How to avoid typical mistakes in English - part 2
2026-03-01 23 min Rebecca Deacon - Advanced English Fluency | Dave Preston - Business English Communication Skills | Birgit Kasimirski - English Confidence for German Professionals
Description & Show Notes
In this episode, we cover some of the most common English mistakes learners make, including confusing “when” and “if,” misusing present continuous, and mixing up “meet” and “get to know.” We also explain tricky points like “been” vs. “gone,” using “each other” correctly, and how small words like “into” and “onto” can make your English sound more natural. Packed with clear examples and practical tips, this episode will help you speak more confidently and accurately in everyday situations.
- Introduction to common mistakes (0:03 – 0:48)
- “At this time” vs. “At that time” and “In former times” (0:48 – 2:17)
- “These days” vs. “In those days” (2:18 – 3:13)
- Overuse of present continuous for facts and habits (3:13 – 4:25)
- Missing the “-ing” form for fixed future plans (4:26 – 6:06)
- “Used to” + -ing (6:06 – 8:24)
- “I’ve been…” for duration and experience (9:26 – 11:53)
- Mixing up “when” and “if” (12:25 – 13:37)
- Adding movement with “into” and “onto” (13:52 – 15:03)
- “We” and “each other” – avoiding “We … us” (15:06 – 16:30)
- “Meet” vs. “get to know” (16:55 – 19:26)
- Golden Nugget: Silent letters (19:40 – 21:05)
- Preview of the next episode and workshop announcement (21:06 – 22:53)
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In dieser Folge behandeln wir einige der häufigsten Fehler, die Englischlernende machen, darunter die Verwechslung von „when“ und „if“, die falsche Verwendung des Present Continuous und die Verwechslung von „meet“ und „get to know“. Außerdem erklären wir knifflige Punkte wie „been“ vs. „gone“, die richtige Verwendung von „each other“ und wie kleine Wörter wie „into“ und „onto“ Ihr Englisch natürlicher klingen lassen können. Mit anschaulichen Beispielen und praktischen Tipps hilft Ihnen diese Folge, in alltäglichen Situationen selbstbewusster und präziser zu sprechen.
- Einführung in häufige Fehler (0:03 – 0:48)
- „At this time“ vs. „At that time“ und „In former times“ (0:48 – 2:17)
- „These days“ vs. „In those days“ (2:18 – 3:13)
- Übermäßiger Gebrauch des Present Continuous für Fakten und Gewohnheiten (3:13 – 4:25)
- Fehlende „-ing“-Form für feste Zukunftspläne (4:26 – 6:06)
- „Used to“ + -ing (6:06 – 8:24)
- „I’ve been…“ für Dauer und Erfahrung (9:26 – 11:53)
- Verwechslung von „when” und „if” (12:25 – 13:37)
- Hinzufügen von Bewegung mit „into” und „onto” (13:52 – 15:03)
- „We” und „each other” – Vermeiden von „We … us” (15:06 – 16:30)
- „Treffen“ vs. „kennenlernen“ (16:55 – 19:26)
- Golden Nugget: Stumme Buchstaben (19:40 – 21:05)
- Vorschau auf die nächste Folge und Ankündigung des Workshops (21:06 – 22:53)
Transcript
(Transcribed by TurboScribe.ai. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) Hi, we are The 3 English Experts.
I'm Rebecca.
I'm Dave.
I'm Birgit.
And welcome to this episode.
3 English Experts is your English podcast to help you speak better English and create a positive and happy mindset for your English learning journey.
Hi everyone and welcome back to this episode.
Today we're doing another typical common mistakes that people make.
These are very popular episodes, so we decided to record another one.
We've all collected a few mistakes that we hear very often from our clients and we're just going to go through them and maybe there's something in there for everybody.
Birgit, would you like to kick off with one of your mistakes that you hear quite often?
Yes, I will.
Hello everybody.
What's coming up again and again in conversations with clients is when they talk about some time back from their childhood.
And then usually in a sentence something would come up like at this time.
