STOP 🚫 - These Common English Mistakes are Absolutely WRONG!

[@EnglishwithLucy]

I tried to keep my cool in this one 😅 📝GET THE FREE LESSON PDF here 👉🏼 bit.ly/mistakesPDF

[@Brilliant988]

Please never stop uploading videos.😢I can't imagine how my language journey will look like in future without you.Goatcy❤.By the way,can u correct my sentences?

[@skyy223]

Wow. a beautiful lady.

[@nataliyaboncheva6132]

​@@skyy223😅9.00 7:36 😊

[@Berilyn-g2b]

12:34 The usage of they and their is also used in our language. Example in the way of our usage: "Maybe, someone left (their) umbrella" however the pronoun their is referred to a singular or plural. ✨

[@voozoo1606]

PLEASE use the word THAT after SO!! 1:30 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@edmundtheironside4282]

When it comes to hassle, nothing can beat ''conscious, consciousness, conscience, conscientious''...

[@DebiG1057]

I an a fluent English speaker but I enjoy your videos because I want to learn the Queen's English. I am a New England native.

[@eduardossesariza7970]

Am*

[@Grizzlywer]

​@@eduardossesariza7970am*

[@Inke7]

It's a typo losers! 😂

[@miljann98]

​@@Inke7It's a typo, losers! 😂*

[@rya789]

Relax sharks it was just a mistyped one

[@magicdragonwings7886]

Thanks!

[@Amuztak]

"Whom" and "who" reminded me of that scene of Friends where Monica says about Ross: "I know! Is it because he's always correcting people's grammar? 'Whom, whom!' Sometimes it's 'who'!"

[@davidaraquemojica7505]

You can say either either or either.

[@CeciliaPMiniatures]

Mistakes depend on how we decide to approach a language: descriptive approach od prescriptive approach. I live by this rule, given by my linguistic professor during my first year at university 10 years ago now

[@philipwagner9169]

I heard once that the who/whom punctiliousness, the antipathy towards ending sentences with prepositions, and similar debates, was caused by 19th century academics, trying to understand English in terms of the grammatical structures of the classical Latin which they'd all been trained in. Snobbery and emulation did the rest.

[@jensphiliphohmann1876]

About prepositions at the end: I encounter them often in English language videos. Nobody says: "I don't know about what you're talking." Everybody says: "I don't know what you're talking about."

[@lysan1445]

Thank you so much for this lesson! Such a relief! I have to admit I used to be a stickler for "whom", but I realised long ago that it has become outdated. Somehow I am fond of "whom" and still silently correct it in my mind if someone says "who" instead. But I would never correct anyone on this as there is nothing to correct anymore. But I miss it.

[@jezz2k]

I will continue to use it, even if nobody else does.

[@katbass4440]

I am a rule stickler, but I like what you say about pronunciation and grammar. We should try to adapt to the speakers that surround us, so that we can understand each other.

[@jota55581]

I agree !

[@kactuskent]

ABSOLUTELY Brilliant ! I'll save this link to forward to my 'critics' when they 'CORRECT' my flexibly perfect English ( in my mind, at any rate ) ... you hit SO many of my points exactly ...

[@brucemacdonald1509]

I would love to hear your opinion on "lay" vs "lie" It took me two years to get it sorted out, but very few people make the distinction any longer.

[@kloffus3]

Notice the object that the verb lay needs. "I lay the table" ( i.e. cause knves, forks , plates etc, to lay on the table ) A hen lays eggs i.e. causes eggs to lie on the ground in the nest. . We laid the carpet yesterday. i'e' cause the carpet to lie on the floor. If you use "lay" for yourself you need the object too " Now I lay me down to rest! " { for "me" in modern English we'd say "myself"} " He lays him down to sleep". ( notice the object pronoun 'him' ) is an old fashiioned style. We would now say "He lies down to sleep" and NOT "He lays down " unless you want to ignore all that I have been saying and insist "the modern language is changing so get used to it."

