3 English Grammar Rules Even Native Speakers Get Wrong

English grammar rules - Why do native speakers make these grammar mistakes? In casual speech it's very common to hear people speak this way.
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[@jamesmacdonald4131]

I have cerebral palsy and try to use correct English because it's one thing in my life that is not disabled. When people tell me to walk better, I instinctively think, "Why don't you speak better?"

[@luzangelicaespinosamarinko1776]

Good point! they have the brain deactivated, it is much worse, by the way I am a foreigner I do not yet master the language, my brain tries to be activated, it would be good to activate the heart in a big way, I congratulate you.

[@ashleydior401]

You re undoubtedly the most outstanding teacher. Your teaching style is a great package:pronunciation, grammar, idioms , slangs

[@hirobrin5436]

This woman is absolutely a wonderful teacher she matters. not only about language mistakes, but also how to deal with a psychology of people. Chapeau

[@junshiokensuke6020]

I'm a non-native speaker and my accent is getting better gradually. Maybe it wouldn't happen if l didn't get a chance to see your classes. All l can say is, you're my best beloved teacher l ever had.

[@AccurateEnglish]

Thank you Junshio! :)

[@user-jc9kj7wt6j]

Same here.

[@nancysrios]

My husband is a non-native speaker also. If I want to know how to spell something correctly, I ask him.

[@bonniekam8305]

I remember when I was in grade school, my teacher said either use "in my opinion" or "I think". If you say "in my opinion, I think..." is redundant because "in my opinion" means "I think".

[@walid8604]

The best teacher in the world. Thank you lisa.

[@user-mh7xl2sk4s]

А

[@walid8604]

@Alexej Svirid Mr. Grammar Police 🙄

[@AccurateEnglish]

@@walid8604 Thank you. That's funny!

[@tessquintos986]

I agree 👍

[@nidaaazeez691]

Beside she is a good teacher I like her voice Thanks

[@ashoktakavle5140]

I haven’t seen such a best English Language Teacher in my 69 years of life. Thank you Lisa Madam. 🙏

[@andreavanda4722]

Your sentence is incorrect. I haven't seen a BETTER English...

[@familiyanevajno480]

Not a best but the best 😁

[@mauromartin7409]

@@andreavanda4722 and using seen is not correct. Found instead of seen..

[@andreavanda4722]

@@mauromartin7409 Seen is correct grammatically, however you're correct in that "found" would be a better expression. I only used "seem" because that is the verb that was originally used by Ashok.

[@nguyenthihongloan7700]

09()

[@dirahhopelamont2734]

Thank you for clarifying how to use lie and lay in the sentence.

[@anson_ng]

In Malaysia, we were taught at school that "There is a lot of people" because "is" was referring to "a lot" rather than "people". We were told that "are" was correctly used only when the sentence appeared as "There are lots of people". This rule was stated in our syllabus and the examination papers also tested on this. It seems that I was misled then. Gosh!

[@ifoundyou81]

You actually have a good point there!

[@sonfuch795]

'a lot of' is just a quantifier for the noun 'people', it has the same meaning as 'many'.

[@esl-basedstudio5102]

I'm a Malaysian too. I'm glad my English teachers did not teach such a misleading grammar ''rule" to my classmates and me when we were in school.

[@lee-sianglee1685]

I am in Malaysia too. My teacher taught me correctly as "There are a lot of people". I was not misled at all by the teachers as "There is a lot of people."

[@stevesun3069]

Learned 3 grammar rules for today. I am a non-native English speaker. Thank you teacher Lisa. I appreciate the work you do here in your YT channel. All the best!

[@reginaroberts6734]

Love love your lessons😍I have lived here in US for thirty years now, and have been learning English all this time. I speak and write English fluently, but you have taken English to the next level, I’m really enjoying and learning new vocabulary and grammar like never before. Thank you, great job teaching advanced grammar and English 👏👏👏👏

[@JapanerdPal]

I didn’t even realize that I’ve been use “there’s” for every sentences when I speak 😂 thank you Lisa! You’re the best teacher in the world!!

