Why small mistakes matter at A2
At A2 you can usually talk about your day, your job, and your family in simple sentences. That is real progress. But some mistakes, if you repeat them for months, become fixed habits, and fixed habits are harder to change. This does not mean you are a weak learner. Arabic works differently from English, so it is natural to bring Arabic habits into English.
This article gives you ten mistakes. Each one has a short explanation, two example sentences, and a tip. Do not try to fix all ten in one day. Choose one or two and watch them for a week.
Mistakes with grammar
1. Translating word for word from Arabic
Meaning: you take an Arabic sentence and replace each word with its English match. The result is often unnatural or wrong.
Wrong: I am agree with you.
Correct: I agree with you.
Also correct: She likes coffee, and I like tea.
Tip: agree is a full verb, so we do not put am before it. Think of the whole English sentence, not single words.
2. Forgetting the verb be
Meaning: in Arabic you can say a sentence like she teacher with no verb. English needs am, is, or are in these sentences.
Wrong: She teacher.
Correct: She is a teacher.
Also correct: We are ready for the lesson.
Tip: every English sentence needs a verb. If there is no other verb, you probably need am, is, or are.
3. Leaving out a and an
Meaning: Arabic does not put a word before a singular indefinite noun, but English needs a or an before a singular countable noun.
Wrong: I have car.
Correct: I have a car.
Also correct: She eats an apple every morning.
Tip: use an before a vowel sound, like apple and egg. Use a before other sounds, like car and book.
4. Forgetting the -s with he, she, and it
Meaning: in the present simple, we add -s to the verb with he, she, and it.
Wrong: He work every day.
Correct: He works every day.
Also correct: My sister lives near the school.
Tip: with I, you, we, and they the verb stays the same: They work every day. After does, use the base verb: Does he work here?
5. Using the present with past time words
Meaning: when you say yesterday or last week, the verb must be in the past.
Wrong: Yesterday I go to the market.
Correct: Yesterday I went to the market.
Also correct: Last week we visited my uncle.
Tip: learn the common irregular verbs first: go and went, see and saw, eat and ate, have and had.
6. Choosing the wrong preposition
Meaning: prepositions do not translate one to one. Each expression has its usual word.
Wrong: I am good in English.
Correct: I am good at English.
Also correct: It depends on the weather.
Tip: learn the preposition together with the word. British and American English differ here: British speakers say at the weekend, and Americans often say on the weekend.
Mistakes with vocabulary and sound
7. Learning single words instead of phrases
Meaning: a single word does not tell you which words usually go with it. These word partners are called collocations.
Wrong: I do a decision.
Correct: I make a decision.
Also correct: She makes a mistake, then she does her homework.
Tip: we say make a mistake and make a decision, but do homework and do the dishes. Write the whole phrase in your notebook, not just one word.
8. Ignoring pronunciation
Meaning: you may know a word, but the listener cannot understand it because the sound is different. A common example for Arabic speakers is mixing the sounds p and b.
Wrong pronunciation: bizza instead of pizza.
Correct: I like pizza.
Also correct: Please put the paper on the desk.
Tip: for p, close your lips and let out a small puff of air. Also remember silent letters: the k in know and knife, and the w in write.
Mistakes with study habits
9. Being afraid to speak
Meaning: many learners read and understand, but stay silent because they fear mistakes. If you do not speak, your speaking cannot improve.
Useful example: Can you say that again, please?
Another example: I am learning English, so please speak slowly.
Tip: practise speaking aloud, even alone. Short phrases like Can you say that again, please? help you stay in a conversation instead of going quiet.
10. Skipping review and studying irregularly
Meaning: studying for hours one day and then stopping for a week is less useful than a short time every day. Mistakes you never review come back.
Example: I study English for ten minutes every day.
Another example: I keep a notebook of my mistakes and read it on Sunday.
Tip: write each mistake and its correction in one notebook, and review it once a week.
Quick table of mistakes and fixes
| Mistake | Correct form |
|---|---|
| I am agree. | I agree. |
| She teacher. | She is a teacher. |
| I have car. | I have a car. |
| He work every day. | He works every day. |
| Yesterday I go. | Yesterday I went. |
| good in English | good at English |
| do a decision | make a decision |
A simple weekly routine
- Choose one mistake from the list, for example the missing -s with he and she.
- Write five correct sentences about it in your notebook.
- Read the sentences aloud twice.
- Use them in real life: with a friend or in a short message.
- At the end of the week, review the notebook, then move to a new mistake.
This method is a little slow, but it is steady, and it turns correction into a habit instead of a short effort.
How to treat your own mistakes
A mistake is not a shame. It is information that tells you what to review. When you notice one, say the correct sentence once or twice, then write it down. Do not just think, I understand. Use the correction in a new sentence from your own life, like My brother works in a hospital.
If someone corrects you, thank them and repeat the sentence. This is faster than defending the first version. Remember that progress comes from small, repeated attempts.
Final thoughts
These ten mistakes are very common: word-for-word translation, forgetting be, forgetting a and an, missing the -s, mixing past and present, wrong prepositions, learning single words, ignoring pronunciation, fear of speaking, and skipping review. Pick one today and start with one correct sentence.