Common Mistakes in English — And the Stories Behind Them

June 05, 2025 Post a Comment

When Sarah first moved to London, she believed her English was good enough. She had studied it for years, aced her grammar tests, and even watched Hollywood movies without subtitles. But on her first day at work, she told her manager, “I look forward to meeting your wife yesterday.” The silence in the room was louder than the sentence itself.

You’ve probably been there too. Maybe you’ve said "I have many homeworks," or "I didn’t went there." It happens — not because you’re bad at English, but because English loves to play tricks on even the most diligent learners. And the truth is, everyone makes mistakes — Sarah, you, me, and even native speakers.

Let’s take a walk through the world of common mistakes in English, not just as a list, but as real-life moments where people trip, learn, and laugh along the way.

1. “He Go to School Every Day” — The Simple Present Trap

There was a boy named Dimas who always got confused about verbs. He’d say, “My brother go to school every day.” His teacher would gently smile and say, “He goes, not go.”
Dimas couldn’t understand why that little “-s” mattered so much. But then he imagined English as a puzzle — one where the subject and verb had to match perfectly. Ever since then, he double-checked every “he,” “she,” and “it.”

👉 Tip for you: In the present simple, don’t forget the -s or -es after he, she, it. It’s small, but mighty.

2. “Yesterday I Go to the Mall” — The Past that Refuses to Change

Maria loved telling stories about her weekends. But there was one problem. She always said, “Yesterday I go...” instead of “Yesterday I went...”
Her friends understood, but they knew something was off. One day, someone asked her, “If yesterday is the past, why are you still using the present?” That was the lightbulb moment.

👉 For you: If the time marker (like “yesterday” or “last week”) points to the past, make sure your verb does too.

3. “I Am Boring” — Wait, Are You?

Have you ever heard someone say, “I am boring” when they meant “I’m bored”?
There was a guy named Kevin, and every time the class got too quiet, he’d say, “I am boring.” His classmates would laugh — not to mock him, but because he’d just called himself dull!
What he meant was: “This lesson is boring, and I am bored.” Big difference, right?

👉 Lesson for all of us: Use -ing adjectives to describe things (boring movie), and -ed adjectives to describe feelings (bored person).

4. “She Told to Me...” — Adding What’s Not Needed

When Aisha started chatting more fluently, she got excited. Maybe too excited.
She once said, “She told to me that she will come.” A friendly co-worker replied, “You don’t need the ‘to’ there.” Aisha was surprised. “But in my language, we always say ‘to me!’”
English, however, loves exceptions. And some verbs just drop the “to.”

👉 For you: Say, “She told me,” not “told to me.” (But say “She said to me.” See? English keeps you on your toes.)

5. “Much People” and “Many Time” — Quantifiers Gone Wild

They were all sitting in a cafe in Bali — tourists and locals. One guy said, “There are much people here today.” The others smiled politely, but something was off.
Why? Because “people” is countable, and “much” is used for uncountable things.

👉 Remember:

Use many for countable nouns (people, apples, books).
Use much for uncountable nouns (money, water, time).

The Final Chapter — Your Story

Now it’s your turn. Which of these mistakes have you made? Which ones still confuse you?
You are not alone. They’ve made them. I’ve made them. We all have. But that’s how language works — through trial, error, and tiny victories.

Every mistake is a lesson waiting to become part of your fluency. So don’t be afraid to speak, to stumble, and to laugh at your own errors. They are not signs of failure, but footsteps toward mastery.

Next time you catch yourself saying, “I am boring,” just smile and say, “I mean… I’m bored, but I’m getting better.” And you are.

SIRHARI