Analysis of test papers in English. Typical mistakes made by students on the Unified State Exam in English
The educational and reference manual is intended for a wide range of people studying and teaching English: school teachers and university professors, secondary and higher education students educational institutions, as well as for everyone who strives to speak and write English without errors.
The benefit includes 160 English words and constructions, grouped into 74 dictionary entries that analyze typical mistakes and the reasons for their occurrence, as well as exercises with keys that help consolidate correct options use of words discussed in the manual.
BY ALL MEANS BY NO MEANS.
Unfortunately, many people who believe that best way learning a foreign language means trying to guess the meaning of words instead of using a dictionary; misunderstanding the expressions by all means and by no means. These are idiomatic expressions whose meaning cannot be derived directly from the word “means”. They do not mean “by all/by any means” and “by any means.”
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- Books by English language
- English step by step, Complete course, Bonk N.A., Levina I.I., Bonk I.A., 2015 - This is a classic training manual a reference book for several generations of English language learners. In it you will find a consistently structured course English grammar … Books on English
- English step by step, Part 1, Bonk N.A., Levina I.I., Bonk I.A., 2015 - This is a classic textbook in two parts, a reference book for several generations of English language learners. In it you will find a sequentially built… Books on English
- English step by step, part 2, Audio course MP3, Bonk N.A., Levina I.I., 2001 - The textbook is an initial English language course, which is based on the methodological new principle training. Texts and exercises are based on... Books on English
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- English language “excellent”, 6th grade, Kotlyarova M.B., Melnik T.N. - area an area, a geographic area, a populated area, a new area. Does she live in this area? The area… Books on English
- English for applicants, Kuskov M.I., 2003 - Includes materials and useful recommendations to prepare for the entrance exam in English to higher educational institutions of the Republic of Belarus. For … Books on English
- Legal English In Use, Novoselova T.N., 2009 - Methodical recommendations The course Foreign Language (English) is intended for students of higher educational institutions studying in specialty 030501 - Jurisprudence. ... Books on English
We strive so hard to do everything right all the time. Some school habit of doing it without mistakes and getting an A... and, perhaps, happily forgetting everything. If you get an A, your conscience is clear.
Having made a mistake, we usually react as usual - we get upset. The phrase “Everyone does it and it’s normal” upsets and even enrages some; they feel like they are just trying to calm them down.
But everyone really does them - teachers, native speakers, super smart professors - everyone!
And you know what I’ll tell you - you’re even very lucky if you’re wrong. Some people do everything right, perhaps not because they are very smart, but because they simply bypassed something and did not learn something very important or interesting. By making mistakes, we learn. When we stumble, we remember these pebbles, we gain so much knowledge!
By making mistakes, we learn, learn and remember much more!
The most important thing is to make mistakes SMARTLY! Yes, it's possible! You need to notice mistakes and work through them. You can also learn from other people’s pebbles – and from other people’s cones.
Today I propose to confront some common mistakes - let’s recognize them in person!
I just want to tell you one story before this.
N It's been so long since we lived in the Philippines. I remembered our neighbor, a Russian guy who married a Filipina and stayed there to live.
We must give him his due - he learned to express himself very well in English, and this despite the fact that before arriving in the Philippines he did not know English AT ALL. He learned by doing, made a lot of mistakes - but was not afraid to make them and was not at all upset. He speaks, makes mistakes and gradually learns how to do it.
And someone is afraid to make a mistake, remains silent, like a fish, and their knowledge of the language remains at the same level.
Basic mistakes in English
So, back to the pebbles. Let's list and analyze typical mistakes that Russian people often make. Let's go:
1. Do you agree? – Do you agree?
Incorrect: Are you agree?
Right: Do do you agree?
In the simple tense, both (agree - what to do? - action verb) and the verb “to be” cannot be used. - am/is/are – appears in sentences only where there are no verbs (there are only adjectives, nouns).
Are you at home? (no verb)
Do you like chocolate? (there is a verb “like”).
2. He lives - He lives
Incorrect: He is alive
Correct: He lives s
Another very common mistake among beginners is completely ignoring the 3rd person singular. Remember that with he/she/it a verb ending in -s is used.
3. I don’t speak – I don’t speak
Incorrect: I don't speak English
Correct: I don't speak English
IN English sentence negative particle is added to the auxiliary verb or the verb “to be”, we talked about this in the article about (Present Simple).
