40 Grammar Mistakes

AND HOW TO FIX THEM

TENSE MISTAKES

MISTAKE 1

Incorrect ❌ I have watched a really good film last night.

Correct ✅ I watched a really good film last night.

Why? ‘Last night’ is a specific moment in the past. When we talk about
completed actions that happened at a specific moment in the past,
we need the past simple tense (I watched).

‘I have watched’ is also a completed action in the past. However, we’re

not saying exactly when it happened. It doesn’t matter. The important
thing is that it’s completed.

MISTAKE 2

Incorrect ❌ I have lived in my apartment since 5 years.

Correct ✅ I have lived in my apartment for 5 years.

Why? ‘I have lived’ is the present perfect. We use it to talk about something that
started in the past and is still true now. This sentence is about the whole
period of time between when I moved into my apartment (5 years ago) and
now. When we talk about the length of this period, we need to use ‘for’.

We use ‘since’ to talk about when something started. For example: ‘I have
lived in my apartment since 2005’. It’s still the present perfect tense and I’m
still talking about something that started in the past and is still true now. But
here I’m talking specifically about when it started, and not how long the
period of time is.
 MISTAKE 3

Incorrect ❌ I live in my apartment since 2015.

Correct ✅ I have lived in my apartment since 2015.

Why? This sentence is about the whole period of time between 2015 and
now. I moved into my apartment in 2015 and I still live in my
apartment. So it’s the present perfect. Not the present simple.

We use the present simple (I live) to talk about the present (and not
the period of time between the past and the present).

MISTAKE 4

Incorrect ❌ It’s raining all morning.

Correct ✅ It’s been raining all morning.

Why? It started to rain some time ago and it is still raining now. ‘Raining’ is a
continuous action. So we need the present perfect continuous. We
use this tense to talk about a continuous action that started in the
past and is still happening now.

‘It’s raining’ is the present continuous. It’s only about right now (not
about the period of time between the past and the present).

MISTAKE 5

Incorrect ❌ I’ve been doing my homework since 20 minutes.

Correct ✅ I’ve been doing my homework for 20 minutes.

Why? It’s the present perfect continuous - it’s used to talk about a
continuous action that started in the past and is still happening now.
So, I started doing my homework 20 minutes ago and I’m still doing
my homework right now.

So, this sentence is about the whole period of time between 20

minutes ago and now. We’re talking about the length of this time
period - 20 minutes. That’s why we need to use ‘for’.
 ‘Since’ is for talking about when something started (and not how long
it has been happening). For example: ‘I have been doing my homework
since 8 o’clock this morning’. 8 o’clock is the starting point.

MISTAKE 6

Incorrect ❌ I will meet my friends for lunch today.

Correct ✅ I’m meeting my friends for lunch today.

Why? When we talk about arrangements or plans we have made with other
people then we need the present continuous to talk about the future.

‘I will’ can be used, for example, to talk about spontaneous decisions

(not plans) that we make at the time of speaking. For example: ‘Your
bag looks really heavy. I will help you carry it!’ (it’s a decision I have
just made, not a plan or an arrangement).

MISTAKE 7

Incorrect ❌ My train will leave in 10 minutes.

Correct ✅ My train leaves in 10 minutes.

Why? When we talk about schedules or timetables (such as: meeting start
times, plane departure times, train arrival times), we need the present
simple tense to talk about the future.

‘Will’ can be used to talk about spontaneous decisions (see mistake 6

above) or when we’re making a prediction (for example: ‘My team will
definitely win today!’).

MISTAKE 8

Incorrect ❌ By the time it’s Sunday, I will be working on my new novel for a
week.

Correct ✅ By the time it’s Sunday, I will have been working on my new novel
for a week.
Why? We are talking about a period of time leading up to some point in the
future, and a continuous action that will be happening the whole time.
When it gets to that point in the future (on Sunday), we will look back
at the period of time the continuous action has been happening. It’s
the future perfect continuous.

‘I will be working’ is the future continuous. It’s about a continuous

action that will be happening during a period of time in the future. For
example: ‘Between 6pm and 7pm this evening, I will be working on my
novel’

MISTAKE 9

Incorrect ❌ When I was younger, I didn’t used to walk to work everyday.

Correct ✅ When I was younger, I didn’t use to walk to work everyday.

