Most are extracted from the book "Common Errors In English"
============= look for / seek ======================
new graduates seeking employment ( not seek for)
Attractive woman, 27, seeks male, 25-35, for fun and friendship. (
=============Pay (the first 1000 most commonly used)==================
If you pay the food, I'll buy the drinks (Wrong) -> If you pay for the food, I'll buy the drinks.
11 to give someone money for something you buy or for a service :
give money
[intransitive and transitive]22 to pay money that you owe to a person, company etc :
bill/tax/rent
[transitive]GRAMMAR 
The verb pay is followed directly by a noun when you are talking about paying a person• I'll pay you tomorrow.• I haven't paid my accountant yet.Pay is also followed directly by a noun when you are talking about the amount of money you pay• I've already paid £700.!! Do not use pay followed directly by a noun referring to the thing you are buying. Use pay (an amount of money) for something• When I paid for my tickets (NOT paid my tickets) the man told me there was no discount.• I paid £100 for this jacket.When you are talking about whether you pay for something using a cheque, a credit card etc, use pay by• If you pay by credit card, you get free insurance.When you are talking about the type of money you use to pay something, usepay in• You can only pay in euros.
The verb pay is followed directly by a noun when you are talking about paying a person• I'll pay you tomorrow.• I haven't paid my accountant yet.Pay is also followed directly by a noun when you are talking about the amount of money you pay• I've already paid £700.!! Do not use pay followed directly by a noun referring to the thing you are buying. Use pay (an amount of money) for something• When I paid for my tickets (NOT paid my tickets) the man told me there was no discount.• I paid £100 for this jacket.When you are talking about whether you pay for something using a cheque, a credit card etc, use pay by• If you pay by credit card, you get free insurance.When you are talking about the type of money you use to pay something, usepay in• You can only pay in euros.
=========================== Sick and Ill ---
Anna has been sick for three days
If someone has been sick, it usually means they have vomited food
from their stomach. When someone is not at work because of illness
they are off sick, but generally say: Anna has been ill for three days
=================== on Next Monday
Your mother is coming on Next Monday (Wrong), don't use preposition before next
=================== In the evening & at night
What time do you go to bed in the evening (!) -> What time do you go to bed at night
We usually do things in the evening, and go to bed at night
Did you go out yesterday night (X) -> yesterday evening / last night
We never say yesterday night or last evening, we say yesterday evening, which is earlier than last night. Or He's coming to dinner on Saturday night.
===================
At first we had soup
At first tells you how something begins, but it changes and doesn't finish this way
-> At first it was easy, but then it became difficult
-> At first we went to a pub and afterwards we went to a disco.
For an action that happens and finishes before another one, say:
First we had soup
We spent two hours trying to find the restaurant. At the end we went home.
We can only say at the end (or beginning) of something, e.g. a book/film, or a holiday.
What would she find at the end of her journey?
If a situation changes and ends in an unexpected way, we can use "in the end"
================== One after another
After switching the light on, the computer stopped working
you can only use After ... ing if the same subject does both actions in the sentence.
-> After I switched the light on, the computer stopped working.
There were so many problems with booking the holiday. After all, we decided to cancel it.
After all means you shouldn't forget this important point.
e.g: I don't think Daniel should be allowed out late - after all, he's only 16.
If things happen to make you change plans:
In the end we decided to cancel it.
===================== Furthermore - What's more
Great! Sally's coming to the party. Furthermore, she's bringing Jane!
Furthermore is used in more formal language to introduce another idea.
-> Great! Sally's coming to the party. What's more, she's bringing Jane!
The proposed bridge would be more efficient. Furthermore, it would have cost advantages.
===================== On the other side
Your mother's starting to look old. On the other side, she's still beautiful.
An argument does have two sides, but we say:
-> On the other hand, she's still beautiful.
==================== Despite
Despite of the problem, we managed to finish on time
Don't use of after despite.
-> Despite the problem, we .. (commonly used )
-> In spite of the problem, we
=================== Explain
She explained me the problem (X) -> She explained the problem to me
===================Remind
Peter reminded me of the chicken in the oven. (X) ->
If you are reminded of someone or something, you think of it because there's a similarity, e.g. Peter reminds me of my brother - they have very similar faces.
