Grammar mistakes are a natural part of learning any language but can often hinder effective communication. By identifying and tackling common grammar mistakes, teachers can help students build a solid foundation in English. Below are five students’ most common grammar mistakes and strategies to correct them.
1. Subject-Verb Agreement Errors
Students often fail to match the verb with the subject in number and person. This is especially common when dealing with irregular or compound subjects.
- Incorrect: She go to school every day.
- Correct: She goes to school every day.
How to Correct It:
- Use charts or tables to show how verbs change with different subjects.
- Emphasize that singular third-person subjects in the present tense require verbs ending in -s or -es.
- Have students identify and correct errors in sample sentences.
2. Misusing Prepositions
Prepositions are notoriously tricky for English learners, leading to errors in fixed expressions and time or place references.
- Incorrect: She is good in math.
- Correct: She is good at math.
How to Correct It:
- Provide lists of common prepositional phrases (e.g., good at, interested in).
- Create tasks that require students to choose the correct preposition in context.
- Teach prepositions in meaningful chunks rather than isolated words.
3. Incorrect Use of Plural and Singular Nouns
Students often forget to use plural forms where needed or overgeneralize by adding -s to uncountable nouns.
- Incorrect: I bought many furnitures.
- Correct: I bought many pieces of furniture.
How to Correct It:
- Create activities where students sort nouns into countable and non-countable categories.
- Teach words like some, a lot of, many, and much alongside appropriate nouns.
- Use shopping or inventory exercises to practice plural and uncountable noun usage.
4. Errors with Auxiliary Verbs
Students frequently omit auxiliary verbs or use them incorrectly in questions, negatives, and emphatic forms.
- Incorrect: You like coffee?
- Correct: Do you like coffee?
How to Correct It:
- Practice forming questions using auxiliary verbs like do, does, have, and will.
- Reinforce the use of auxiliaries in negatives, such as don’t or didn’t.
- Use role-play to help students practice real-life conversations with proper auxiliary usage.
5. Incorrect Word Order in Questions
Students often follow the word order of their native language instead of English, leading to errors in forming questions.
- Incorrect: Why you are late?
- Correct: Why are you late?
How to Correct It:
- Teach the basic formula: Question Word + Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb.
- Provide scrambled questions for students to rearrange correctly.
- Use examples to help students identify and mimic correct question structures.
Final Thoughts
Grammar mistakes are an essential part of language learning, but consistent practice and targeted correction can help students overcome them. Teachers can focus on these common errors. This focus guides their students toward greater grammatical accuracy. It also boosts confidence in their communication skills.
Remember, progress takes time, and every small improvement is a step closer to mastering English grammar.
Mastering Teaching English Tenses Made Easy!
I offer three comprehensive packages of lesson plans that can transform your teaching of English tenses. Check them out.