Why? ‘Used to’ is something we say when we talk about regular activities
that we did in the past but we don’t do anymore. In positive
statements, the correct form is ‘used to’. But in questions and
negative statements, it changes to ‘use to’. So, for example: ‘Did you
use to play tennis when you were at school? I didn’t use to play tennis
then but I do now!’.

MISTAKE 10

Incorrect ❌ When I was younger, I would like tomatoes, but I don’t like them
now.

Correct ✅ When I was younger, I used to like tomatoes, but I don’t like them
now.

Why? Both ‘used to’ and ‘would’ can be used for talking about regular
actions we did in the past but we don’t do anymore. However, when
we talk about states (for example, ‘liking’ something - it’s not an
action, it’s a state), we can only use ‘used to’, not ‘would’.

MISTAKE 11

Incorrect ❌ I had come back from school this morning and then I did my
homework.
Correct ✅ I came back from school this morning and then I did my homework.

Why? ‘Had come back’ is the past perfect tense. We use the past perfect
tense to talk about something that happened before something else
in the past. But we only use it when otherwise it wouldn’t be clear
which action happened first.

In the example above, we have the word ‘then’. So it is clear which

action happened first - I came back from school and then I did my
homework. So, I came back from school first. And I did my homework
second. That’s why we don’t need the past perfect here. We just need
the past simple.

But look at this example: ‘When you arrived, I had already eaten’. We
need the past perfect here. If I said: ‘When you arrived, I ate’ - that
would mean that you arrived first and I ate second. It’s confusing. I
want to say that I ate first and you arrived second. That’s why I need
the past perfect - to make it clear that eating happened before the
other action in the past - you arriving.

MISTAKE 12

Incorrect ❌ I have never been to London before we went there last year.

Correct ✅ I had never been to London before we went there last year.

Why? ‘I have never been to London’ means that in my whole life, up until
now and including now, I have never visited London. It’s the present
perfect tense. The sentence is about my whole life and now.

‘I had never been to London’ is only about my life up to a certain point

in the past. It’s not about now. ‘I had never been to London before we
went there last year’ is about my life up to the point last year when we
went to London. It’s the past perfect tense. It means this was true up
until last year. But we don’t know if it’s still true!

MISTAKE 13

Incorrect ❌ My colleague has made redundant.

Correct ✅ My colleague has been made redundant.

Why? ‘To be made redundant’ is a set phrase. It’s always in the passive
voice. Because it’s a passive thing. As am employee, you don’t do
 anything. Something is done to you - your employer makes you
redundant. So, you are ‘made redundant’.

The example above is in the present perfect tense. To make the

passive voice in the present perfect, you need ‘have been’ or ‘has
been’ and the past participle. For example: ‘I have made this pizza.
This pizza has been made by me.’

CONDITIONAL MISTAKES

MISTAKE 14

Incorrect ❌ If you would have told me you’re going away, I would have looked
after your cat.

Correct ✅ If you had told me you’re going away, I would have looked after your
cat.

Why? It’s the third conditional. It’s about a hypothetical situation in the
past. ‘If you had told me’ is the condition. ‘I would have looked after
your cat’ is what would have happened if the condition had been met.
But the condition wasn’t met - you didn’t tell me you’re going away.
So, I didn’t look after your cat. And that’s why it’s a hypothetical
situation.

The third conditional needs two parts. The first one - the condition - is
in the past perfect (If you had told me). The second one is ‘would
have’ and a past participle (would have looked after).

MISTAKE 15

Incorrect ❌ Sam won’t go to the dance unless you will ask him.

Correct ✅ Sam won’t go to the dance unless you ask him.

Why? It’s the first conditional. It’s about something that needs to happen
(the condition) for something else to happen. The condition is in the
present simple tense (you ask him). The second part (what will or
won’t happen as a result) is in the future simple tense (Sam won’t go).

MISTAKE 16
Incorrect ❌ In case you will need my help, I will be in my office until 4pm.

Correct ✅ In case you need my help, I will be in my office until 4pm.

Why? This is also the first conditional. The condition ‘you need my help’
needs to be in the present simple tense. The thing that will (or won’t
happen) when the condition is met, needs to be in the future simple (I
will be).

MISTAKE 17

Incorrect ❌ I would go to Spain only if you would buy me a plane ticket.

Correct ✅ I would go to Spain only if you bought me a plane ticket.

Why? This is the second conditional. It’s about a hypothetical situation. It’s
about something that would happen in theory, if something else
happened (if a condition is met). But the condition is not realistic.
That’s why it’s just hypothetical.

