COMMON ERRORS IN ENGLISH

Objectives of learning:

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:-

    I.        Use dictionary to find out meaning of words.

 II.        Identify common mistakes in provided sentences.

III.        Correct the mistakes with suitable answers.

Target students: Standard 6

What are the common mistakes that we usually make in English language learning?

English can be confusing. A lot of words are similar but with different meanings, as a result it is almost impossible to avoid making mistakes in English, but if you can get your head around these explanations, you might be able to avoid making these ones or at least recognise them when you see them. Here are some examples of common mistakes in English that we usually face.

a)  Commonly misused words

b)  Improper vocabulary usage (troublesome pairs)

c)  Confusion between the usage of verbs and nouns in a sentence.

In this lesson, we will look deeper into improper usage or troublesome pairs in certain sentences.

Examples:

No.	Incorrect	Correct
1	The teacher gave her students some good advise.	The teacher gave her students some good advice.
2	Practise makes perfect.	Practice makes perfect.
3	The lawyer tried to proof the man guilty of murder.	The lawyer tried to prove the man guilty of murder.
4	The scientists have found a new devise to detect new plants.	The scientists have found a new device to detect new plants.
5	I belief Susan’s story.	I believe Susan’s story.

Exercise 1

Let’s practice to strengthen our understanding.

Find meanings of the words below using dictionary.

1.    Relief                   : ________________________________________________

2.    Relieve                : ________________________________________________

3.    Principal            :_________________________________________________

4.    Principle            :_________________________________________________

5.    Affect                   :_________________________________________________

6.    Effect                   :_________________________________________________

7.    Stationary          :_________________________________________________

8.    Stationery          :_________________________________________________

Exercise 2

Identify mistakes in provided sentences and correct the mistakes

with suitable answers.

1) They excepted the gift with smiles.

2) My mother adviced me to do well in the upcoming exam.

3) The supermarket is open daily accept on holidays.

4) John’s advise was very helpful in solving that problem.

5) Siti claims that she can proof Lincoln stole Raju’s ring.

6) There is no prove to show that aliens exist in this universe.

Answer sheet for Exercise 2

Explanation (Notes to teachers)

Advice is a noun that means 'suggestions about what someone should do'. Advise is a verb meaning 'suggest that someone should do something'.

Practice is a noun meaning repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it. Practise is a verb ['to practise' is a verb, just like 'to prepare'].

Proof is a noun meaning ‘evidence or argument establishing or helping to establish a fact or the truth of a statement’. Prove is a verb meaning ‘demonstrate the truth or existence of (something) by evidence or argument’.

Device is a noun meaning ‘thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment’. Devise is a verb meaning ‘plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought’.

Belief is a noun meaning ‘trust, faith, or confidence in someone or something’. Believe is a verb meaning ‘accept the statement of (someone) as true’.