Common Usage Errors

The type of errors international students make depends a lot on the structure of their native
language. For example, Japanese visitors often have trouble with determiners like "a", "an", and
"the" because articles are largely lacking in Japanese. Some Japanese students omit articles
entirely. Others try to compensate by including too many.

Try to avoid double negation. The resulting interpretation may be the opposite of what you
intended. Double negation is also difficult to understand. It is better to be direct.

Other very common types of errors made by nonnative speakers of English are illustrated in the
following table.

Type of Error Example Errors Correct Form

Problems with auxiliary verb She should have talk to him. She should have talked to him.
sequences, especially involving
tense agreement.

Wrong choice of preposition. The female dog was on heat and The female dog was in heat and
ready to mate. ready to mate.
The car was covered in snow. The car was covered with snow.

Missing determiners. She is good woman. She is a good woman.

What is answer? What is the answer?

Disagreement between determiner He has many wonderful toy. He has many wonderful toys.
and noun, especially with regard to
number.

Irregular verbs, nouns, and He sended the childs home to their He sent the children home to their
adjectives, such as think/thought, parents. parents.
go/went/gone, drive/drove/driven,
send/sent, and child/children.

Subject-verb agreement errors. The questions on the test was The questions on the test were
difficult. difficult.
The passage through the hills were The passage through the hills was
narrow. narrow.

Commonly confused words, such Reuniting the dog with it's master Reuniting the dog with its master
as to/too/two, except/accept, was a peace of cake. was a piece of cake.
effect/affect, which/that, then/than,
piece/peace, and its/it's.