Error Patterns
Recurring mistakes across translation exercises. Track patterns to focus your study.
Type: Reference Created: 2026-03-01
Error Patterns
Recurring mistakes across translation exercises. Track patterns to focus your study.
Question Formation
Invert subject and verb in questions.
❌ Where it was parked...
✅ Where **was it**...
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
Fixed Phrases & Idioms
Memorize these as whole chunks — don’t translate word by word.
give someone the cold shoulder (冷落某人)
❌ "give someone a cold shoulder" → "give someone **the** cold shoulder"
Source: 392. An Untrustworthy Co-worker
put in a good word for someone with + listener (替某人向某人美言)
Wrong: "put in a good word for me to the manager"
Right: "put in a good word for me with the manager"
Why: In this idiom, with marks the person whose opinion you want to influence.
Source: 392. An Untrustworthy Co-worker
Recycling & Environment Chunks
put your money where your mouth is
Wrong: "put your money to/in where your mouth is"
Right: "put your money **where your mouth is**"
Why: This idiom means your actions should match your words. Do not insert an extra preposition after money.
Source: 393. Trash and Recycling
turn into
Example: turn into an ecologist
Wrong: "turn to an ecologist"
Right: "turn **into** an ecologist"
Why: Use turn into when someone changes into a different state, role, or kind of person.
Source: 393. Trash and Recycling
sort through
Wrong: "separate through your garbage"
Right: "sort **through** your garbage"
Why: Sort through means examine a mixed pile and separate the items.
Source: 393. Trash and Recycling
sweet-talk someone
Wrong: "sweet-talk with her"
Right: "sweet-talk her"
Why: sweet-talk takes a direct object. Use with only in a different structure, not right after the verb.
Source: 394. Describing Hatred and Anger
…, if I’ve ever heard one (真的是/不折不扣的)
❌ "a backhanded compliment, if I've ever heard"
✅ "a backhanded compliment, if I've ever heard **one**"
Why: It’s a set phrase needing the pronoun ‘one’ at the end.
Source: 392. An Untrustworthy Co-worker
take a joyride (兜风)
❌ "wants to joyride" → "wanted to take a joyride"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
wish for the best (往好处想)
❌ "wish the best" → "wish **for** the best"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
hoof it (步行)
❌ "hoofing around" → "hoofing **it** around"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
make and model (品牌和型号)
❌ "make of the vehicle and its model" → "make and model of the vehicle"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
same as (相同/和…一样)
❌ "same with" → "same **as**"
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
face pressure to (面临…的压力)
❌ "pressure of freeing" → "pressure **to** free"
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
report on (关于…的报道)
❌ "report about" → "report **on**"
Source: 381. Watching the TV News
lead someone on a chase (带领…展开追逐)
❌ "leaded a chase" → "**led** the police **on** a chase"
Source: 381. Watching the TV News
Verb Patterns
Learn the structure, not just the word.
strip X of Y
Example: strip the car of its parts
❌ "strip the parts of the car" → "strip the cars of their parts"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
had better + bare infinitive
Example: I’d better go
❌ "I'd better **to** get" → "I'd better get"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
adverb order (even)
Example: don’t even need
❌ "even don't need" → "**don't even** need"
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
parallel infinitives
Example: decide to test and decide
❌ "decided to test... then **decided**"
✅ "decided to test... then **decide**"
Source: 380. Hiring Temp Workers
cordon off
Example: cordon off an area
❌ "cordon the area" → "cordoned **off** the area"
Source: 381. Watching the TV News
Modal + Base Verb
Example: it might backfire
❌ "it **may be** backfire"
✅ "it **might backfire**"
Why: Cannot follow the “be” verb directly with a base verb like “backfire”.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
help someone (to) do
Example: help me make
❌ "helped me **making**"
✅ "helped me **make**"
Source: 385. Exercising at the Gym
start/begin + time point / don’t start for + duration
Example: The events begin tomorrow. The real races don’t start for three days.
Wrong: "start from tomorrow" / "begin from three days later"
Right: "begin tomorrow" / "don't start for three days"
Why: After start or begin, English usually uses a bare time point (tomorrow, next week). To express a waiting period before something starts, use for + duration.