[@lidiabrault8394]

I'd been using

[@sh1927]

Actually, "sentences" should be "sentence," singular. ~A friendly English teacher~

[@JapanerdPal]

@@sh1927 oh is it? Well thanks!

[@sh1927]

@@JapanerdPal Anytime.

[@Silverfox-em1cf]

I’ve been in the field of tefl for almost two decades but still,in my eyes, Lias lectures turn out to be so instrumental and inspiring to my teaching career. Loving all your interview videos coz they are real life situations

[@bukiwenobendle7080]

ENGLISH is my second language. Thank you for your teachings. I am learning a lot.

[@jathebest2835]

May I know what your first language is?

[@PauloBrook9250]

I’m working in my English by myself so I do really like watching your channel because you are a very good professor you speak so clearly thank you so much

[@opheliadelima5799]

I am a Filipino. Fortunately, my paternal grandfather was my fifth grade teacher who emphasized to us how or when to use “lie” and “lay.” I am enjoying your classes. Thank you very much!

[@ericvigen]

As a foreigner living in the United States, I really LOVE to be corrected by Americans, because I like to take as much linguistic benefit from my daily conversation with the people as posible, but when I see nobody would correct me, then I develop a false confidence regarding my English proficiency that is quite damaging when I'm going to communicate in a formal setting.

[@murattanyel1029]

I am so glad you touched on less and fewer. When people use less for countable things, it's like a chalk scratch on my ears.

[@anthonyorr8361]

Even when used for distance, time or amounts of money? Strange! (1) It costs fewer than £100.00? (2) He ran 100 metres in fewer than 10 seconds? (3) It is fewer than 10 miles to your destination? Surely less would sound much more natural in these instances. Thus, time to ditch this 'made up' rule!

[@murattanyel1029]

@@anthonyorr8361 It is not a made up rule. Less is the comparative form of little and fewer is the comparative form of few. We say "for a few more dollars", not "for a little more dollars"; "for a few more seconds", not "for a little more seconds"; "for a few more miles", not "for a little more miles." In all your examples, you are using the quantity of units (£100, 10 s, 10 mi) as a limit or level for an uncountable concept. When you says "less than £100" you are talking about money, which is uncountable. Again, time and distance are uncountable. Their units are. It would be perfectly OK to say "for a little more money" or "for a little more time" or "for a little more distance."

[@anthonyorr8361]

@@murattanyel1029 Hi, thank you for your reply which was very informative. I was just pointing out that native English speakers, in the main, find nothing wrong with using less, rather than fewer, in the examples given. This 'rule' seems to have arisen from an opinion given by Robert Baker: Reflections on the English Language. (1770). Baker states: 'I should think..., 'it appears to me...,' that the use of fewer instead of less is preferable when dealing with countable nouns. It seems that Baker's preference has been generalised and elevated to an 'absolute' status. Therefore, the rule can either be accepted as correct or rejected as an example of hypercorrection, as has already happened with other 'rules' such as splitting infinitives. This is simply my opinion - not an attack on any other opinion! Regards, Anthony.

[@changjun9913]

Dear Lisa, I am a hidden watcher of your channel from France. I normally not write my comments, but this time I'd like to leave a word to appreciate you for your effort and good contents. As I remember there were language police in Quebec in 1970s to protect French language there. Now, it seems some people want to protect English as a grammar police in LA.^^ As a non-native speaker, this subject is really interesting to me. Thank you again!!

[@profdrismailhanoglu]

As a professor, i find your style of teaching English as very useful method for learners around the world

[@ymhr312]

Thank you for the lesson. And, there's another lie, as in you lied to me, which makes things even more complicated. Whenever I come across a lesson about lie and lay, I remember the two songs, Time after Time and Like a bridge over troubled water, which go "Lying in my bed I hear..." and "I will lay me down", respectively.

[@CarloBiondolillo]

Hi Lisa, I teach Italian to Americans and unfortunately I need to be the English grammar police as normally students translate from English to Italian (which is normal in the beginning) and if the English sentence is not correct then the translation becomes even more challenging. So, I appreciate so much your lessons which give me the possibility to refer my students to you rather me correcting them as ESL.

