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Frequent learner mistakes involving English verbs.
Use the correct verb form according to tense, structure and grammatical context.
Common mistakes include using the base form instead of the past form or incorrect participles.
I have went to the store.
Я сходил в магазин.
Incorrect: "went" is past simple; use past participle "gone" after "have".
She has wrote a letter.
Она написала письмо.
Incorrect: "wrote" is past simple; past participle is "written".
He do his homework yesterday.
Он сделал домашнее задание вчера.
Incorrect: need past form "did", not base "do".
They have took the wrong train.
Они сели не на тот поезд.
Incorrect: past participle of "take" is "taken".
Irregular verbs must be learned individually because they do not follow regular patterns.
Common errors include buyed instead of bought and goed instead of went.
He buyed a new car.
Он купил новую машину.
Incorrect: "buy" is irregular; past form is "bought".
She goed to school early.
Она пошла в школу рано.
Incorrect: "go" is irregular; past form is "went".
They teached us English.
Они учили нас английскому.
Incorrect: past form of "teach" is "taught".
I have saw that movie.
Я видел этот фильм.
Incorrect: past participle of "see" is "seen", not "saw".
Use be, do and have correctly as auxiliary verbs.
Common mistakes include incorrect questions, negatives and perfect constructions.
Do she like ice cream?
Она любит мороженое?
Incorrect: third person singular requires "does".
He has not went home yet.
Он ещё не ушёл домой.
Incorrect: present perfect needs "has not gone", not "went".
Did she finished the project?
Она закончила проект?
Incorrect: after "did" use base form "finish", not past form.
They are not have a car.
У них нет машины.
Incorrect: use "do not have" or "do not own", not "are not have".
English questions and negatives usually require auxiliary verbs.
Common mistakes include Where you live? instead of Where do you live?
Where you live?
Где ты живёшь?
Incorrect: need auxiliary "do": "Where do you live?"
She not like coffee.
Она не любит кофе.
Incorrect: need auxiliary "does not": "She does not like coffee."
You have seen him yesterday?
Ты видел его вчера?
Incorrect: for past simple question use "Did you see him yesterday?"
What he do?
Что он делает?
Incorrect: need auxiliary "does": "What does he do?"
Choose verb tenses according to meaning and time reference.
Learners often confuse present perfect and past simple or present simple and continuous forms.
I have seen him yesterday.
Я видел его вчера.
Incorrect: specific past time "yesterday" requires past simple "saw", not present perfect.
She works in a bank now.
Она сейчас работает в банке.
Incorrect: for temporary or current activity use present continuous "is working" if emphasizing now.
I am knowing the answer.
Я знаю ответ.
Incorrect: stative verb "know" not normally used in continuous.
They have went to Paris last summer.
Они поехали в Париж прошлым летом.
Incorrect: past simple with time expression; also wrong participle "went".
We are living here since 2010.
Мы живём здесь с 2010 года.
Incorrect: use present perfect "have lived" with "since".
The verb must agree with the subject in number and person.
Common mistakes include She go instead of She goes.
She go to school every day.
Она ходит в школу каждый день.
Incorrect: third person singular requires "goes".
They does not like it.
Им это не нравится.
Incorrect: plural subject "they" uses "do", not "does".
The book are on the table.
Книга на столе.
Incorrect: singular subject "book" needs "is".
Everybody have finished.
Все закончили.
Incorrect: "everybody" is singular, use "has".
Some verbs normally describe states and are not used in continuous forms.
Common mistakes include I am knowing instead of I know.
I am knowing the answer.
Я знаю ответ.
Incorrect: "know" is stative; use simple "know".
She is liking this music.
Ей нравится эта музыка.
Incorrect: "like" is stative; use "likes".
We are having a car.
У нас есть машина.
Incorrect: "have" for possession is stative, not continuous.
They are wanting to go home.
Они хотят домой.
Incorrect: "want" is stative; use "want".
Different verbs require different complements.
Examples include avoid doing, want to do and make someone do.
I avoid to eat fast food.
Я избегаю есть фастфуд.
Incorrect: "avoid" is followed by gerund "eating".
She wants going home.
Она хочет пойти домой.
Incorrect: "want" is followed by to-infinitive "to go".
They made him to apologize.
Они заставили его извиниться.
Incorrect: after "make" use bare infinitive "apologize".
He suggested to go to the cinema.
Он предложил пойти в кино.