And in this usage, it's not correct because this will always be like here and now and very close to where we are and when we are.
You might remember that even from school, this one and that one.
So it's like contrasting.
And that is a very great way of expressing even in times in terms of times at that time when I lived in England, I could say, yeah, I couldn't think of learning or I didn't speak Dutch at that time.
Yeah, Rebecca.
Yeah, I was just thinking the other one that connected to that is people get confused with they would say in former times, meaning like I don't know what they're translating actually, but there's a really German and I would say it's not in former times, it's in the past.
You just say in the past, we didn't have mobile phones, for example, in the past.
And they often say in former times that it sounds almost like mediaeval.
It sounds like really long time ago.
I think is it just Damas they want to express?
I'm not sure.
Yeah, maybe.
Yeah, I just want to say interesting because in the past would be much easier to remember because when you teach the past, maybe they're looking for fancy wordings.
Yeah, I don't know where it comes from, but I hear it a lot in former times.
It's just in the past.
At that time, like you said, at that time or in those days, that's what I wanted to add as well.
So you have the that and the this and then you have these and the those.
You say these days.
So for now and in those days for the past.
Exactly.
Oh, I like that.
Because I like those days.
Yeah, because these and those is also not used, overly used for learners, from learners, by learners.
And just one last point.
So it is in those days.
But when you say these days, there's no preposition.
It's just these days, everybody has a mobile phone.
But in those days, nobody had a phone.
So, yeah, there is the in, but with the these days, there's no in just to make it a little bit more confusing.
Or you could skip it all and just say today or nowadays.
Oh, nowadays.
That's another one.
Yeah.
Nowadays.
Okay.
Dave, would you like to carry on next typical mistake?
Yeah, I'd look a little bit what you often hear when people introduce themselves.
So the one of them that you have is, for example, the overuse of the present continuous, the ing.
So I am living, I am working all these things.
But because it's something that happens regularly, or it's a fact, depending which way you want to look at it, then it has to be the normal present simple.
So I live in Valencia, not I'm living in Valencia.
If you use this form with living or something like that, it means a temporary thing.
And then you wouldn't say living, you would say staying in that context.
But so yeah, so living and working, please know the normal present continuous.
I live, I work because they are facts.
And it's the same also for hobbies.
Often you hear people saying, I'm playing football in my free time or something like that.
Again, it's a, this is more maybe a fact or a routine habit.
Then we use again, the present simple, I play football, I go to the gym, not I'm going to the gym.
So for hobbies that are regular, or facts, you could always argue as well.
So that's my first big one.
Okay, Rebecca, yours?
Yeah, that is a big one, the ing one.
But maybe I'll follow that with another ing point.
So we talked, Dave talked about people overusing ing in the present tense, but I'm missing the ing in the future tense.
So there is a future tense, sometimes called appointment future or fixed plan in the future where we use the ing form and it is present continuous, but we use it in the future.
So tomorrow, I am watching rugby with my husband.
And France are playing Ireland tomorrow.
It's a fixed plan.
So it's happening.
It's in the calendar, it's in the diary, it's happening.
On Saturday, we are visiting my parents, something like that.
Often people skip this form.
I don't know if they don't really teach it at school, or they don't focus on it at school, but people forget about it.
And it's just really normal.
It's really common.
And they tend to just go with the will.
I will watch rugby tomorrow or I watch sometimes they go back to watch.
Yeah, I watch rugby tomorrow, which no, I watch rugby often.
But no, tomorrow I'm watching or tomorrow we are going to the pub and we are watching France against Ireland.
It's a fixed plan.
Yeah, I'm missing the ing.
So we've got an overing in the present and undering in the future.
But again, it's one of these things.
It's one of the first things you do at school, I think this ing form.
And then even later on, I have really advanced clients who still mix this up.
So keep it in mind.
Yes, so big.
You have an ing one, right as well, don't you?
I have an ing one.
And just one more sentence to this issue, because it's one of the first things they learn in school.
But the trouble is, I don't know how they teach you the ing form in England, but the future use of ing comes later and not in a context.