If you want to be sure someone doesn't forget something, you remind them about it.
-> Peter reminded me about the chicken in the oven.
===================It's and Its
The misuse of it's and its I have often encountered
'its' is a possessive form of 'it' like my, your, their, his, her, and our.
it's means it is or it has, it's is not the possessive form of a noun like my sister's husband
due to it is a pronoun
===================Think of & think about
Our secetary is thinking about leaving.
lf you're thinking about something, it is happening in your head at this moment, e.g
You look worried, Steven, what are you thinking about?
lf you have a plan but you' re not sure about it yet, you 're thinking of doing it.
-> Our secretary is thinkng of leaving.
===================remember/forget to do sth/ doing sth/ stop to do sth/ stop doing sth
try to do sth/ try doing sth (ofen misuse)
Please remember to lock the door.
I remember going to ballet classes when I was a child
Have you tried to take some aspirin? (Wrong)
This means you don't know if you can do it. If something is easy, but you don't know what the result will be, use try + V-ing
-> Have you tried taking an aspirin?
Have you tried using this shampoo, it's really nice
I cam here for learning English (Wrong)
-> If you want to say why you do something, use to
not for
I came here to learn English
This knife is to cut meat. (Wrong)
use for doing to explain what something is used for
=================== How much you have done ========
I've been painting three rooms today (Wrong)
To say how much you have done, use
I 've painted three rooms today
She 's interviewed 11 people so far this morning
To describe activity over a period of time:
I've been painting all afternoon
=================== will / going to / v-ing ========
I'll visit our Lisbon office next week! (is used incorrectly)
If you use will to talk about the future plans, it means you are deciding the plan at the moment you are speaking
-> The phone is ringing. I will get it.
For plans you have already made, there are two possibilities:
-> I'm going to visit our Lisbon office next week.
This means you've decided the plan (in your head) but may not have arranged it with the people in Lisbon yet.
-> I'm visiting our Lisbon office next week
This means you've definitely arranged the visit with the people in Lisbon
======================= Suggest ========
The doctor suggested taking exercise. (Wrong)
If you sugest doing sth, you are one of the people who will do it.
-> He suggested that I (should) take exercise.
======================= Too , So, Very ========
Your garden is too beautiful (Wrong)
Too + adjective means there's a problem: e.g. This sofa's too big to go in the room.
-> Your garden is very/so beautiful
======================== Much and a lot of ========
Wrong: He has much money.
Don't use much in positive sentences, use it in negatives and questions
-> He hasn't got much money. Do you have much work to do today?
A lot of can be used with negatives, questions and in positive sentences.
======================== Leave home to go to work / to school (not leave the house)========
======================== cause trouble /not make trouble ========
===================help sb do sth ========
help sb to do sth (wrong)
=================== High & Tall ========
My friend is two metres high (X) -> my friend is two metres tall
=================== Clean & Tidy ========
The guests will be here soon. I'll just clean the living room
We usually clean using water, You can quickly tidy a room by putting everything in its place.
I'll just tidy the living room.
===================Nervous ============
My boss is difficult to work for
she's always very nervous. (X)
Nervous means worried and lacking confidence
(usually before something important, like an
exam). lf someone always has a difficult
character , you can say they are bad-tempered
My boss is difficult to work for. She
always very bad-tempered.
==================== With / By ========
The man was killed by a knife -> the man was killed with a knife
(by the person using it)
================== Cooker ============
My sister is a very good cooker (X) -> a cooker is a machine, a person who cooks is a cook
===================Shout to & shout at ========
That's my friend on the other side of the street. I'll shout at him (X) -> I'll shout to him
You shout at someone when you're angry. To attract someone's attention, you shout to them.
===================By yourself & On your own ========
I put the tent up all by myself or on my own. (not by my own)
===================== However
It's a nice car, however it's expensive
Use but in informal language: However (more formal) goes with the second opposite idea in another sentence.
We understand your problem. However, we can't help.
===================== Guess who? -> Guess who! ======
Since “Guess who” is a command rather than a real question, technically it should not be followed by a question mark. A period or exclamation point will do fine. Similarly, there should be no question mark after the simple command “Guess!”
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