Learning English is an exciting journey, but let’s be honest—it can sometimes feel a bit tricky, especially when it comes to grammar. As an English teacher, I’ve noticed that many Chinese learners face the same challenges. The good news? These mistakes are easy to fix once you understand them! In this post, I’ll share 4 common grammar mistakes and simple tips to help you avoid them.
1. Confusing “He” and “She”This is a super common mistake for Chinese learners because in Mandarin, “他” (he) and “她” (she) sound the same (tā).
Example:
Wrong: She is my brother.
Correct: He is my brother.
Tip to Fix It:Practice by linking the gender to a specific person you know. For example, think of “he” as your father and “she” as your mother. Repeat sentences like:
“He is my father.”
“She is my mother.”
2. Forgetting to Add “S” for Third Person Singular In English, verbs often change in the present tense when the subject is “he,” “she,” or “it.”
Example:
Wrong: She like ice cream.
Correct: She likes ice cream.
Tip to Fix It:Remember: He/She/It + Verb + S Write it down and say it out loud 10 times. Practice with simple sentences:
“He works hard.”
“It rains a lot.”
3. Misplacing Adverbs of Frequency (e.g., Always, Often, Sometimes)Adverbs like “always” and “sometimes” have specific places in a sentence, but they often confuse learners.
Example:
Wrong: I go always to school.
Correct: I always go to school.
Tip to Fix It:Adverbs of frequency usually go before the verb but after the verb “to be.”
“I always eat breakfast.”
“He is always happy.”
4. Mixing Up Plural and Singular Nouns In English, nouns change to plural when there’s more than one, but this isn’t the case in Chinese.
Example:
Wrong: There are one apple on the table.
Correct: There is one apple on the table.
Tip to Fix It:Focus on the number:
“One = is.”
“Two or more = are.”
Practice with these:
“There is one dog.”
“There are two cats.”
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