How to learn from your mistakes – A list of mistakes

Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way.  Al Franken, “Oh, the Things I Know”, 2002

Make your own lists of errors and mistakes, revise them and learn from them.

A mistake is a slip, something you could actually express correctly if you paid attention to your production. An error is something that needs an explanation or being looked up somewhere.

Examples: You know modals are followed by the bare infinitive but you forget this – a mistake: You say: I must to go now! , instead of the correct sentence: I must go now! (must = not strong obligation — that’d be “have to”; ‘strong’ is ‘external’ — but MORAL obligation). The same example could be used to illustrate an error. The difference would be in that you DIDN’T KNOW that modals are followed by the bare infinitive.

Now, check the example of a List of Mistakes below.

TOPIC	SKILL	INCORRECT	CORRECT
Adjs/Prons	SpeakingWriting	And other* dayThe others* days	And another day… The other days… Check out the use “Other” words
Modals	Speaking	We must* take a taxi	Must is very hard as a modal of obligation, so we do not use is as often as have to. Remember that this sentence is usually said: We have to take a taxi (if we’re going to be late otherwise) or We should take a taxi (if it’s the advice I’m giving in such a situation).
Modals	Speaking	I must* to* think	I must think – But… is this want you want to say? Because there is another issue here: the use of modals!I must think means you feel morally forced to think about something.I have to think means you need time to think, that circumstances are forcing you to think something over.
Non-finite Verbs	Speaking	for* to learn	Purpose is expressed by the full infinitive, in English, so you should say: to learn – “Why are you repeating that sentence aloud?” “To learn English!”
Plurals	Speaking	childrens*, woman*/womans*	Revise the irregular plurals, Aloud!a child, two children; a child is…; two children are; there is a child, there are two children…a woman / ˈwʊmən /, two women /’wimin/, there is a woman, there are two women… Practice like this.
Modifiers	Cloze test	I was quite* disappointed	Bastante with adjectives which are not positive is rather: I was rather disappointed. I was quite excited!
Modals	A trick to use modals correctly: DON’T TRANSLATE FROM SPANISH. THINK of the LANGUAGE FUNCTION you NEED TO FULFILL.Tengo que ir al baño — Language function: expresar necesidad: I NEED to go to the toiletTienes que estudiar más — Language function: consejo: You SHOULD study more¿Qué hago? — Language function: pedir consejo: What SHOULD I do?¡Tienes que ver esta peli! — Language function: emphatic recommendation: You MUST watch this movie!