4. He is a good
Incorrect: He is a good
Correct: He is good
It is correct to say “He is good” - the article is not used if there is no noun.
He is good. He is good (no noun).
He is a good person. He good man. (person – noun).
5. A trousers – a pair of trousers
Incorrect: a trousers
Correct: a pair of trousers
Or simply without an article. The indefinite “a” is not used with nouns, since “a” originally came from the numeral “one” - one.
6. This people/that people
Incorrect: This people / that people
Right: These/those people
I've been to Paris. (just an experience, let's show off☺).
I was in Paris in 2009. (a fact in the past, we say when it happened).
12. I feel myself good - I feel good
Incorrect: I feel myself good.
Correct: I feel good.
Unlike Russian, this verb does not require reflexivity.
13. Do mistakes or make mistakes?
Incorrect: I make mistakes.
Correct: I make mistakes.
“To do” in English is expressed through two verbs, which causes confusion among many Russian speakers. The main difference is that “make” has an element of creativity, that is, “do” in the meaning of “produce, create,” and the verb “do” has the basic meaning of “doing, doing.” But there is set phrases, which are better to just remember.
14. So and Such
Incorrect: He has so beautiful wife. His wife is so beautiful.
Correct: He has such a beautiful wife! His wife is so beautiful.
“So... So...” So is used with an adjective (without a noun). Such + (adjective) noun.
Your dress is so good! (after “such (so)” there is ONLY an adjective!)
You have such a good dress! (after “such” comes an adjective AND a noun).
15. Interesting or interested?
Incorrect: I’m very interesting in history.
Correct: I’m very interested ed in history.
–ing adjectives describe the quality of something or someone, while –ed adjectives show a person’s reaction to something.
This sound is very annoy ing(This sound is very annoying. It itself has this quality, annoying others).
We are annoy ed. (We are irritated. Something annoys us. This is our reaction).
16. In or to?
Incorrect: I’ve been in China.
Correct: I have been to China.
IN Present Perfect The preposition “to” is used.
17. Money is - money is
Incorrect: Money is important.
Correct: Money is important.
Although “money” in Russian plural, in English it is singular.
18. Clothes is - clothes are
Incorrect: Clothes is beautiful.
Correct: Clothes are beautiful.
But with clothes it’s the opposite. Clothes in English are plural.
19. Didn’t go or didn’t go?
Incorrect: I didn’t go.
Correct: I didn't go.
And this is our “woe from mind.” Once you have learned it, you need to apply it everywhere :)). We remember that in the past tense in negatives and questions (that is, where there is an auxiliary “did”, the infinitive form of the verb is used, the first, without any endings or transformations).
20. Advice
Incorrect: advices.
Right: a piece of advice
We bring to your attention a video lesson about common mistakes that our compatriots make.
And the second part:
What mistakes are you making?
Let's discuss in the comments.
If you find an error, please highlight a piece of text and click Ctrl+Enter.
Authentic English textbooks are better than ever. English File, Outcomes, Cutting Edge, Straightforward and many others are great. But they have one drawback - they are written for thousands of people from all over the world. As a result, errors typical of native speakers of a particular language are not dealt with in these textbooks. But it’s okay, teachers come to the rescue!
As an English teacher, I hear and correct mistakes every day for 13 years. To correct a little less, I have compiled a list of the most common mistakes that Russian students make in English. Most students make these mistakes different ages, genders, professions, levels, completely independently of each other. The order is random.
On Monday or Tuesday I always ask the students: “What did you do at the weekend?” and I hear in response “I with my friends went to the cinema.” It is correct to say My friends and I went to the cinema or I went to the cinema with my friends. IN English order the words “subject + predicate” are almost unshakable. There is little that can be put in between. Prepositional phrases are not allowed.
When students don’t know how to say something, they ask me or mutter “How to say this?” to themselves. This is wrong. This is a question, and questions in English are built using auxiliary verbs. Correctly, for example, like this: How do I say this? How do I put this? What's the word for this? What do you call this? (“How do you call this?” By the way, another mistake. In the last version, what is correct.) How to can be used in affirmative sentences, for example, “I don’t know how to say this” or “I will show you how to do it,” but not in questions.
That's right, just feel good. Moreover, feel yourself has a meaning that you probably don't want to use in an English lesson. I’m even embarrassed to explain it here. Better Google it yourself. Is it true.