[@pathofthezebra]

I think any language has that difference between spoken language and being a bit more casual with grammar rules and being more correct with grammar rules in the written language. At least I am in my native language (which is not English). Doing it incorrectly while talking no one notices but writing it's often a bit more of an issue. These are great videos!!!

[@darympanga6616]

thank you Lisa, you' re a good teacher 👌

[@christyhoehn8244]

My dad was on his deathbed and the nurse said “ we don’t have no soap….” and my dad very quietly said “ double negative”….. so funny!

[@sofianezoubiri7392]

For there is and there are I was utterly confused today when I was talking to someone I appreciate you saved me

[@yurgentorrez8129]

You're a great teacher... Thanks for this video, you remind me of one of my teachers she was a really great teacher and taught a lot in addition you look kind of similar to her... Take care miss😊😊

[@learnenglishwithbillandcar3572]

I would say I want to lie down. I think this is because I speak British English. People from Britain and the US say things differently. Lisa is a great Teacher :)

[@esl-basedstudio5102]

Agreed. I'm a Malaysian whose native language is Malay, by the way. :-)

[@alanbalvin7731]

Thank u Lisa for uploading a new video, i'm watching all your videos every day. I have always listened to "lay down", but i think i will always say "lie down" from now on, not just because other people approval, but because is the correct one, same i do in Spanish, for example in México people say "ahorita" (at this moment", but that word really doesn't exist, the right word is "ahora", i try to avoid saying "ahorita", other one, i read in a Spanish grammar book that using these two prepositions together: "de que" isn't right and everybody does it, even though the president, but i won't use them if i now they are wrong. In the case of people, it's always the same problem and confusion, if people is singular or plural, even though in spanish: "la gente, las gentes"

[@andrescanseco4949]

It's amazing how much we need to learn. Everyday is something new to absorb. I love your lesson , i believe in few years I will be the grammar police. I love to learn more and more.

[@FluentAmerican]

Great topic; I know my wife loves saying "If I would have gone, I would have seen it"! Prescriptive and descriptive grammar can be confusing

[@gildardobarrios3115]

Sometimes people didn't understand me after 20 years living in USA untill I realized they don't speak very well .

[@FluentAmerican]

@@tunisiancrochetchannel right, that's the standard form. Lots of native speakers use nonstandard conditionals

[@FluentAmerican]

@@gildardobarrios3115 I don't personally consider it wrong or right, but more standard versus nonstandard. In terms of the personal English they speak, it's not quite wrong

[@R.E._Peony]

The same thing happens in Spanish.

[@anafrost4190]

I would say: If I had gone, I would have seen..."

[@ms0126]

Great lesson as always, Lisa. I was studying the difference between lie and lay watching a number of English teachers' KZbin videos the other day. I could have done perfectlly well with this lesson of yours!

[@zees9669]

Correct grammar is most important in legal matters. Even a comma can make a difference.

[@volganashahbazi]

Let's eat grandma, let's eat, grandma😂

[@PauloPereira-jj4jv]

Sorry. It's important in ALL matters.

[@anthonyweedonweedon1426]

'I'm going to lie down.' 'I lay down to sleep.' 'He lied to me.' You are a great teacher with a pleasant accent. I love listening to you.

[@tinaammendola4023]

Thank you, Lisa! You helped me solve my doubts on lay-lie. Great video!

[@marimoteatime5144]

This was wonderful, please do more like this! Thank you for this lesson!

[@donthuis]

We've got similar developments in our Dutch language, where the spoken language changes expressions away from former grammar rules. One of those is on the winning hand for rephrasing the equivalence of "greater than": we always had the matching "groter dan" expression, but by now "groter als" has taken over in practice. For my generation terrible to hear. My handicap in mastering the English and English American languages is that for my generation secondary school focussed in later years on "passive" or translation focussed exercises. Active language grammar exercises ended after the third year. 25 Years of attending and chairing international meetings honed my language skills only later in life. Thanks for your fine series of lessons. Did you end this one saying a "twanny" type of slang instead of "twenty" or have my ears gone bad?

