Learning English as a Second Language is an exciting journey, but even the most dedicated students make mistakes. English is not the easiest and can be a very complicated language. But improving and learning as much as you can from mistakes helps you boost your confidence in everyday conversations. Avoiding these common mistakes will help you communicate more effectively.

Mixing Up “Your” and “You’re”

This is one of the most frequent grammar mistakes English learners make.

• Your refers to possession: “Is this your book?”
• You’re is a contraction of “you are”: “You’re doing great in your English class!”

A simple trick to avoid this mistake is to read the sentence aloud. If “you are” fits naturally, use you’re.

Confusing “Their,” “There,” and “They’re”

These words sound the same but have different meanings.

• Their shows possession: “Their English class starts at 9 AM.”
• There refers to a place: “The classroom is over there.”
• They’re is short for “they are”: “They’re practicing English conversation.”

Try using each word in a sentence to help reinforce the difference.

Using Incorrect Verb Tenses

English verbs can be tricky, especially when talking about past events.

• Incorrect: “Yesterday, I go to my F-1 intensive English program.”
• Correct: “Yesterday, I went to my F-1 intensive English program.”

Paying attention to past, present, and future verb forms will make your speech and writing more natural.

Forgetting to Use Articles (“A” and “The”)

Articles like a and the are small but important words in English.

• Incorrect: “I adopted cat.”
• Correct: “I adopted a cat.”
• Incorrect: “I went to library.”
• Correct: “I went to the library.”

If you’re talking about something general, use a or an. If it’s something specific, use the.

Translating Directly from Your Native Language

English doesn’t always follow the same sentence structure as other languages. Instead of translating word-for-word, try thinking in English. One of the best ways to develop this skill is through full immersion, such as communicating with new friends.

Improving Your English in Atlanta

Atlanta is a vibrant and ethnically diverse city, which is the perfect home for The English Island. As an accredited ESL school, with various beneficial programs such as our ESOL F-1 Visa Program, we specialize in helping students develop their English skills in a supportive and engaging environment. Our programs are designed to help learners improve their grammar, pronunciation, and fluency with practical, real-world exercises.