one time I had this student he was I
think he was Russian let's just say he
was Russian anyway the first thing that
he said to me was this
I don't need English class my grammar
perfect and if you don't see the mistake
that he made maybe you need this video
too because today we're looking at the
ten most common mistakes that ESL
students make definitely you make them
too but don't worry all of these
mistakes are taken from my experience
teaching English over like ten years
teaching people from all over the world
so this is not specific to one language
new this is everyone like all of my
students make these mistakes so I'm
going to show you exactly what the
mistakes are and how to fix them
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first one uncountable nouns and I bet
you're thinking uncountable nouns
that's like beginner stuff oh really
how about the word advice is that
countable or uncountable I'm his father
he comes to me food vases see it's
really common and it's not new it's not
unique to you everyone makes this
mistake for example I have a news for
you or I have an advice for you know
these are uncountable nouns the same
with information furniture and rice
things which we don't count
and if you've said these in a countable
way which means you've put an article
there we need to change that so how do
we fix this use the word sum I have some
news for you all so you can count them
if you include the word peace at peace I
have a piece of advice for you again you
can count it I have two pieces of advice
for you three the same width I need an
information no I need some information
oh I have two gossips for you new gossip
that's also uncountable I have some
gossip or like before I have a piece of
gossip for you the second one is this I
like so much dogs yeah I mean yeah me
too
but this is a mistake equally common
would be I very like dogs
this one this is more common with
Russian speakers I very like dogs so
both of these are mistakes how do we fix
them firstly so much will go after the
noun the object right so I like dogs
much I like dogs so much and this one I
very like dogs okay you want to put a
modifier in there I mmm like dogs don't
use very use this one really I really
like dogs okay number three if you're
watching this video from a classroom or
on transport and my question to you is
this how many are with you there is a
missing word there I'll tell you in a
moment
but if your answer is there are eight
persons with me right now you're making
the mistake that so many students make
one person many people persons does
exist
but I think I've only ever seen it on
like a notice or in the lift elevator
like that so if I ask you how many
people were at the party don't say oh
there were ten persons knew ten people
number for the love of your life is
getting on a plane and you need to tell
her I love you but the security guard is
stopping you how can you explain this I
need to say her that I love her or I
need to say for her that I love her or I
need to say to her that I love her
these two they're very common mistakes
say her say him say for her say for him
those are mistakes don't say them the
verb say needs the preposition to and
the noun the object but it's not
necessary now if you want to be specific
I want to say to her that I love her but
you don't need to her you can't just say
I need to say that I love her I know
what you're thinking but what about I
to tell her that's fine with the verb
tell I need to tell her that I love her
that is ok that's not a mistake that's
correct
in conclusion I need to tell her that I
love her
perfect I need to say to her that I love
her that's fine too
just don't say I need to say her or I
need to say for her those are mistakes
ok the next one you meet your friend but
you're very very late sorry I'm late I
was waiting you for a really long time
what is the mistake here I always hear
it this is most common for Latin
languages why well let me give you an
example with me in Latin languages you
just have the verb wait and then the
objects right right but in English no in
English you need the preposition for I
was waiting for you so if you're waiting
maybe to meet a person maybe at the bus
stop you're waiting for the person
you're waiting for the bus so your
friend brings new food to you that's a
good friend you want to know the name of
that food what's that
it calls Ksenia when you want to say
this is the name of a thing remember
that this is a passive form so not it
calls it's cold it should be in its
passive form it's cold
Ksenia this this one is more of a
Russian mistake again but it's not only
Russians again I hear this from many
different languages
so make sure you get that right you're
watching a movie and ah this is so
rubbish you don't say I am boring no
this is the mistake with adjectives and
the endings ed or in just remember that
Edie endings that's the feeling and in
endings describe the situation so she
wants to say the movie is boring my
feeling I am bored but of course if you
are not a fun person if you just you
don't do anything fun ever then maybe
you are a boring person maybe English is
more easier than Spanish is it I don't
think it is I think English is
ridiculous therefore harder so did you
spot the mistake I put it in red so it's
very obvious it's the double comparative
when you compare something you want to
say this one is more easy than this one
this one is easier than this however
this is a very common mistake so don't
worry if you say this just be aware that
you probably say it and if you correct
this mistake then maybe English is
easier than Spanish
I don't want learn English no more again
this one is more common for Latin
languages because when you have that
verb want or need you don't have the
preposition to afterwards you just have
want or need and then verb but in
English remember that - you must have
the - I don't want to learn English
bonus mistake would be this one the
double negative again in Latin languages
double negatives are kind of okay but in
English no that's a negative that's a
negative
in English new don't use them so how can
we fix this one I don't want to learn
English anymore bonus bonus mistake he
want to learn Spanish wanna can cause a
lot of confusion why because remember
wanna means want to it doesn't mean
once two with s and for a third person
he/she it you need the once too so with
he/she it don't use wanna only use once
too
he wants to learn Spanish and finally if
after those ones you're still like I
didn't make any of those mistakes I
don't make any of them
well maybe you make this one no I lost
my bus if you are too late for your bus
or your plane or your train you don't
lose your bus your flight your train if
you lose something it's that you
misplaced it and you can't find it
where's my bus I can't find my bus have
you seen my plane so you don't want to
say I lost my bus or my flight or my
train you want to say I missed my bus no
missed I missed my bus
did you catch your flight no I was late
I missed my flight let me know in the
comments honestly have you been making
those mistakes tell me we're family here
I won't tell anyone I promise if you
like this class and you want to see more
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puppet teach me and I'll see you in the
next class
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