English is currently the third most-spoken language in the world, after Chinese and Spanish. It’s also spoken in many countries around the world, making it super-useful to know, even if only at a conversational level. Learning English can also make it easier for you to learn other languages later, if you want to!
But many people hesitate to begin learning English. This may be because English is often said to be one of the most difficult languages to learn. But is this true?
In this article, we’ll answer the question “Is English hard to learn?” We’ll also show you why you might want to learn English anyway, and how to get started. (If you’re reading this article, we bet you’ve already gotten a great start!)
Table of Contents
- Is it Hard to Learn English?
- The Hardest (and Easiest) Parts of Learning English
- Where Should You Start?
- Advice for New English Learners
- Why EnglishClass101.com is the Best Way to Learn English
1. Is it Hard to Learn English?
It depends on who you ask. English is a Germanic language, so people who speak another Germanic language will find English easier than those who don’t.
When you begin learning English, you may find it helpful to try memorizing the most important spelling and grammar rules early on, as this will make the rest of the process somewhat simpler for you. To give you a head start, try reading these articles on EnglishClass101.com:
- 100+ English Nouns
- 100+ English Verbs
- 100+ English Adjectives
- Adverbs in English
- Ultimate English Pronunciation Guide
Now, why is English so difficult to learn? Let’s take a look at the hardest and easiest aspects of learning English.
2. The Hardest (and Easiest) Parts of Learning English
Here are a few things that make English a hard language to learn for foreigners.
| Why English is Hard to Learn | |
| Tons of rules and exceptions | Unfortunately, English has a lot of rules, and an exception for every one. Here are just two examples:
|
| Contradictions and inconsistencies |
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| Word order and sentence structure | English has a relatively flexible word order and sentence structure, but trying to explain how it works is super-difficult. Word Order: English word order refers to what order you place words in a phrase. For example, if you have two adjectives describing one noun, which adjective comes first? To native English-speakers, saying “scary big spider” sounds very off. Instead, we say “big scary spider,” just because it sounds “better.” Another factor that sometimes dictates the order of adjectives in a sentence is what type of adjectives you’re using. Typically, when multiple adjectives are used to describe something, they go in this order: What you think about the object -> Size or Scale -> Age -> Shape -> Color -> Location -> Material. For example: Harry enjoyed the nice (what he thinks about it), hot (scale), cup of Brazilian (location) coffee. Sentence Structure: Sentence structure determines the order of the major components of an entire sentence. English is an SVO language, meaning that in a sentence, the subject comes first, followed by the verb, followed by an object. For example: Sarah (S) kissed (V) Tom (O). |
| Word emphasis | While English is not a tonal language, there are many times when the emphasis we place on a word (or in a sentence) makes a huge difference in meaning. Can you tell the difference between these sentences based on which word is bolded?
In the second sentence, “want” is emphasized. This may indicate that the speaker was told not to speak with her, and is expressing that they want to. There may be a begging or whiny tone here. In the third sentence, “talk” is emphasized. This is how the speaker shows that they only want to talk, especially if others think the speaker has bad intentions. In the fourth sentence, “her” is emphasized. This indicates that the speaker only wants to talk to her. Imagine there are several people in the room the speaker could talk to, but they’re only interested in talking with her—no one else. |
| Many varieties of English | The United States, the UK, Australia, and other countries with a large proportion of English-speakers have their own differences in vocabulary, phrases, grammar, spelling, and pronunciation! |
| Idioms | Like many languages, English has lots of idioms. Learning what they mean and how to use them can be difficult for new learners.
|
| Why English is Easy to Learn | |
| Small alphabet | The English language only has twenty-six letters in its alphabet (uppercase and lowercase), compared to thousands of characters in other languages (like Chinese). |
| Greek and Latin roots | Many English words have Greek or Latin roots, which makes it easier for speakers of similar languages to learn it. (E.g. German, Dutch, French.) In addition, due to increased globalization, English has come to include some words from many other languages as well. |
| Flexible | Earlier, we mentioned a few ways that English’s flexibility is confusing. However, these flexibilities can be helpful for learners in some cases. (No one will blame you for saying “scary big spider,” because it’s technically okay to say it this way.) |
| Many learning resources available | Because so many people are trying to learn English, there are plenty of learning resources out there. Better yet, some of these resources are easily accessible wherever you are, such as EnglishClass101’s online lessons and podcasts. |
| Very accessible | English is a prominent language in many countries, and a large bulk of media today is in English. So there are tons of TV shows, movies, songs, podcasts, and more, that you can listen to in English. |
3. Where Should You Start?
We’ve already covered what makes English so hard to learn (and which things about it aren’t so bad). But did you know that regardless of how difficult it is, you can learn it a lot easier by beginning your studies the right way? Here are some tips:
1. Figure out your goals. Why do you want to learn English? What goals will you achieve along the way to really master the language? I recommend making some SMART goals to help you figure this out. It will make your language-learning process a lot more straightforward.
2. Learn as much as you can about the English language. You may find it helpful to begin by studying about English. Where is it spoken? What are its origins? What languages are similar to English? Doing some background research can make English seem less daunting and give you a huge head start!
3. Start using media in your language-learning early on. If you start with thick textbooks right away and don’t supplement them with something lighter, you’re probably going to quit. Make your learning fun from time to time using media (TV, music, etc.), and you’ll actually retain more information.
4. Explore EnglishClass101.com. More on this later. 😉
4. Advice for New English Learners
How can you be successful when you first begin learning English? Here are some tips!
- Be patient. It’s important to be patient, both with yourself and with the language-learning process. It takes time, mistakes will be made, and there’s no way around this. But it’s worth the struggle!
- Start with the basics. Don’t overwhelm yourself when first starting out. Focus on the key vocabulary, phrases, and grammar points to begin with, and don’t worry too much about the harder stuff.
- Focus on specific areas. Once you start learning the basics, you’ll notice areas you’re weaker in. Maybe you’re great at English spelling, but struggle with pronunciation. Or maybe you can read English, but can’t understand it when it’s spoken to you. Find where you struggle, and focus on improving those areas.
- Find a community. You’re not alone in your English-learning journey. Once you begin learning, you’ll become part of a huge number of people doing the same thing. People who are making the same mistakes, achieving the same victories, and getting equally as frustrated as you are. Find a group of English-learners to join, and experience for yourself how much it can help. Our Facebook and YouTube pages are a great place to start!
- Spend time with native English speakers. By spending time with native speakers, you’ll be able to familiarize yourself with the language in a natural, real-world context.
- Speak more often. Many of our Facebook followers say that they regret not speaking more English from the start. It’s important to remember that mistakes are okay, and that speaking the language sooner rather than later will help you learn faster.
- Define your purpose. Why are you thinking about learning English? What are your goals, both short-term and long-term? Knowing the answers to these questions is going to be an important part of your language-learning journey, and will help you keep going when things get hard.
- Don’t take long breaks from learning. To effectively learn a language, it’s important to be consistent. If you stop learning for several months or years at a time, you’re going to lose a lot of the things you learned.
- Start sooner. The longer you wait to begin learning English, the further behind you’ll be, and the more difficult it will be for you to start. If you start (or continue) learning today, imagine where you’ll be in a few years!
- Confidence is important. Some of our followers on Facebook say that they struggle (or have struggled) with self-confidence in their language-learning. They wish they had been more confident from the start, and rightfully so. While learning a new language can be scary, it’s important to be confident in your abilities to improve and succeed.
5. Why EnglishClass101.com is the Best Way to Learn English
If you’re ready to start learning English, EnglishClass101.com is the best way to start—and finish—your language-learning journey. Why?
To start, all of our lessons and other learning material are practical and culturally relevant. You’ll learn vocabulary, phrases, and cultural information that you can actually put to use in the real world, starting from day one.
We provide a variety of lessons for learners at every level. So whether this is your first time getting serious about learning English, or you’ve already been learning for a while, we have something for you.
With EnglishClass101, you aren’t going to get dull textbooks or confusing lectures. Instead, we provide our students with lessons in many different formats. Videos, audio recordings, fun quizzes, vocabulary lists, and blog posts like this one!
