"Don't say/write it ! 130 common mistakes". Do you know why they are wrong?

-----from Practical English Usage, 3ed, 2005. Michael Swan.


"35 basic mistakes"

1. Look--it rains. is raining
2. It's often raining here. often rains
3. When I was 20 I was smoking. I somked
4. I have seen Louis yesterday. I saw
5. We're living here since April. have been living
6. I'll phone you when I will arrive. I arrive
7. I'm not believing him. don't believe
8. I am born in Chicago. was born
9. My sister has 15 years. is 15 (years old)
10.I have cold in this house. am
11.I can to swim. can swim
12.I must see the dentist yesterday. had to see
13.I want go home. want to go
14.I came here for study English. to study
15.I drove there without to stop. without stopping
16.Where I can buy stamps? can I
17.Is ready my new office? Is my new office ready?
18.I'm no asleep. not
19.She looked,but she didn't see nothing. didn't see anything/ saw nothing
20.Where is station? the station
21.My sister is photographer. a photographer
22.You speak a very good English. speak very good English
23.The life is difficult. Life is difficult.
24.I haven't got some free time today. any free time
25.Everybody were late. was
26.It is more cold today. is colder
27.It's too much hot in this house. too hot
28.The man which lives here is from Greece. who lives
29.The people in this town is very friendly. are
30.She never listens me. listens to
31.We went at the seaside on Sunday. went to the...
32.I like very much skiing. I very much like skiing./ I like skiing very much.
33.This soup isn't enough hot. hot enough
34.I gave to her my address. gave her my address
35.I have done a mistake. made



"35 mistakes that intermediate strdents often make."

36.I promise I pay you tomorrow. I'll pay
37.This is the first time I'm here. I've been here
38.I've been here since three days. for three days
39.If I knew the price, I will tell you. would tell
40.He said me that he was Chinese. He told
41.She told me she has a headache. she had
42.There's the man that I work for him. ...that I work for.
43.I've told you all what I know. all (that) I know
44.Although it was late, but she went out. ...., she went out
45.You have better to see the doctor. had better see
46.I use to play tennis at weekends. I play tennis
47.It can rain this evening. may/might/could rain
48.My parents wanted that I study. wanted me to study
49.You must stop to smoke. stop smoking
50.I look forward to see you. to seeing
51.I'm boring in the lessons. bored
52.He has much money. a lot of/ plenty of
53.Most of people agree with me. Most people
54.I looked at me in the mirror. looked at myself
55.We waited during six hours. for
56.I like eating chocolate milk. milk chocolate
57.Come here and look at that paper. this paper
58.We go there every Saturdays. every Saturday
59.Which is the biggest city of the world? in the world
60.I'm thinking to change my job. thinking of changing
61.Can you give me an information? some information
62.He's married with a doctor. married to
63.Can you mend this until Tuesday? by Tuesday
64.There's a hotal in front of our house. opposite our house
65.I like warm countries, as Spain. , like Spain
66.Please explain me what you want. explain to me
67.When you come, take your bike. bring your bike
68.My brother has got a new work. a new job
69.He's Dutch, or better Belgian. or rather
70.If I'll have time, I'll go home. If I have time,..


""Even advanced students make mistakes. Here are 35 "

71.I'll ask you in case I need help. if I need..
72.I object to tell them my age. object to telling
73.I like the 60s music. like 60s music/the music of 60s
74.ten thousands, a hundred and six. one hundred
75."Who's that"~"He's John" It's John
76.I don't like to be shouted. be shouted at
77.It's ages since she's arrived. since she arrived
78.The police is looking for him. The police are....
79.Prices are surely rising fast. are certainly
80.I have big respect for her ideas. great respect
81.I don't like nowadays fashions. today's/modern fashions
82.She passed her exam, what surprised everybody. ,which...
83.I've good knowledge of German. ..a good knowledge
84.Finally!Where have you been? At last!...
85.I'll be home since 3 o'clock. from 3 o'clock
86.We waited one and a half hour. hours
87.It's time they go home. they went home
88.I'll see you a few days later. in a few days
89.All along the centuries, there have been wars. All through the...
90.I want a completely other colour. a completely different colour
91.Let's go and have coffee to Marcel's. at Marcel's
92.That's mine -- I saw it at first! saw it first
93.Switzerland is among Germany,France,Austria and Italy. is between...
94.According to me, it's a bad film. In my opinion / I think....
95.It was a too good party to miss. too good a party to miss
96.Whole Paris was celebrating. The whole of paris
97.I nearly wish I'd stayed at home. almost wish..
98.One speaks Italian in my town. We/They speak..
99.The girl wants an own room. ..her own room.
100. Couldn't you help me, please? Could you..?/ You couldn't...., could you?
101. I'll try to know when it starts. to find out when...
102. I love this so beautiful country. ...this country -- it's so beautiful.
103. It's getting winter. It's getting to be winter.
104.Our flat is decorated this week. ...is being decorated..
105.The Mont Blanc is 4808m high. Mont Blanc is....


"Even very advanced students can make mistakes.Here are 25"

106. No doubt the world is getting warmer. There is no doubt that...
107. I can't think of anybody whom to invite. ...anybody to invite.
108. My father, whom we hope will be out of hospital soom,.... ...., who we...
109. Would you follow me wherever I would go? .....wherever I went?
110. We all have to live in the society. ...in society.
111. The number of the unemployed is going up. ...of unemployed....
112. She was showing tiredness signs. ...signs of tiredness.
113. She works the hardest when she's woking for her family. She works hardest...
114. I'm thankful for your help. I'm greatful...
115. We talked about if it was ready. ....about whether it...
116. What live in those little holes? What lives...
117. Some people are interested, but the majority doesn't care. .....the majority don't care.
118. It mustn't be the postman at the door. It's only 7 o'clock. It can't be.....
119. A third of the students is from abroad. ...are from abroad.
120. Except Angie, everybody was here. Except for Angie,....
121. I wish you felt / would feel better tomorrow. I hope you...
122. The train may be late, as it happened yesterday. ..., as happened yesterday.
123. When I wrote my letters, I did some gardening. When I had written...
124. When I had opened the door, the children ran in. When I opened...
125. Stefan can never return back to his country. ...return to his country./ ...go back to his country.
126. Will you go and see me when I'm in hospital? ...come and see me...
127. May you go camping this summer? Do you think you'll go...
128. My cousin works for the NATO. ...for NATO.
129. My wife will be angry unless I'm home by 7:00. .....If I'm not home...
130. We were poured water on. We had water poured on us./ Water was poured on us.