Collins Dictionaries - Collins Common Errors in English

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Collins Common Errors in English is a practical guide to the mistakes that learners of English often make and how to avoid them.

Whether you are preparing for an exam, writing an essay, or you simply want to make sure that your English is as accurate as possible, Collins Common Errors in English offers you the information you need in a clear and accessible form. This book is in several parts: The first sections are organized by part of speech. In short, clear paragraphs, they explain the most common errors connected with each part of speech. For instance, the section on verbs covers areas such as using the correct preposition after a verb, and how to avoid mistakes with modal verbs and phrasal verbs. These sections also include information on tenses and making sentences. The next sections focus on choosing the right word.

There are many reasons why it can be easy to confuse words. It may be because they sound the same or look similar (eg board/bored, desert/dessert), because they have similar but slightly different meanings (eg continual/continuous, blame/fault), or because it is easy to confuse the different parts of speech (eg breath and breathe). Many mistakes are made because of a confusion with another language (eg actual/current, library/bookshop), and these sections deal with those errors too. After this come the topic sections, which cover areas which are often prone to a lot of mistakes, such as time, travel, and numbers. For each of these, clear information is given to help you talk about the topics confidently and accurately. Finally, you will find information on common mistakes with punctuation and spelling, followed by several pages of exercises which you can use to test what you have learned or to see where you need more help.

Within each section, mistakes are introduced with clear headings. There is also a comprehensive index and a helpful glossary at the end of the book to help you find all the information you need. For more information about Collins dictionaries, you can visit us at www.collinslanguage.com.

Verb +to- infinitive We agreed to go to his house.We agreed go to his house.I managed to finish the painting.I managed finishing the painting. Here is a list of common that are used with a to- infinitive, and rarely or never with an infinitive without to or an ing verb: afford agree aim appear arrange ask attempt choose claim dare decide demand deserve expect fail fight forget grow help hesitate hope intend learn manage mean need offer plan prepare pretend promise refuse seem tend threaten wait want wish Verb + object + to- infinitiveThey invited her to speak at the conference.They invited her for speaking at the conference.I asked him to close the door.I asked him close the door. Here is a list of common verbs that are used with an object and a to- infinitive, and rarely or never with an infinitive without to or a preposition + ing verb: advise allow ask beg cause choose enable encourage expect forbid force get help invite order pay persuade prefer remind teach tell train trust want warn Verb + object + infinitive withouttoI made him listen.I made him to listen.He me come with him.He let me coming with him. (meaning force) and let are followed by an object and an infinitive without to. Do not use to and do not use an ing verb. Verb + object + -ing verbI stopped him getting in the car.I stopped him to get in the car.I caught her looking at my email.I caught her look at my email. Here is a list of common verbs that are used with an object and an ing verb, and rarely or never with an infinitive: catch find hear imagine notice picture prevent see spot stop watch to do or remember doing?Remember to lock the door.Remember locking the door.Do you remember meeting Joe?Do you remember to meet Joe? A few verbs have different patterns for different meanings. Verb + object + -ing verbI stopped him getting in the car.I stopped him to get in the car.I caught her looking at my email.I caught her look at my email. Here is a list of common verbs that are used with an object and an ing verb, and rarely or never with an infinitive: catch find hear imagine notice picture prevent see spot stop watch to do or remember doing?Remember to lock the door.