We always aim to make your learning experience both fun and informative!
You can find a sense of community on our social media pages, commenting on our lessons and blog, or upgrading to our Premium PLUS plan to use MyTeacher. And we’re always ready to help when you need it. Whether you need encouragement, are experiencing technical issues, or just really don’t understand a lesson, there’s always someone you can reach out to!
If you’re convinced, and ready to improve your English skills, sign up today and create your free lifetime account. We’ll be glad to have you join our family.
The Most Common Mistakes in English for New Learners
What are the most common mistakes in English? How can you avoid them or improve your overall English language skills?
In this article, you’ll learn what mistakes you, as an English learner, need to watch out for. Whether you’re getting ready to take an important English exam, or you just had an embarrassing “oops” moment when chatting with your friends, knowing and understanding the most common types of mistakes in English is a must if you want to improve your skills.
While this won’t necessarily ensure that you avoid these mistakes, it will help you be more effective at monitoring your own progress—both successes and failures.
Do you make these mistakes in English? Keep reading to find out!
Table of Contents
- Pronunciation: Common Mistakes in Spoken English
- Common English Vocabulary Mistakes
- Word Order Mistakes
- Most Common English Grammar Mistakes
- Other Mistakes
- The Biggest Mistake
- Final Thoughts
1. Pronunciation: Common Mistakes in Spoken English
First up on our list of English mistakes: pronunciation. Many new English-learners struggle to master this aspect of the language, so I thought I would go over this one first.
1 – Always pronouncing words as they’re spelled
Many learners become confused with English spelling vs. English pronunciation. There are numerous words in English that are spelled very differently from how they’re actually pronounced, which can be very frustrating.
The most common error here usually has to do with “silent” letters. These are letters that appear in a word when written, but aren’t pronounced when spoken. Here are two examples:
| Mistake | Explanation | |
| Knife | Pronouncing the k, as in “k-nife.” | The letter “k” in this word is silent, meaning it’s not pronounced. The word “knife” really sounds like “nife” when spoken, but needs to be spelled with the “k.” |
| Gnat | Pronouncing the g, as in “g-nat.” | The letter “g” in this word is silent, meaning it’s not pronounced. The word “gnat” really sounds like “nat” when spoken, but needs to be spelled with the “g.” |
To avoid making this common English mistake, you’ll need to memorize how to spell these words! There’s really no shortcut here.
Other commonly made mistakes in spoken English include incorrect pronunciation of certain paired letters. Here’s a great example:
| Mistake | Explanation | |
| Elephant | Pronouncing the “p” and “h” separately, by their traditional sounds. | While it makes perfect sense to do this, no one is going to understand you. In English, whenever the letters “p” and “h” are put together like this, it’s pronounced as one sound, which is the “f” sound. So “elephant” really sounds like “elefant” when spoken. |
When it comes to mistakes like this, the best way to avoid them is to study up on these compound sounds and memorize how they work. It’s difficult even for native English speakers, but once you have it, you have it!
2 – Not including the last syllable in words
When speaking, it can be difficult to pronounce certain words in their entirety, and many new English learners tend to drop the final syllable of words. But it’s very important to include this final syllable! In English, the final syllable often holds essential information about the word (or even the entire sentence), especially when you’re talking about something that happened in the past or present, or when mentioning a plural noun.
For example, we use the ending -s or -es to indicate that a noun is plural—if you drop this sound, people may end up missing some important information about what you’re saying.
| Important Final Syllable | Mistake | Explanation |
| -s or -es | Saying “biscuit” instead of “biscuits“ | The -s or -es at the end of a noun indicates that it’s plural. If you’re ordering biscuits and don’t make the “-s” sound at the end, the waitress may think you only want one biscuit! |
| -d or -ed | Saying “help” instead of “helped“ | The -d or -ed at the end of a verb indicates that it happened in the past. If you say that you “help” someone, the person you’re speaking with may think you’re currently doing so, even if it really happened in the past. |
| -ing | Saying “garden” instead of “gardening“ | The -ing at the end of a verb indicates the gerund form of that verb. Including or omitting this ending can totally change the meaning of a sentence! |
This isn’t a lesson about word endings, but hopefully you can see why it’s important for you to always pronounce the entire word.
3 – Mispronouncing the “th” sound
Many English learners struggle with the “th” sound in words. This is because there are two ways you can pronounce this sound: harsh or soft.
For example, in the words “that” and “there,” the “-th” sound is harsh. On the other hand, in the word “through,” it sounds softer.
The best way to avoid this mistake is to memorize which “th” words have which pronunciation. It will also be helpful for you to do a lot of listening! Watch English TV shows, listen to English music with lyrics, and pay close attention to pronunciation when speaking with English-speaking friends. You’ll get the hang of it in no time!
- → Do you struggle with pronunciation? If so, check out EnglishClass101’s Ultimate Pronunciation Guide!
2. Common English Vocabulary Mistakes
Some of the most common mistakes made in English have to do with vocabulary.
English is one of those languages with a huge vocabulary and many words that sound and look very similar to each other. This is often a struggle for native English speakers, and sometimes a nightmare for those learning it as a second language.
In this section, I’ll outline a few of the most commonly confused words with their meanings. Like most things in the English language, you’ll just have to memorize these.
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Its | Possessive personal pronoun. | “That’s a cute dog. What is its name?” |
| It’s | Contraction of “it is.” | “It’s very gloomy today.” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Here | Referring to a place close to the speaker. | “What are you doing here?” |
| Hear | To sense a sound; to listen. | “Wait! I hear something.” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Very | To a great extent. | “Thank you. You’re very kind.” |
| Vary | To be different from another thing. | “The results may vary.” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Affect | To unintentionally produce a change in something. | “The breakup didn’t really affect me.” |
| Effect | As a verb: To intentionally produce a change in something. As a noun: 1. A change or quality that results from a certain action (or another cause). 2. Special lighting, sounds, or other attributes, such as in a movie. | VERB: “You will effect these changes on Monday” NOUN: 1. “What are the effects of eating too much sugar?” 2. “The effects in The Great Magician were incredible.” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Who | Referring to a person performing an action (subject). | “Who are you, and what do you want?” |
| Whom | Referring to a person that an action was performed upon (object). | “To whom are you engaged?” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Bored | As an adjective: to not be entertained. As a verb: to cause someone to become bored. | ADJ: “I’ve never been so bored in my life!” VERB: “The teacher bored me with that lecture.” |
| Boring | As an adjective: not fun or entertaining. As a verb: in the process of causing someone to become bored. | ADJ: “This is a boring game.” VERB: “You’re boring me with your technical talk.” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| Fun | Amusing or entertaining. | “You’re a fun person to be around.” |
| Funny | Having a sense of humor. | “Roger is really funny, isn’t he?” |
| Definition | Example in a Sentence | |
| There | Referring to a place far from the speaker. | “Is that your notebook over there?” |
| Their | Personal possessive pronoun, used to refer to something belonging to more than one person. | “I don’t know what their problem is.” |
| They’re | Contraction of “they are.” | “They’re out getting breakfast together.” |
3. Word Order Mistakes
One of the most common English mistakes for non-native speakers is using incorrect word order.
English is an SVO (Subject + Verb + Object) language, so English learners whose native language has a different sentence structure tend to make mistakes here.
Here’s a list of the most common mistakes in English that relate to word order, and how to fix them.
1 – Putting the Subject Before the Verb in Questions
This is an easy mistake to make, and confuses many English learners! After all, English is an SVO language, so shouldn’t the subject always come before the verb?
