Why Arabic Speakers Make These Mistakes

Arabic and English differ fundamentally in syntax, article usage, and verb structure. Understanding why you make a mistake is the first step to fixing it permanently.

Mistake 1: Missing Articles (a, an, the)

Wrong: "I am student."   Right: "I am a student."
Arabic has no exact equivalent of the indefinite article. Memorise the rule: use "a/an" for singular, countable nouns mentioned for the first time.

Mistake 2: Double Negatives

Wrong: "I don't know nothing."   Right: "I don't know anything."
Arabic allows double negatives; English does not. One negative per clause is the rule.

Mistake 3: Using "since" for "for"

Wrong: "I've lived here since three years."   Right: "I've lived here for three years."
Use for + duration. Use since + a point in time (since 2021, since Monday).

Mistake 4: Omitting the Subject

Wrong: "Is raining outside."   Right: "It is raining outside."
English requires an explicit subject. Arabic allows subject-less sentences; English does not.

Mistake 5: Confusing "Make" and "Do"

Arabic uses one verb (يعمل) for both. In English: make = create (make a cake, make a decision), do = activity (do homework, do the dishes).

Mistake 6: Plural Nouns After Numbers

Wrong: "I have three book."   Right: "I have three books."
Always pluralise when the count is more than one.

Mistake 7: Using "Have" for Location

Wrong: "I have a car in the street." (meaning: there's a car)   Right: "There is a car in the street."

Mistake 8: Wrong Prepositions with Time

At (time): at 3pm, at midnight. On (days): on Monday. In (months/years): in January, in 2025.

Mistake 9: -ing vs Infinitive

Some verbs take -ing (enjoy, avoid, finish), others take infinitive (want, decide, hope), and some take both. There's no shortcut — build a reference list.

Mistake 10: Present Simple vs Present Continuous

I eat = habitual. I am eating = happening right now. Overusing present simple for actions in progress is extremely common.

"Awareness of a mistake is 50% of the correction. The other 50% is deliberate practice."

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