[@muhammadabdullahi7282]

Awesome Lisa,you encourage me a lot all the time. I will never be afraid to speak to any native speaker again.

[@coracervantes7442]

English is my second language and I often get corrected by my seven year old. I do not mind at all. I am teaching my son Spanish and he is my English teacher. You are an amazing English teacher! Thank you!!

[@esl-basedstudio5102]

"What happened?" LOL I'm glad I'm learning good English from you, Lisa. You not only teach us perfect English but also educate us about political correctness in such an elegant manner. Respect!

[@elmira6833]

Lisa, thanks so much for your videos! I am interested in hearing from you on the differences between conscious and conscientious. I keep confusing these two words and actually stopped using them at all.

[@rohittinku1565]

Thanks so much for making such an amazing lesson, Lisa! Please continue to make more such lessons in the future. AccurateEnglish rocks! Keep it up!

[@lauraconda5683]

I am Romanian living in Canada. These mistakes may be essential in taking a language skill exam. When I first watched this video I remembered the exams taken by high school pupils for the "baccalaureate" diplomas or the exams taken in order to be accepted to a university. And then I thought that they were major grammar problems for TOEFL and Cambridge Certificates as well. For one of these mistakes you may not qualify or pass an exam. It doesn't seem right to me that we have to know all these exceptions when speaking English and the natives don't. Lisa, you say that the language changes and these mistakes are accepted. Why are they compulsory for the foreigners then? This is why the German guy knows how to speak correctly; because he had to learn the theory and has taken all the exams possible.

[@deepakdhotre6626]

Yea madam. Language keeps changing, evolving. Though native English speakers knowingly make those mistakes that you have discussed in this video, that doesn't mean that they are wrong. Because, it's the usage which has been in practice since a long time. In a spoken language such usage mistakes are acceptable. Finally and causally in a spoken language it's usage that rules over grammar. By the way I'm very much delighted for having got an opportunity of listening to your classes. You are such a wonderful, brilliant, outstanding, gorgeous teacher who people are fond of.

[@jonathanhernanadez7872]

I really enjoy hear you. You're an excellent teacher, some teachers teach for teaching, for money etc, but others like you teach for passion, for vocation. Thank you so much for your time, and you dedication. I love the way you teach.

[@anafrost4190]

Jonathan, "I really enjoy hearing you".

[@user-zj7xj3ku1r]

Hi~ teacher lisa. I really like your grammar lessons. Please give us more. It helps a lot. Thank you so much😘

[@moulmour]

Away to go! This video is genuinely thaught, is making us grasp 3 English Grammar rules, and how is going with the English speaking in the native world. Thank you so much, teacher. stay safe.

[@nebu9786]

One of the most important video lessons that I saw. Thanks a lot, bless you.

[@elainejoycebacunador267]

Thank you Lisa!.As always your giving me reasons to keep studying English and embrace the changes that needs to be corrected. #watching from The Philippines 😍♥️

[@anniechamng]

You are really a sweetheart reminding us not to be a grammar police. Actually, we shld learn Not to correct people, mainly becoz people get embarrass when corrected. God bless you & Good job! I love your style of teaching.

[@suanyangelaoliveira949]

Lisa, you are an excellent teacher. I like to watch your classes especially about grammar rules. Thank you.

[@godlovaki]

Wow! Now I'll learn accurate English! That's the channel that was lacking on the internet. Thanks teacher!

[@behnazaas]

Very interesting to point that out Lisa. And the funny thing is we don't normally notice those mistakes when talking, but in writings we will nitice more those grammar mistakes!

[@ibrahimhassan3145]

I really appreciate your great helpful videos that I have been learning from them since I started flowing your posts. Many thanks from the bottom of my heart. You're a unique English teacher who has helped me to understand and improve my English skills in general. ❤

[@sweetlolitaChii]

I learn so much about my native language from her, seriously. I learned all of this in school but it was soooo long ago and I forgot so much.

[@vahidehmoslemi2460]

I really don't know how to appreciate you for your unique lessons. Please keep posting such lessens my adorable teacher.🙏

[@guillermobruno3377]

Oliver Wendell Holmes says: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." See Lisa Mojsin, Mastering The American Accent (Los Angeles: Barron's Educational Series, 2009), p. 93. Guillermo.