Source: 395. Watching the Olympic Games
help doing / help with (Noun)
Example: need help using
❌ "need help **to use**"
✅ "need help **using**"
Source: 385. Exercising at the Gym
must be + -ing (present deduction)
Example: must be doing something wrong
❌ "must **have been done**"
✅ "must **be doing**"
Why: “must have been done” is a passive past deduction; “must be doing” is an active present deduction.
Source: 385. Exercising at the Gym
teach someone how to + verb
Example: teach you how to drive
❌ "teach you driving"
✅ "teach you **how to drive**"
Why: When describing learning a skill/process, use “teach + person + how to + base verb.”
Source: 386. Learning How to Drive
Unnecessary Modals
Example: No one comes close
❌ No one **can** come close
✅ No one **comes** close
Why: Use simple present for general truths or permanent characteristics. Adding “can” makes it about possibility rather than the current state.
linking verbs (passive voice)
Example: I look terrible
❌ I **'m looked** terrible
✅ I **look** terrible
Why: Linking verbs describe a state, not an action performed on the subject. They are not used in the passive voice.
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
may have + past participle
Example: You may have gotten the wrong idea.
Wrong: "may get the wrong idea" [when the misunderstanding already happened]
Right: "may have gotten the wrong idea"
Why: Use may have + past participle for a possible past action or misunderstanding that is already complete.
Source: 394. Describing Hatred and Anger
stop + -ing / stop + to + verb
Example: stop foaming at the mouth / stop to think
Wrong: "stop be foaming at the mouth"
Right: "stop foaming at the mouth"
Why: Use stop + -ing when the action is already happening and needs to end. Use stop + to + verb when you pause in order to do something else.
Source: 394. Describing Hatred and Anger
Live event in progress
Example: It’s just starting.
Wrong: "it just started" [when the event is beginning right now on live TV]
Right: "it's just starting"
Why: Use the present progressive for an event that is unfolding at the moment of speaking. Just started sounds more like a completed step viewed after the fact.
Source: 395. Watching the Olympic Games
Missing Small Words
Conjunctions, objects, possessives, prepositions — easy to forget but important.
Conjunction
❌ "to work, it was gone"
✅ "to work, **and** it was gone"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
Object
❌ "sell to chop shops"
✅ "sell **them** to chop shops"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ "I didn't know."
✅ "I didn't know **that**."
Source: 380. Hiring Temp Workers
Possessive
❌ "vehicle VIN"
✅ "vehicle**'s** VIN"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
Preposition
❌ "wish the best"
✅ "wish **for** the best"
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ broke up "**at/on**" the weekend
✅ broke up "**over**" the weekend
Why: American English uses “over the weekend” to describe an event spanning or occurring during that time period.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ Many people **among you**
✅ **Many of you**
Why: “Many of you” is the standard partitive construction for addressing a specific group.
Source: 388. Investing Your Money
Word Choice
Choosing the right word for the context.
so vs too before adjectives
❌ it's **too** excited → this is **so exciting**
Why: so intensifies a welcome feeling. too signals an unwanted excess (“too exciting” implies it’s overwhelming). Also: after a linking verb, use the adjective form (exciting, not excited — the event is exciting, you are excited).
Source: 395. Watching the Olympic Games
❌ "talking bad words" behind me
✅ "**bad-mouthing**" me behind my back
Why: We don’t “talk bad words”, we use the verb “bad-mouth”.
Source: 392. An Untrustworthy Co-worker
❌ "have" the license plate
✅ "**need**" the license plate
Why: “have” = possess; “need” = required
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ "How" do you think the chances
✅ "**What**" do you think the chances
Why: “What” is correct for asking about probability
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ "What happened to her" (for asking about mood)
✅ "**What's wrong with her**"
Why: “What’s wrong” asks about current emotional/physical state; “What happened” asks for a specific event.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ "Not too much" (as a negative response to ‘Did she tell you?‘)
✅ "**Not really**"
Why: “Not really” implies a soft “no, she didn’t”; “Not too much” implies she did tell some, but a small quantity.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ **May be**, but I think
✅ **Maybe**, but I think
Why: Use the one-word adverb “maybe” (meaning perhaps) instead of the two-word phrase “may be” (where “may” acts as a modal modifying “be”).