And they do teach it, but there's no focus whatsoever.
And it's not set in what situation so clearly.
And I think you need to contrast it to.
But there's an episode on the future tense is where we do that.
This is why a lot of people can never think of using the continuous as a future tense.
Yes.
And I have an example.
This is also very often made wrong by learners to be used to.
And then it's a German construction with an ing.
So another one that wants the ing here.
So I'm used to speaking English almost every day.
And it's very helpful.
We said that before in some episodes, I think to find some reference sentences for yourself.
That's true and repeat that in your head.
And that will be easy to turn to when you come to a point and you're speaking.
And then remember, I'm used to and I know for 100% sure I'm used to speaking a lot.
Yeah.
Rebecca, what are you used to doing?
I'm just thinking in Ireland now, I'm getting used.
I'm getting used to.
I don't want to make it complicated.
I don't want to say I am used to carrying an umbrella every day.
I'm definitely getting used to carrying an umbrella every day because it's raining like nonstop at the moment.
So, yeah, I'm used to now I'm used to carrying an umbrella.
Now I'm used to eating cheddar cheese because they don't have any other cheese here.
Yeah.
Dave, another one drinking the Guinness.
You must be used to that.
I'm not used to drinking Guinness because I don't like Guinness.
No, I don't drink Guinness.
I'll swap.
I'll come over and I'll drink Guinness for you.
But give our listeners one more reference sentence to remember.
Dave is used to doing what?
I'm used to now eating a lovely breakfast over here, which is like a bacon, lettuce and tomato.
We have this in England, a BLT, but it's something similar, but it's a Spanish version in a baguette.
And it's absolutely yummy.
Okay, we're back to food.
We always go back to food at some point.
Food and alcohol.
I was going to ask you about the foot of the rugby, actually.
It's the Six Nations for our listeners.
Six Nations starting up soon, guys.
It's planned starting tomorrow, actually on a Thursday, which is a bit strange.
But yeah, starting France up playing Ireland tomorrow night.
Yes.
So it's in France then, obviously.
It's in France, yeah.
It's not in Ireland.
It's in France tomorrow.
So this is the beginning of February.
We're recording now.
You won't be sitting there in your costumes.
Carnival is coming up here.
No, nobody's going to dress up.
No, only a fan costume.
Biggest dressing up.
Carnival.
Okay, next one.
So big, I had a used to doing.
Dave, you've got another one.
Yes, of course.
So before I talked about with the overuse of ING.
So I'm living, I'm working.
Maybe linked up to that.
Often when you want to introduce yourself, you also want to say maybe how long you have lived, or you've been in that place, or you've worked, or maybe with a partner, your wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, whatever it might be.
And that's then leads me to the next one.
So this use of the word being when you want to talk about a period of time.
So you could say I've been in Valencia instead of lived.
You could say lived as well.
But I've been in Valencia now for four years.
I've been with the company, and it keeps it very simple.
I've been with the company for four years.
And if you want to talk about your partner, you could say I've been with my wife, or I'm with my husband for however long.
And then last one also with the hobbies.
So you can use that with this little phrase, I've been into football all my life, or I've been into rugby or whatever it might be.
So this little phrase, I've been and then with the period of time, that's the easiest way.
So for two years, five years, six months, two weeks, whatever it might be, be careful with the since.
So people translate out of the German, put the since in, and then the duration.
But that is unfortunately a wrong one.
It should be for plus the duration, the period of time, or since with a specific date.
And that often confuses the mind even more.
I would recommend just use the I've been, whatever it is, and then the for and the period of time.
Everything else, forget, please.
MS. Beautifully explained.
I love that.
And for listeners who find that difficult, please repeat now, turn back, listen to it again, three times.
My advice.
MS. It's a good phrase though, it's true, because it sounds very authentic.
It sounds very naturally English.
I've been with the company or I've been into football all my life or something, and I think it's something that people don't always learn.
And the key is to remember it's I have been, I've been, not I am.
People want to do the be, but then they put it as I am into football my whole life.
No, I've been into football my whole life.
