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Are You Making These 10 English Mistakes? (Most Beginners Do!)

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Vanessa reviews ten common English mistakes and gives learners a chance to test both grammar and pronunciation. She recommends the lesson even for intermediate or advanced students who want to check familiar basics. The examples contrast a common incorrect form with a natural English version, then invite viewers to repeat the correct sentence aloud. The focus is practical: use familiar patterns accurately in clear everyday conversations.

Several points concern verb forms. With he, she, or it in the simple present, the main verb usually takes -s or -es, as in “he goes.” English states age with the verb be—“I am 25 years old”—rather than using have. Agree is already a verb, so say “I agree with you,” not “I am agree.” In negatives with he, she, or it, use does not or doesn’t plus the base verb: “He doesn’t like pizza.” The auxiliary carries the third-person marking, so the following verb does not take another -s.

The lesson also clarifies word choice and sentence patterns. Fun describes something enjoyable, while funny describes something that makes people laugh. Countable nouns such as apples take how many; uncountable nouns such as water take how much. The standard expression is be married to someone. Vanessa demonstrates that the final e in words such as hope, like, and make is silent, and she models the natural pronunciation of comfortable. A bonus example practices vegetable, whose spoken syllables are more reduced than a careful reading of its spelling might suggest. Finally, bored describes a person’s feeling, while boring describes something that causes that feeling: “I’m bored; the movie is boring.”

To practice, say each corrected model aloud, then make one true sentence of your own using the same pattern. For example, change “he goes” to a routine about someone you know, ask a how-many question about countable objects nearby, or describe an event as fun and a joke as funny. When correcting yourself, focus on the specific contrast rather than trying to memorize a long rule all at once. The lesson’s short repetitions help connect the written form with the way it sounds in speech. Replaying a section and listening to your own voice can make these common forms easier to notice and use automatically.

S2.1
Speak English With VanessaAmerican English15:53

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Transcript

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Select an expression for its meaning · 0:00

Introducing the ten common mistakes and how to review them

Do you make these 10 common mistakes in English? If you do, don't worry. I am here to help. In today's lesson, you are going to learn the 10 most common mistakes that beginners in English make. So, if you think you are an intermediate or advanced English learner, test

Try it: Make a new sentence using the corrected pattern, then say it aloud once at a natural pace.

Phrase cheat sheet

All phrases at a glance

Review each expression, hear it, save it, or jump to where it appears in the video.

11 phrases

he goes to school every day

Practicing third-person singular verbs and age statements · expression

With a he, she, or it subject in the simple present, add -s or -es to the main verb.

Tone and use: Neutral grammar pattern used for routines and facts. Use subject + verb-s for a third-person singular subject: “She studies every day.”

May not fit: Do not add -s with I, you, we, or they; do not add it after does in a question or negative.

Example“My brother walks to work every morning.”

I am 25 years old

Noticing silent letters and agreeing naturally · expression

Use the verb be, not have, to state someone’s age in English.

Tone and use: Neutral and standard. Use I am, he is, she is, or they are + age + years old.

May not fit: Do not translate word-for-word from languages that use “have” for age.

Example“My cousin is 18 years old.”

I hope so

Choosing between fun and funny · expression

A short response meaning you want or expect that something will happen.

Tone and use: Common and conversational. Use it to respond to a possibility or question: “Will the weather be nice?” “I hope so.”

May not fit: It expresses a hope, not certainty.

Example““Will you have time to visit?” “I hope so.””

I agree with you

Choosing between fun and funny · expression

State that you have the same opinion as another person.

Tone and use: Neutral and widely used. Use agree as a main verb: “I agree,” or “I agree with you.”

May not fit: Do not put am directly before agree; for a current opinion, use “I agree.”

Example“I agree with you about starting earlier.”

the party was so fun

Choosing between fun and funny · expression

Say that an event was very enjoyable; fun describes the experience.

Tone and use: Casual and natural in everyday speech. Use fun for an enjoyable activity or event: “The trip was fun.”

May not fit: Use funny when something makes you laugh, not simply when it is enjoyable.

Example“The picnic was so fun that we stayed until sunset.”

he doesn't like pizza

Forming negatives and countable-noun questions · expression

Form a simple present negative with does not/doesn’t + the base verb for he, she, or it.

Tone and use: Neutral grammar pattern. Use subject + doesn’t + base verb: “She doesn’t drive.”

May not fit: Do not add -s to the main verb after doesn’t; the auxiliary already carries it.

Example“He doesn’t watch television before bed.”

how many apples do you have

Forming negatives and countable-noun questions · expression

Ask about the number of countable items using how many + plural noun.

Tone and use: Neutral and useful for questions. Use how many with items you can count individually.

May not fit: Use how much with uncountable nouns such as water, rice, or time.

Example“How many tickets do we need?”

He is married to Sarah

Using the correct preposition with married · expression

Use married to when naming a person’s spouse.

Tone and use: Neutral and standard collocation. Use be married to + a person: “She is married to Alex.”

May not fit: Do not use married with for a spouse in standard English.

Example“My aunt is married to a doctor.”

I feel comfortable

Practicing comfortable and vegetable pronunciation · expression

Describe feeling physically or emotionally at ease; comfortable has reduced pronunciation in natural speech.

Tone and use: Neutral and common. Use feel comfortable in/with + a place, person, or situation.

May not fit: Do not pronounce every written syllable as though the word were “comfort-table”; listen for the reduced middle sounds.

Example“I feel comfortable asking questions in this class.”

I like to eat vegetables

Practicing comfortable and vegetable pronunciation · expression

A natural way to state that you enjoy eating vegetables; it also practices the pronunciation of vegetable.

Tone and use: Neutral and everyday. Use like to + base verb to talk about an activity you enjoy.

May not fit: Vegetable has a reduced middle syllable in common pronunciation; avoid pronouncing it like “vegetable” with an extra full syllable.

Example“I like to eat vegetables with lunch.”

I'm bored

Practicing comfortable and vegetable pronunciation · expression

Describe how a person feels when they are not interested or engaged.

Tone and use: Neutral and everyday. Use bored for a person’s feeling; use boring for the thing that causes it.

May not fit: Do not use boring to describe your own feeling.

Example“I’m bored because the movie is too slow.”

Knowledge check

Practice the phrases you heard

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Use it in a sentence · “he goes to school every day”

Which sentence has the correct simple-present form?