Yes, “I look forward to hear from you” is wrong. Yes, you need to use the -ing form after to and say I look forward to hearing from you. No, this is not an exception that needs to be remembered. There is an explanation.
The thing is that to can be a particle before a verb (I want to go) or a preposition (go to Moscow). When it is a particle, you use the infinitive, but when it is a preposition, you use the -ing form. In the case of look forward to, this is precisely a preposition, as in these examples: I am used to getting up early; I devote a lot of time to writing my blog; We must commit to working hard.
In English, the future is simply close, and not immediate, as in Russian. You just need to come to terms with this and talk in the near future.
In Russian, “on the street” is often just in the open air. If “it’s cold outside,” this means that it’s also cold in parks, on embankments, and so on. In English, in the street means exactly “on the road/in the city/with buildings on both sides.” Therefore, if you go for a run in the park or play football in the yard, this is outside / outdoors, and not in the street.
Last time doesn't mean "in" lately", A " last time" For example: “The last time I went to the cinema was in August” or “When was the last time you watched a movie in English?” “Recently” is lately / recently. For example, “I haven’t talked to my best friend a lot lately” or “I’ve been chainwatching The Big Bang Theory recently.”
It's no secret that we all make mistakes when using English. They can be completely different: incorrect use of tenses and grammar, confusion in words.
All these mistakes prevent the interlocutor from understanding what you want to tell him. Therefore, you need to get rid of them as early as possible.
In this article, I have collected common mistakes that English language learners make. Familiarize yourself with them to prevent them from happening.
7 most common mistakes made by English learners
What are the most common mistakes people make when using grammar and words.
1. Forgetting to add the ending -e/-es when using the Present Simple tense
In the present simple tense, when actor is
- He (he)
- She (she)
- It (it/he/she)
We need to add the ending -s/-es to the action. Very often students forget to do this.
For example:
She work s at school.
She works at school.
If you make this mistake:
- Be sure to re-learn the rules for constructing sentences in this tense
- Compose oral sentences until you automatically achieve the correct construction
- Secure the result by leaving written sentences according to the rule
2. The groups confuse Simple and Continuous tenses
Very often, students do not understand when to use one tense and when to use another.
Simple is translated as “simple”.
We use this tense when we talk about facts that:
- happening in the present tense
- happened in the past
- will happen in the future
For example:
I drive a car.
I drive a car.
We say that a person knows how to drive a car and this is a fact.
Continuous is translated as “long, continuous.”
When we use this tense, we talk about action as a process that:
- happening at the moment
- happened in the past at a certain moment
- will happen in the future at a certain point
For example:
I am driving a car.
I'm driving.
Unlike simple groups, here we do not mean a fact, but we are talking about a process.
Let's see the difference between fact and process.
Fact: I can drive a car, I have a license.
Process: I got behind the wheel some time ago and now I’m driving the car, that is, I’m in the process of driving.
3. They confuse the use of Past Simple (simple past) and Present Perfect (present complete)
To get rid of the confusion between these tenses, let's compare the Present Perfect tense with Past tense Simple.
Past Simple Tense
Past Simple is translated as “past simple” tense.
When to use: We use it when we talk about events that happened in the past.
What we show: The very fact of an action that once happened.
For example:
I lost my keys.
I was losing your keys.
You lost your keys sometime in the past and now talk about it as a fact that once happened to you. For example, over lunch you told a friend that you lost your keys last week.
Present Perfect Tense
Present Perfect is translated as “present perfect (completed)” tense.
When to use: We use the present perfect when we talk about an action that happened in the past, but it has meaning now.
What we show: The result of an action done in the past.
Let's look at an example:
I have lost my keys.
I lost your keys.
For example, you call your wife and ask her when she will come home from work so that she can open the apartment. She asks you why you don’t do it yourself. And then you answer that you have lost your keys (this has already happened) and therefore you cannot enter the apartment (the result of you losing your keys).
We see the result of this action right now: I am now without keys and cannot get into the apartment.
4. Forgetting the particle to before verbs
In order not to forget about the to particle, we just need to figure out when we use it.
In Russian, we understand that we have a verb in the indefinite form ending in Т: to say, to draw, to call. In English, the endings of words do not change.
And here the particle to comes to our aid, which serves precisely as an indicator, which in Russian is the ending Т. That is, if we see the particle to before a verb, we can safely say that this verb is in an indefinite form: to say, to paint, to call.