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ stolen by professional
✅ **taken** by professional
Why: Avoids repeating “stolen”
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ "from" her face (see an emotion...)
✅ "all over" her face
Why: “All over” is the natural collocation for an emotion covering an expression.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ "make" someone bounce back
✅ "help" someone bounce back
Why: “Make” implies forcing; “help” implies assisting.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ "normal" surgery
✅ "**routine**" surgery
Why: “routine” collocates with standard medical procedures
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
❌ card was "rejected"
✅ card was "**declined**"
Why: For credit cards and payment transactions, the specific financial term is “declined”, not “rejected”.
Source: 384. Accepting Credit Cards
❌ "It means" (for an acronym)
✅ "**That stands for**"
Why: Acronyms (like POS) “stand for” the words they represent.
Source: 384. Accepting Credit Cards
❌ save "much" time
✅ save "**a lot of**" time
Why: In positive affirmative sentences, “a lot of” is much more natural than “much”.
Source: 384. Accepting Credit Cards
❌ "the next" surgery
✅ "**your**" surgery
Why: “Next” implies a series; “your” refers to the specific upcoming one
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
✅ "**It's true**"
Why: Responding confirmingly to a statement, not an “Is it?” question
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
❌ I "don't" (response)
✅ I "**am not**"
Why: Auxiliary needs to match “Aren’t you” in the question
Source: 379. A Routine Medical Procedure
❌ "not sure **that if**"
✅ "not sure **if**" / "not sure **whether**"
Why: Never combine a statement conjunction “that” with a question conjunction “if/whether”.
Source: 380. Hiring Temp Workers
❌ decided to test among different companies
✅ decided to test **in** different companies
Why: Use “in” or “at” for gaining experience inside an organization.
Source: 380. Hiring Temp Workers
❌ working there **is** the best way... (referring to past)
✅ working there **was** the best way...
Why: Tense must match the timeframe of the event.
Source: 380. Hiring Temp Workers
❌ reporting "the live" / the Los Angeles downtown
✅ reporting "**live**" / downtown Los Angeles
Why: “Live” acts as an adverb meaning broadcast in real-time. “Downtown L.A.” doesn’t normally take an article.
Source: 381. Watching the TV News
❌ two hours of "confront"
✅ a two-hour "**standoff**"
Why: A “standoff” is the specific noun used for a stalemate between police and a suspect.
Source: 381. Watching the TV News
❌ "live" in a hotel/cabin
✅ "stay in" a hotel/cabin
Why: Confusing “live” (permanent residence) with “stay” (temporary accommodation).
Source: 382. Types of Hotels and Accommodations
❌ sounds would be
✅ sounds **like it** would be
Why: “Sounds like” requires a full noun clause (“it would be”) if followed by an assumption.
Source: 382. Types of Hotels and Accommodations
❌ try to "inspire" your adventurous spirit
✅ try to "**appeal to**" your adventurous spirit
Why: We “inspire” people or actions; we “appeal to” someone’s existing traits, senses, or emotions.
Source: 382. Types of Hotels and Accommodations
❌ how to **distinct** warning signs
✅ how to **read** the warning signs
Why: “Distinct” is an adjective; “read” is the idiomatic verb for interpreting indicators or signals.
Source: 388. Investing Your Money
❌ best **chances** right now
✅ best **opportunities** right now
Why: “Opportunities” is more professional and implies a situation favorable for action, whereas “chances” can imply luck.
Source: 388. Investing Your Money
❌ get the highest **increment**
✅ get the highest **appreciation**
Why: “Increment” is a general increase; “appreciation” is the specific term for an increase in asset value.
Source: 388. Investing Your Money
❌ **Let's do it** [to open a meeting]
✅ **Let's get started**
Why: “Let’s get started” is the standard phrase for beginning a session or presentation.
Source: 388. Investing Your Money
❌ I get a cold
✅ I **have** a cold
Why: “Have a cold” describes the state of being sick. “Get a cold” refers to the act of catching it.
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
❌ a serious cold
✅ a **bad** cold
Why: “Bad cold” is the standard idiomatic collocation for a severe cold.
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
❌ better at the time of…
✅ better **by** the time of…
Why: “By” means “no later than” or “sometime before,” suitable for describing progress leading up to a deadline.