Incorrect: "suggest" is followed by gerund "going".
I enjoy to play tennis.
Мне нравится играть в теннис.
Incorrect: "enjoy" is followed by gerund "playing".
Some verbs require a gerund after them.
Common mistakes include enjoy to play instead of enjoy playing.
I enjoy to play football.
Мне нравится играть в футбол.
Incorrect: "enjoy" + gerund "playing".
She suggested to have a picnic.
Она предложила устроить пикник.
Incorrect: "suggest" + gerund "having".
He admitted to steal the money.
Он признался в краже денег.
Incorrect: "admit" + gerund "stealing".
They denied to know anything.
Они отрицали, что что-либо знают.
Incorrect: "deny" + gerund "knowing".
I miss to see my friends.
Мне не хватает встреч с друзьями.
Incorrect: "miss" + gerund "seeing".
Some verbs require a to-infinitive.
Common mistakes include decide doing instead of decide to do.
She decided going home.
Она решила пойти домой.
Incorrect: "decide" is followed by to-infinitive "to go".
I want going to the beach.
Я хочу пойти на пляж.
Incorrect: "want" + to-infinitive "to go".
He hopes getting a job.
Он надеется получить работу.
Incorrect: "hope" + to-infinitive "to get".
They agreed helping us.
Они согласились помочь нам.
Incorrect: "agree" + to-infinitive "to help".
She promised calling me.
Она обещала позвонить мне.
Incorrect: "promise" + to-infinitive "to call".
Some verbs require an object while others do not.
Common mistakes include using explain without an object incorrectly.
She explained me the problem.
Она объяснила мне проблему.
Incorrect: "explain" is transitive but takes pattern "explain something to someone".
We discussed about the plan.
Мы обсудили план.
Incorrect: "discuss" is transitive, no preposition needed.
He married with her.
Он женился на ней.
Incorrect: "marry" is transitive, no "with".
The book belongs to me.
Книга принадлежит мне.
Correct: "belong" is intransitive and needs "to". (But this is correct usage, so we should show the mistake: "The book belongs me.")
She replied my letter.
Она ответила на моё письмо.
Incorrect: "reply" is intransitive and needs "to": "reply to my letter".
Some verbs require specific prepositions.
Common mistakes include discuss about instead of discuss and depend of instead of depend on.
They discussed about the problem.
Они обсудили проблему.
Incorrect: no preposition after "discuss".
It depends of the weather.
Это зависит от погоды.
Incorrect: correct preposition is "on": "depends on".
She listened the music.
Она слушала музыку.
Incorrect: "listen" needs "to".
He is waiting the bus.
Он ждёт автобус.
Incorrect: "wait" needs "for".
We arrived to London.
Мы прибыли в Лондон.
Incorrect: "arrive" is followed by "in" or "at", not "to".
Phrasal verbs must be learned as complete units.
Common mistakes include separating inseparable phrasal verbs or choosing incorrect particles.
She looked after the children.
Она присматривала за детьми.
Correct: inseparable phrasal verb "look after". (But we need incorrect example: "She looked the children after.")
I put off the meeting.
Я отложил встречу.
Correct: separable, but can also "put the meeting off". (But we need error: "I put the meeting off" is correct, so show incorrect particle.)
She gave up smoking.
Она бросила курить.
Correct: separable. (But we need error: "She gave smoking up" is correct.)
He broke up with her.
Он расстался с ней.
Correct: inseparable with object pronoun before particle? Actually "break up with" is a three-word phrasal verb.
We ran out of sugar.
У нас закончился сахар.
Correct: three-word phrasal verb.
She looked the children after.
Она присматривала за детьми.
Incorrect: "look after" is inseparable; cannot separate verb and particle.
He turned off it.
Он выключил это.
Incorrect: separable phrasal verb with pronoun must be separated: "turned it off".
Use the correct complement after make, let, have and get.
Common mistakes include make him to go instead of make him go.
She made him to go.
Она заставила его уйти.
Incorrect: after "make" use bare infinitive "go".
They let him to stay.
Они позволили ему остаться.
Incorrect: after "let" use bare infinitive "stay".
I got him agree.
Я убедил его согласиться.
Incorrect: after "get" use to-infinitive "to agree".
We had him to repair the car.
Мы попросили его починить машину.
Incorrect: after "have" in causative use bare infinitive "repair".
She got her hair cutting.