If you look at the particle to and pronounce it, you will see that it is VERY similar to the Russian Ть, but only at the beginning of a sentence.
We use to when we can ask questions “what to do?” and “what to do?”
For example:
I want (what to do?) to sleep.
I want to sleep.
She likes (what to do?) to read.
She likes to read.
5. They confuse the prepositions in and at
Both prepositions are translated as “in” and present difficulties for students to use.
Preposition in we use when we are inside something.
They are in school.
They are at school.
The sentence says that they are in the school building. They are not somewhere on the site or on an excursion, they are inside this building.
Pretextat- When we are somewhere with a specific purpose.
They are at school.
They are at school.
In this sentence we mean that they are at school, they went there for the purpose of learning, they may now be in the school itself, in the playground next to the school, or even going on a school trip to a museum.
6. The words lie and lay are confused
The verbs lie and lay always cause a lot of difficulties in using, and even people who speak English well confuse them with each other.
Word lie performed independently. That is, we say that someone is lying on the sofa, bed, floor, etc. For example: She was so tired of working that when she arrived, she immediately lay down on the bed.
Please note:
In the past tense lie has the forms lay And lain. Do not confuse it with the verb lie - “to lie”.
Although their spelling in the present tense is completely the same, in the past tense the word “to lie” has the forms lied, lied.
He is lying on the bed.
He is lying on the bed.
Word lay we use when the action done to someone or something. That is, we put something/someone on a table, bed, sofa, etc. For example: I put my bag on my lap.
In the past tense, lay has the form laid, laid.
She laid a book on the table.
She put the book on the table.
7. The words much, many and a lot are confused
In Russian we say: a lot of money, a lot of candy, a lot of effort, a lot of cars, etc. In all these phrases we use one word. In English there are words much, many and a lot, which are translated as “a lot”. But they are used differently.
We use many when we talk about something that we can count. For example: many houses, many birds, many telephones, many countries.
Bill doesn't have many friends.
Bill doesn't have many friends.
We use much when we talk about something we can't count. For example: a lot of freedom, a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of garbage.
You drink too much coffee.
You drink too much coffee.
Many and much are formal words. In spoken English they are used most often in questions and negative sentences. They are also often used after the words too (too) and so (so). In written and formal speech, much and many can be used in all sentences (affirmative, negative, interrogative).
We use a lot and with the fact that we can count with what we cannot count. A lot is a less formal word and is much more commonly used in spoken English.
We had a lot of problems.
We had a lot of problems.
So, dear friends, it is best to learn from the mistakes of others, so take note of these mistakes and do not make them.
English is not the most popular subject in which the Unified State Exam is taken, but interest in it among graduates is growing. Moreover, they promise to make the English exam compulsory soon. What are the features of preparing for the Unified State Exam in foreign language? What mistakes should you avoid when completing exam tasks?
Why learn English?
Modern society clearly requires workers in many areas to know English. In some schools, its study begins already in the first grade; even non-linguistic universities choose to enroll in a number of USE specialties in English. Moreover, we are promised that in the near future the Unified State Exam in English will be on a par with mandatory exams in the Russian language and mathematics.
Most of those taking the Unified State Exam in English are in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In Moscow, 29.2% of all graduates take it, in St. Petersburg - 21%. The results in these cities are also higher: on average in Russia - 57.8%, in St. Petersburg - 60.44%, in Moscow - 64.55%. But high school students from other regions are much more reluctant to take English; there are 10 times fewer people willing to take it! Only 6% in all regions.
Compliance with the Unified State Exam according to English international standards
But you can’t learn a language in one day. It is best to start preparing for the Unified State Exam in English two years in advance, that is, in the 10th grade. Despite many unflattering reviews about the Unified State Exam, this exam is very similar in structure to international ones, such as TOEFL, which clearly confirms its ability to determine the real level of proficiency in a foreign language.
In accordance with documents of the Council of Europe, Unified State Exam assignments highest level Difficulties correspond to level B2 according to international standards. In practical life, this means that only a small part of the Unified State Examination tasks in English requires an understanding of the content of complex texts, including highly specialized ones, and the ability to speak about them.
All texts used in the exam are authentic and undergo three stages of content examination, which is always carried out by a native speaker and reveals the textual consistency of the text. The exam checks the level of students' competence in three types of speech activity: listening, reading and writing. Lexical and grammatical skills are tested separately. Each section contains tasks of varying difficulty, which allows you to most accurately determine the student’s level of knowledge.
