If you are wondering how to ease the crease in your verbal English proficiency, then you should just read on. Here are a few of the most common mistakes made when writing or speaking in English:
The use of “could of” rather than “could have”: This is common error most English language writers face. The phrase “could have been better” is a common error that should instead be “it could have been better”. Even native speakers commit errors that are more like a confusion than anything else! The abbreviation of “could have” is often made to sound as “could of” in “could’ve”. Such issues often crop up in other contractions too. These include “could have” and “should have” often confused with “could of” and “should of”.
The way we use “can” and “can’t”: This is a classic English language conundrum that will almost always sound as “can”. The sound is pretty much the same for a native speaker. The “Can” has a short “A” sound and is similar in rhyming with a “van”. The “can’t” with a long “A” just like an “A” in harm.
Use of the apostrophe: In many ways, native speakers also find in hard to use the apostrophes. A lot of people often use the apostrophe to make a word plural. In reality, apostrophes, could indicate the possession and contraction of a word. E.g.: the dog’s dinner – the dinner actually belongs to the dog or perhaps “You don’t know” – or the fact that you do not know! A lot of problems arise with the word “it”. The possessive form or the use such as in “The dog ate its dinner” is different from the shortening of the “it is” used as a contraction.
The use of “sorry”: A lot of the native speakers of the language use “sorry”. But there are many speakers who say “sorry about” and “sorry for” interchangeably. In fact, “sorry for” means an apology whereas “sorry about” means expressing sympathy about an act that has been committed or towards expressing a sense of hurt and remorse at someone.
When expressing the third person singular, add an “s”: Without getting into the complications of conjugating verbs, it is commonly seen that most speakers forget to add an extra “s” after the end of the verb. If you are referring to an group in third person, then skip the “s” . E.g.: They help as opposed to “he helps”.
Finally, the gender of certain words: The first learners of English often confuse the genders of inanimate objects. These do not have genders and we often do not refer to objects as “he” or “she”. The only exception that one would notice are in the case of cars and boats, which are often lovingly referred to in the feminine.
On a final note, finding a good tutor can be a smart way of learning the English language well. Even if you buy language guides, having someone with extensive knowledge of the language to point out your mistakes can be very helpful. Need to find a reputable English tutor in a hurry? Try one of the tutor-booking apps or online marketplaces, where you can choose the best tutor matching your needs, from hundreds of profiles. WONK is a great new App which enables you to book verified English language tutors near your location.