[@nardirociogonzalezcarreno2944]

Thank you so much! I liked the video a lot! There were some of those rules I didn't remember. So thank you!

[@annahmaestra2848]

Thank you so much Lisa. You're a very brilliant teacher❤️

[@royagorjifard8747]

Hi Lisa, I follow your videos regularly and I wanted to say thank you. Your sharing is invaluable. This particular one is the coolest by far!

[@AccurateEnglish]

Thank you Roya!

[@athulabar1]

Great! Really appreciate your way of teaching the English language. I'm a nonnative English speaker/user. Good luck!

[@christinemo9622]

Dear Lisa, having taught English in Italian schools for many years, I really appreciate how you teach English grammar. Would you consider explaining the increasing misuse of auxiliary verbs in reported questions (example I asked him where did he go?)

[@dennisenglishjournal498]

Wow, that was a lot of useful information, Lisa! 🙋‍♂️ Thank you, you're really an eye-opener 🤔 I think in all countries natives make graamar mistakes like this and even don't notice them. For example, in Russian we have two words: "надевать" (dress; to put something on YOURSELF) and "одевать" (to put something on SOMEBODY ELSE). And native speakers aways mix them up. 🤷‍♂️

[@claudiabautista4165]

Lisa, I've been watching your videos for over a year and I must say that you are simply THE BEST!! I Excellent!!!

[@cindyhewatt3406]

Thank you for another wonderful lesson!

[@bartalf1206]

Hi there, thanks for your advice, I'm gonna follow these rules to enhance my English gramar.

[@mav7079]

some might think it's too picky, but i think it's fun getting to know something i didn't. your contents are just absolutely superb.

[@ifoundyou81]

This is mindblowing! These are the grammar questions i had for years! It was finally tackled.

[@user-hs2cf6cn2u]

I had had *

[@Copy-nator]

Perfect! Thank you.

[@jeremie6964]

Hello teacher! I can't thank you enough for all these lessons you're teaching us without cost... So I have a gift for you, the only one: that the almighty God always bless you and grant you more years and strength to stay with us through this chanel! You're the best!

[@emil_ksparkes2546]

A superb and competent English professor capable of explaining English grammar and speech, Bravo !!

[@sarahrack3182]

Thank you Lisa! You're a great teacher 👍

[@ramirotamayo6127]

You're really the most accurate teacher I've ever had.

[@ErickGerardoCruzMata]

Thanks a lot! I love your pieces of advice!

[@zhannamanukyan8631]

Hi Lisa, I started watching your videos today and i am very pleased with your lessons. I perfectly understand what you say even without subtitles. And I am really happy about it. Even though i have been learning the English language for many years, i still have things to learn. I certainly will continue watching your videos to improve my English. Thank you, Lisa.💜

[@AccurateEnglish]

I'm glad my videos have been helping you Zhanna. : )

[@user-di2er6cw2j]

The speed of explaining is higher now than it used to be.So that we can get more in less time! That's great!

[@lynpahang7413]

Thank you Ma'am Lisa, you are an excellent grammarist English teacher.

[@juneo5144]

Wow! This is so amazing and amusing!! Actually, I, as an English learner, teach English as well to middle and high school students in a private education organizaion. And three points here in the video are quite emphasized during the grammar class, obviously discouraging students from using them in the way native speakers are doing. haha. I don't think I can give the point to the students who do in that way on the test; however, I would definitely explain how really natives are saying in reality to my students from now on. Thank you for your teaching!!

[@saizokrigakure2342]

Less is also more likely than fewer to be used with count nouns that refer to distances and amounts of money. an investment of less than $2,000 It's less than 100 miles away. Less is also used in mathematical expressions and in certain phrases. an angle of less than 180 degrees Write it in 25 words or less. source: merriam webster

[@anthonyorr8361]

I'm glad you have drawn attention to this anomaly to the 'less/fewer' rule. A 'rule' that can be traced back to 1770. (Robert Baker: Reflections on the English Language) Baker writes: 'I should think ..., it appears to me..., advocating fewer instead of less for countable nouns. Thus, Baker's opinion/preference has been generalised and elevated to absolute status. I would suggest this to be a classic example of 'hypercorrection,' and should therefore be discarded or at the very least disregarded.