[@landsgevaer]

Not native speaker here, but isn't this just transitive vs. non-transitive? Something lays something, but something lies, period. To lay is to put something else in a typically flat position on top top off something, whereas to lie means to be in such a position oneself. To lay means something like "to make something lie".

[@williamb4652]

@@landsgevaerspot on

[@matthiasfranz4470]

Thanks a lot. I often wondered about the correct pronunciation of either and neither. And "they" referring to singular persons of unknown gender is quite helpful. In my studies in school back in the 80ies, it used to be "his or her".

[@2fun0]

sometimes i listen to bbc for listening skill and i cannot follow them for a long period. But, when i listen to you for listening skill, your voice feels like breeze in my face and i enjoy that. Thank you.

[@orderla8877]

They say the person who can blush has a good heart.

[@rachellarkins4652]

I am beyond satisfied that you settled the who vs. whom dissention. I have ALWAYS struggled to comprehend the rules of proper who and whom usage. I would hear others use the term whom and immediately feel left out and segregated from the secret society that harvested the capabilities of knowing when and how to use the word. I'm still scuffling with the comprehension aspect, but at least I've got this video to catch me 😂 when I fall.

[@justaddmagic.fanclub]

absolutely in love with the way you framed the sentence mate 😂

[@user-no2mz9hl4f]

I may be the only one, but I’m trying yo bring “whom” back into normal use - at least in writing - because I feel it sounds more elegant. I can thank my grandfather for tuning my ear to be able to instinctively tell when to use who and whom. But I get that for those who didn’t learn much grammar in school, or who speak English as a second language, it’s a big ask to be able to correctly use who and whom in conversation.

[@peterw29]

@@user-no2mz9hl4f The answer is don't use 'whom' in conversation, but by all means use it in writing if you want to. Writing tends to use more formal English than conversation, plus, if you're uncertain about usage, you have more time to think about it.

[@user-no2mz9hl4f]

@@peterw29 I know how to use ‘whom’ in spoken English; my grandfather was big on grammar, and taught me well. I will continue to use the word when applicable.

[@FlowersInHisHair]

I love using "whom" when it should be "who", to comically point out that "whom" is stuffy and (more importantly) obsolescent

[@Willpower757]

🎉Thanks for fantastic lesson which wasn't taught in our schools. English seems to be very easy with you 🧡🧡🧡.

[@Willpowersfan]

Hi !!!!

[@Willpower757]

​@@Willpowersfan Hello !!!

[@reginabethpm9402]

Hello, I'm from the Philippines, English is a second or third language for most of us, depending on where you grew up. Anyway, found this particular video quite interesting. Realized that I pronounce some words the British way and some the American way. That should give you a clue on my education. Thank you!

[@RingsLoreMaster]

Your education or your travels?

[@reginabethpm9402]

@@RingsLoreMaster my education

[@stephen6851]

I would like you to talk about “I” vs “me”, especially if there is another person present in the sentence. Example: the same people who say “this was a great experience for me” will say “this was a great experience for my wife and I”

[@Isabelle.B]

I just loved listening to the Queen talking.

[@harveycovey2215]

I must confess, I have been a word snob over "data". I was taught early on that "data" (as in hat) is a singular, singular, whereas "data" (as in date) is a singular collective. so data (hat) is a single piece of data (date). As I am a computer programmer by trade, it has been a source of consternation for me in the past. I will, of course, strive to be more tolerant of this in the future.

[@joegrey9807]

As a statistician I've never heard the different pronunciations of data being used to distinguish between singular and collective. I tend to treat the word as non-countable, my boss regarded it as countable plural. This was in a UK government department, both forms were published, but not in the same document. A younger colleague was happy to use less instead of fewer. Language changes....

[@lstavenhagen]

Yes, the who/whom thing gets my goat too. This is a remnant of the Old English case system, where an -m ending indicated the dative form of "who" (nom. "hwa", dat. "hwaem" or something like that, IIRC). But apart from our pronominal system, the old case system is virtually gone in ME dialects. Even native speakers like myself can't keep it straight and use it "incorrectly". And as you note, when it becomes what people actually say, it's no longer "incorrect".... In fact, I can't remember the last time I used "whom" in actual speech at all....

