Feeling stuck? You’ve mastered the basics of English, you can hold a conversation, and you can watch movies without too much trouble. But you still feel like something is… off. Perhaps you’re still committing some common English grammar mistakes. You’re not making beginner mistakes anymore, but you know your English isn’t quite at the level you want it to be.
This is the intermediate plateau, and it’s a frustrating place to be. The good news is that breaking through it often comes down to fixing a few small, common grammar mistakes.
Identifying these errors is the first step to sounding more like a native speaker. Here are 10 of the most common English grammar mistakes we see, along with simple ways to fix them:
- Misusing ‘For‘, ‘Since‘, and ‘Ago‘
- Confusing ‘Me‘ and ‘I‘
- Incorrect Verb Tenses with ‘If‘ Clauses
- Mixing up ‘Much‘ and ‘Many‘
- Trouble with ‘Who‘ and ‘Whom‘
- Using the Wrong Prepositions
- Forgetting the Third-Person ‘S‘
- Uncountable Noun Errors
- ‘Used to do‘ vs. ‘Be used to doing‘
- Overusing ‘The‘ or Not Using It Enough
Let’s dive in!
1. Misusing ‘For’, ‘Since’, and ‘Ago’
The Mistake: “I have been living here since three years.”
The Fix: Use ‘for’ with a period of time (for three years, for two months) and ‘since’ with a specific point in time (since 2021, since yesterday). Use ‘ago’ for a point in the past from now (three years ago).
- Correct: “I have been living here for three years.”
- Correct: “I moved here three years ago.”
- Correct: “I have been living here since 2022.”
Why it Matters: Getting this right shows you have a strong grasp of how to talk about time, which is fundamental to clear storytelling.
2. Confusing ‘Me’ and ‘I’
The Mistake: “My friend and me went to the park.”
The Fix: ‘I’ is the subject of a sentence (the one doing the action), and ‘me’ is the object (the one receiving the action). A simple trick is to remove the other person from the sentence. You wouldn’t say, “Me went to the park.” You’d say, “I went to the park.”
- Correct: “My friend and I went to the park.”
- Correct: “She gave the book to my friend and me.”
Why it Matters: This is a very common mistake, and fixing it is a quick way to make your English sound much more polished and correct.
3. Incorrect Verb Tenses with ‘If’ Clauses (Conditionals)
The Mistake: “If I will see him, I will tell him.”
The Fix: In a standard “if” clause (first conditional), use the present simple tense after ‘if’, not the future tense.
- Correct: “If I see him, I will tell him.”
Why it Matters: This structure is essential for talking about possibilities and future plans. Using the correct tense makes your sentences sound logical and natural.
4. Mixing up ‘Much’ and ‘Many’
The Mistake: “I don’t have much friends.”
The Fix: Use ‘many’ for countable nouns (things you can count, like friends, books, cars). Use ‘much’ for uncountable nouns (things you can’t count, like water, time, money).
- Correct: “I don’t have many friends.”
- Correct: “I don’t have much time.”
Why it Matters: This distinction is a core grammar rule. Using them correctly shows you understand the difference between countable and uncountable nouns, which affects many other parts of the language.
5. Trouble with ‘Who’ and ‘Whom’
The Mistake: “Who did you give the keys to?” (While common in speech, ‘whom’ is technically correct).
The Fix: ‘Who’ refers to the subject of a verb, while ‘whom’ refers to the object. A quick test: if you can replace the word with ‘he’ or ‘she’, use ‘who’. If you can replace it with ‘him’ or ‘her’, use ‘whom’.
- Correct: “Whom did you give the keys to?” (You gave them to him.)
- Correct: “Who has the keys?” (He has the keys.)
Why it Matters: While ‘whom’ is becoming less common in casual speech, it’s still important in formal writing and demonstrates a higher level of grammatical precision.
See it in Action with Subturtle: Noticing how native speakers use these words in real conversations is the best way to learn. When you’re watching YouTube, Subturtle can help you see these grammar patterns in context. The tool helps you spot how words like ‘for’ and ‘since’ are used naturally in real-life conversations, making the rules stick.
6. Using the Wrong Prepositions
The Mistake: “I am good in playing guitar.” or “He is afraid from spiders.”
The Fix: Prepositions are often tricky because they don’t always translate directly. You simply have to learn them as part of a phrase.
- Correct: “I am good at playing guitar.”
- Correct: “He is afraid of spiders.”
Why it Matters: Correct preposition use is a sign of fluency. It shows you’ve moved beyond translating word-for-word and are thinking in English phrases.
7. Forgetting the Third-Person ‘S’
The Mistake: “She like to read books.”
The Fix: In the present simple tense, always add an ‘-s’ to the verb for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it).
- Correct: “She likes to read books.”
Why it Matters: It’s a small detail, but a very noticeable one. Consistently remembering the ‘-s’ makes your speech sound much more accurate.
8. Uncountable Noun Errors
The Mistake: “Can you give me an advice?” or “I need some informations.”
The Fix: Some nouns in English are uncountable, meaning they don’t have a plural form. Common examples include advice, information, knowledge, furniture, and luggage. To make them singular, use “a piece of” or “an item of”.
- Correct: “Can you give me some advice?” or “Can you give me a piece of advice?”
- Correct: “I need some information.”
Why it Matters: This is a key difference between English and many other languages. Mastering it shows a deeper understanding of English noun categories.
9. ‘Used to do’ vs. ‘Be used to doing’
The Mistake: “I am used to live in a big city.”
The Fix: ‘Used to do’ refers to a past habit that is now finished. ‘Be/get used to doing’ means to be or become accustomed to something.
- Correct (past habit): “I used to live in a big city, but now I live in the countryside.”
- Correct (accustomed to): “I am used to living in a big city; the noise doesn’t bother me.”
Why it Matters: These two phrases have very different meanings. Using the right one ensures your listener understands whether you’re talking about the past or your current level of comfort with a situation.
10. Overusing ‘The’ or Not Using It Enough
The Mistake: “The life is beautiful.” or “I love playing basketball.” (instead of ‘the basketball’).
The Fix: Use ‘the’ when talking about something specific or unique (the sun, the book I told you about). Don’t use ‘the’ for general concepts, most countries, or non-specific plural nouns.
- Correct: “Life is beautiful.” (in general)
- Correct: “The life of a mayfly is very short.” (a specific life)
Why it Matters: Article usage is one of the most difficult things for learners to master. Improving your use of ‘the’ is a huge step toward sounding truly fluent.
Conclusion: Awareness is Your Superpower
Don’t be discouraged! Every English learner makes these mistakes. The key is to become aware of them in your own speech and writing. The more you listen and read, the more you’ll notice these patterns.
Learning from the content you already enjoy is the most natural way to see these rules in action. When you hear grammar used correctly in your favorite shows or YouTube videos, it sticks with you in a way that textbook drills can’t.
Start spotting these grammar patterns in your favorite shows. Try the Subturtle Chrome extension for free.
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