COMMON MISTAKES

intermediate level

By Pili A.M.
 Use TENSES coherently
If you are telling a story in
the PAST, use past
tenses, don't jump
forwards and backwards
in time
I couldn't believe that I was
talking to my old friend;
we hadn't met for a long
time, so we decided to go
for a drink
 To indicate PURPOSE...
You use this knife for cutting bread (GENERAL
USE)
I want to cut some bread, will you pass me that
knife, please? (SPECIFIC PURPOSE)

But you can NEVER EVER SAY... for to cut!!!

 OTRO

ANOTHER + singular noun

I will tell you another day
OTHER + plural noun
At weekends I go jogging, the other days I swim
OTHERS (pronoun)
Some people like it,
others don't.
Last Saturday I went to a party (i.e. Feb 16th)

Next Saturday we're going hiking in the mountains

(i.e. Feb 23rd )

Our point of reference is TODAY, Monday 18th.

THE last Saturday in January I was ill (i.e. Jan 26th)

THE next Saturday after Carnival we'll go on holiday

(i.e. March 8th)

Our point of reference is NOT TODAY, Monday

18th, BUT January and Carnival (March 4th)
 during / for
WHEN? HOW LONG?
It refers to the moment It refers to the duration
when sth happens

He was in hospital for 6 weeks during the summer

There was a storm during the night; it rained for 3 hours
 ARRIVE
Watch out!
You arrive AT the airport
arrive home
(specific place, a building)
but...
You arrive IN London
(a town, country)

A SPECIAL CASE:
If you arrive AT Paris, you only
consider it a point in space/ a stop in
a journey
 ¿Un viaje...?
TRAVEL (uncount.): activity of travelling in general
Her interests are reading and travel
(plural): time spent travelling, especially abroad and
for pleasure: his travels in India
TRIP:
TRIP specific and concrete, for the day or including
the stay) I went on a business trip
My trip to Paris was fun
JOURNEY:
JOURNEY el desplazamiento, el trayecto de un
viaje concreto (sobre todo si es largo)
It was a six-hour journey, so we were exhausted
TOUR:
TOUR organised, visiting several places
 ESPERAR
 HOPE: you wish this to  WAIT
happen

 EXPECT: something
logical and probable
 DARSE CUENTA
 (SEEING something)  (mental process)
 so
He is so stupid that he thinks Dom
Perignon is a Mafia godfather.
“so” = “tan”

He's so tall that you can always see his

head in a crowd

He is so stupid!
It's an exclamation used in
casual English, but to be avoided in
a serious composition.
 To mean “muy” you just say:
He is very stupid.

Don't use “so” by itself as an intensifier

in formal writing, and be careful when
you use “very”. It's usually better to
use a stronger adjective, e.g.
I was starving;
it was huge, etc
An exercise here: http://a4esl.org/q/h/0101/jb-verytooso.html
To speak IN GENERAL
we don't use any article

Mobiles are useful (plural)

ALSO POSSIBLE:
The mobile is a great invention

A mobile phone is necessary nowadays

 All / every
 Everybody enjoyed themselves at the party 
(each & every person who went)
every + singular noun

“all people” = all humanity (all = whole, complete)

 Everything was good = all the things (that...)

 I was out all day (the whole period of time)

 All men are mortal (everyone, with no exception)

 All of the people enjoyed themselves (a specific

and concrete group of people)

 All my plants have died (the whole number I had)

 The page was all ads (it only consisted of one

thing)
 All we have is bread and cheese
(the only thing that we have)