Friday, October 23, 2015

Common English Mistakes #2: Articles

The most common mistakes with articles I hear are simply omitting them or using 'the' instead of 'a' and vice versa. I feel this is one of the hardest things to master for people learning English. While there are guidelines/rules regarding usage, most people I talk to still struggle. I tell them, it just takes time and practice (as with anything).

Example dialogue:
A: Wow, look at all the hats in this store!
B: Wow, there are so many!
A: How about this style? (Puts on hat) Do you like the red or the black one?
B: I like black one! It look good for you.
A: You mean, you like the black one. It looks good on me?
B: Ah, right. The black one.

A simple mistake, yes, but one that is obvious to any native speaker I would imagine. Another example of what I've heard:

Example dialogue:
A: How about we order a drink?
B: Yes, let's drink!
A: Let's see, they have many types of beer. Is beer ok?
B: Yes, the beer sounds good.
A: A beer sounds good? Great, I'll choose a few for us.

B Could have also responded with just "Beer sounds good". "The beer sounds good" isn't grammatically incorrect but it sounds weird since beer was the only option and no other beverage was mentioned as a choice. (English majors can correct me if I'm wrong).

What mistakes do you frequently hear?
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