Well, this is true in most cases. But in questions, the verb usually comes before the subject. Here are some examples:
| Incorrect | Correct |
| “Where I can get food?” | “Where can I get food?” |
| “What I should do?” | “What should I do?” |
2 – Putting Adjectives Before Nouns
This is a very common error for English-learners whose native language puts the adjective after the noun. In English, though, it’s very important to put the adjective before the noun. Here are some examples:
| Incorrect | Correct |
| “Is the dog brown yours?” | “Is the brown dog yours?” |
| “She watched the sunset beautiful.” | “She watched the beautiful sunset.” |
3 – Incorrect Placement of Other Modifiers
English gets a little more tricky when it comes to the placement of modifiers in sentences. While English is pretty flexible for the most part, there are some situations where modifiers need to be placed a certain way to make sense. Here are just a couple of examples:
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
| “I eat always oatmeal for breakfast.” | “I always eat oatmeal for breakfast.” | In these two examples, because the modifiers describe the extent of something, they need to come before the verb. |
| “Josie likes kind of tofu.” | “Josie kind of likes tofu.” | |
| “Do you tomorrow have a meeting?” | “Do you have a meeting tomorrow?” | Here, an adverb of time is used. Usually, adverbs of time come after the verb or phrase being talked about. |
- → Don’t worry if this is very confusing to you! It’s even confusing for native English speakers. If you feel like you need more help on this topic, you can read my articles on English Word Order and English Sentence Patterns, or ask us a question in the comments.
4. Most Common English Grammar Mistakes
The only thing less fun than word order? English grammar!
There are a few common mistakes in English grammar that can really slow learners down, so I’ll cover some of them here for you. Note that most English grammar mistakes involve verbs, so you may want to pay special attention to this part of speech while studying.
1 – Using Incorrect Verb Tenses
This may be the most common English grammar mistake that learners make, and even native speakers don’t always get verb tenses right. I’m not going to go into very much detail here, but will briefly cover the basics with a few examples:
| Incorrect | Correct | Explanation |
| “I sleep well last night.” | “I slept well last night.” | “Last night” implies that the past tense must be used. “Sleep” is present tense, while “slept” is past tense, and therefore correct. |
| “She went to the mall tomorrow.” | “She will go to the mall tomorrow.” | “Tomorrow” implies that the future tense must be used. “Went” is the past tense of “to go,” while “will go” is the future tense, and therefore correct. |
| “He cooked dinner right now.” | “He’s cooking dinner right now.” | “Right now” implies that the present tense must be used. “Cooked” is the past tense of “cook,” while “cooking” is the present tense, and therefore correct. |
2 – Using the Infinitive Form of Verbs Incorrectly
Closely linked to the mistake above, many English learners struggle with knowing how and when to use the infinitive form of verbs (“to [verb]”). Here are some examples:
| Incorrect | Correct |
| “Would you like drink a glass of wine?” | “Would you like to drink a glass of wine?” |
| “Please to go to the store with me.” | “Please go to the store with me.” |
| “Do you want play chess after dinner?” | “Do you want to play chess after dinner?” |
| “What would you to like for dessert?” | “What would you like for dessert?” |
3 – Incorrect Subject-Verb Agreement
In English, like in many other languages, it’s important for verbs to agree with the subject. However, unlike in other languages, the only things that need to agree are the number and tense, because English has no grammatical gender.
It’s very easy to make mistakes in terms of subject-verb agreement, but once you start seeing how it works, you’ll get the hang of it quickly!
Number
| Incorrect | Correct | Additional Notes |
| “The cat run away.” | “The cat runs away.” | “The cat” and “Willow” are both singular nouns, so the verb needs to reflect that. Verbs in the singular form take the letter “-s” at the end. |
| “Willow love anime.” | “Willow loves anime.” | |
| “They enjoys kayaking.” | “They enjoy kayaking.” | “They” is a plural noun, so the verb needs to reflect that. Verbs in the plural form do not take an “-s” at the end. |
| “I hopes for a bright future.” | “I hope for a bright future.” | “I” is a singular noun, but it breaks the above-mentioned rules a little. When “I” is used as the subject, the verb does not take an “-s” at the end. |
Tense
| Incorrect | Correct | Additional Notes |
| “Henry take the book from her.” | “Henry took the book from her.” | In this case, the verb “take” needs to be conjugated into the past tense, as it’s implied from the sentence that the action happened in the past. |
| “I buy a notebook tomorrow.” | “I will buy a notebook tomorrow.” | Here, the verb “buy” needs to be conjugated in the future tense, as it’s implied from the sentence that the action is going to happen in the future. |
| “Oh no! The oven is explode!” | “Oh no! The oven is exploding!” | This sentence suggests that the action is taking place right now, so the verb needs to take the present form. |
- → Learn more about English verb conjugation by reading our relevant article.
4 – Although ___, but ___.
Another common grammar mistake English learners make is using the sentence structure “Although ___, but ___.” This is incorrect because the word “although” implies the same meaning as the word “but,” so using them together like this is redundant, similar to using a double negative sentence.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| “Although she was tired, but she went jogging.” | “Although she was tired, she went jogging.” OR “She was tired, but she went jogging.” |
| “Although the dog was dirty, but he still loved it.” | “Although the dog was dirty, he still loved it.” OR “The dog was dirty, but he still loved it.” |
| “Although the rain came, but they continued their journey.” | “Although the rain came, they continued their journey.” OR “The rain came, but they continued their journey.” |
5. Other Mistakes
There are a few other mistakes that new English learners commonly make. These mistakes don’t fall neatly into specific categories, but they’re still worth mentioning!
1- Formal vs. Casual
English tends to be pretty flexible when it comes to formal vs. casual speech and writing. Unlike some other languages, there aren’t many different words for varying levels of respect or formality—which might be why it’s so easy to use the wrong level of formality in different situations.
To help you out, here’s a quick breakdown of things to keep in mind:
| Example Settings | Words/Phrases | |
| Formal |
| In situations like these, you should do the following:
❖ Always use “please” and “thank you” ❖ Avoid using slang words or phrases ❖ Use complete sentences with proper grammar |
| Casual |
| In situations like these, it’s okay to:
❖ Omit “please” and “thank you” if they’re not really necessary ❖ Use slang words and phrases (as long as they’re appropriate for the people you’re with) ❖ Speak or write in fragments |
Whenever you’re in doubt, though, it’s best to use more formal language. If the other party wants you to start speaking more casually with them, they’ll let you know!
2- Apostrophes
Apostrophes (‘) even confuse native English speakers! They have a wide variety of uses, and until you’ve been using the language for a while, the rules of usage can seem very ambiguous.
Essentially, there are two situations when you should use apostrophes:
- To show possession (adding an ‘s)
- To create contractions
Becoming familiar with these rules can help you avoid common English writing mistakes!
Possession
| Example | Explanation |
| “Mickey’s hamster” | The hamster that belongs to Mickey |
| “The horse’s mane” | The mane that belongs to the horse |
| “Jesus’ disciples” | The disciples that belong to Jesus Note here that only an apostrophe is added to “Jesus” instead of an ‘s. This is because it’s a proper noun that ends with the letter “s.” There are some people who will add the entire ‘s to the word, but it’s more common to add only the apostrophe. For more information on this topic, you can visit this page. |
Contractions
| Example | Explanation |
| “I’ll go.” | Contraction of “I will” |
| “He’s a monster.” | Contraction of “he is” |
| “We’re already late!” | Contraction of “we are” |
| “Elizabeth shouldn’t’ve done that!” | Contraction of “should not have” |
Note that when using contractions, the apostrophe usually takes the place of one of the letters. However, in the last example, you’ll notice two things:
1. There are two apostrophes
2. One of the apostrophes replaces two letters
The reason this contraction has two apostrophes is because it consists of three words combined instead of only two.
The second apostrophe replaces two letters simply because this is how contractions work with the word “have.” When used as part of a contraction, only the last two letters are used. This is another rule you’ll just have to memorize and practice.
3- I.E. or E.G.
Here’s another one that trips up even native English speakers—probably because it’s not actually English, it’s Latin. The abbreviation “i.e.” stands for the Latin phrase id est, which means “in other words.” On the other hand, “e.g.” stands for the Latin phrase exempli gratia, which means “for example.”
You use “i.e.” when you’re going to explain something another way, using different words. You use “e.g.” when you’re going to give an example of something you mentioned, usually to help the reader (or listener) better understand what you’re saying.
