The Biggest Grammar Mistakes I’ve Seen in 10 Years of Teaching

Summary

This video lesson covers the most common grammatical mistakes made by students at different proficiency levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The instructor highlights errors in word order, prepositions, verb forms, and more, providing examples and explanations for each. Key topics include the proper placement of adverbs, the difference between similar words like 'there,' 'their,' and 'they're,' and the correct use of tenses like past simple and present perfect. The video concludes with advanced grammar mistakes, including conditional sentences, parallel structures, and verb usage. This lesson is designed to help learners avoid common pitfalls and improve their English grammar.

Takeaways

• 😀 Adverbs of frequency should be placed before the main verb or after the 'to be' verb. Example: 'She always drives carefully.'
• 😀 Be careful with homophones like 'there,' 'their,' and 'they're.' 'They're' is the contracted form of 'they are.'
• 😀 When using 'I' as the subject of a sentence, always put it after other people: 'My friend and I went to the park.'
• 😀 Use 'many' with countable nouns (e.g., 'She has many friends') and 'much' with uncountable nouns (e.g., 'She has much knowledge').
• 😀 For time expressions, use 'on' for days, 'at' for specific times, and 'in' for months and years.
• 😀 Countable nouns require 'fewer' instead of 'less' (e.g., 'There are fewer people here than yesterday').
• 😀 Use 'between' for two things and 'among' for more than two. Example: 'She was standing between John and Sarah.'
• 😀 Use simple past for specific times in the past (e.g., 'I saw the movie last week') and present perfect when the time is unknown or unimportant (e.g., 'I've seen the movie').
• 😀 The word 'enough' goes after adjectives and adverbs, not before. Example: 'She is strong enough to lift the weight.'
• 😀 Use 'since' for a starting point in time and 'for' for duration. Example: 'I've been working here for three years' (not 'since three years').

Q & A

What is the main focus of the lesson in the transcript?

The lesson focuses on identifying and correcting common grammar mistakes made by beginner, intermediate, and advanced students, aiming to improve their understanding of English grammar.

What is the correct word order when using adverbs of frequency in a sentence?

Adverbs of frequency like 'always' should be placed before the main verb, as in 'She always drives carefully' or after the 'to be' verb, as in 'I am always tired.'

What is the common mistake students make when using 'there,' 'their,' and 'they're'?

'There' refers to a place, 'their' is a possessive pronoun, and 'they're' is the contraction of 'they are.' A common mistake is confusing them, as seen in 'they going to the park' instead of 'they are going to the park.'

Why is 'me and my friend went to the park' grammatically incorrect?

The correct form is 'My friend and I went to the park' because when the subject includes yourself, 'I' should be used, and it's grammatically preferred to place others first in the sentence.

When should you use 'much' versus 'many' in sentences?

'Much' is used with uncountable nouns (e.g., 'much water'), while 'many' is used with countable nouns (e.g., 'many friends'). A common mistake is saying 'much friends' instead of 'many friends.'

What is the correct way to use prepositions for days, times, and months?

'On' is used before days of the week (e.g., 'on Monday'), 'at' is used for specific times (e.g., 'at 8:00'), and 'in' is used for months or years (e.g., 'in May,' 'in 2024').

What mistake do intermediate students often make when comparing quantities using 'less'?

Intermediate students commonly use 'less' with countable nouns. The correct form is 'fewer' for countable nouns (e.g., 'fewer people') and 'less' for uncountable nouns (e.g., 'less water').

What is the difference between using 'since' and 'for' in the present perfect tense?

'Since' refers to a specific point in time (e.g., 'since 2010'), while 'for' refers to a duration (e.g., 'for three years'). For example, 'I've been working here for 3 years' is correct.

What grammatical mistake is made in the sentence 'She was standing among John and Sarah'?

The mistake lies in using 'among' instead of 'between.' 'Among' is used for more than two items, while 'between' is used when referring to two things, so it should be 'between John and Sarah.'

What is the rule for using the word 'enough' in a sentence?

The word 'enough' follows three rules: (1) before a noun (e.g., 'enough money'), (2) after a verb (e.g., 'earned enough'), and (3) after an adjective (e.g., 'strong enough').