[@prepper_nation_h]

Great episode, Lucy! Here's a suggestion for covering a tricky English quandary that I ran into just the other day. It would be helpful to both non-English speakers and native speakers needing a refresher as to which type of verb to use after a singular noun which represents a group of individuals. Nouns such as "team," "staff," "congregation," or "family," to name a few. For example which circumstances would you use "the team was..." versus "the team were..." I found that the MLA style guide had a good explanation of when to use a singular or plural verb, but I think you'd do a great job making this the subject of a video if you haven't already. Cheers!

[@kylefrank638]

You would always use "was" after "team", "family" or any collective noun/subject. The team is a whole, and if you *were* to say "the family were vacationing...", that paradoxically refers to the members of the family, separately, even though your subject is singular. Alternately, after mentioning a family in a previous sentence, could say "THEY were vacationing" as a kind of compromise, because now "they" is understood as the family.

[@isolamar]

​@@kylefrank638 Not always. The police can have both singular and plural forms of verbs after. But in reality, people use whatever they like, even after staff.

[@TubeLVT]

@@kylefrank638 That’s a good example of proper American usage. However, one family was vacationing while another family were on holiday.

[@cosmodoc]

@@isolamarthat doesn’t make any sense to me!

[@RingsLoreMaster]

​@@cosmodocfirst, which one makes no sense the singular "was" or the plural "were". Second, on Fox's coverage of the World Cup, even the American natives speaking announcers use "were" when discussing teams or describing action.

[@ingvarjensen1088]

You're such a sight for sore eyes, Lucy - and your never fading smile is the icing on the cake ❤ I only watch you once in a while but I should do it more often. Thank you for doing what you're doing.

[@ahmchotto]

Glad you pointed out that very often people include omitted/implied words and phrases in their grammatical considerations/"grammatical picture". E.g., 10 items or less [than that [amount/number]]. But they say "10 or fewer items" without hesitation.

[@shonen84]

I live in Belgium and I've learnt my English from computer games, The Simpsons and Police Academy. When I had my first English lesson in middle school, I had the good fortune to have a teacher who probably picked up on my American pronunciation and colloquial "liberties" in grammar but didn't outright correct me or identified them as mistakes. She just complimented me by referring to me as "the American" in class. I've proceeded with developing my English as such and am now always complimented wherever I go - by non English speakers and native speakers alike. Thanks for your videos, they're really great!

[@steffanhoffmann]

Great story. American English (which is what we must call it, why? 😂) is a good start but it won't develop a vocabulary. Additionally it leads into present day bad habits. For example...I was like, he was like, she was like, they were like. (What were they like?😊) Kinda sorta right? Right. Right? Right. Just a lot of nonsense, which has crept into youth culture world-wide. However, up to about the 1980s decade it was closely aligned. Since then its 👉 🇬🇧 poetic 🎶 has slowly been destroyed.

[@shonen84]

@@steffanhoffmann I had the good fortune to play point and click adventure games, like Monkey Island. These were rich sources of vocabulary, popular culture and American humor. Plus being interactive, my childhood brain developed problem solving skills and a fluency in English that was never rivaled by any of my peers. I agree I wouldn't have that edge today, with games all being on phones with dodgy translations from Chinese or Korean 😅

[@steffanhoffmann]

@@shonen84 Understood and thanks 👍 ☺

[@slowlearner4341]

I believe that cases, such precisely explained, can be barely found in any study books. Thank you Lucy.

[@MorganStarchild]

Great video! What about "to whom"? Saying "to who" won't ever sound right to me if "whom" is on the decline. My favorite irritant is people saying "She gave it to Sam and I" when it should be "Sam and me".

[@blotski]

With the 'fewer v. less' thing I don't think of countables and non-countables. It just comes down singular versus plural. Use 'fewer' if the noun is in the plural. If it's a singular noun you use 'less'. I find this works.