Here are some examples:
| I.E. | E.G. |
| “I’m really stuck on the book I’m writing (i.e. I’m almost ready to give up).” | “Lewis is so irresponsible (e.g. he never washes the dishes or vacuums).” |
| “Penny hasn’t spoken to Joe in months (i.e. they’re relationship is over).” | “Cats have so many fascinating qualities (e.g. they’re very independent).” |
| “Quinten didn’t show up for the final (i.e. he won’t graduate this year).” | “Do you have any special skills? (E.g. drawing, writing, or singing)” |
6. The Biggest Mistake
Whew! We covered a long list of potential English mistakes. But there’s still one more mistake we have to talk about: being afraid of making mistakes.
No one enjoys the embarrassment, frustration, or hopelessness that accompanies a mistake. But mistakes are part of being human, and they can actually be a good thing if you let them! If nothing else, the negative feelings that come with failure will inspire you and drive you to avoid those feelings in the future.
That said, it’s mistakes that help us learn. Someone who never makes mistakes (i.e. they never leave their comfort zone) never learns either, and that person can never grow beyond themselves.
If you want to overcome mistakes, you have to face them. If you want to master English (or anything, really), you have to be willing to make a few mistakes along the way. When you acknowledge mistakes as the extremely effective learning tools they are, it no longer seems like the end of the world when you make one!
7. Final Thoughts
Having read this article, you should have a much better idea of the most common mistakes made in English and how to avoid them. On your path to mastering English, it may feel like there’s countless rules and nuances holding you back, but don’t let hopelessness get the best of you! Keep studying, keep practicing, and keep believing in your ability to get better.
- → Read this quick article on the five most common problems English learners face for more information on how to overcome problems and achieve your goals!
EnglishClass101.com has tons of fun and effective lessons for learners at every level. Whether you want to focus on your speaking, listening, reading, or writing skills, we have your back. Sign up today for your free lifetime account, and learn English like never before.
Before you go, let us know in the comments which of these mistakes you have the hardest time with. Did this article help you with them at all? We look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Happy English learning!
The Most Common English Questions and How to Answer Them
Asking questions is one of the most effective ways for getting to know someone on a personal level. People tend to be curious about things, and as social creatures, this often applies to the people around us. Knowing the top ten English questions and how to answer them will help you get to know the people around you, and help them know you better in exchange!
In this article, I’ll introduce you to the most essential English questions and answers for beginners and intermediate learners. For each question, there will be:
- A breakdown of the most popular form of the question.
- A list of alternative ways to ask the question (if any).
- A table of possible answers to common English questions, with examples and additional notes if needed.
Let’s dive in!
- → If you’re not quite comfortable with your current introduction skills, EnglishClass101.com has an article all about introducing yourself that you can start with.
Table of Contents
- Question Words in English
- What’s your name?
- Where are you from?
- What do you do?
- Do you have any brothers or sisters?
- How long have you been studying English?
- How are you?
- What time is it?
- What are you doing?
- What’s wrong?
- What’s the weather like?
- Final Thoughts
1. Question Words in English
Before I discuss questions and answers in English conversations, I’ll briefly cover an important topic: question words in English.
In English, there are six main words that we tend to use when asking questions. These are:
- What: Used when asking for information about something.
- Where: Used when asking about location.
- When: Used when asking about time.
- Who: Used when asking about a person or people.
- Why: Used when asking about motive or intention.
- How: Used when asking about the means by which something happened.
We almost always put these words at the very beginning of a question.
You’ll notice that all of these words begin with a “W” except for the last one. When children are learning English, these question words are often referred to as “Five W’s and an H” to help them remember. There are additional question words, but these six are used most often, especially in journalism.
As you read this article, you’ll also see that “what” is the most commonly used question word. This is because it’s extremely versatile, and can be used to ask a variety of question types.
2. What’s your name?
When you first meet someone, usually the first question they ask is “What is your name?” Before we learn how to answer, let’s break down the question:
| Question Word | “To Be” Verb | Second-Person Possessive Pronoun | What You’re Called |
| What | is | your | name? |
As you can see, the question begins with a “question word.” This is the word a person uses to show that they want some kind of information, and they usually go at the beginning of a question.
The question word is followed by a “to be” verb, in this case, the word “is.” This indicates that the person is inquiring about the status or definition of something.
Next is the word “your,” which is the possessive form of the second-person pronoun “you.” They’re asking about the name that belongs to you, and no one else.
Finally is the word “name,” which is the piece of information the person is after. When you put the question together, they’re basically asking what you are called, or what name belongs to you.
Alternative Questions
Here are two other ways of asking the same question:
- “What’s your name?”
- “What can I call you?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
There are four basic sentence patterns you can use to answer this question. In each one, simply fill in the blank with your name.
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Note |
| My name is ___. | My name is Tom. My name is Alisha. | More formal |
| You can call me ___. | You can call me Tom. You can call me Alisha. | More formal |
| I’m ___. | I’m Tom. I’m Alisha. | Less formal |
| ___. | Tom. Alisha. | Less formal |
3. Where are you from?
Learning where someone is from can be very exciting, and many people in the United States love to learn about other places. The next question you’re likely to hear is “Where are you from?”
| Question Word | “To Be” Verb | Second-Person Pronoun | Preposition Referring to Origin |
| Where | are | you | from? |
This question structure is very similar to the one above. It begins with a question word for location, followed by a “to be” verb and second-person pronoun. The last word, “from,” indicates that the speaker wants to know your original location, or where you lived before.
Possible Patterns & Answers
The simplest way to answer this question is with the pattern “I’m from ___.” You just need to put the name of your home country in the blank. If you want, you can also include the name of the state, city, or town you’re from, like in the last example.
| Pattern | Answer |
| I’m from ___. | I’m from Norway. I’m from the U.S.A. I’m from Germany. I’m from Lublin, Poland. |
- → Not sure what your country is called in English? Check out EnglishClass101’s Vocabulary for Nationalities page!
4. What do you do?
In the United States, people love talking about their jobs and hearing what other people do for a living. While you’re getting to know someone, you’re going to hear the question “What do you do?”
| Question Word | Perform Action Of | Second-Person Pronoun | Perform Action Of |
| What | do | you | do? |
This question begins with the question word “what,” followed by the word “do,” which means to perform an action. Next is the second-person pronoun “you,” also followed by the word “do.”
Alternative Questions
Here are two more ways of asking the same question:
- “What do you do for a living?”
- “Where do you work?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| I am a(n) ___. | I am a teacher. I am a programmer. I am a writer. I am an accountant. | Fill in the blank with your job. |
| I work as a(n) ___. | I work as a teacher. I work as a programmer. I work as a writer. I work as an accountant. | Fill in the blank with your job. |
| I work at ___. | I work at the elementary school. I work at Google. I work at home. I work at a large company. | Fill in the blank with your place of work. |
- → Check out EnglishClass101’s vocabulary list on Jobs & Work to figure out what your job is called. Alternatively, if you’re looking for work in the United States, we’ve also curated an article on how to find and attain the best U.S. job for you!
5. Do you have any brothers or sisters?
Once a new acquaintance starts getting to know you better, they’ll probably want to know if you have any siblings. A common way to ask this question is: “Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
| Perform Action Of | Second-Person Pronoun | To Own | Indefinite Pronoun | Male Siblings | Word Referring To Another Possibility | Female Siblings |
| Do | you | have | any | brothers | or | sisters? |
This question has a few more words than the other ones we’ve looked at, and doesn’t begin with a “real” question word. The word “do,” when used at the beginning of a question, is sometimes called a “dummy” question word—it’s a word that can indicate a question despite not technically serving that purpose in English grammar.
When you put the above question together, it shows that the other person is asking if you have siblings. The indefinite pronoun “any” leaves the question slightly open-ended, so you can answer more specifically about how many siblings you have, what gender they are, and even whether they’re older or younger than you.
There are three basic patterns you can use to answer.
Alternative Questions
Here are two other questions in English that basically ask the same thing:
- “Do you have any siblings?”