MS. And to get that into your head, that really changed something.
It will.
So if I can motivate learners, make the effort, it's really great once you master that.
I think it's all inspired now by that.
Yes.
Okay.
Next one is mine.
Just a quick one.
This is mixing up when and if.
I think, again, German speakers, because they're thinking of when, like false, or if I will cook dinner when I get home.
And sometimes I hear this, if I get home, and that means like, maybe I'm never coming home.
I will dinner.
It's like, perhaps I'm not.
MS. That's your threat to your partner.
If I come home tonight, there's a possibility it might not happen.
Whereas when is, I don't know exactly when it will be.
Maybe it's eight o'clock, maybe it's nine o'clock, maybe it's midnight.
But when I get home, I will cook dinner, but I don't know when it is.
If it's really puts this unlikely, perhaps it will not happen.
If I have time, when I have time, I will do that.
If I have time, that means maybe I will not have time.
So if I have time, I will do that for you, but I'm not sure.
I will do that when I have time.
It means some point I will have that time, I think.
So when I have time, I will do it, is more of a fixed promise.
But if I have time, it's like, who has time?
Nobody.
So probably not.
It's not going to happen.
So this when and if, when is it will happen at some point?
We don't know exactly when and if it's never happened.
If I have time, I will, but it probably won't.
What do you say more often, Dave, in your private life?
He keeps his options open.
If I have time, I will fix the washing machine.
If you promise something, then you break your promise.
Not good.
I will fix the washing machine when I have time.
She's waiting for you to buy the time.
If I have time, you never find that.
Okay, Birgit, you have one more.
Yes, which is not really a mistake, but it's adding something to Lerner, because sometimes you hear, so she came in the room or the cat went on the table.
There's a nice little preposition I really like, and I want others to pick up, into.
So you have to go to somewhere with the in or the on, onto the cat jumped onto the table, or she came into the room.
What do you think that's a mistake?
If people didn't say that, does it sound weird?
It's not a mistake, but I think like you say, she came in the room, but she came into the room.
It does have a slightly different sound.
Yeah, exactly.
She came into the room and then, or she jumped onto the table.
It is different, isn't it?
To just say she jumped on the table.
Yeah, just like you say, it's just that bit of movement and it's just another option, I suppose.
And I like it, yeah.
People don't know so much about it.
Yeah, now listening to that, I can hear people saying that, my clients saying, not say into and onto, that they avoid that.
Actually, I don't think I've ever actually thought about that before.
So thank you for pointing that out, Birgit.
Absolutely, yeah.
Okay, Dave, last one.
Yeah, we talked about maybe partner or friends and then meeting them.
We obviously have the phrase in English, to get to know somebody.
And this is an important one as well.
When you want to say, for example, when you got to know somebody, then we have to say it with the we form.
So we got to know, and then often the Germans would think about it and say, okay, we got to know us.
Okay, and that's the mistake that people often then make.
So we got to know each other.
After the we, you can't have the us, we need the each other instead.
And we also have this in other situations.
For example, if you want to talk about how regular you see somebody, again, because it's the we, you can't have the us.
So we see each other every day, or we don't see each other very often.
And the same final thing with the us.
I often hear people say, okay, Dave, we'll see us on Tuesday, or something along those lines with the us.
It's either we'll see each other on Tuesday, as before, or you could just say, see you on Tuesday.
That's the other version.
This you of we and us does not go together.
It must be we and each other.
Yes, it's the rule, because now I'm thinking, it's never been that clear to me.
Thank you very much.
We and us never plus could that be a rule?
Like, that sounds sexy.
Be careful, though, when you start making big statements, somebody will go, no, yeah, and it might not be 100%.
But we yeah, but that's easy to pick up.
We don't go together.
Okay, I'm going to do the last one.
I'm going to change my last one now based on Dave's comment.
I was going to do something else, but we can leave that for another time.
Thinking about kennenlernen and get to know and meet.
Now, this is another thing I think gets really confusing.
You can just say that people have to say, how do I say, you know, like, you would say, where did you meet?
