"Kintsugi (golden joinery) is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum [...] As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. "

PROBLEMS

GRAMMAR

Grammar Mistakes to avoid at B1 level

Expressing age

I have 30 years ✘> I am 30 / I am 30 years old ✓

Expressing agreement

I'm agree ✘> I agree ✓

Wrong irregular verb forms

I have bring here ✘ > I have brought here ✓

I putted them on the table✘ > I put them on the table ✓

He runned to the door ✘> He ran to the door ✓

I weared a red T-shirt ✘ > I wore a red T-shirt ✓

Irregular plurals

There are many mens in the room ✘> There are many men in the room ✓

I have two childrens ✘> I have two children ✓

Lack of concord (number and person)

He have found a solution ✘ > he has found a solution ✓

There is a lot of people ✘> There are a lot of people ✓

They wasn't so happy ✘> They weren't so happy ✓

The notice saids ✘> The notice said ✓

My mum cook very well ✘ > My mum cooks very well ✓

Incorrect form and use of very basic verb forms:

• Using the present tense when speaking in the past:

Last night I watch a film on TV and don't do my homework ✘> Last night I watched a film on TV and didn't do my homework. ✓

• Mistakes in the form of present continuous

I suppose she is comb her hair ✘ > I suppose she is combing her hair ✓

• Mistaking present perfect for past simple and the other way round:

Last night I have watched a film ✘ > Last night I watched a film ✓

Failure to use auxiliaries

I haven't a clue ✘> I haven't got a clue or I don't have a clue ✓

We went not to the party ✘ >we didn't go to the party ✓

Mistakes in question formation

You are coming tonight? ✘ > Are you coming tonight? ✓

Mistakes in the form of modal verbs

I must to go ✘ > I must go ✓ (using to with infinitive after the modal verb)

Mistakes in some very common uses of gerunds and infinitives

I love swim ✘> I love to swim or I love swimming ✓

When are you going to come back for visit us ✘ > Where are going to come back to visit us? ✓

I use this room for to work ✘ > I use this room for working ✓

Mistakes in demonstratives

This cars are very expensive ✘> These cars are very expensive ✓

Mistakes in "there is/ there are"

In the room is a red chair ✘ > In the room there is a red chair ✓

Other / another

I need other pen, this one doesn't write ✘> I need another pen, this one doesn't write ✓

Mistakes in the use of possessive adjectives and pronouns

Ours parents were young then ✘ > our parents were young then ✓

Mistakes in the use of subject and object pronouns

She loves he ✘ > She loves him ✓

Mistakes in the form and use of simple comparatives and superlatives

His house is more bigger than my house ✘ > his house is bigger than my house ✓

Adding an -s to adjectives

The buildings were majestics ✘ > The buildings were majestic ✓

Order of nouns and adjectives

She has eyebrows black ✘ > She has black eyebrows ✓

Wrong use of very common prepositions

I listen music every day ✘ > I listen to music every day ✓

in the night ✘> at night ✓

in TV ✘ > on TV ✓

I arrived to Spain in 1998 ✘> I arrived in Spain in 1998 ✓

I arrived to the cinema at 8.30 pm ✘> I arrived at the cinema at 8.30 pm ✓

Alternative ways to say "arrive" : "get to", "reach"

Mistakes in first (and zero) conditionals

If you will give me ten euros I mow your lawn ✘ > If you give me ten euros I will mow your lawn. ✓

Grammar Mistakes to avoid at B2 level

Mistakes in using adjectives ending in -ed and /-ing

I was really shocking when I heard the news ✘ > I was really shocked...✓

Wrong use of quantifiers (few, a few, much, many, a lot of, little, a little)

There were only few students in the classroom ✘ > There were only a few students in the classroom.✓

I like it a lot of ✘ > I like it a lot ✓

Incorrect use of narrative tenses (past simple, past continuous, past perfect), especially the use of past perfect:

I didn't know that she prepared a surprise party before we arrived ✘ > I didn't know she had prepared a surprise party before we arrived ✓

Omission of subject or direct/ indirect object

I need ✘ > I need it ✓

Is possible ✘ ?* Is it possible? ✓

Wrong use of relative pronouns

That is the car who I drive ✘ > That is the car which I drive or That is the car (that )I drive. ✓

Omission of articles or use of articles when you dont need them

I'm teacher ✘ > I'm a teacher ✓

I love the nature ✘ > I love nature ✓

( ) United Kingdom is leaving ( ) EU ✘ > The United Kingdom is leaving the EU ✓

Mistakes in second and third conditionals

If we would be married we could apply for benefits ✘ > If we were married we could apply for benefits. ✓

If I had know it, I would buy more meat ✘ > If I had known it, I would have bought more meat. ✓

Wrong form “use to”*to refer to habits in the present

In the summer I use to do a lot of sport ✘ > In the summer I'm used to doing a lot of sport or In the summer I usually do a lot of sport ✓

Indirect question word order

I don't know what can I do ✘ > I don't know what I can do ✓

Mistaking present perfect and the passive voice

We are eaten ✘> We have eaten ✓

VOCABULARY

MISTAKEN MEANING OF WORDS

-fun / funny

-travel /trip/journey

-work/job

-a new * /news, a piece of news, a newstory, some news

-couple/partner

-bookshop /library

-the town hall /the council

-wait /hope/expect/ wish/look forward to

-say to /tell

-speak / talk

-issue

-to die, died, dying, dead, death

affect to* It affects to their health

MADE UP (INVENTED) WORDS

"interchange" > exchange

"machism" > sexism, male chauvinism

PROBLEMS WITH WORD FORMATION

Christianism ✘ became the official religion of the Roman Empire > Christianity ✓

PRONUNCIATION

COMMONLY MISPRONOUNCED WORDS

hotel

dangerous

nature

native

breathe and breath

course

how

nowadays

recommend

society

creativity

culture ( and other words ending in -URE)

abroad

allow

also

area

image

conclusion

child

though / thought/ through / throrough

OTHER COMMON PRONUNCIATION MISTAKES

-Mispronunciation of -ed endings

-Mispronunciation of -s/ -es endings

-Sibilants

-Aspiration of voiceless plosives

COMMON PROBLEMS IN COHESION AND COHERENCE

-Lack of agreement

-Very few and basic linking words

-Use or wrong linking words

-Disorganised ideas

-Ideas don't follow one another logically

-Failure to write real paragraphs

-Excessive repetions, lack of use of pronouns or ellipsis

-Repeating words when synonyms could be used

-Transfer errors: Literal translation of Spanish syntax