[@dongab3360]

Wow I got all of them correct! So helpful ma'am, thanks! GBU. From Philippines!

[@JaanoJahan]

I really love the way she teaches. She has full command on the language.

[@ashleydior401]

For sure!

[@beastking7288]

she aint gonna shag you mate. she aint gonna notice you aswell

[@guillermobruno3377]

I couldn't help associating this fascinating video with Olivia Newton-John, Andy Gibb, and "Rest Your Love on Me" when it says, "... Lay your troubles on my shoulders, put your worries in my pocket, rest your love on me awhile..." Thank you very much Lisa for sharing your knowledge with us. Guillermo

[@AccurateEnglish]

Thank you Guillermo! : )

[@marzelzeron912]

I really enjoy and take advantage of your useful videos about English. Thx a lot!

[@claudiareyes3145]

I admire you so much dear teacher, thanks!

[@helzanovalita2098]

i like the way she teaches, thank a lot Mrs. Lisa, appreciate you more..

[@danielj7912]

Interesting topic! Great teacher! It's good to hear native speakers opinions. English is my 2nd.language. I knew and rememered only 2 of these rules, but "fewer" to me feels harsh, on the line of scarce. I'd use there's but also there were ( not there was) referring to people.(tense inconsistency?) In the case of lay and lie, sure you've got to Know it for the international exams. Lol.

[@shantimoykarmakar5484]

Much thanks for clearing doubts on the differential use of verbs "Lay & Lie

[@longnguyen9638]

Thanks, You’re a great English teacher 👍

[@naapaiarah6818]

Thank you so much. You are my best teacher. I love to see always😍❤️

[@mariasouri7558]

Hello Lisa, thank you so much for your informative English lessons. I'm learning a lot from your videos. I am enjoying every one of the videos and learning so much. I feel like I'm learning new things every time I watch your videos.

[@alexfragoso542]

Thank you so much Lisa for your help!!! Greetings from México!!

[@AshokKumar-vj2wb]

Great style. Love viewing your videos. Adding to my knowledge. Thanks

[@oksanashchenkh2547]

👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻Great, Lisa, thank you a lot. I try drawing my students' attention to these grammar points....🙋💙💛❤️❤️❤️

[@trikynguyen3680]

I am so happy, I am Vietnamese, learning English from VN ,living in Canada now , and I always say " I want to lie down " 😁

[@fallouda4419]

I really enjoy the way you teach, thank you.

[@Obodydonc]

These were exactly what I was confused. You are a brilliant teacher!!!!!!!!

[@henrynguyen9163]

Your clip is really interesting and helpful. Hope to watch more about related topic like this.

[@nightreader1264]

I speak like you do. I have had quite a few people tell me that I speak the King’s Language. Yes, yes, yes DO NOT let the casual language take over!

[@arataka57]

once someone native told me sometimes the usage of the language is wrong however it will become right eventually.

[@larijaskuskovnika3277]

Thank you, Lisa!🌷

[@camilarojas4624]

I love your videos, especially this one. These are topics that I have already talked about in my classes. By the way, I am a Colombian teacher of English, French, and Spanish in Paris.

[@AccurateEnglish]

Thank you Camila.

[@williamnjoku5542]

Hi Lisa thank you for this great lesson. I usually use 'lots' and 'a lot' like this: 1. There 'is a lot of people' (matching the 'a lot' and verb 'is') 2. There 'are lots of people' (The 'lots' and verb 'are'). I will appreciate your comment on this two statement. Thank you so much

[@AccurateEnglish]

Hi William. "A lot of" and "lots of" are interchangeable, but "lots of" is more informal. "A lot" can be used for both singular and plural nouns. For example, "There are a lot of books on the shelf." is a grammatically correct and common. Another example: "I have a lot of friends".

[@williamnjoku5542]

@@AccurateEnglish thank you so much for the explanation. Now I have learnt the difference.