“Spot the Mistakes! 3 Common English Errors (and How to Fix Them)”

English learners often make the same grammar mistakes again and again. In this post, we’ll look at three very common errors. First, try to spot the mistakes yourself. Then, check the explanations and corrections to improve your accuracy.

Scroll down for answers and examples …

1️⃣ Verbs with two objects (buy / give / send)

Rule: If the person comes immediately after the verb, don’t use to. If the thing comes first, then you need to/for.

✅ Examples:

• She gave me a book. / She gave a book to me.

• He sent his boss an email. / He sent an email to his boss.

• I bought my sister some flowers. / I bought some flowers for my sister.

⚠️ Common mistake: “She gave to me a book.”

2️⃣ Tell vs. Say

Rule: Tell always needs a person (who you tell). Say does not.

✅ Examples:

• She told me the truth.

• She said the truth. (❌ wrong)

• She said that she was tired.

• She told us that she was tired.

• Don’t tell anyone our secret!

• He said hello.

⚠️ Common mistake: “He told that he was tired.”

3️⃣ Suggest patterns

Rule: After suggest, we use -ing form or that + clause. We don’t use to + infinitive with a person.

✅ Examples:

• She suggested going to the park.

• She suggested that we go to the park.

• She suggested we should go to the park.

• He suggested a new idea.

⚠️ Common mistake: “She suggested me to go to the park.”