My Common Grammar Mistakes & Glossary

Diego Morales                             Wednesday 21st, August, 2013                              8th ISE-1

mistake N°1: this is a important  tournament
Correction: this is an important tournament
Grammar Rule: Indefinitive Article


Explanation of the grammar rule:
 extracted from: http://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/a-an.htm

A + consonant sound

If the following word starts with a consonant sound, then we say a.

a cat

a game of golf

a human emotion

a Peruvian

a very fat woman

AN + vowel sound

If the following word starts with a vowel sound, then we say an.

an apple

an extremely easy job

an interesting film

an old man

an umbrella

Examples:

Carlo is watching an interesting film

I was wearing a shirt.

To practice this structure:

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=1203

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/nouns_articles/article_a.htm

Mistake N°2: Last saturday, I go to the Crossfit Games.

Correction: Last Saturday, I went to the Crossfit Games.

Grammar Rule: Simple past

Explanation of the grammar rule:
 extracted from: http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/grammar/sim_past.htm

Form

- with regular verbs: infinitive + -ed
- with irregular verbs: 2nd column of the table of the irregular verbs

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Examples

Affirmative sentences:

regular verbs	irregular verbs
I played football.	I went to the cinema.
We visited Alaska last year.	We were in Rome yesterday.

Negative sentences:

You must not negate a full verb in English. Always use the auxiliary did (Simple Past of to do) for negations.

I		played	football.
I	didn't	play	football.
He	didn't	play	football.

Questions:

Use the auxiliary did (Simple Past of to do).
Did you play football?
Did he play football?

Examples:

He ate an apple.

I didn't bring the homework.

To practice this structure:

http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-exercise-simple-past.php

http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/simple-past/exercises

Mistake N°3: With many German influence.

Correction: With much German influence.

Grammar Rule: Adverbs of quantity

Explanation of the grammar rule:
 extracted from: http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/vocabulary/much-many

The words much and many mean a lot of.

• If a noun is in singular, we use much

  Example:

  much money

• If a noun is in plural, we use many

  Example:

  many friends

Use of much / many

In everyday English, we normally use much / many only in questions and negative clauses.

Example:

How much money have you got?

Carla does not have many friends.

In positive clauses with so, as or too, we also use much / many.

Example:

Carla has so many friends.

She has as many friends as Sue.

Kevin has too much money.

In all other positive clauses, however, we prefer expressions like a lot of / lots of.

Example:

Carla has a lot of / lots of friends.

Kevin has a lot of / lots of money.

In formal texts, however, much / many are also common in positive clauses. This you will notice for example when you read English news.

Examples:

I like that dress very much.

Thank you very much.

I have many things to do.

To practice this structure:

http://www.better-english.com/easier/much.htm

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=5410

Mistake N°4: I were there.

Correction: I was there.

Grammar rule: Simple past tense + verb to be

Explanation of the grammar rule:

extracted from: http://www.inglestotal.com/simple-past-verb-to-be-el-pasado-de-serestar/

I/He / she / it — was (Positive) Wasn’t (Negative)
we / you / They— were (Positive) Weren’t (Negative)

Examples:

I was playing football

You were making noise, while I was explaining.

To practice this structure:

http://www.englishexercises.org/makeagame/viewgame.asp?id=562

http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/was_were.htm

Mistake Nº5: In two weeks, I will writing.
Correction: In two weeks, I will be writing.
Grammar Rule: Future progressive


Explanation of the grammar rule:
Extracted from: http://www.grammar-monster.com/glossary/future_progressive_tense.htm

Verbs describing actions that will take place in the future are said to be in the future tense.  The future progressive tense is used for an on-going action that will occur in the future. WILL BE+ PRESENT PARTICIPLE

Examples:
He will do his homework
She will stay at home.

To practice this structure:
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/will_future_statements.htm
http://www.englisch-hilfen.de/en/exercises/tenses/future_progressive_statements.htm

120 words

Trip to Puerto Varas

  Last year, with all of the 8th graders, we had the South Trip. We went to many places, like Rapel, Lota, Puerto Montt among others, but the place that I most liked, was Puerto Varas. Puerto Varas is named as the most beautiful city of Chile. When I was there, I saw a small city on the shore of Lago Llanquihue, Volcan Osorno, a touristic and beautiful city with much german inluence, long craftshops, very good restaurants like "Cassi´s" and very friendlypeople. I met an artesan there that taught me how to make wood figures. To finish, I can say that I will visit this place again. Of course that I will do it!

122 words

Cheat in Crossfit Games 2013

Last saturday, I went to the Crossfit Games 2013 in California and I saw that a player didn´t do a correctly exeuted push-up, and the judge, counted that wrong exercise, as a good one. I think that this is unfair for other players, because they put all of them to make a good push-up, so this is unacceptable. If I had been the judge who counted that wrong exercise, I wouldn´t have awarded it, or simply, disqualified him. So I think that for the next time, the directors of Crossfit Games, will have to worry more in the sense of choosing judges, because this is an important tournament and it has to be a serious ocasion.

75 words

To:bensprud@hotmail.com
Subject: My tennis Tournament

Hi Felipe,
   Well, I am writing to you because tomorrow I will have a tennis competition, that is two days long, in Salinas. The trophy of the winner will be awarded by Rafael Nadal, the one that was here in the summer. To be the winner, I have to win seven matches, in the draw organized by the directors of the tournament. Today, I will have to train some shots for tomorrow.

Greetings,
Diego.