Common Mistakes 4

Can you find and correct the grammar and vocabulary errors?

1. I’m maths teacher.
2. I saw my friend yesterday. We hadn’t seen for a long time.
3. I was loving all subjects at school.
4. I listen to music to be relaxed.
5. The problem is that not always I have time.
6. Look new words in the dictionary to find out what they mean.
7. I want to know new people.
8. I can’t go the party because I’ve to work.

Keep reading to check your answers!

​Answers

1. I’m a maths teacher.
2. I saw my friend yesterday. We hadn’t seen each other for a long time.
3. I loved all subjects at school.
4. I listen to music to relax.
5. The problem is that I don't always have time.
6. Look up new words in the dictionary to find out what they mean.
7. I want to meet new people.
8. I can’t go the party because I have to work.

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Notes

1. We use "a" when we say what somebody's job is.
2. Don't forget the object. I hadn't seen her and she hadn't seen me so we use "each other".
3. "Love" is a non-action verb so it's usualy simple and not continuous.
4. "To be relaxed" isn't really wrong but "to relax" is more natural.
5. Make the verb negative (I don't have) rather than the adverb (not always).
6. "Look up" is a phrasal verb. It means search for one piece of information.
7. Use "meet" when it's the first time. Use "know" when you have a relationship.
8. "I have to" cannot be shortened to "I've to". However, we can say "I've got to".

These are real mistakes made by real learners in my Facebook group. If you would like to practise your English, join us in the group! Just search for "Learn English with Katie" or click here.


If you like this post, you might also be interested in my "Common Mistakes" e-book. This PDF download contains 90 of the most common mistakes made by English learners. There are exercises for you to try, answers to the exercises and explanations for each of the mistakes. Get your copy here.
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