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
❌ "you have a hoarse throat"
✅ "**your voice is hoarse**"
Why: Describe the observable symptom (voice quality) directly, not the body part. We say “your voice is hoarse,” not “you have a hoarse throat.”
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
❌ "pass the germ to" someone
✅ "**contaminated**" someone
Why: “Contaminate” is more vivid and idiomatic than the literal “pass the germ to.” Also note: after “have/has,” use the past participle (“passed,” not “pass”).
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
Articles & Plurals
❌ a investigation
✅ **an** investigation
Rule: “an” before vowel sounds
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ car thieve
✅ car **thieves**
Rule: Irregular plural: thief → thieves
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
❌ working with **a temp worker** (general sense)
✅ working with **temps**
Rule: Refer to general groups using plurals, not an undefined singular
Source: 380. Hiring Temp Workers
❌ taking nasal decongestant
✅ taking **a** nasal decongestant
Rule: Countable singular nouns require an article. A decongestant is a specific countable product.
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
Routine meal expressions usually drop the article
Example: have lunch / have dinner / have breakfast
Wrong: "have a lunch"
Right: "have lunch"
Why: In ordinary meal expressions, English usually drops the article. Add a only when the meal is a specific event or one serving.
Source: 396. Dealing in the Black Market
Tense Usage
❌ They **were** together for two years (before they broke up).
✅ They **had been** together for two years.
Rule: Use Past Perfect (had + past participle) to show an action happened before another past action.
Source: 383. Mending a Broken Heart
❌ my muscles have already **start**
✅ my muscles have already **started**
Rule: Present Perfect uses auxiliary “have/has” + past participle verb.
Source: 385. Exercising at the Gym
❌ That **was** a great idea [when evaluating a past suggestion]
✅ That **is** a great idea
Rule: The quality of the idea remains true in the present, so present tense is more natural.
Source: 385. Exercising at the Gym
Past Decisions
Example: Why didn’t you stay home?
❌ Why **don't** you stay home?
✅ Why **didn't** you stay home?
Why: When asking about a choice or action that occurred in the past (even if it affects the present), use the past tense.
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
Present Perfect (past participle)
Example: You’ve contaminated me!
❌ You've **pass** the germ to me
✅ You've **passed** the germ to me
Why: After “have/has,” the verb must be in past participle form (“-ed” for regular verbs, third column for irregular verbs).
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
Uncountable Nouns
❌ there **are** some news
✅ we **have** some news
Source: 377. Reporting a Stolen Car
Collocations & Word Form
go on a trip / go on a vacation
❌ "went a vacation"
✅ "went **on** a vacation"
Why: English uses go on with trips and vacations.
Source: 390. Dietary Restrictions and Preferences
❌ "their dietary" (talking about what people eat)
✅ "their diets"
Why: dietary is usually an adjective, while diet/diets is the noun.
Source: 390. Dietary Restrictions and Preferences
Noun attributives for medals: gold / silver / bronze, not adjective forms
❌ "golden medalist" → ✅ "gold medalist"
Why: Medal metals are bare nouns when modifying another noun. Golden = gold-coloured/appearance, not the medal category.
Source: 395. Watching the Olympic Games
Fixed phrases with any day vs at any time
❌ "I'd trade places with her at any time" → ✅ "I'd trade places with her **any day**"
Why: Any day is a fixed emphatic chunk meaning “without hesitation.” At any time is grammatically correct but misses the idiom’s flavour.
Source: 395. Watching the Olympic Games
Phrasal Verb Prepositions
get off (从…上离开)
❌ "go away the sidewalk" → "**get off** the sidewalk"
Why: “Get off” = leave a surface you’re on; “go away” = depart in general (no direct object).
Source: 386. Learning How to Drive
take X years off (吓掉X年寿命)
❌ "took ten years **of** my life"
✅ "took 10 years **off** my life"
Why: The idiom uses “off” (removed from), not “of” (belonging to).
Source: 386. Learning How to Drive
Directives, Conditionals & Responses
answering Yes/No questions (to be)
Example: Are you sure?
❌ "Yes, I do"
✅ "**I'm sure**" / "**I am**"
Why: The auxiliary in the response must match the auxiliary in the question (“are” → “am”).