[@TheOnlyGazzLam]

that's a great rule. It falls over on words like sheep and fish, but I like it. I love simple, dirty tricks like this

[@maxofb7745]

I'm surprised that many of these things were taught to me in school already. And I'm German and English is my second language. Still I'm really conscious of the way I'm speaking when I'm with my nativ speaking friends.

[@scientious]

I recall a program on TV where the interviewer said 'expresso' and the chef corrected him saying that it was "espresso, not expresso." Actually, either form is acceptable in the US. We only used to see 'catsup' but now I also see it spelled as 'ketchup' because that's how it is usually pronounced here. 'caramel' is sometimes pronounced kare - uh - mel but is also often pronounced kar- mul. Either is acceptable in the US. 8:30 "Ten items or less." This seems to come from mathematics where it is quite common to say things like: 5 is less than 10 or in the symbolic form: 5 < 10 So, it would be difficult to claim that it is correct in a mathematical context but incorrect in a literary context when it would still be necessary to count items.

[@fahadmooha1040]

I support you as a teacher

[@AzzamLah]

The general rule of thumb I use is to distinguish whether it is for casual or formal (like those government documents) communication.

[@Anto_81]

Funny how it took me so long to LEARN how to put the preposition at the end of a sentence, to then be told it could be a mistake 😂

[@drziggyabdelmalak1439]

Very interesting. Cool, Lucy. Thanks.

[@levisguy53]

data can also also pronounced with a short a sound. i often flip flop between the long and the short a pronunciation. this is my first video, so i didn't see the one on prepositions, but in order for it to be used as such it, much consist of a prepositional phrase, otherwise its part of speech is an adverb.

[@dobberdop]

"Linguistic snobbery " I love how you pronounce it.. even when I didn't knew the meaning, I would knew it now, by your pronouncing

[@sumitnilparuk7206]

I love your teaching style teacher Lucy

[@scarseven5473]

I'm so thankful for discovering your channel, just the amount of information i learnt from this video, it's really awe-inspiring

[@shatoogul354]

Lucy I thought that using "Whom" is used to describe the person rather than who, who is someone you know.... so for example. My friend Gina will be calling you and she did go to the park. A week later, Gina didn't call and my new friend complains... and you say, "My friend whom I mentioned to you before will call you don't worry"

[@rafaelmendoza1103]

I wish my english teacher was that beauty

[@elarafarahmand]

Love your energy and explanation

[@slavkaj8285]

Very helpful, especially the pronunciation part, thank you. Sorry for being a hairsplitter but your „before“ in 12:17 is not a good example of a preposition at the end of a sentence. It‘s an ADVERB.

[@volkerschunck]

That was really enlightening, Lucy! But still one question remains: If you use they / their for a single person do you have to use in present "s" at the end of a verb?

[@SidheKnight]

I'm not Lucy, but I can answer that: No. You use the same conjugation rules that apply to the plural they/ them. Example: "They (singular) like to spend time in the library."

[@volkerschunck]

@@SidheKnight Thank you!

[@abdulahmoula7196]

Lucy, thanks for sharing a comedy-like lesson, which is not only enriching our knowledge but also entertaining us a lot. The unique style, the irresistible beauty, and the fine sense of humor, combined with a charming smile, that’s amazing!🌹❤️

[@ChixandPolitix]

Ugh.

[@brylant8ct]

Spot on

[@mohdarbaz9548]

Habibi absolutely

[@manshi909]

A great teacher.

[@HerrFinsternis]

I don't think I was ever taught the difference between less and fewer. Thanks 😊

[@islandresort8302]

Thanks for the excellent lesson!

[@ildefonsogustavodiazsandov9246]

Fantastic lesson! All the very best

[@roses2155]

"... you prefer to adapt to changes in language rather than remaining stuck in the old ways." or.... "... you prefer to adapt to changes in language." The latter allows them to complete the thought in their head, thereby insulting themselves rather than you articulating the (deserved?) judgement. One beauty of the English language is the access to unspoken thoughts through such things as pauses, incomplete threads of logic, innuendo, and connotations.