- “Are you an only child?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| I have (a) ___. | I have a sister. I have a brother. I have a younger sister. I have an older brother. I have three sisters. I have one older sister. | You can also indicate whether your sibling (or siblings) is older or younger than you by using the appropriate adjective. |
| I have ___ and ___. | I have two brothers and one sister. I have three sisters and one brother. | Use if you have siblings of different genders. |
| No, I don’t. I’m an only child. | – | Use if you don’t have any siblings. |
- → Do you need to learn some additional vocabulary to talk about your siblings and family? EnglishClass101 has a word list for you, and a blog post all about family in the United States!
6. How long have you been studying English?
Your conversation partner is very impressed so far with your English speaking and communication skills. They ask “How long have you been studying English?”
| Question Word | An Amount Of Time | Second-Person Pronoun | Gerund Form Of The Word “Study” | The English Language | ||
| How | long | have | you | been | studying | English? |
This is another long question, but it does a better job of following the usual question format. Before we move on to possible answers, please note the words “have” and “been.” Even though there’s a word separating them, it’s important to see how these two words work together.
When someone says the phrase “have been,” it indicates that something has been going on for a certain amount of time. So, in this question, they want to know the amount of time that you have been studying the English language.
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| I’ve been studying for ___. | I’ve been studying for one month. I’ve been studying for two years. | Most formal. |
| For ___. | For five years. For three weeks. | Less formal. |
| ___. | Nine months. A few years. | Least formal. |
- → To learn more about how to say dates in English, check out EnglishClass101’s article on this very topic.
7. How are you?
Congratulations! You’ve officially made a new friend, and you’re getting coffee together a week later. The moment you see each other again, they ask “How are you?”
| Question Word | “To Be” Verb | Second-Person Pronoun |
| How | are | you? |
This is one of the most basic English questions that family, friends, and even colleagues ask each other all the time. As you can see above, it’s simply a question word followed by the “to be” verb “are,” and then the second-person pronoun “you.” Basically, they’re asking about your status—how you’re feeling or how your week has been.
Alternative Questions
You may also hear the question asked this way:
- “How are you doing?”
- “How have you been?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| I’m doing ___. | I’m doing fine. I’m doing pretty good. | While the word “doing” is used in this answer, it doesn’t refer to a specific action. It instead refers to how you’re feeling or how life is going for you. |
| I’m ___. | I’m okay. I’m great. | This is basically the same as the above pattern, but shorter. |
| I’ve been ___. | I’ve been well. I’ve been alright. | Using this pattern indicates that you’re answering about how you’ve been feeling over a longer period of time. For example, if you haven’t seen someone in a few months, and they ask you this, you’ll tell them how you’ve been over the last few months. |
- → Learn how to express what you’re feeling with our relevant vocabulary lists: Top 20 Words for Positive Emotions and Top 21 Words for Negative Emotions.
8. What time is it?
Another very frequent question you’re likely to hear is “What time is it?”
| Question Word | The Current Time (Hours/Minutes) | “To Be” Verb | Pronoun Referring to the Word “Time” |
| What | time | is | it? |
In this question, you can see that the question word “what” is placed at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the information being requested (“time”). Next is the “to be” verb “is” and the pronoun “it,” which in this case refers to the earlier-used word “time.” The person is simply asking you for the current time, usually in hours and minutes.
Alternative Questions
You may also hear the question asked this way:
- “Do you have the time?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| It’s ___ o’clock. | It’s twelve o’clock. It’s three o’clock. | Most formal. |
| It’s ___. | It’s two-thirty. It’s nine-fifteen. | Less formal. |
| ___. | Ten. Four forty-five. | Least formal. |
- → For more information on how to tell time in English, be sure to read EnglishClass101’s relevant blog post on the topic. Or, you can simply take a look at our time-related vocabulary list.
9. What are you doing?
Whether you’re having a casual conversation over text message or a coworker wants to know what task you’re performing, the question “What are you doing?“ is going to come up a lot.
| Question Word | “To Be“ Verb | Second-Person Pronoun | To Be Performing An Action |
| What | are | you | doing? |
The question word “what” begins the question, followed by the to-be verb “are.” Next comes the second-person pronoun “you” and the word “doing,” which refers to an action being performed. The person wants to know what action you’re performing.
Alternative Questions
You may also hear the question asked this way:
- “What are you up to?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| I’m ___. | I’m thinking. I’m writing. I’m watching TV. I’m working out. | Simply fill in the blank with the gerund form of the action you’re doing. |
| Nothing much. | – | Use this if you’re not really doing anything important, or if you don’t feel like sharing what you’re doing. This is a common answer between friends or in other casual conversations. |
- → Find your favorite hobbies on our relevant vocabulary list!
10. What’s wrong?
Have you made a close friend in the U.S.? If so, they may ask you the question “What’s wrong?” if you seem sad or hurt about something, or if something doesn’t seem right.
| Contraction of “What” and “Is” | Upsetting You / Not Right |
| What’s | wrong? |
Because this question is most commonly used between close friends or family members, the contraction “what’s” is almost always used. This is the contraction of the question word “what” and the “to be” verb “is.” Next is the word “wrong,” which refers to something that’s not correct, or something that’s upsetting you.
Alternative Questions
You may also hear the question asked like this:
- “Is something wrong?”
- “What’s the matter?”
- “Are you okay?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| I’m ___. | I’m tired. I’m sad. I’m sick. I’m stressed. | Simply fill in the blank with an adjective that describes how you feel. |
| Nothing. | – | You can use any of these three phrases if you don’t feel like talking about what’s wrong, or if there really is nothing wrong. |
| Nothing’s wrong. | – | |
| I don’t want to talk about it. | – |
- → Are you unsure of how to express your emotions in English? Study our vocabulary list on the 21 most common negative emotions.
11. What’s the weather like?
You’ll most likely hear the question “What’s the weather like?” during a conversation with someone you don’t know very well, especially if you’re trying to get to know each other.
| Contraction of “What“ and “Is“ | Definite Article | Referring to Weather Conditions or Climate | A Word Used for Comparison or Description |
| What’s | the | weather | like? |
Like we saw in the previous question, this question begins with the contraction “what’s,” meaning “what is.” Next is the definite article “the,” followed by the word “weather,” which refers to things like temperature and climate. At the end of the sentence is the word “like,” which in this case is a word that’s used for making comparisons or adding a description to something. The person wants to know how you would describe the weather.
Alternative Questions
Here are two other ways you may hear this question asked:
- “How’s the weather?”
- “What’s the weather like in ___ [the place you’re from]?”
Possible Patterns & Answers
| Pattern | Answer | Additional Notes |
| It’s ___. | It’s sunny. It’s rainy. It’s cloudy. | Used for one adjective. |
| It’s ___ and ___. | It’s hot and humid. It’s cold and dry. | Used for two adjectives. |
| It’s ___ in ___. | It’s warm in Florida. It’s hot in Indonesia. It’s cold in Russia. | Use this pattern if someone asks you what the weather is like where you’re from. The first blank is the weather adjective and the second blank is where you’re from. |
- → Study EnglishClass101’s list of the 15 most common weather conditions to expand your weather vocabulary. For a more in-depth look at the weather in the United States, read our U.S. Weather article as well!
12. Final Thoughts
In this article, we covered a mix of common English questions and answers. Some of them are important for new language-learners to master, and others are essential for anyone planning a vacation (or move) to the United States.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg—there are many more question and answer patterns you should know as you continue learning the language. For detailed lessons on even more essential questions for English-learners, we recommend that you go through our 25 Questions Lesson Series.
One of the best ways you can prepare to use these questions and answers is to start practicing today! Whether you want to write all of them down on a piece of paper to take with you places, or practice only one a week as much as you can, any amount of real-life usage is going to help you get the hang of it.
Before you go, why not leave us a comment with answers to some of these questions? We always love hearing from you, and look forward to learning more about you.
Happy English learning! 🙂
The IELTS Exam: IELTS Preparation Tips & Guide
Do you need to prove your English fluency for a job, university enrollment, a visa, or personal fulfillment? There are a few popular English fluency exams out there, some of which you may have already looked at and considered.
