|
ESL Forum:
Techniques and methods
in Language Teaching
Games, activities
and teaching ideas
Grammar and
Linguistics
Teaching material
Concerning
worksheets
Concerning
powerpoints
Concerning online
exercises
Make suggestions,
report errors
Ask for help
Message board
|
ESL forum >
Games, activities and teaching ideas > PET MISTAKES
PET MISTAKES
|
|
baiba
|
You may have hit the nail on the head Almaz with your suggestion about the confusion in teaching apostrophes. But what puzzles me is that it is a nationwide problem in Latvia.
|
27 Aug 2010
|
|
|
lshorton99
|
I have a friend whose mother goes out with tippex and a black marker to correct mistakes in apostrophes wherever she sees them!
I have problems with my students leaving the �u � out of �favourite � - they don �t with �colour � for some reason. Of course, I �m about to start a job for an American company who will probably get frustrated with me trying to put the �u � back in!
My students tend to put �wich � instead of �which �, even up to FCE and CAE level which constantly amazes me. At higher levels, misuse of �besides � is very common, especially as it �s translated in the dictionary as being the same as �in addition �, when it �s not!
�Beautiful � is another common error, along with confusion between �where � and �were � (but not �there � and �their � interestly enough).
Pet pronunciation mistakes are with �because �, �since � and �friend � - I think I spend more time drilling those words than any other!
Grammatically, the third person �s � is the biggest mistake. Also, my students have a tendency to leave out pronouns.
Interesting topic - I look forward to reading more!
Lindsey
|
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
mblucc
|
|
My students : Philosopher with F = Filosofer |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
Chilvis
|
|
I remember it took me a lot of time to learn the correct spelling of with (Iused to write whit) and now some of my students have that same mistake but I remind them to consider that it �s different from the colour white (I think our confusion comes from there, doesn �t it?)
Apart from that one the words that bring me doubts are the ones with double ss or cc such as necessary, occasionally, business... I can spell it one way one day and then differently the following day
As regards my students they don �t tend to have many spelling mistakes but pronunciation ones. For instance, I think it has taken a lot of time for the great majority of them to learn the pronunciation of the verb live with the short i vowel; they loved pronouncing it with a diphthong. |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
joy2bill
|
|
The use of apostrophes in plurals is one of my pet hates but.....
I predict that in 20-30 years it will be taught in schools as one of the �exceptions to the rules � that English is so fond of.
Why do I say this?..... because so many teachers in our general schools (and I am not talking ESL teachers here) use the apostrophe in the wrong way and so do parents. It is becoming more common than the proverbial �ditch (or is that dish) water �. You see it used incorrectly everywhere!
Isn �t this what has happened with �wanna �. �gotta �, etc which students still continue to use?
In my sentence above I ended with a propsition which would have been unheard of when I was a child.
Language is an evolving thing.
ps I would put an apostrophe in TV �s because it indicates that some letters are missed out.
Just my tuppence worth to a great discussion. Joy |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
yanogator
|
|
But Joy, shouldn �t you write T �V �s, since there are letters removed from both parts of the word?
Bruce |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
puddyd
|
|
I find the most common grammar mistake is PRESENT SIMPLE "S". To solve it and to avoid me continually having to error correct them during their sentence, I start the year off by placing an "S" in the top right hand corner of my white board. When they make the mistake while they �re talking, I just point backwards in the direction of the "S". I do it for all the other "S" problems too. It only takes a month of doing it continually and then you need not write it up anymore, you only need to point in that direction and they are able to correct themselves and the ss also peer correct each other the same way. It �s quite comical but it does drive the point home without the TTT.
;o) |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
Zora
|
Ahh, pet peeves... there are so many.. lol
A few of mine are:
- making adjectives plural - the reds apples, the beautifuls flowers, etc...
- using "a" with plurals - a dogs, a blue skies...
- the mysteriously disappearing "t" - musn �t, nex to ...
- the mysteriously appearing "e" - isen �t. hasen �t...
- the amazing position switching "h" - whit for with, withe for white...
- gender changing halfway through a sentence... i.e. not using the correct possessive form. he with hers/her, she with his/him ... or your with our/us
Luckily though, I rarely get all those pet peeves "together"... if I did, I am sure I might go crazy seeing this all the time:
Sara hasen �t got a withes flowers in her roses garden which is nex to his house. 
|
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
Pelletrine
|
|
Yes, great topic :o))
My students : �s - s � ... and in fact s in all kind of "s" uses :
- adjectives with an invented plural s at the end ( I guess it �s due to French)
- and, most of all, the s in 3rd sing present simple  really often missing !
- which/witch/wish - there/their/they �re -your/you �re
- I am agree instead og I agree ( French "je suis d �accord  )
Puddyd, I think your "boarded" S a really great and simple idea  |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
|
anitarobi
|
|
When teaching adult beginners Past Simple - I was be, because in Croatian it �s a multi-verb tense, so they can �t see why English should be any diferent... Oh, and I have 25 years, because it �s a direct translation from Croatian. |
28 Aug 2010
|
|
< Previous
1
2
3
Next >
|
