Test Yourself - most common mistakes, grammar, idiom

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4

The most common English mistakes made by Dutch learners.   

  

What is something that excites you about your future internship? (In English, full sentence)

Next class we will have presentations! 

NO EXTENSIONS/NO EXCEPTIONS

You have had a lot of time to work on this! 

How it will work

Come to class as usual. 

I will give you an assignment to do and then you can present one-on-one to me 

Any questions about the presentations? 

Now let's go over common mistakes made by Dutch speakers in English! :) 

They're the ones that went to Paris; their parents took them there.
(n)

1. They're
2. their
3. there
4. They're all correct

 

They're = they are

 Their  = possessive pronoun 

 There = location

They're / Their / There

They're the ones that went to Paris; their parents took them there.                                                                          They're = They are

                                                                     Their  = possessive pronoun

                                                                                            There = location

Ik woon al twee jaar in Utrecht =
"I live in Utrecht for two years"
What is wrong

1. live
2. in
3. for
4. They're all correct!

'for' and 'since' = markers of present perfect! (extended time period)

*I have lived in Utrecht for two years*

This uses present continuous! 

English tense = present perfect 

form = have/has + voltooid deelwoord 

remember: verb+ed, unless irregular!

I am calling to inform about…

1. am calling
2. inform
3. about
4. they're all correct!

I am calling to inform about…

The English verb to inform doesn’t always work the same way as 'informeren' in Dutch. You can inform someone about events, but when you are looking for information about a topic, you cannot use the verb. Rather, you say "I would like to inquire about…" or "I am looking for more information about…"

We looked at many car’s.
What is the error?

1. looked
2. many
3. car's
4. they're all correct!

We looked at many car’s. 

You never use an apostrophe (‘) to make a noun plural in English. For possessive nouns (nouns showing ownership), you would use an apostrophe, for example That is my brother’s car, but NOT to say “My brother has two car’s.”

I have to go to the pharmacy to get my medicine.
Do you have your … ?

1. receipt
2. prescription
3. subscription
4. recipe

Do you have your..... ?

A RECIPE you use for cooking and a SUBSCRIPTION you may have for a (digital) magazine. A RECEIPT is the paper you get when you buy something, but the paper you take to the pharmacy is a PRESCRIPTION.

I’ll be there in 10 minutes.
Sorry I’m too late.
What's up?

1. I'll be
2. there
3. too
4. They're all correct!

Sorry I’m too late.

Don’t worry, you’re not too late, you’re just a little bit late. In English, too late would mean that you missed the event entirely. If you are just running behind schedule you are late. 

His teacher learns him English.
What's up?

1. his
2. learns
3. him
4. They're all correct!

learn versus teach

learners try to learn - they are taught something by teachers

teachers try to teach - they teach learners something

I have seen you yesterday.

1. CORRECT
2. INCORRECT

*I have seen you yesterday.*

What should it be?

Fill in your answer in the next slide!

(n)

Yesterday, tomorrow, last week = markers of the simple past (past simple)

I ....……. you yesterday.
(n)

1. see
2. seen
3. saw
4. sawed

To play = regular verb 

(past = verb + ed)

--> play - PLAYED - played

To see = irregular verb 

(past = study the forms)

--> see - SAW - seen

While we're at it....

more irregular verbs

Irregular verbs

to fly - …... - …….

1. flied - flown
2. flewed - flown
3. flew - flewn
4. flew - flown

Irregular verbs

to break - ……. - …...

1. breaked - broken
2. broke - broken
3. broke - broked
4. break- break

Irregular verbs

To set - ….. - …...

1. set - set
2. setted - set
3. sat - sad
4. set - setted

Irregular verbs

To catch - ….. - …...

1. caught - caught
2. catched - caught
3. caught - catched
4. catched - catched

Now on to the idiom!

Do you know the translation of the word....

thoroughly enjoyable

1. erg aangenaam
2. ontzettend plezierig
3. buitengewoon aangenaam
4. goed te genieten

with reference to
=

1. een referentie voor
2. verwijzen naar
3. naar aanleiding van
4. betrokken bij

frankly
=

1. vrij
2. openlijk
3. vrijgevochten
4. eerlijk gezegd

profound

ominous

appropriate

grondig

vergaand

onheilspellend

dreigend

gepast

geschikt

Profound = grondig + vergaand

Appropriate = gepast + geschikt

Ominous = dreigend + onheilspellend