In case you’re still in the beginning stages of choosing the best English proficiency test for you, EnglishClass101.com has a separate article on the TOEIC test and how you can excel at it!
In this article, I’ll be covering the basics of the IELTS test. You’ll learn what IELTS stands for, who should take it, what to expect during the test, and how you can effectively prepare for it.
Are you ready? Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to the IELTS Exam
- What’s in the IELTS Exam?
- Preparing for the IELTS
- Bonus: Dealing with Test Anxiety
- You CAN Pass the IELTS!
1. Introduction to the IELTS Exam
The IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is one of the most popular English proficiency tests. There are three types of IELTS you can take, depending on your goals:
| Academic Version |
|
| General Training Version |
|
| Life Skills Version |
|
Regardless of which IELTS exam version you take, there will be four sections:
- Listening
- Reading
- Writing
- Speaking
The actual content of these sections varies slightly from version to version, but the exam is essentially the same across the board. In this article, I won’t focus on the IELTS life skills test, but rather the academic and general training versions.
2. What’s in the IELTS Exam?
Here, I’ll give you more detailed information on the basic IELTS test format and what to expect in each of these four sections. If you want even more information on what the IELTS contains, Wikipedia has a very useful page on the topic! 1- IELTS Listening Test
The listening component of the IELTS exam is thirty minutes long. There are four sections in this part of the test, and each section contains ten questions:
| Section # | Type of Language Used | How Many People Speaking? |
| 1 | Everyday, social dialogue | Two people speaking |
| 2 | Everyday, social monologue | One person speaking |
| 3 | Educational or training-related dialogue | Two people speaking |
| 4 | Educational or training-related monologue | One person speaking |
→ Keep in mind that during the listening portion of the test, you’ll hear multiple English dialects! Later in this article, you can find links to both American English and British English pronunciation lessons, as well as how to improve your listening skills.
2- IELTS Reading Test
The reading component of the exam is sixty minutes long. It consists of three sections and approximately 2500 total words of reading. The way the reading pieces are presented varies slightly depending on which version of the exam you take:
Academic Version
| Section # | What to Expect |
| 1 | Each of the three reading sections for the Academic Version includes text from books, journals, and other informational sources. The content of these texts is therefore informational and selected for an audience of test-takers who are (or want to be) enrolled in a university or place of higher learning. |
| 2 | |
| 3 |
General Training Version
| Section # | What to Expect |
| 1 |
|
| 2 |
|
| 3 |
|
→ Keep in mind that the IELTS reading section contains questions of various formats. For example, there will be multiple choice, short answer, diagrams, and identification-type questions. We recommend becoming familiar with multiple question-and-answer formats before attempting the test!
3- IELTS Writing Test
The writing component of the test is sixty minutes long. It contains two writing tasks you must complete, although these tasks vary slightly depending on which version of the IELTS you’re taking:
Academic Version
| Section # | What to Expect | Time |
| 1 |
| Twenty minutes |
| 2 |
| Forty minutes |
General Training Version
| Section # | What to Expect | Time |
| 1 |
| Twenty minutes |
| 2 |
| Forty minutes |
→ Keep in mind that it’s necessary for you to complete both of these tasks in full!
We recommend that you practice writing on a variety of topics as much as possible and to study up on different ways of structuring your essay, argument, or letter.
4- IELTS Speaking Test
The speaking portion of the IELTS exam is the shortest, lasting approximately ten to fifteen minutes.
This part of the test takes the form of a one-on-one interview with your examiner and can actually take place up to seven days before or after the rest of the exam.
It consists of three sections:
| Section | What to Expect | Time |
| Initial Interview |
| Approximately five minutes |
| Task Card Talk |
| Approximately four minutes |
| Discussion |
| Approximately five minutes |
→ The conversation that takes place during the speaking portion of the IELTS will be recorded. This is done as a precautionary action in case an appeal for grading is requested.
This may be the shortest section, but we know that just a few minutes of talking in another language can seem like a lifetime! We recommend practicing your speaking skills as much as possible beforehand. Later in this article, you’ll find links to some useful EnglishClass101 lessons for this!
3. Preparing for the IELTS
The first thing you can do to prepare for the test is to sign up and complete your IELTS registration! All you need to do is find where your nearest testing center is located, pay and apply online, and then arrive on time to the testing center on the day of the exam.
Get more information and sign up today on the IELTS official website!
You can also find the IELTS practice test on the official site to gain firsthand knowledge on what to expect and what you need to work on.
1- Listening Preparation
Listening comprehension is one of the trickiest aspects of learning a new language, especially if your native tongue is spoken very differently.
The best way to prepare for the listening part of the IELTS is to spend as much time as you can actively listening to English conversations.
There are many ways you can do this:
- Watch TV shows or movies in English
- Listen to song lyrics in English
- Hold conversations with English-speaking friends or coworkers
- Eavesdrop on people’s English conversations
That last tip may sound like an invasion of privacy, but this isn’t always the case. Imagine you’re eating out at a crowded restaurant, and the people sitting behind you are having an animated conversation—you can fine-tune your listening skills by trying to figure out what they’re talking about!
EnglishClass101 Content
2- Reading Preparation
How can you prepare for the reading portion?
Reading as much English content as you can beforehand is a good place to start. You may want to choose what type of content you read based on the IELTS version you plan on taking. If you’re taking the Academic Version, try reading more educational content. If you’re taking the General Training Version, you may want to read a greater variety of content related to daily life, work, and education.
Before reading the text, try asking yourself some questions about it:
- What is this text about?
- What is the writer’s opinion on the topic?
- How do I feel about the topic?
Then, after you’ve read the piece, try to answer them! This will indicate how much you comprehend what you read. (If you didn’t get much, try reading it again!)
EnglishClass101 Content
- Top Ways to Practice Your English Reading Skills (Vocab List)
- Read English Instantly! No Knowledge of English Required (American)
- Read English Instantly! No Knowledge of English Required (British)
3- Writing Preparation
To prepare for this portion of the test, write as much as you can in English!
Take into account which version of the test you plan on taking and fine-tune your writing skills for the kinds of topics you’ll most likely be asked to write about. A fun way you can practice writing about various topics is to search for writing prompts online!
Further, ask yourself what you struggle with the most when writing. Do you have a hard time with spelling? Do you find grammar or sentence structures confusing? Do you have the basics covered but have no idea how to craft a compelling argument or compose a letter?
Knowing where your weak points are will help you decide on what to spend most of your time practicing. If you want an outside perspective, you can ask a native English speaker to check some of your writing and point out areas for improvement (and areas you excel in!). If you don’t currently have someone to help you, you may find EnglishClass101’s MyTeacher program useful!
EnglishClass101 Content
- Learn the English Writing System (American)
- Learn the English Writing System (British)
- Email Types – Introduction
4- Speaking Preparation
As with the other portions of the IELTS, the best way to practice is to speak as much English as you can.
In particular, mastering the basics of conversation, such as introducing yourself, expressing opinions, and of course, being an active listener, is essential. Pronunciation is another factor your examiner will be listening closely for.
If you have an English-speaking friend or colleague, try having short conversations with them on various topics, in English. If you’re feeling brave, you can even ask them to point out any pronunciation errors you’re making or areas where you may not be communicating clearly.
To listen to your own pronunciation when speaking, EnglishClass101 also has an updated voice recording tool. You can simply record yourself speaking and play it back. If something sounds off, you can record and try again until you have it right.
EnglishClass101 Content
- The Pronunciation of Vowels in American English
- Learn American English Pronunciation
- Learn British English Pronunciation
- Regional Variations in British English
4. Bonus: Dealing with Test Anxiety
All the preparation in the world can let you down if you happen to suffer from test anxiety. When you have test anxiety, you become so stressed about the test you’re taking that all the information you studied and practiced goes out the window and your mind goes blank—even if you really do know the information!
How can you combat your test anxiety and excel during the IELTS?
There are some basic things you can do, which are recommended for test-takers:
- Get plenty of sleep the night before.