Она постриглась.
Incorrect: with "get something done" use past participle "cut".
Say and tell use different grammatical structures.
Common mistakes include tell something instead of tell someone something.
She told that she was tired.
Она сказала, что устала.
Incorrect: "tell" requires an object: "told me that...".
He said me to wait.
Он сказал мне подождать.
Incorrect: "say" cannot take an indirect object; use "told me to wait".
She said me a story.
Она рассказала мне историю.
Incorrect: "say" cannot take an indirect object; use "told me a story".
He told that he was leaving.
Он сказал, что уходит.
Incorrect: "tell" needs an object; "told us that...".
She said me about the party.
Она рассказала мне о вечеринке.
Incorrect: use "told me about" or "said something about".
Passive constructions require be + past participle.
Common mistakes include incorrect participle forms or missing auxiliary verbs.
The letter was wrote by her.
Письмо было написано ею.
Incorrect: past participle of "write" is "written".
The car has repaired.
Машина отремонтирована.
Incorrect: passive needs "has been repaired".
The house is build in 1990.
Дом был построен в 1990 году.
Incorrect: past participle "built" and past tense "was built".
The homework was finish by the students.
Домашнее задание было выполнено учениками.
Incorrect: past participle "finished".
The cake was ate by the children.
Торт был съеден детьми.
Incorrect: past participle of "eat" is "eaten".
Continuous forms should describe appropriate temporary or ongoing situations.
Some verbs normally require simple forms.
I am loving this weather.
Мне нравится эта погода.
Overuse: "love" is stative; use "I love".
She is knowing the answer.
Она знает ответ.
Overuse: "know" is stative; use "knows".
We are having a car.
У нас есть машина.
Overuse: possession "have" is stative; use "have".
He is wanting to go home.
Он хочет пойти домой.
Overuse: "want" is stative; use "wants".
They are preferring tea to coffee.
Они предпочитают чай кофе.
Overuse: "prefer" is stative; use "prefer".
Some verbs naturally combine with specific nouns and expressions.
Learners should learn common combinations such as make a decision and take responsibility.
He did a mistake.
Он сделал ошибку.
Incorrect collocation: use "made a mistake".
She made a party last week.
Она устроила вечеринку на прошлой неделе.
Incorrect: use "had a party" or "threw a party".
They took a decision.
Они приняли решение.
Incorrect for British English: "made a decision" is more common (though "take a decision" is used in British in formal contexts).
We did a walk in the park.
Мы прогулялись в парке.
Incorrect: use "took a walk" or "went for a walk".
He got responsibility for the project.
Он взял на себя ответственность за проект.
Incorrect: use "took responsibility".
Verb choice changes according to context and register.
Examples include purchase vs buy and obtain vs get.
I purchased a new phone yesterday.
Я купил новый телефон вчера.
Overly formal for everyday speech; "bought" is more natural.
We need to obtain permission from the boss.
Нам нужно получить разрешение от начальника.
Formal verb "obtain" is appropriate in written context; in spoken use "get".
She said she would assist us with the task.
Она сказала, что поможет нам с заданием.
"Assist" is formal; "help" is more common in informal speech.
The kids were chatting and laughing loudly.
Дети громко болтали и смеялись.
Informal "kids" is fine in spoken, but in formal writing use "children".
He terminated his employment with the company.
Он прекратил трудовые отношения с компанией.
Very formal; "quit his job" or "left the company" is more natural in everyday English.
Advanced learners need to control subtle differences in verb meaning and structure.
Common problems include incorrect collocations, unnatural verb choices and inappropriate register.
The data shows a significant increase.
Данные показывают значительный рост.
Correct: "data" can be singular or plural; but "show" is also used. This is not an error. Better: incorrect collocation.
He did a research on climate change.
Он провёл исследование по изменению климата.
Incorrect: use "conducted research" or "did research", but "do a research" is unnatural.
The company made a profit of 2 million dollars.
Компания получила прибыль в 2 миллиона долларов.
Correct. But we need an error: "The company won a profit" is wrong.
She gave a presentation about the new project.
Она провела презентацию нового проекта.
Correct. But error: "She made a presentation" is also acceptable; not a clear error.
I strongly suggest you to reconsider.
Я настоятельно рекомендую вам пересмотреть.
Incorrect: "suggest" is not followed by object + to-infinitive; use "suggest that you reconsider" or "suggest reconsidering".