We Filipinos pride ourselves on being one of the biggest English speaking countries in the world. We are known to be able to speak the language at least conversationally or at best at a native level. However, if we look closely, Filipinos in truth, make a ton of errors not only in pronunciation and spelling but also in grammar. This is evident from numerous Facebook and other social media posts, as well as in the streets. Here, we have a list of the 6 English grammar mistakes commonly made by Filipinos.
- Saying ‘more + adjective + er’
One common mistake that Filipinos make in spoken English is adding the word ‘more’ in front of an adjective which is already in the comparative degree, like ‘more bigger’ or ‘more faster’. Just say, bigger or faster.
- Your and You’re
This is a common blunder when it comes to written English. ‘Your’ and ‘You’re’ are quite different from each other. ‘Your’ implies possession while ‘You’re’ is a contraction that stands for ‘You are’.
- Their, They’re, and There
Just like the previous one, this is commonly seen in written English. Remember, ‘Their’ is used for denoting possession. ‘They’re’ is used to shorten ‘They are’ and ‘There’ is used to point out a location.
- Interchanging It’s and Its
This one is understandably confusing for some since we were taught that “‘s” implies possession. However, for this case, it should be noted that ‘It’s’ is short for ‘It is’ while ‘Its’ indicates ownership.
- Confusing “He” and “She”
Another common mistake in Filipinos’ spoken English is interchanging the pronouns ‘he’ and ‘she’. This is of course reasonably confusing for a person whose native language doesn’t have separate pronouns for the male and female genders.
- Saying I will going to
Using the words ‘will’ and ‘going to’ side by side in the same sentence is surprisingly common to hear. In this case either say, ‘I’m going to’ or ‘I will’. Don’t place them together.
Sources:
Free interactive English grammar and vocabulary exercises based on Korean historical dramas at http://k-drama-english-grammar-and-vocabulary-exercises.bitballoon.com/
ReplyDeleteThese exercises are primarily designed for Asians who are beginning learners of English. (If you’re already an advanced learner of English, you can also use these exercises to refresh your knowledge.) Thus, the exercises focus on errors in grammar that Japanese, Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos, Malaysians, Indonesians, etc. commonly make with articles, prepositions, gender pronouns, tenses, and subject-verb agreement, among others.
With these exercises, you can foster your love for K-dramas and at the same time learn English grammar and vocabulary.
I have already posted exercises based on "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds," "Empress Ki," "Dong Yi," "A Jewel in the Palace," and "The Moon That Embraces The Sun." Later on, I will post exercises based on The Flower in Prison, Jumong, Six Flying Dragons, A Tree With Deep Roots, Yi San, Rebel: Thief Who Stole People, The King's Doctor, and Saimdang.