[@lewistsao3279]

At about 3:51 when hesitating, some people use "the..." while others use "thee....".

[@me-zs7tr]

this needed to be said

[@sebastianlucius1259]

When I watched a film of Lindybeige where he argues with a compatriot which pronunciation of 'either' is right. That was an eye-opener. 'Whom' is easier to understand for native speakers of other germanic languages. The concept is common there.

[@johnibat]

Thanks...

[@tarunpundhir1194]

Hey i watched Mission Impossible 7 recently without subtitles! I'm not a native speaker but i could understand all of it. That added to the excitement of the film! Thanks Maam for your advice .It really helped a lot!!

[@johnmurphy7674]

Congratulations my friend. Keep it up!

[@yvonnemartin362]

Thanks Lucy for this useful video.

[@michelnanta985]

Thank you for Reassuring me about how to speak English correctly but reasonably.

[@brigittak]

Thanks a lot for your videos! Not only educational but also entertaining the way you do them! Kind regards from Austria!

[@gabrieladuran6923]

Just fantastic!!!

[@amopeade3851]

Lucy ur right

[@PurnaRodman]

Thanks for keeeping your grammar up to date!

[@kiranix]

As a non-native English speaker, I've always wondered if there was a way to avoid writing "he/she" in all my compositions. The day has arrived. Thank you very much Lucy

[@stephenlee5929]

Hi, native speaker here, just for understanding, before we used 'he/she', we used to use 'he' as non gender specific, not good now, but you may come across this. As late as the 1950's this was used in legal and official documents, such that unless otherwise stated he implies he or she. Letters were often addressed as Dear Sir, rather than Dear Sir or Madam, this usage became less acceptable around 1980's.

[@Starkiller935]

​@@stephenlee5929 I am also a non native speaker, but isn't "he" still used like this in legal documents, such as contracts? Usually with an explanation in the "Definitions" of the contract stating that it also includes the feminine form. I know I've seen this in modern contracts but maybe the style is very outdated?

[@stephenlee5929]

@@Starkiller935 Hi, The style is very outdated, I don't think it is in general use these days, but sometimes contracts retain old wording (often in insurance) because the meaning of the given wording has been tested in court, so we know how the legal system will view it. That is partly why I made the original comment. I would stress, the format is not one you should use lightly, it is very hard to justify, but understanding that it was used is (can be) useful.

[@joepiazza3756]

Canadian here. I use the beginning of the first pronunciation of Controversy but the American ending. I say that R at the end but I don't say the beginning that makes me sound like a US Southerner.

[@DaveSmith90559]

*Another fantastic English lesson from the magnificent Teacher! 🥰🥰🥰* *Thanks a million, my cute Lucy! Fortunately, I don't already have these kind of mistakes just because you've taught* *me how to utilize English correctly! I'm eternally grateful to you!🙏🙏🙏*

[@sonjak8265]

it is better to say: use English

[@UkOutreach]

Utilize - yuk.

[@hugovernaeve6594]

Another question of me in this context: Is it proper to say/write: “Do you have a car” or should it be “Have you got a car” to comply with British grammar ? I heard the first sentence would only comply with American grammar ?

[@jonathanbrett-warren2031]

Lucy, as a native English speaker, this was brilliant! Thank you x

[@Billiebleak]

Thanks for the lesson.

[@potestasetdecus]

13:55 I also like this statement it reminded me of Idiocracy (a movie, 2006).

[@KSA14023]

Thank you beautiful teacher❤

[@kyrie0033]

I love "whom"... 😔

[@valeries.5445]

Wonderful Lucy, so many thanks!

[@alexandrosalexandropoulos4836]

The funny thing is that you pronounce the word "phenomenon" as we do here in Greece! Great episode! Congrats!

[@leilarashki7791]

That was a great leason. I like all episodes that I watched from your channel. Watching your lessons is a part of daily routine these days.