Where did we meet?
Meet is not always treffen.
Meet in English is also kennenlernen for the first time.
So I met my husband while I was living in Frankfurt.
That's where we met.
So yes, and then after we met, we got to know each other, we spent time together, we got to know each other.
But there's also this kennenlernen, it's just for the first time is also meet.
So it's not just like, I'm meeting my sister tomorrow.
It's also to meet someone for the first time.
Have you ever met a famous person?
Doesn't mean did you have a meeting with them and sit down?
It's just, have you ever met just means said hi, or even just for two seconds, you've met a famous person.
I think this meeting and getting to know, getting to know is more specific.
Have you ever got to know a famous person?
That means I spent time with them.
And I really kind of got to know that famous person.
But have you ever met just means I said, hi.
Rebecca is going to meet soon.
I was so excited.
Yes.
Brad Pitt is staying down the road from us at the moment and everybody knows about it.
So I think he's probably hiding in his house.
Yes.
I am keeping my eyes open, looking under my umbrella at every opportunity in case Brad is nearby.
So is your dog getting extra walks at the moment then Rebecca?
The dog is getting extra raincoats.
Poor guy.
He's Spanish.
He hates this rain.
He's just not impressed at all.
So no, just goes into the garden, comes back.
He's sitting with his head on the radiator.
Literally.
She might need to learn to swim.
She might just be able to swim anyway.
He can't swim.
He can't swim.
Does not go in the water.
I'm convinced he would just sink.
People go, oh, it's instinctive.
Dogs can swim.
No, impossible.
I think he would just swim.
I think he would just go sink to the bottom.
Anyway, what was he talking about?
Yes.
Met Ken and Lennon and get to know.
So you can say both.
I met my husband while I was working at blah, blah, blah.
People confuse that, right, Birgit?
And get to know is a vocabulary people often can't come up with.
Yeah, I think so.
Yeah.
We got to know each other.
Very useful.
Yeah.
And it's each other, not us.
Yes.
Dave's each other and us.
Wow.
We had a lot of content there today, guys.
Lots of nice tips.
Dave is now going to give us another one, right?
Absolutely.
The Golden Nugget.
So if you liked the mistakes stuff, guys, if you sign up for our newsletter, we will send you out our PDF with the 50 Golden Nuggets.
And one of them is Nugget number 10.
And it's all about silent letters in English.
Okay, so often when you speak English, maybe there are words that you say and somebody is listening to you and maybe looks funnily at you.
If, for example, you say mort gauge, or if you say doubt, it's difficult for me to say because I don't say it this way, but these letters are actually silent.
So the T in mortgage is silent and the B in debt or doubt is also silent.
So it's just a nice video that gives you all these different silent letters that you have in the English alphabet and runs through some examples of them.
So it's a nice little video to learn about the different silent letters in English in a very simple overview.
The video is therefore not so exciting to watch or to listen to, but it gives you all the information and the most common mistakes or silent letters that you have in English language.
Well done.
And next time, we're going to talk about how to introduce yourself and how to talk about your job.
And I give you another picture, maybe an image to think about, because Rebecca talked about this when her husband got asked on a party, what are you doing in Frankfurt?
So we will be coming back.
You remember that?
Yeah.
Was machst du denn überhaupt hier so?
Asking for the job.
What do you do?
He was like, it's my house.
That's what I'm doing.
That's my house.
Even worse.
Yeah.
And you want to avoid these things so you can train and without introducing yourself in meetings, online, wherever, talk about yourself and in a job.
That's something you could do with anyway.
Yeah.
We'll talk to you next time.
Bye bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Thanks for listening today, guys.
Just to let you know, we have another workshop coming up very soon.
On Friday, the 17th of April, we are doing another online workshop.
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You'll be leaving with a nice roadmap, personalised learning roadmap.
And also you do get three free sessions to our conversation club.
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We're offering this for three hundred and twenty nine euros, which is a really good deal.
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Head over to our website, 3EnglishExperts.com and sign up now.
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Thank you.