English has the word opportunity em>, also means "opportunity". What's the word you use depends on the context.
Possibility em> - is something hypothetical that may or may not be true.
Opportunity em> - is a favorable circumstances, that allow us to do something or give a chance to act.
There is a possibility that it will rain tomorrow, so you will have an opportunity to use your new umbrella. em> There is a possibility that we will have enough funding for another research assistant position. If so, you will have an opportunity to apply for this position. Em>
10. Say and Tell Wrong: Can you say me how to tell this in English?
That's right: Can you tell me how to say this in English?
Say em> they say when they want to recite the words of another person. Tell em> use when they want something to ask, ask or inform someone about something. Verb tell em> is accompanied by a direct object: tell us / him / her / the audience em>.
At lunch John told his coworkers about his business trip to China. em> John said that the business trip to China went very well. em>
Say yes or no, a few words, something. em> Tell a story, a lie, a secret, a joke, the truth. em>
11. Learn and Teach Wrong: Can you learn me to speak English better?
That's right: Can you teach me to speak English better?
Learn em> and teach em> are often confused because both words mean "to teach." But in English, their values are quite different.
Learn em> - is to learn on their own. Student teaching homework, girl learning to play the guitar, and so on.
Teach em> - is to teach someone. The teacher teaches students the finer points of the language.
«I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I'm going to learn, I must do it by listening ». - Larry King. Em>
12. Free Wrong: I want to speak English freely.
That's right: I want to speak English fluently.
If a person wants to say that is fluent in a foreign language, it uses the word fluent em>, and not free em>. Yes, free em> means "free", but more its value - for "free". And if free em> after the noun ( smoke-free, car-free, alcohol-free em>), this means that the action is prohibited.
T his is the smoke-free bar. If you want to smoke, you must go outside. Em>
13. Do and Make Wrong: I think I did a mistake.
That's right: I think I made a mistake.
In the Russian language, both the verb - do em> and make em> - translated as "do". But they have different value.
Do em> - for daily activities or work, which will result in something intangible, something that can not be touched:
Do homework, do the dishes, do the laundry, do a job, do the shopping. Do em> is used when generalize, but did not specify. Often there are a number of words something, nothing, anything, everything em>:
He has done nothing all day. em> She would do anything for her Mom em>. < em> Is there something I can do for you? em> Make em> use when they talk about the creation of the material, tangible things:
Make food, make a cup of tea, make clothes, make a mess. em> make < / em> and do em>, which simply need to remember:
Make money, do someone a favor, do business, make a decision, do good, make a plan. em>
14. Expensive and dear («Dear») Wrong: That computer is too dear for me to buy.
That's right: That computer is too expensive for me to buy.
Russian word "expensive" is translated into English as expensive em> or dear em>, again depending on the context. Both words mean something valuable to humans, but they have a different meaning.
Dear em> - is something of value in the emotional or personal sense:
This necklace is not very expensive, but, since it belonged to my grandmother, it is very dear to me. em> Expensive < / em> - is something of value in financial terms, for example, an expensive purchase:
I wish I had not dropped my new iPhone in the toilet. It was really expensive! Em>
15. Gender («Occupation») Wrong: It's time I bought a new computer, since he is very old.
That's right: It's time I bought a new computer, since it is very old.
Russian speakers are often habit say he em> or she em> when it is necessary to use it em>.
In English the personal pronouns he em> or she em> apply to humans. It is appropriate to say he em> or she em> about dogs, cats or other animals whose sex is known. Often we call so pets that we love or that we like, for us they are not faceless it em>, ie he em> or she em> - «it "or" it is ».
I have fond memories of my dog, Spot. He was a great dog. Em>
Look at that sports car! Is not she a beauty? Em> «God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her, and guide her
Through the night with a light from above ».
Irving Berlin em>
Female: women, girl, mother, daughter, aunt, niece, nun, goddess, empress, queen, princess, heroine, actress, waitress, lioness, cow. Em>
Male: man, boy, father, son, uncle, nephew, monk, god, emperor, king, prince, hero, actor, waiter, lion, bull. Em>
In modern English words like waiter em> («waiter»), actor em> («actor»), hero em> («Hero") are used for male and for female. If you need to describe exactly the floor, you can add the word "man" or "woman»:
In Shakespeare's time women could not be actor and play on stage, so all female roles were played by actor men. em> hero em> («Hero") is not only the hero of the book. The hero - a person, real or fictional, are showing great courage or going to sacrifice for the common good.
via www.italki.com/?ref=nat2ruadm&utm_source=adme&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=native&utm_content=cli_ru
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