- Stay hydrated and well-nourished.
- Get plenty of exercise.
Essentially, taking care of yourself can help enormously before an important test or event.
But what about when you’re sitting down, your test materials are in front of you, and the clock’s running? How can you go from panic-mode to clear-minded?
Here are some ideas:
- Go in with a positive mindset to begin with.
- Take deep breaths. (It’s a cliche, but it works!)
- Go through the test questions methodically to increase your confidence.
Do you need more tips or clarification on the ones here? There are plenty of reliable sources online for how to deal with and overcome test anxiety. If this is something you struggle with, or anticipate struggling with, we highly recommend doing some research on how to push through it!
5. You CAN Pass the IELTS!
Taking the IELTS exam can be a huge leap forward toward your goals. Not only will you have a new sense of self-confidence in your English abilities, but you’ll be able to gain the confidence of others as well.
IELTS preparation may seem like a huge task—because it is one! But the rewards will make your effort worth it.
And with EnglishClass101.com, learning English doesn’t have to be a boring, monotonous process. With an array of different learning tools and mediums, you can study English in a way that works for you! We aim to make every aspect of your language-learning journey both fun and effective, and we ensure that you will find practical and relevant study materials no matter what your current skill level is!
If you’re serious about mastering English and gaining the skills and experience you need to pass the IELTS, create your free lifetime account today on EnglishClass101.com!
Have you ever taken the IELTS? Are there any study tips you would recommend to those looking to take it themselves? Why not help out your fellow English-learners in the comments section below?
Happy English learning, and good luck! 🙂
The Best Ready-to-Use English Sentence Patterns Just for You
It’s difficult to begin communicating effectively in a new language. There are so many new words, grammar rules to remember, and little nuances that you learn only through years of practice and growth. And, especially for those of us who are painfully shy or afraid of failure, trying out these new words and phrases is asking for a panic attack!
So where to start?
If you’re ready to start speaking English today and jumpstart your exposure to everyday language, you’re in the right place.
EnglishClass101.com has prepared a list of eleven English sentence patterns for beginners to get started with. These basic phrases will enable you to express the most important and practical concepts with ease. And you can practice using them every day!
The best part is that once you have these patterns memorized, you can create hundreds of original, detailed sentences to use with anyone!
I recommend that you read my article on English Word Order and Sentence Structure before continuing. Some of the sentence pattern examples in this article are more complex, and having a good idea of how word order works first will help you to get the most value from this article!
Are you ready? Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
- A is B.
- A is [Adjective].
- I am ___.
- I want (to) ___.
- I need (to) ___. / I have to ___.
- I like (to) ___.
- Please ___.
- May I ___? / Can I ___?
- What is ___?
- When (is) ___? / What time (is) ___?
- Where is ___?
- Final Thoughts
1. A is B.
When you want to link two nouns, use the “A is B” sentence pattern. A is the first noun and B is the noun you’re linking it to. You’re basically saying that the first noun (A) is also the second noun (B).
Simple Examples
| “She is my friend.” |
| “He is my teacher.” |
| “My grandma is a bookkeeper.” |
More Complex Examples
| “Peanut butter is my favorite food.” |
| “That scented candle is a gift from my best friend.” |
2. A is [Adjective].
The “A is Adjective” sentence pattern is very similar to the one above. But instead of linking A to another noun, you’re linking it to an adjective that describes it.
Here are some simple examples:
Simple Examples
| “He is hardworking.” |
| “She is intelligent.” |
| “The apartment is small.” |
More Complex Examples
| “Sharon’s dog is really annoying.” |
| “The dinner I’m going to make next week will be delicious.” |
Note the use of “will be” in the last example. “Will be” is the future tense of “is” and is used to imply that something will happen in the future.
→ Learn more about verb conjugation in our dedicated article!
→ Need to brush up on your adjectives? EnglishClass101.com has a special vocab list to help you out!
3. I am ___.
This is a versatile sentence pattern you can use to talk about yourself, and one of best sentences in English for a beginner. You can give your name this way, talk about your occupation, let someone know how you’re feeling, or inform someone about what you’re currently doing:
- “I am [name].“
- “I am (a/an) [occupation].“
- “I am [adjective].“
- “I am [gerund form of verb].“
Simple Examples
| “I am [Lily].” – Name |
| “I am [a writer].” – Occupation |
| “I am [hungry].” – Adjective |
More Complex Examples
| I am [thinking about the future]. – Verb |
| I am [excited] for the upcoming holiday season. – Adjective |
→ Check out EnglishClass101’s dedicated vocabulary lists for Jobs/Work, Top 20 Words for Positive Emotions, Top 21 Words for Negative Emotions, and the 50 Most Common Verbs!
4. I want (to) ___.
Use the “I want (to) ___” sentence pattern to let someone know what you want:
Simple Examples
| “I want this.” |
| “I want pie.” |
| “I want to sleep.” |
Note that the word “to” is used after the word “want” when the desire expressed is an action.
More Complex Examples
| “I want to ask you a question.” |
| “Henry wants to visit his grandparents next month.” |
5. I need (to) ___. / I have to ___.
These are some of the most commonly used English sentences used in daily life, and they can be used almost interchangeably. The only exception is “I need ___” if the word “to” is dropped. In this case, the phrase can’t be used to express an action- or verb-related need. (There are also small differences in their technical meanings, but most people won’t care which one you use in conversation.)
Use these sentence structures to let someone know what you need or have to do.
Simple Examples
| “I need a vacation.” |
| “I need to eat.” |
| “I need to sleep.” |
Just like in the previous sentence pattern, note that the word “to” is used after the word “need” or “have” when the need is an action.
More Complex Examples
| “I have to use the bathroom.” |
| “I have to leave very soon.” |
6. I like (to) ___.
Use these basic English sentences to describe what you enjoy doing.
Simple Examples
| “I like reading.” |
| “I like petting cats.” |
| “I like to drink coffee.” |
More Complex Examples
| “I like spending time with you every day.” |
| “I like going on long road trips with my loved ones.” |
→ Here’s some more vocabulary to help you talk about what you like to do!
7. Please ___.
The “Please ___” sentence pattern is the simplest and most effective way to ask someone to do something in a polite and respectful way. Simply say “Please” followed by your request.
Simple Examples
| “Please listen to me.” |
| “Please help me out.” |
| “Please follow directions.” |
| “Please pick up dinner on your way home from work.” |
| “Please show me where the nearest gas station is.” |
8. May I ___? / Can I ___?
Use these simple sentences to ask for permission to do something. They can usually be used interchangeably, though there are technical differences. “May I ___?” is usually considered more proper and polite when requesting permission, while “Can I ___?” has more to do with one’s ability to do something.
Simple Example
| “May I come in?” |
| “May I go now?” |
| “Can I ask you a question?” |
More Complex Examples
| “May I ask what you’re doing here so late?” |
| “Can I join you guys at the movie theater tomorrow?” |
9. What is ___?
This is a great sentence pattern for getting more information about something or someone. Simply say “What is” followed by the thing you want more information about.
Simple Examples
| “What is this?” |
| “What is your name?” |
| “What is tomorrow?” |
More Complex Examples
| “What is the name of that song we were listening to?” |
| “What is your favorite ___?” |
In the last example, fill in the blank with the topic you’re curious about.
→ If you’re asking about their favorite food, favorite animal, or favorite color, prepare for their answer by studying our relevant vocab lists!
10. When (is) ___? / What time (is) ___?
You can use the sentence pattern “When (is) ___?” when you’re asking about a specific time or date. You can use “What time (is) ___?” if you just need to know the time.
Here are some examples of how to ask for the time or date.
Simple Examples
| “What time is it?” |
| “When is your birthday?” |
| “When should I arrive?” |
More Complex Examples
| “When is the meeting at work next week?” |
| “What time is the baby shower at your house tomorrow?” |
→ Learn how to talk about dates and use numbers with EnglishClass101!
11. Where is ___?
Use the “Where is ___?” sentence pattern to ask someone where something is. This is an essential phrase to remember if you plan on traveling somewhere you’ve never been to before!