‘If you bought me a plane ticket’ is the condition. It’s not realistic. It’s
just hypothetical. But if this condition was met, then I would go to
Spain - in theory.

The second conditional has two parts. The first one - the condition - is
in the past simple tense (if you bought me a plane ticket). The second
part uses ‘would’ and a verb - I would go.

MISTAKE 18

Incorrect ❌ If you worked harder, you will earn more money.

Correct ✅ If you worked harder, you would earn more money.

Why? It’s the second conditional, which uses the past simple in the
condition part of the sentence, and ‘would + verb’ in the second part
of the sentence (not ‘will’).

‘Will’ is something we use in the first conditional, which is not about

hypothetical situations but about something more realistic. For
example: ‘If you work harder, you will earn more money’ - it’s realistic,
you just need to work harder and then you will earn more money.
 When we say ‘If you worked harder, you would earn more money’ - it’s
not very realistic, you don’t work hard so it’s just a hypothetical
situation.

MISTAKE 19

Incorrect ❌ I’ll try to get there about 6pm unless if you want me to arrive
earlier.

Correct ✅ I’ll try to get there about 6pm unless you want me to arrive earlier.

Why? You can’t have ‘unless’ and ‘if’ in the same sentence together. You
need either ‘unless’ or ‘if’.

‘I’ll try to get there about 6pm unless you want me to arrive earlier’ -
‘unless’ means that I will be there about 6pm, but if you want me to
arrive earlier, then I will.

MISTAKE 20

Incorrect ❌ Water boils when it will reach 100 degrees.

Correct ✅ Water boils when it reaches 100 degrees.

Why? It’s the zero conditional. We use it to talk about things that are always
true, such as scientific facts. The zero conditional has two parts and
they are both in the present simple tense.

PREPOSITION MISTAKES

MISTAKE 21

Incorrect ❌ I arrived to London at 8 this morning.

Correct ✅ I arrived in London at 8 this morning.

Why? When we use the verb ‘arrive’ with cities or countries, we need the
preposition ‘in’. We need ‘at’ when talking about places - for example:
‘I arrived at the airport’. And we can also use ‘to’ with the verb ‘come’ -
‘I came to London’.
 MISTAKE 22

Incorrect ❌ Many young people are at work these days but some are
unemployed.

Correct ✅ Many young people are in work these days but some are
unemployed.

Why? ‘At work’ describes someone’s location. For example: ‘Where is your
brother? He’s at work.’ It means he is currently in his office, working.

‘In work’ means that somebody is employed. They have a job. They are
not unemployed.

MISTAKE 23

Incorrect ❌ What shall we eat tonight? It depends of what’s open.

Correct ✅ What shall we eat tonight? It depends on what’s open.

Why? It’s just a rule. ‘Depend’ always goes with the preposition ‘on’.

MISTAKE 24

Incorrect ❌ This morning, we were discussing about our new project.

Correct ✅ This morning, we were discussing our new project.

Why? The verb ‘discuss’ doesn’t need a preposition at all. You discuss
something. You can, however, say ‘to talk about something’.

MISTAKE 25

Incorrect ❌ I should have listened him and not gone out last night.

Correct ✅ I should have listened to him and not gone out last night.

Why? The verb ‘listen’ needs the preposition ‘to’ when you’re saying what or
 who the person is listening to.

MISTAKE 26

Incorrect ❌ My new job is superior than my old job.

Correct ✅ My new job is superior to my old job.

Why? The word ‘superior’ means better and it takes the preposition ‘to’. The
sentence above means that my new job is better than my old job.

The same is true for ‘inferior’: ‘My old job is inferior to my new job.’ It
means it’s worse than my new job.

MISTAKE 27

Incorrect ❌ My brother got married with his best friend last year.

Correct ✅ My brother got married to his best friend last year.

Why? It’s a rule! ‘To get married’ always goes with the preposition ‘to’, not
‘with’.

MISTAKE 28

Incorrect ❌ My new apartment is similar as yours.

Correct ✅ My new apartment is similar to yours.

Why? Another rule! ‘Similar’ is always followed by ‘to’.

‘The same’, however, is followed by ‘as’. For example: ‘My new

apartment is the same as yours.’

MISTAKE 29

Incorrect ❌ A strange person entered to the waiting room.

Correct ✅ A strange person entered the waiting room.

Why? The verb ‘enter’ doesn’t take a preposition. You enter something.

