Common Grammar Errors amongst ESL students

[english grammar man]

Having taught ESL for a few years, one starts to realise some of the more common mistakes amongst students. Below is a list of sample sentences highlighting some of the more common grammar and expression mistakes. Whilst some sentences may be grammatically correct, the way they are expressed is not natural.

Can you find where the errors are:

1. I work for Microsoft Hong Kong Co. Ltd.
2. My favorite actor is Mr. Cruise.
3. In Western Australia, there are many local areas.
4. My brother lives in Fukushima. It is a very country area.
5. I'm going back to my home country this Christmas.
6. My hometown is Sado Island.
7. We discussed about his plan.
8. My sister married with a foreigner.
9. This table is made by wood.
10. Yesterday I went to shopping.
11. I image it is an elite school.
12. I am exciting about my new job.
13. My friend borrowed me his book.
14. I heard a loud noise at midnight.
15. When I was a child my father often smacked my hip.
16. Lately, work is very busy so I work hardly.

You may even want to include the above into a lesson plan. Print the list, distribute it to your students and have them form groups to rewrite the correct version of the sentences.

[LeahSimms]

I tutor a few kids each week, and I noticed these same errors. Most of the errors were about misplaced or missing comas. I've worked hard with the children; thankfully, they've gotten better in their grammar.

[fceblog]

I teach First Certificate students. This is what I recommend reading to become aware of their mistakes.

THE FCE BLOG by Claudia Ceraso: Common Errors and Confusing Words

[bustour]

This is a great list of errors. It seems like it's the subtle little things that trip up the students in the end. These are all pretty minor, but they really do add up.

[Tutor]

And the things that I have noted is the students are pretty aware but due to attention not paid to details they tend to ignore these.

In one test they dont make these errors and in the next they do. Its many time related to the confidence the students have.

What do others say?

[reviewer]

Even English speakers can make these sorts of errors when they are not careful in writing, but it is consistent small errors that will give away a poor English speaker and that will affect how they are accepted by native speakers.