Articles: a, an and the
Chinese has no words like a, an or the. Many mistakes start here.
1. a or an before a job
Incorrect example. My mother is teacher.
My mother is a teacher.
Put a or an before one person or thing, and before a job.
中文提示中文说“我妈妈是老师”，不需要“一个”，所以很多人会漏掉 a/an。英语里单数可数名词前一般要加 a/an，说职业时也一样：a teacher、an engineer。
2. the for a thing the listener knows
Incorrect example. I went to supermarket near my home.
I went to the supermarket near my home.
Use the when the listener knows which one you mean.
中文提示中文没有冠词，说“我去了我家附近的超市”时，“超市”前面不用加任何词。英语里如果对方知道你说的是哪一个（特指），名词前要加 the。
Nouns and pronouns
Chinese nouns do not change for one or many. English nouns do.
3. Plural -s after a number
Incorrect example. I have two brother.
I have two brothers.
After two, three or more, add -s to the noun.
中文提示中文“两个哥哥”里的“哥哥”没有变化，所以很容易漏掉复数 -s。英语里数量大于一时，可数名词要用复数形式。
4. advice, information and homework
Incorrect example. Thank you for your advices.
Thank you for your advice.
Advice, information, homework and news take no -s and no a. Say some advice.
中文提示中文“一条建议、一个消息”可以直接数，但英语的 advice、information、homework、news 是不可数名词，不能加 -s，也不能直接用 a，要说 some advice 或 a piece of advice。
5. he or she
Incorrect example. My sister is a nurse. He works at night.
My sister is a nurse. She works at night.
Use he for a man or a boy. Use she for a woman or a girl.
中文提示普通话里“他”和“她”读音一样，说话时不用区分，所以说英语时常常混用。开口前先想一想是男是女，再选 he/him/his 或 she/her。
Verb basics
Every English sentence needs a verb, and the verb changes with the subject.
6. is before an adjective
Incorrect example. My room very small.
My room is very small.
Before an adjective, use am, is or are.
中文提示中文可以直接说“我的房间很小”，形容词前不需要“是”。英语的形容词不能单独作谓语，前面要有 be 动词（am/is/are）。
7. -s after he, she and it
Incorrect example. My father work in a bank.
My father works in a bank.
In the present simple, add -s to the verb after he, she or it.
中文提示中文动词不随主语变化，“我工作”“他工作”都一样。英语一般现在时里，主语是第三人称单数时，动词要加 -s 或 -es。
8. there is, not there have
Incorrect example. There have many students in my class.
There are many students in my class.
To say that something is in a place, use there is or there are.
中文提示中文的“有”既表示“拥有”，也表示“存在”，所以容易说成 there have。表示“某处有某物”时，英语用 there is（单数）或 there are（复数）。
Tenses
In Chinese, a time word shows the past. In English, the verb changes too.
9. Past tense after yesterday
Incorrect example. Yesterday I go to the cinema with my friends.
Yesterday I went to the cinema with my friends.
For the past, change the verb: go becomes went. Yesterday alone is not enough.
中文提示中文靠“昨天、上周”这样的时间词表示过去，动词本身不变。英语的动词必须变成过去式，即使句子里已经有 yesterday。
10. Finished time: past simple
Incorrect example. I have seen that film last week.
I saw that film last week.
With a finished time like last week, use the past simple, not have seen.
中文提示中文“我上周看过那部电影”里有“过”，很多人就用 have seen。但只要句子里有 last week、yesterday 这类已经结束的时间，英语就要用一般过去时。
Adjectives and adverbs
Some Chinese words do two jobs. In English, you need two different words.
11. very like
Incorrect example. I very like this song.
I really like this song. or I like this song very much.
Very cannot go before a verb. Say really like, or like it very much.
中文提示中文“我很喜欢”“我很同意”里，“很”可以直接修饰动词。英语的 very 不能放在动词前，要改成 really + 动词，或者把 very much 放在句末。
12. bored or boring
Incorrect example. I am very boring in this class.
I am very bored in this class.
Use -ed for how you feel (bored). Use -ing for the thing that causes it (boring).
中文提示中文“无聊”既可以说人，也可以说事，所以 bored 和 boring 常被混用。说人的感受用 -ed（bored、interested），说事物给人的感受用 -ing（boring、interesting）；I am boring 的意思是“我这个人很无趣”。
Confusing words
One Chinese word can match two English words.
13. turn on the light
Incorrect example. Please open the light.
Please turn on the light.
Turn on lights and machines. Open doors, windows and boxes.
中文提示中文“开灯、关电视”都用“开、关”，所以很多人直接说 open/close the light。英语里灯和电器要用 turn on / turn off；open/close 只用于门、窗、盒子等。
14. lend or borrow
Incorrect example. Can you borrow me your pen?