You can also say ‘come into a room’ or ‘walk into a room’ - ‘A strange
person came into the waiting room / A strange person walked into the
waiting room.’

MISTAKE 30

Incorrect ❌ My colleague said hello and smiled to me.

Correct ✅ My colleague said hello and smiled at me.

Why? Again, it’s a rule. You smile at someone.

MISTAKE 31

Incorrect ❌ My job interview was at 9am and I arrived on time to practise

beforehand.

Correct ✅ My job interview was at 9am and I arrived in time to practise

beforehand.

Why? ‘On time’ means that you’re not late. ‘In time’ means that there is still
time left to do something. So, in this sentence we need ‘in time’
because when I arrived, there was still time left to do some
preparation before my interview. I’m not talking about whether or not
I was late. I’m talking about arriving some time before the interview so
that there was still time left to prepare.

ADJECTIVE AND ADVERB MISTAKES

MISTAKE 32

Incorrect ❌ I have a red, small car.

Correct ✅ I have a small, red car.

Why? In English, you always mention the size of something before you
 mention its colour.

MISTAKE 33

Incorrect ❌ He is more stronger than his brother.

Correct ✅ He is stronger than his brother.

Why? ‘Stronger’ already expresses a comparison. So we don’t need ‘more’.

‘More’ is used with longer adjectives that don’t take ‘er’ at the end -
for example: ‘more beautiful’.

You can also say ‘He is much stronger than his brother’ - ‘much’ just
adds intensity to the verb ‘stronger’. It means he’s a lot stronger.

MISTAKE 34

Incorrect ❌ Tell me the last news.

Correct ✅ Tell me the latest news.

Why? ‘Last’ means final. It means there won’t be anything afterwards. For
example: ‘I had my last swimming lesson today.’ It was my final lesson.
I can swim now so I won’t have any swimming lessons again.

‘Latest’ means ‘most recent’, ‘newest’. It means there may be more in

the future. ‘My latest swimming lesson was really good’ - it’s the most
recent one I had, and I will have some more in the future.

MISTAKE 35

Incorrect ❌ He wasted his all wealth.

Correct ✅ He wasted all his wealth.

Why? That’s just the correct order! If there is ‘all’ and a possessive pronoun
(for example ‘his’ or ‘her’) then ‘all’ will always come first.

MISTAKE 36
Incorrect ❌ The results are clear from the shown diagram below.

Correct ✅ The results are clear from the diagram shown below.

Why? ‘The diagram shown’ is just short for ‘the diagram which is shown’, and
that’s why ‘shown’ comes after ‘diagram’. If we put an adjective or a
past participle in front of ‘diagram’ it would describe a quality of the
diagram. For example: ‘The results are not clear from the broken
diagram below.’

MISTAKE 37

Incorrect ❌ My boss is really funny to work with.

Correct ✅ My boss is really fun to work with.

Why? English learners often confuse the adjectives ‘funny’ and ‘fun’. ‘Funny’
means something that makes you laugh, like a joke. ‘Fun’ means
something is pleasant and you have fun doing it. So saying that your
boss is funny means that they make you laugh. But saying your boss is
fun to work with means something completely different - it just means
it’s pleasant to work with them and you have a good time doing it.

MISTAKE 38

Incorrect ❌ We went to a near restaurant last night.

Correct ✅ We went to a nearby restaurant last night.

Why? ‘Near’ often acts as an adverb. You can, for example, say: ‘The
restaurant is near’. It can also act as a preposition: ‘The restaurant is
near our house’.

‘Nearby’ acts as an adjective here. So it defines the restaurant. ‘A

nearby restaurant’ is a restaurant which is near our house.

MISTAKE 39

Incorrect ❌ We’re having a party at the weekend. Everybody is welcomed.

Correct ✅ We’re having a party at the weekend. Everybody is welcome.

Why? ‘Everybody is welcome’ means that we are happy for everyone to join.
It’s OK for everybody to come round to our party. We will welcome
them to our party. You would never use ‘welcomed’ in this context.

‘Welcomed’ is sometimes correct, though. But it has a different

function. It’s the past simple form of the verb ‘to welcome’, which
means to invite someone, for example, to their home, and make them
feel comfortable. For example, you can say: ‘He welcomed me to his
home.’ He was very inviting and made me feel comfortable.

MISTAKE 40

Incorrect ❌ My office is two miles far from here.

Correct ✅ My office is two miles away from here.

Why? ‘Away’ is the word you need to describe how far something is from
something else.