Clear Sentences and Common English Mistakes at Work

Grammar does not have to be perfect, but a few common mistakes can make your English harder to understand or sound less professional. The good news is that most learners make the same few mistakes again and again. If you fix these, your English improves a lot. This lesson goes through the most common ones with simple rules and examples. Read the wrong and the correct version aloud, because your ear will learn the right pattern.

1. Simple present and present continuous

Use the simple present for habits and facts. Use the present continuous (am, is or are plus verb with ing) for something happening now or around now.

Habit:   I work in the accounts department.   (not: I am working in...)
Now:     I am working on the report today.
Fact:    The office opens at 9.
Wrong:   I am having a laptop.      Correct: I have a laptop.
Wrong:   I am knowing the answer.   Correct: I know the answer.

Verbs of state, such as have (own), know, like, want, need, understand and believe, are normally not used with ing.

2. Past simple and present perfect

Use the past simple for something finished at a definite time in the past. Use the present perfect (have or has plus past form) for experience, or a past action with a result now, without a specific time.

Past simple:   I sent the email yesterday.
Present perfect: I have sent the email. (It is done now.)
Experience:    I have worked in a call centre.
With since/for: I have worked here since 2022. / for two years.

Wrong:   I am working here since 2022.
Correct: I have worked here since 2022.   (or: I have been working here)
Wrong:   I have sent it yesterday.
Correct: I sent it yesterday.

3. Subject and verb agreement

Wrong:   The manager are coming.       Correct: The manager is coming.
Wrong:   He do not know.              Correct: He does not know.
Wrong:   My colleagues is helpful.    Correct: My colleagues are helpful.
Wrong:   She work on weekends.        Correct: She works on weekends.

In the simple present, add s to the verb after he, she and it: he works, she goes, it opens. After I, you, we and they, there is no s.

4. Articles: a, an, the

Articles are difficult, especially if your first language does not have them. Basic rules:

• Use a or an for one of many, when you mention it first or it is any one: I need a laptop. (an before a vowel sound: an email, an hour.)
• Use the when both people know which one: Please send me the report. (the one we talked about).
• Use no article for general plural or uncountable things: I like coffee. Customers need support. Information is important.

Wrong:   I sent report yesterday.     Correct: I sent the report yesterday.
Wrong:   She is engineer.              Correct: She is an engineer.
Wrong:   I need an information.        Correct: I need some information.

5. Uncountable nouns

Some nouns are not counted in English, so they have no plural and take no a or an. The common ones at work: information, advice, news, equipment, furniture, work, feedback, luggage, software, staff (as a group), traffic and money.

Wrong:   informations, advices, equipments, feedbacks
Correct: information, advice, equipment, feedback
Use:     a piece of advice, some information, a lot of equipment

6. Prepositions

Prepositions (in, on, at, to, for, about, with) are hard because they do not follow simple rules. Learn them in phrases.

Time:   at 5 pm, on Monday, in June, in 2024, by Friday (not later than)
Place:  at the office, in the building, on the second floor
Verbs:  discuss the plan (not: discuss about)
        explain it to me (not: explain me)
        reply to the email
        wait for the answer
        depend on, agree with, interested in, good at, responsible for
        arrive at the office (small place) / arrive in Mumbai (city)
        in time (early enough) vs on time (at the exact time)

7. Question and word order

In a normal English statement the order is subject, verb, object. In questions, the helper verb goes before the subject.

Statement:  You can send it today.
Question:   Can you send it today?
Wrong:      When you will send it?     Correct: When will you send it?
Wrong:      What you need?             Correct: What do you need?
Indirect:   Could you tell me when the meeting starts?  (not: when does the meeting start)

8. Said, told, asked

He said that the meeting was cancelled.
He told me that the meeting was cancelled.   (told needs a person)
He asked me to send the file.
Wrong: He said me that...      Correct: He told me that...

9. Common word confusions

• Also, too, as well: I also need a pen. I need a pen too. I need a pen as well. Do not put too at the start of a sentence in this meaning.
• Make and do: make a mistake, make a decision, make a call. Do a job, do your best, do research.
• Take and bring: bring it here (to the speaker), take it there (away from the speaker).
• Borrow and lend: I borrow from you. You lend to me. Can I borrow your pen? Can you lend me your pen?
• Say and tell: say something, tell someone something.
• Listen to and hear: I listen to music. I hear a noise.
• Since and for: since 2022 (a point in time). For two years (a length of time).
• Fewer and less: fewer errors (countable), less time (uncountable).

10. Words that sound formal but are used in unusual ways

Some phrases that are common in your region may confuse others. Examples: do the needful, kindly revert, prepone, out of station, ex-colleague for a former colleague (ex- is fine in other places, but former colleague is more neutral). These are normal in some places and not in others. In international or mixed teams, use more widely understood versions, such as please take the necessary action, please reply, move earlier, away from the office.

A simple checking routine

1. Read your message slowly, out loud if you can, or use the speak or read aloud option on your computer.
2. Check the verbs: present, past, and the s after he or she.
3. Check articles before nouns: a, an, the.
4. Check prepositions in the common phrases.
5. Use a spelling checker, and also read carefully. A checker will not catch a correct word in the wrong place, such as their and there.

Your task

1. Correct these sentences: She do not know the answer. / I am working here since 2020. / Please send me informations. / Can you explain me the process? / What you want to do?
2. Write your own five sentences about your work using the present simple, past simple and present perfect.
3. Choose your two most frequent mistakes and write a note to remind yourself to check them in each email this week.

How to check it worked

• Your corrected sentences are: She does not know the answer. / I have worked here since 2020. / Please send me information. / Can you explain the process to me? / What do you want to do?
• You can explain when to use the present simple and the present continuous.
• You have a list of the two or three mistakes to watch for.