Simple Examples
| “Where is the restroom?” |
| “Where is the elevator?” |
| “Where is the store?” |
More Complex Examples
| “Where is that really good restaurant located?” |
| “Where is the library you wanted me to visit?” |
→ For more helpful words and phrases, check out our Position / Direction vocabulary list or our blog post about giving and asking for directions in English.
12. Final Thoughts
With these common English phrases and sentence patterns, you can communicate effectively about almost anything. It may take a little while to memorize each one and get used to how they work, but once you get there, it will be very much worth it!
If you need to, feel free to bookmark this page to look at later, or print it out and put it somewhere you’ll see every day. And of course, practice using these sentence patterns in various situations as often as you can. Remember that mistakes are part of the learning process and can actually help you grow more as a language-learner than perfection (or lack of trying!) can.
Did you know any of these sentence patterns already? Which ones are new to you? If there’s anything you’re unsure about or need help with, leave us a comment below and we’ll do our best to help you out!
If you’re serious about mastering English, be sure to create your free lifetime account today on EnglishClass101.com. We make it fun, effective, and as painless as possible!
Happy English learning!
What is an Adverb? Learn the Top 100+ English Adverbs
Saying that something happened is one thing, but saying how it happened is another. This is where adverbs come in.
But what is an adverb, and why do you need them?
Adverbs provide flair and color to both speech and writing. They allow you to describe occurrences or situations in greater detail. An adverb can provide a key detail in a sentence.
For example, take the sentence “I slept last night.” In most situations, this is enough information. But what if you want to talk about the quality of your sleep, or how long you slept? To explain this, you could say, “I slept fitfully last night,” or “I slept a long time last night.”
See? By using adverbs, you can give the exact amount of detail people need to read between the lines. If you slept fitfully, it might explain why you’re sleepy or grouchy that day. If you slept a long time, it might explain why you’re so energized and happy.
In this article, you’ll learn all about adverbs in English and how to use them. You can even start practicing right away by using words from our adverbs lists! Let’s get started.
Table of Contents
- What is an Adverb?
- Adverbs List: The 100+ Most Used Adverbs in English
- Use of Adverbs in English Sentences
- Finally…
1. What is an Adverb?
1- Adverb Definition
An adverb is used to describe the manner in which something happened, or the state of a situation/condition. It can add vital information to an otherwise ambiguous sentence.
Adverbs don’t modify parts of speech, but sometimes sentences are arranged to sound better based on the other words in the sentence. For example, the sentence “I ran quickly” sounds a little better than “I quickly ran,” though both are technically correct.
2- Spotting an Adverb
Adverbs are sometimes called the “-ly” words, because many of them end with the letters “-ly.” However, it’s important to note that not all adverbs have this ending. Also note that adjectives sometimes end with “-ly” as well (grisly, bristly, etc.), so this isn’t a catch-all distinction.
Perhaps the best way to spot an adverb in a sentence is by process of elimination. For example, if you already know what the subject, verb, object, and adjective are, you can see if there are extra words that add detail about how something was done.
3- How to Make Adverbs in English
Adverbs are usually formed by adding the suffix “-ly” to an adjective. However, there are some exceptions.
The Basics
1) If the adjective ends with “y,” you must take off the “y” and replace it with “ily.” [Heavy > Heavily; Perky > Perkily; Happy > Happily]
2) For adjectives that end with -able, -ible, or -le, you must remove the “e” and put a “y” in its place. [Understandable > Understandably; Probable > Probably; Believable > Believably]
3) For adjectives ending with “-ic,” simply add “-ally” to the end. [Academic > Academically; Prolific > Prolifically; Basic > Basically] The exception is the word “public,” which simply ends with “-ly.”
2. Adverbs List: The 100+ Most Used Adverbs in English
Now that you know a little bit about adverbs, have a look at our English adverbs list with examples.
1- English Adverbs of Time
1
| “Today” | I’m trying a new recipe today. |
| Meaning: The current day. | |
2
| “Yesterday” | They took a long walk yesterday. |
| Meaning: The previous day. | |
3
| “Tomorrow” | I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow. |
| Meaning: The following day. | |
4
| “Last [year / month / week]” | Last year / month / week, Tom took a vacation. |
| Meaning: The previous year, month, or week. | |
5
| “Soon” | Natalie will buy a house soon. |
| Meaning: In the near future. | |
6
| “Later” | Later, I will read my book. |
| Meaning: In the future, after an unspecified period of time. | |
7
| “First” | Rick said he got there first. |
| Meaning: Before anyone/anything else. | |
8
| “Last” | I got there last. |
| Meaning: After everyone/everything else. | |
9
| “Before” | Kyle kissed his wife before he left. |
| Meaning: Prior to an action. | |
10
| “After” | After shopping, Spencer ate lunch. |
| Meaning: Following an action. | |
11
| “Now” | Now, will you tell me what’s bothering you? |
| Meaning: This moment. | |
12
| “Previously” | Gina had previously gone to the museum. |
| Meaning: Before; prior to. | |
13
| “Currently” | It’s currently raining outside. |
| Meaning: Now; at the moment. | |
14
| “Earlier” | She put away her laundry earlier. |
| Meaning: Before/prior to an action or period of time. | |
15
| “Instantly” | Instantly, Erin knew what happened. |
| Meaning: Right away; without delay. | |
16
| “Gradually” | He gradually got around to doing his chores. |
| Meaning: Happening over time, in gradations. | |
2- English Adverbs of Frequency
17
| “Never” | Jack never thought it would happen. |
| Meaning: Not ever. | |
18
| “Rarely” | Jacqueline rarely stays up late. |
| Meaning: Almost never. | |
19
| “Seldomly” | Joana seldomly drinks soda. |
| Meaning: Happening sometimes but not often. | |
20
| “Occasionally” | Liz occasionally makes chocolate cream pie. |
| Meaning: Not very often. | |
21
| “Sometimes” | Sometimes life is hard. |
| Meaning: Happening some of the time. | |
22
| “From time to time” | From time to time, she prepares steak. |
| Meaning: This phrase means the same thing as “sometimes” or “occasionally.” | |
23
| “Now and then” | I like a glass of milk now and then. |
| Meaning: This phrase means the same thing as “sometimes” or “occasionally.” | |
24
| “Often” | Lily often gets upset with herself. |
| Meaning: Happening frequently. | |
25
| “Usually” | Michael usually doesn’t like going out. |
| Meaning: This word describes something that consistently happens the same way. | |
26
| “Normally” | That normally doesn’t happen. |
| Meaning: This word means the same thing as “usually.” | |
27
| “Always” | I always drink coffee in the morning. |
| Meaning: This word describes something that happens consistently, without fail, at all times. Additional Note: People sometimes use this word when exaggerating something. For example, “She always nags me!” It’s probably not accurate to say that she always nags. In reality, she probably nags sometimes. | |
28
| “All the time” | Why does he talk about himself all the time? |
| Meaning: This phrase means the same thing as “always.” It’s used even more frequently than always when exaggerating. | |
29
| “Annually” | Most holidays occur annually. |
| Meaning: Happening once a year. | |
30
| “Monthly” | We set some money aside monthly. |
| Meaning: Happening once a month. | |
31
| “Weekly” | Quinten works out weekly. |
| Meaning: Happening once a week. | |
32
| “Daily” | Al, however, works out daily. |
| Meaning: Happening every day. | |
33
| “Hourly” | Many people are paid hourly. |
| Meaning: Happening every hour or by the hour. | |
34
| “By the minute” | They’re selling books by the minute. |
| Meaning: Happening every minute. | |
3- English Adverbs of Place
35
| “Here” | What do we have here? |
| Meaning: A demonstrative adverb for something nearby. | |
36
| “There” | He’s all the way over there! |
| Meaning: A demonstrative adverb for something farther away. | |
37
| “Everywhere” | Everywhere you go, there you are. |
| Meaning: Literally, “every single place.” | |
38
| “Somewhere” | I want to live somewhere quiet. |
| Meaning: A place that’s not specific. | |
39