Lesson 7 · Lesson guide
Ten Mistakes Uzbek Learners Make
Hello, my dear student!
Hello! I have taught English to Uzbek students for many years, and I see the same ten mistakes again and again. They are not random. Almost all of them come from Uzbek or Russian grammar.
For example, in Uzbek “u” means both he and she, so learners mix them up. Uzbek has no a or an, so learners forget them. “Men roziman” sounds like “I am agree”, so learners say it.
The good news: ten mistakes is a short list. If you fix these, examiners will notice at once, because these are exactly the errors that keep students at band 4 or 5 for grammar. Let’s fix them one by one.
See you in the exercises,Your teacher
Your browser has no English voice, so the listen buttons are hidden. Everything is written on the page.
Mistakes 1–5
Not: 1. I am agree with you.Say: I agree with you.
agree is a verb, not an adjective. No am. Negative: I don’t agree.
Not: 2. My mother is a teacher. He works at a school.Say: My mother is a teacher. She works at a school.
Uzbek “u” = he (man) or she (woman). Check who you mean.
Not: 3. I am student.Say: I am a student.
One person or thing (singular countable) needs a or an: a student, an engineer.
Not: 4. She gave me some useful informations.Say: She gave me some useful information.
information, advice, homework, furniture, news: no -s, no a / an.
Not: 5. My brother go to university.Say: My brother goes to university.
he / she / it in the present simple → verb + -s.
A note from your teacher
Read the wrong sentence, then say the right one aloud three times.
Mistakes 6–10
Not: 6. I have twenty years.Say: I am twenty (years old).
English uses be for age, not have.
Not: 7. I very like football.Say: I really like football. / I like football very much.
“very” cannot go before a verb. Use really, or very much at the end.
Not: 8. I listen music. Can you explain me? Let’s discuss about it.Say: I listen to music. Can you explain it to me? Let’s discuss it.
listen to, explain something to someone, discuss (no about).
Not: 9. Where you live? I didn’t went.Say: Where do you live? I didn’t go.
Questions need do / does / did. After did and didn’t → base verb.
Not: 10. This book is more better.Say: This book is better.
better is already a comparative. Never more + -er.
Why these mistakes happen
Knowing the reason helps you notice the mistake before you make it.
From Uzbek
Translating word for word
“Men roziman” → “I am agree”. “U oʻqituvchi” → “He / she teacher”. Think in English patterns, not Uzbek words.
- I agree.
- She is a teacher.
From Russian
“Informations”, “advices”
Some words are countable in Russian but uncountable in English.
- some information
- a piece of advice
Small words
a, an, -s, do
Uzbek has no a / an and no do in questions, so these small words disappear. Examiners hear them missing at once.
- Do you like it?
- He works in a bank.
Remember!
Before you speak or write, check five things: agree (no am), he / she, a / an, -s, did + base verb.
Check yourself
Correct it: I am not agree with this idea.
Correct it: My sister has seventeen years.
Correct it: Can you give me an advice?
Now it’s your turn!
8 short parts, each a little harder than the one before. Take your time: mistakes are how we learn.
— Your teacher