Typical mistakes in the Unified State Examination in a foreign language
Analysis of the Unified State Examination, typical mistakes, the opinions of parents and students, and especially the sales volumes of various teaching aids show that preparing for an exam is often understood as endlessly completing tasks - without a sufficient stage of learning, developing a strategy and algorithms of action, and subsequent analysis. But such popular collections of test materials themselves do not teach anything; moreover, they often do not even reflect the realities of the exam, and certainly do not allow one to develop all the necessary skills. Unfortunately, in many schools, preparation for the Unified State Exam is reduced to solving “options” - very often without subsequent analysis of errors and the reasons for their occurrence. This means that the root of the problem when passing the Unified State Exam in English is not the exam itself, but the way of preparing for it.
No matter how trivial it may sound, the basis of preparation for the Unified State Exam in English remains language learning. Without this, it is difficult to expect a good score in the exam. But there are also typical mistakes in the Unified State Exam in English that graduates often make.
Judging by the number of points received, the easiest section for schoolchildren is “Listening”. His tasks are aimed at testing the general understanding of the listened text and the information requested from it. Typical errors in this section show that students strive to “catch” individual words from the text and do not pay attention to its overall meaning. So, in 2013, for many, the difference between the British and American versions of the word " mobile phone": mobile phone and cell phone. Appealing with only one word, and not the general meaning of the statement, many chose the wrong answer.
The “Reading” section is similar in structure to the “Listening” section, only here instead of oral text you need to work with written text. The main difficulty in these tasks was working with words that were similar in meaning, for example, return - recovery - come back. In one of the tasks, the answer to the question posed was contained at the end of the text, but a similar incorrect answer was in the first paragraph, which led to a large number errors in this matter.
The “Grammar and Vocabulary” section turned out to be not as difficult in 2013 as in 2012. His average success rate increased to 58%. Despite this, typical mistakes remain the same from year to year: forms irregular verbs And passive voice. Such a result is evidence of insufficient or incorrect work with errors, which should include determining the cause of the error, appropriate work with theory to eradicate this problem, and consolidating exercises. And you need to learn: there is a strictly defined set of irregular verbs that you just need to learn!
Particularly difficult are tasks devoted to lexical compatibility. The reason for this is, first of all, insufficient work with the “real” language. It is necessary to constantly work with authentic texts and analyze those language features that confuse you in the exam. This is one of the most interesting aspects of the language, which is often “hidden” from students, which reduces their passion and interest in learning foreign languages.
"Letter" - last section, which most clearly reflects the level of language proficiency. It includes tasks C1 and C2. Due to the fact that the exam time has increased by 20 minutes, many began to take on these tasks, but so far they have not been very successful, as evidenced by the decrease in the average score for them. To complete the task of part C, it is necessary not only to correctly express your thoughts on paper, but also to strictly follow both the requirements of the task itself and international standards for writing a letter in different styles. Training the skills necessary for this should be carried out constantly and in different formats, which is quite possible if general approach will be quite thoughtful for the exam.
It's important to mention the Speaking section here, which was canceled in 2006, but definitely a few years later. Since this section is not currently included in the exam, many schools simply “don’t speak” the language. But through speaking and only through it you can expand vocabulary, on which the entire exam is based, you can learn to formulate your thoughts, listen to someone else’s speech and watch for mistakes. All this is the basis not only for successfully passing the Unified State Exam, but also for real proficiency in a foreign language.
Algorithm for preparing for the Unified State Exam in English:
1. You must start preparing for the Unified State Exam no later than two years before the exam.
2. Language knowledge cannot be divided into specific tasks and prepare only for them: all skills are interconnected, and only complex work allows you to cover and practice the maximum of necessary skills.
3. In the “Listening” section, it is necessary to perceive the meaning of the statement as a whole, and not “catch” individual words from the text.
4. In the "Reading" section you should pay attention special attention working with words that are close in meaning.
5. In the “Grammar and Vocabulary” section, it is necessary to learn the theory: forms of irregular verbs and passive voice.
6. In the "Writing" section you need to train skills writing, study international standards for writing letters in different formats.
7. It is necessary to constantly work with authentic texts and analyze those linguistic features in them that confuse the exam.
8. Develop speaking skills in English.