Source: 392. An Untrustworthy Co-worker
tell someone not to + verb
Example: I told you not to wear new shoes
鉂?"I told you didn't wear new shoes"
鉁?"I told you **not to** wear new shoes"
Why: After tell + person, use to + verb / not to + verb, not a past-tense clause.
Source: 391. Traveling and Medical Needs
if it weren’t for …, could/would …
Example: If it weren’t for my stomachache, I could walk another four hours.
鉂?"If it's not because stomachache, I can walk another four hours"
鉁?"If it weren't for my stomachache, I could walk another four hours"
Why: Use if it weren't for for an unreal present condition, and use could/would in the result clause.
Source: 391. Traveling and Medical Needs
if I weren’t …, would/could …?
Example: If I weren’t absolutely certain, would I be having a fit?
Wrong: "If I'm not so sure, why do you think I'm so ...?"
Right: "If I weren't ..., would/could ...?"
Why: For unreal present conditions, English uses the past-form were and a would/could result clause.
Source: 394. Describing Hatred and Anger
just as soon as
Example: I’ll talk to him just as soon as I calm down.
Wrong: "as long as I stop foaming at the mouth" [when the meaning is “immediately after”]
Right: "just as soon as I stop foaming at the mouth"
Why: As long as means “provided that.” Just as soon as means “immediately after.”
Source: 394. Describing Hatred and Anger
responding to a statement vs. judging an idea
Example: Don’t be ridiculous. / That doesn’t make sense.
鉂?"Don't make no sense"
鉁?"**Don't be ridiculous**" / "That **doesn't make sense**"
Why: make sense usually comments on an idea, not directly on a person, and don't ... no creates an unidiomatic double negative.
Source: 391. Traveling and Medical Needs
Symptom & Body Part Structures
English usually avoids “Body Part + has + Symptom” (a literal Chinese translation). Use “I have [symptom] on my [part]” or “My [part] is [adjective]” instead.
I have [Noun] on/in my [Part]
Example: I have blisters on my heels.
❌ My heels have blisters
✅ I **have blisters on** my heels
Source: 391. Traveling and Medical Needs
My [Part] is [Adjective]
Example: My voice is hoarse.
❌ you have a hoarse throat
✅ your **voice is hoarse**
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
My [Part] is [Verb-ing]
Example: My nose is running.
❌ you have a running nose
✅ your **nose is running**
Source: 389. Getting a Cold
I have a pain in my [Part] / My [Part] hurts
Example: I have a pain in my leg. / My leg hurts.
❌ feeling hurt at my leg
✅ feeling **pains in** my leg / my leg **hurts**
Source: 227. Describing Symptoms to a Doctor
Reporting Speech
tell + person + thing / say + thing + to + person
Wrong: "what he said to the manager"
Right: "what he told her"
Why: Use tell when the listener comes directly after the verb. Use say when you focus on the words themselves, usually with to.
Source: 392. An Untrustworthy Co-worker
tell someone + clause (statement order)
Wrong: "You don't want to tell me, is he selling stolen goods?"
Right: "You're not telling me he deals in stolen goods, are you?"
Why: After tell me, the following clause keeps statement order (he deals ...), not question order (is he ...). Use the tag question separately to show surprise or disbelief.
Source: 396. Dealing in the Black Market
Indirect Questions
imagine + question word directly — no that
❌ "Can you imagine **that** how much accolades" → ✅ "Can you imagine **how much** accolades"
Why: After verbs like imagine, wonder, know, the embedded question starts directly with its question word (how, what, why). Never insert that between the main verb and the question word.
Source: 395. Watching the Olympic Games
Pair Structures & Agreement
neither of + plural pronoun/noun + singular verb
Example: Neither of us needs to pay alimony.
Wrong: "None of us need" [when the group is exactly two]
Right: "Neither of us needs"
Why: Use neither for exactly two people or things. In standard English, it is usually followed by a singular verb.
Source: 397. Being a Divorced Parent
Noun + Preposition Chunks
objection to
Example: Paul had no objection to it.
Wrong: "no objection about it"
Right: "no objection to it"
Why: The noun objection keeps the preposition to, just like the verb object to.
Source: 397. Being a Divorced Parent