Dictionary of students’ common mistakes

Explore common mistakes made by learners of English through real examples from students’ written work, clear corrections and concise explanations.

Popular: always advice present perfect used to

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Each entry shows a real student error, the correction and a short explanation.

speak

1

I need to speak my teacher after class.
I need to speak to my teacher after class.

Use speak to + person when you want to have a conversation: ‘Can I speak to you for a minute?’ Speak with + person is also possible, especially in more formal situations. Do not put the person directly after speak with this meaning.

2

My sister talks French very well.
My sister speaks French very well.

Use speak, not talk, with the name of a language: ‘He speaks English and Spanish.’ You do not need in before the language name.

See our vocabulary lesson on say, tell, speak and talk.

See TALK

lay

1

Every evening I lie my baby in her cot.
Every evening I lay my baby in her cot.

Use lay + person/thing when you put someone or something down: ‘She laid the baby on the bed.’ Use lie when the person or thing is already in a flat position: ‘The baby is lying on the bed.’ Lie does not take a person or thing after it in this meaning.

2

I layed my jacket on the chair.
I laid my jacket on the chair.

The past form of lay is laid, not layed. The forms are lay–laid–laid. Be careful: lay is also the past form of lie meaning ‘be in a flat position’: ‘Yesterday I lay on the sofa.’

Check our grammar lesson on the difference between lay and lie.

See LIE

lie

1

I’m laying on the sofa because I feel tired.
I’m lying on the sofa because I feel tired.

Use lie when you mean ‘be in a flat position’. The -ing form is lying: ‘The dog is lying on the floor.’ In standard English, lay means ‘put something down’, so it is followed by a person or thing: ‘Lay the book on the table.’

2

Yesterday I lied down for an hour after lunch.
Yesterday I lay down for an hour after lunch.

The past form of lie meaning ‘be in a flat position’ is lay: ‘I lay down after lunch.’ Use lied only for lie meaning ‘say something that is not true’: ‘He lied about his age.’

Check our grammar lesson on the difference between lay and lie.

See LAY