[@lopatine]

Lucy has stolen my heart with her approach to teaching and language using❤

[@BAZEDMEADES]

Precision and depth of analysis usually encountered only in science and/or philosophy.

[@zeweldihaile2718]

Thank you Lucy

[@robveggett6782]

At 5:23 timeframe the second pronunciation in brackets is different from Lucy's pronunciation.

[@gillesbdm1670]

Thanks and love from France.

[@juanfran579]

It 's interesting to observe how native speakers and learners of a foreign language learn a language the other way round. Whereas the latter ones, gets to understand correctness derived from the rules and learns the intuitively right way of saying later on, the first one usually neither knows the rules nor knows how to explain them unless he/she is a language teacher. The native speaker learns tge rules in line with teaching his/her mother tongue. I teach German and I am often asked questions that I can't find a straightforward answer for. And I've got a profound knowledge of my own language.

[@MeTube3]

Bedfordshire accents shift considerably across the County. Luton is very different from Cranfield, and Bedford town is different again. Then Biggleswade/Sandy is even more different. Lucy doesn’t have even a trace of a Bedfordshire accent. Listen to Stacey Dooley to hear some of what Lu’un sounds like.

[@Alexandra_Stone]

A French person once told me I was saying “often” wrong by pronouncing the T and even whipped her pocket dictionary out to prove it!

[@TavinTong-f8p]

What???

[@lindafox1948]

In "I've never been there before", "before" is NOT a preposition, it's an adverb. You can always work out the part of speech by substituting another of the same; so preposition: I've never been there into" - nope. Adverb: I've never been there yesterday, or happily, or "with honour" which is an adverbial phrase. Yep, definitely an adverb.

[@javadtabkhi4757]

I learnt from you in this video. Venerable master of the language.

[@bethmeredith]

Good lesson Lucy. 🙂

[@اسعدمحمود-ت7م]

شكرا جزيلا ست لوسي على هذا الدرس

[@joshuapitong899]

Thanks Ms. Lucy.❤

[@joaquinlombardo5806]

I love you Lucy! It was eyeopening the comment on they and their... I only have one query: in the sentence "I haven't been there before", why is "before" considered a preposition? Wouldn't it be an adverb? Greetings from Argentina! I love your content!

[@williamb4652]

Being picked up for ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I will not put.

[@trapeador1]

Congratulations, it was a very useful lesson! Thanks!

[@josealfonsosilvalatorre1826]

Me encanto la lección, muchas gracias 😊

[@christopherlawson3380]

I am good. We would never say this in my younger years. But these days........Enjoyed watching this

[@safranbellucci]

Thank you for the informative lesson. It's interesting to see how languages evolve over time.

[@pauleff3312]

The most important thing is to be understood when communicating

[@nobody7817]

I had a neighbor in the southeast US once. His father was an Engineer, and he had a ton of degrees. He had so many degrees that one would think he had a fever. He would throw a fit if one were to end a sentence in a preposition. I NEVER understood what they were saying in school, but he would purposefully talk to us kids and say things "properly" and emphasis prepositional phrase so we caught on. ONE DAY the light bulb in my head came on and I figured it out!

[@blancaocana6397]

I just love the way you teach and I love your pronunciation! ❤❤❤

[@sourovroy6292]

I enjoy your speaking.your accent is so clear to understand👌👌👌 .

[@amadeeuuss]

Thank you Lucy. So useful and confident-making!

[@m1nt9reen]

*confidence inspiring (with or without a hyphen)

[@RingsLoreMaster]

Lucy, have you done a video considering "ought", "nor" and "ain't"? Yes, in American English the question mark goes inside the quotations mark (if the rule for question mark Inside quotes applies with a list of questions) . That looks goofy. Also did you know that Hammerstein used "ain't" in a song? 'Can' t help lovin' dat man of mine'.

[@roasty247]

British English Native here. Yes. I support this message. :)

[@ameerameer5910]

Is there big difference between British accent and American accent in pronunciation? because I'm so confused when I follow British teacher or American teacher 😖