--- title: 12 Common Non-native Speaker Language Mistakes description: In this post, I briefly cover 12 common language mistakes, which I encounter at Approach International Student Center. These mistakes were mostly compiled last term from a variety of levels (A1-B2), but should still be fairly easy to understand for most students. image: https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/blog_banners2021%20(18)-1.png --- - [Contact Us](https://approachusa.org/contact-us/) - [Apply Now](https://approachusa.org/application-form-2/) Menu - [Programs of Study](https://approachusa.org/programs-of-study/) - [English as a Second Language (ESL)](https://approachusa.org/esl/) - [Test Preparation (TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, SAT)](https://approachusa.org/testprep/) - [Advanced Programs](https://approachusa.org/speccialty-programs/) - [ESL Teen Culture Program](https://approachusa.org/youth-programs/) - [Student Services](https://approachusa.org/student-services-2/) - [Join our Community](https://pages.approachusa.org/approachusa-community) - [Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org/) - [Academic & Career Advising](https://approachusa.org/academicadvising/) - [Student Activities](https://approachusa.org/academic-activities/) - [Students’ Success Stories](https://approachusa.org/students-success-stories/) - [Housing](https://approachusa.org/student-services/) - [Admissions](https://pages.approachusa.org/en-us/our-programs-usa) - [Apply from Abroad](https://pages.approachusa.org/applying-from-abroad) - [Tuition and Fees](https://pages.approachusa.org/tuition-and-fees) [![Approach International Student Center®](https://blog.approachusa.org/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Approach_USA_April2021/images/header_logo.png?height=500&name=header_logo.png "Approach International Student Center®")](https://approachusa.org/) - Call us today **[+1 617 787 5401](https://wa.me/16177875401)** - Email us **[admissions@approachusa.com](mailto:admissions@approachusa.com)** ![](https://blog.approachusa.org/hubfs/blog_banners2021%20(18)-1.png) # 12 Common Non-native Speaker Language Mistakes Published by [Matt Andrewes](https://blog.approachusa.org/author/matt-andrewes) on Jul 22, 2022 6:39:44 PM In this post, I briefly cover 12 common language mistakes, which I encounter at Approach International Student Center. These mistakes were mostly compiled last term from a variety of levels (A1-B2), but should still be fairly easy to understand for most students. Mistakes have been underlined, and corrections have been bolded so that they are both easy to identify; and brief explanations for each correction are italicized. Lastly, it should be noted that Approach’s student population is fairly homogeneous, so these mistakes are probably more characteristic of Portuguese and Spanish speakers than, say, Thai or Russian speakers. In any case, I hope you find some of these corrections useful and, most importantly, memorable!  1. Person A: I’ve never been to Paris.  Person B: Me too. → Me neither. / Me either. (Use ‘Me either’ / ‘Me neither’ when agreeing with a negative statement; conversely, use ‘Me too’ to agree with affirmative statements.)  2. He never listens me. → He never listens TO me. (You listen TO somebody/something.)  3. It was a very difficult time to me. → It was a very difficult time FOR me. (Something is easy/difficult FOR you, not TO you.)  4. It depends of the company. → It depends ON the company. (Use ‘on’ after ‘depends’ rather than ‘of’.)  5. \_\_\_\_ Was my friend’s birthday.→ IT was my friend’s birthday. (English sentences usually need subjects, even when the subjects don’t mean anything. Here are a couple more example mistakes and corrections: (a) Is 5 o’clock. → IT’s five o’clock. / (b) Is snowing. → IT’s snowing.)  6. I went to home again. → I WENT HOME again. (We say ‘go home’, not ‘go to home’.)  7. I don’t know nothing. → I don’t know ANYTHING. (Use ‘anything’ in negative sentences instead of ‘nothing’. Here are a couple more correct examples: (a) I COULDN’T remember ANYTHING. / (b) He NEVER did ANYTHING wrong.)  8. I no remember. → I CAN’T remember. / I DON’T remember. (Negation of sentences in English requires an ‘auxiliary verb + not’ rather than ‘no’. Here are some examples to illustrate this point: I SHOULDN’T go. / I DIDN’T go. / I COULDN’T go. / I WON’T go.)  9. I have a doubt → I have A QUESTION (When you are confused by something, say ‘I have a question’ rather than ‘I have a doubt’.)  10 .I look forward to see you. → I look forward to SEEING you. (‘Look forward to’ is followed by ‘v-ing’ rather than ‘base verb’.)  11. She really loves \_\_\_\_\_. → She really loves IT. (‘It’ could mean many things in this sentence such as ‘coffee’, ‘the movie’, ‘the restaurant’, etc. The important thing is that ‘love’ and many other verbs (e.g. ‘like’, ‘hate’, ‘want’, etc.) often need an object, and this object is frequently—though not always—an object pronoun like ‘you’, ‘him’, ‘her’, ‘it’, ‘them’, etc.Therefore, instead of saying ‘I loved’, ‘He liked’, ‘They hated’, say something like ‘I loved IT (e.g. it = the movie), ‘He liked THEM (e.g. them = the guests), They hated HIM (e.g. him = the new boss).  12. I don’t know explain this. → I don’t know HOW TO explain this. (The correct structure is ‘I don’t know how to + (base verb)...’. Here are a couple more correct examples: I don’t know HOW TO speak Chinese. / She doesn’t know HOW TO cook.) [Back to Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org) ## Related Articles ## [Não tem estacionamento…](https://blog.approachusa.org/não-tem-estacionamento) At Approach, many of our students are from Brazil, so today I’d like to focus on one common mistake... [Read More](https://blog.approachusa.org/não-tem-estacionamento) ## [How to Identify High-Quality Schools and Courses](https://blog.approachusa.org/how-to-identify-high-quality-schools-and-courses) Prior to doing my first teaching certificate abroad, I never really took my choice of schools or... 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Surrounded by great colleges and universities such as Harvard University, MIT, Boston University (BU), and Boston College, we teach over 900 students every month ranging from 12 to 70+ years old. ##### Reach Us Boston: 196 Harvard Ave. #2 Allston, MA 02134 USA Marlborough: 11 Apex Dr B Office 101B, Marlborough, MA 01752 USA Phone: +1 617 787 5401 [admissions@approachusa.com](mailto:admissions@approachusa.com) - [Programs of Study](https://approachusa.org/programs-of-study/) - [English as a Second Language (ESL)](https://approachusa.org/esl/) - [Test Preparation (TOEFL, GMAT, GRE, SAT)](https://approachusa.org/testprep/) - [Advanced Programs](https://approachusa.org/speccialty-programs/) - [ESL Teen Culture Program](https://approachusa.org/youth-programs/) - [Student Services](https://approachusa.org/student-services-2/) - [Join our Community](https://pages.approachusa.org/approachusa-community) - [Blog](https://blog.approachusa.org/) - [Academic & Career Advising](https://approachusa.org/academicadvising/) - [Student Activities](https://approachusa.org/academic-activities/) - [Students’ Success Stories](https://approachusa.org/students-success-stories/) - [Housing](https://approachusa.org/student-services/) - [Admissions](https://pages.approachusa.org/en-us/our-programs-usa) - [Apply from Abroad](https://pages.approachusa.org/applying-from-abroad) - [Tuition and Fees](https://pages.approachusa.org/tuition-and-fees) © Copyright Approach International Student Center, Inc. 2026 All Rights Reserved [Privacy Policy](https://approachusa.org/privacy-policy/)