COMMON MISTAKES IN ENGLISH
BY T.J. FITIKIDES
CONTENTS
I. MISUSED FORMS
Using a Wrong Preposition
Misuse of the infinitive
The Use of A wrong Tense
Miscellaneous Examples
Un-English Expressions
II. INCORRECT OMISSIONS
Omission of Prepositions
Miscellaneous Examples
III. UNNECESSARY WORDS
Unnecessary Prepositions
Unnecessary Articles.
The Infinitive Without “To”
Miscellaneous Examples
IV. MISPLACED WORDS
Wrong Position of Adverbs
Miscellaneous Examples
V. CONFUSED WORDS.
Prepositions often confused.
Verbs often confused
Adverbs often Confused
Adjectives often confused
Noun Often Confused
Confusion of Number
Confusion of parts of Speech
Exercises
CHAPTER I
MISUSED FORMS
1. Absorbed to not at
2. Accused of not for
3. Accustomed to not with
4. Afraid of not from
5. Aim at not on or against
6. Angry with not against
7. Anxious about not for
8. Arrive at not to
9. Ashamed of not from
10. Believe in not to
11. Benefit by not from
12. Boast of or about not for
13. Careful of not for
14. Come or go by train etc, not with the train etc.
15. Complain of not for.
16. Composed of not from
17. Confidence in not to
18. Conform to not with
19. Congratulate on not for
20. Consist of not from
21. Covered with not by
22. Cure of not from
23. Depend on or upon not from
24. Deprive of not from
25. Die of an illness not from an illness
26. Different from not than
27. Disappointed in not from
28. Divide into parts not in parts.
29. Doubt of or about not for
30. Dressed in not with
31. Exception to not of.
32. Exchange for not by
33. Fail in, not from
34. Full of not with or from
35. Get rid of not from
36. Glad of or about not from or with
37. Good at not in
38. Guard against not from
39. Guilty of not for
40. Independent of not from
41. Indifferent to not for
42. Insist on not to
43. Interested in not for
44. Jealous of not from
45. Leave for a place, not to a place
46. Live on, not from
47. Look at not to
48. Married to not with
49. Opposite to not with
50. Pass by a place not fro a place
51. Play for a team not with a team
52. Pleased with not from
53. Popular with not among
54. Prefer to not from
55. Preside at or over not in
56. Proud of not for
57. Rejoice at or in, not for
58. Related to not with
59. Repent of not from
60. Satisfied with, not from
61. Similar to not with
62. Sit at a desk, etc. not on a desk etc.
63. Spend on not for
64. Succeed in not at
65. Superior to not from or than
66. Sure of not far
67. Surprised at not for
68. Suspect of not for
69. Take by not from
70. Tie to, not on
71. Tired of not from
72. Translate into not to
73. Tremble with cold not from cold
74. Warn (a person ) of danger, not about danger
75. Write in ink, not with ink.
76. Without + -ing
77. Instead of + ing
78. Capable of + ing
79. Fond of + ing.
80. Insist on + ing.
81. Object to + ing.
82. Prevent from + ing
83. Succeed in + ing
84. Think of + ing
85. Tired of + ing
86. Used to + ing
87. Avoid + ing.
88. Enjoy + ing
89. Excuse + ing
90. Finish + ing
91. Go on + ing
92. Mind + ing
93. Practice + ing
94. Remember + ing
95. Risk + ing
96. Stop + ing
97. Busy + ing
98. Worth + ing
99. Have difficulty in + ing
100. Have the pleasure of + ing.
101. It’s no use + ing
102. It’s no good + ing.
103. Look forward to + ing.
104. There is no harm in + ing.
105. Take an examination not give an examination.
106. To be right or wrong not to have right or wrong.
107. To be busy not to have work.
108. It is cold not it has cold.
109. Take a walk not make a walk.
110. Go for a ride on a bicycle not go for a walk.
111. Mount or get on a horse not ride a horse.
112. Dismount or get of a horse not come down from a horse.
113. Go on the food not go with the feet.
114. Take or have a bath, not make a bath.
115. Ask a question not make a question.
116. Take an hour not need an hour.
117. Allow or give a discount not make a discount.
118. Do drill not make drill.
119. Take exercise not make exercise.
120. Give or deliver a lecture, not make a lecture.
121. Say one’s prayers, not make or do one’s prayer.
122. Pretend not make oneself that.
123. Have a dream not see a dream.
124. Smoke a cigarette not drink cigarette.
125. Make a mistake not do a mistake.
126. Tell or speak the truth. not say the truth.
127. See or watch the game not follow the game.
128. Turn (Switch) the light on or off, not open and shut the light.
129. Give an example not bring an example.
130. Give a mark. not put a mark.
131. Set a watch by not put a watch with.
132. Show a film, not play a film.
133. Have one’s hair cut, cut one’s hair.
134. Learn by heart. not learn from out.
135. Put on Weight not put weight.
136. It works miracles not it makes miracles.
137. Getting on with not going with.
138. This morning not today morning.
INCORRECT OMISSIONS
139. Ask for a thing not ask a thing.
140. Dispose of a thing not dispose a thing.
141. Dream of a thing not dream a thing.
142. Explain to a person not explain a person.
143. Knock at the door, not knock the door.
144. Listen to a person or thing, not listen a person or thing.
145. Pay for a thing, not pay a thing.
146. Point to or at a person or thing, not point a person or thing.
147. Remind a person of something. not remind a person something.
148. Reply to a person not reply a person.
149. Say a to a person, not say a person.
150. Search for a lost thing, not search a lost thing.
151. Share with a person, not share a person.
152. Speak to a person, not speak a person.
153. Supply a person with something, not supply a person something.
154. Think of a person or thing, not think a person or thing.
155. Wait for a person or thing, not wait a person or thing.