Can you lend me your pen?
Lend means you give for a short time. Borrow means you take for a short time.
中文提示中文一个“借”字既表示“借给别人”，也表示“向别人借”。英语要分方向：借出用 lend，借入用 borrow (from)。
Prepositions and extra words
Some verbs need a preposition. Some verbs must not have one.
15. on Monday, not in Monday
Incorrect example. I will see you in Monday.
I will see you on Monday.
Use on for days and dates, in for months and years, and at for clock times.
中文提示中文“在星期一、在七月、在晚上”都用一个“在”，英语却要分 in、on、at。记住：具体某一天用 on，月份、年份和上午、下午用 in，钟点和 night 用 at。
16. discuss, not discuss about
Incorrect example. We discussed about the plan.
We discussed the plan.
Discuss has no about after it. If you want about, say talk about.
中文提示受 talk about 和中文“关于”“和……联系”的影响，很多人会在 discuss 后面加 about，在 contact 后面加 with。discuss、mention、contact 后面直接接宾语；想用 about 就换成 talk about。
Sentence structure
Chinese can leave out the subject and use word pairs. English sentences work differently.
17. it as the subject
Incorrect example. Is very cold today.
It is very cold today.
Every English sentence needs a subject. For weather and time, use it.
中文提示中文可以说“今天很冷”“下雨了”，句子不一定有主语。英语每个句子都要有主语，说天气、时间、距离时用 it 作主语。
18. because or so, not both
Incorrect example. Because I was tired, so I went to bed early.
Because I was tired, I went to bed early. or I was tired, so I went to bed early.
Use because or so in one sentence, not both.
中文提示中文“因为……所以……”常常一起用，很多人就照搬成 because ... so ...。英语里 because 和 so 只能选一个。
Questions and short answers
English questions change the word order. Short answers follow the facts.
19. Answering a negative question
A: Don't you like coffee?
Incorrect example. B: Yes, I don't.
A: Don't you like coffee?
B: No, I don't.
Answer with the facts. If you do not like coffee, say No, I don't.
中文提示中文回答“你不喜欢咖啡吗？”时，“是的，我不喜欢”是在认同对方的说法。英语只看事实：不喜欢就说 No, I don't，喜欢就说 Yes, I do；yes 后面跟肯定，no 后面跟否定。
20. How do you say...?
Incorrect example. How to say this word in English?
How do you say this word in English?
A full question needs do and a subject: How do you say...?
中文提示中文“这个词英语怎么说？”常被直译成 How to say...?。英语的 how to 不能单独构成问句，只能放在句子里面，比如 I don't know how to say it；单独提问要说 How do you say...?
Try the quiz
Choose the correct words for each sentence. Each question tests one mistake from this lesson.
- My brother is (engineer / an engineer).
- I have three (cousin / cousins) in Beijing.
- My mother (cook / cooks) dinner every evening.
- (There have / There are) two parks near my office.
- Last summer we (visit / visited) my grandparents.
- The film was long, and I felt very (bored / boring).
- Could you (borrow / lend) me your umbrella?
- We need to discuss (the price / about the price) before we sign.
- Because it was late, (so we took / we took) a taxi.
- A: Aren't you hungry? B: (Yes / No), I'm not. I just had lunch.
Check one question at a time
Try the same ten questions here. Check each answer and read the explanation.
Your result
Your result appears here when you finish.
Show all answers
Each answer links back to one rule in this lesson.
- an engineer. A job needs a or an, and engineer starts with a vowel sound.
- cousins. After three, the noun needs -s.
- cooks. After he, she or it (my mother), add -s to the verb.
- There are. Use there is or there are to say that something is in a place.
- visited. Last summer is finished, so the verb needs the past form.
- bored. Use -ed for how a person feels.
- lend. The other person gives the umbrella to you, so they lend it.
- the price. Discuss has no about after it.
- we took. The sentence already has because, so do not add so.
- No. The fact is negative (I'm not hungry), so the answer starts with No.
Fix all 60 mistakes
中文母语者英语纠错练习册
This lesson shows 20 mistakes. The workbook Fix Your English has all 60, and each one has 3 practice items with answers.
It also has practice packs for levels A2 to C1 and 30-day study plans, as a printable PDF and a phone version.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Chinese speakers make these mistakes?
Chinese has no articles, no plural -s and no verb endings for time. When you translate word for word from Chinese, these small words are easy to miss.
Which mistake should I fix first?
Start with the small words you use in almost every sentence: a and the, plural -s, and -s after he and she.
How can I stop making the same mistake?
Learn the rule. Write three of your own sentences with it and say them aloud. Before you send a message, check it for that one mistake.
Do I need to read the Chinese notes?
No. The English rule is enough. The Chinese note explains why the mistake happens, and that can help you remember it.