DZI English Language common mistakes
DZI English Language · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Choosing an answer because it 'sounds right' rather than checking subject-verb agreement against the actual head noun when a prepositional phrase or relative clause separates the subject from the verb (e.g., 'The list of items on the desk ___ long').
The ear latches onto the nearest noun ('items', 'desk') and the intervening words mask the true subject, so proximity overrides grammar.
What to do instead
Before answering, bracket the sentence to the core subject and verb: cross out every prepositional phrase and relative clause, then read subject plus verb alone. Practise with 10 sentences where a plural noun sits between a singular subject and its verb until the bracket-and-strip habit is automatic.
Confusing word forms that share a root-using a noun where an adjective or adverb is required (e.g., 'She spoke confident' / 'a successfull attempt'), or picking 'effect' for 'affect', 'principle' for 'principal'.
Candidates recognise the general meaning of the root but not the part of speech it must fill, and similar-sounding pairs are stored as one fuzzy entry.
What to do instead
For each blank, first label what the sentence slot needs (noun, verb, adjective, adverb), then match the suffix to that slot (-ness/-tion = noun, -ful/-ive = adjective, -ly = adverb). Keep a personal list of confusable pairs (affect/effect, advice/advise, practice/practise) and write one original sentence for each.
Answering detail questions from memory of the passage's general topic instead of locating and re-reading the specific sentence, then selecting an option that is true in the real world but not stated in the text.
Under time pressure the brain substitutes prior knowledge and gist for verification, and plausible distractors are designed to reward exactly that shortcut.
What to do instead
For every detail or inference item, find and underline the exact line that supports the choice before looking at options, and reject any option you cannot point to in the text. Train by covering the options, writing your own answer from the located line, then matching it to the closest option.
Completing a sentence with a word that fits the meaning but breaks the grammatical or collocational frame-e.g., filling 'depend ___' with 'of', or 'make a decision' as 'do a decision'.
Meaning is processed first and grammatical agreement (prepositions, verb patterns, countability) is checked only superficially or not at all.
What to do instead
After choosing, re-read the whole sentence checking three things in order: preposition partnership, verb pattern (infinitive vs gerund), and singular/plural fit. Build a running list of fixed collocations and dependent prepositions as whole chunks (depend on, interested in, a piece of advice) rather than single words.
Joining two independent clauses with only a comma (comma splice) or with no punctuation at all (run-on), and inserting commas around restrictive relative clauses that should have none.
Speech pauses are mistaken for grammatical boundaries, and the restrictive/non-restrictive distinction is not consciously applied.
What to do instead
Apply a two-step test to every comma between clauses: does each side have its own subject and verb, and is there a conjunction or semicolon? If yes to the first and no to the second, replace the comma. For relative clauses, delete the clause-if the sentence's meaning collapses, it is restrictive and takes no commas.
Writing an essay or letter that answers the prompt only loosely-drifting into a related but different topic, or listing points without developing any of them with explanation or example.
Candidates write from a memorised template or from the first idea that comes to mind, without decoding the prompt's exact task words and limits.
What to do instead
Spend the first two minutes underlining the prompt's task words (discuss, compare, argue, describe) and its scope limits, then write a one-sentence thesis that mirrors them. Plan three body points, each with a claim plus one concrete supporting example, and check the finished draft against the underlined words before submitting.
Missing negation, concession, or speaker attitude in a listening item-answering as if the speaker said the opposite, or ignoring a correction made mid-conversation ('Actually, make that Tuesday').
Attention is captured by the first mention of a keyword, and later self-corrections, 'not', 'hardly', or tone shifts are not tracked.
What to do instead
Take shorthand notes in two columns-what was said and any later revision-and treat any contrast marker (but, actually, however, instead) as a signal to update your answer. Before selecting, ask: did the speaker confirm, deny, or change this?
Selecting a vocabulary answer by matching a single familiar word rather than judging the whole sentence context-choosing a synonym with the wrong register, connotation, or collocation (e.g., 'childish' where 'childlike' is meant).
Recognition of a known word triggers a snap judgement, and connotation or formality differences are invisible when only denotation is considered.
What to do instead
Insert each candidate into the sentence and read it aloud, checking tone (positive/negative), formality, and the words it must pair with. Where two options are close, write a short phrase for each showing its typical partner or context, and eliminate the one that clashes.
Leaving sentence-completion blanks unresolved by choosing an option that repeats a word from the sentence instead of one that creates a logical contrast or cause-effect link.
Surface word repetition feels like a clue, so cohesive logic signalled by 'although', 'therefore', 'despite' is overlooked.
What to do instead
Before reading the options, identify the connector or logical relationship in the sentence and predict the blank's meaning yourself (e.g., 'this must mean the opposite of the previous clause'). Then choose the option closest to your prediction and reject any choice justified only by repeated wording.
Losing marks in the composition through inconsistent tense, person, or paragraph structure-shifting from past to present narration, mixing 'you' and 'we', or writing one undivided block of text.
Attention goes to generating ideas and vocabulary, and global coherence is never checked because the writer does not re-read the whole piece.
What to do instead
Fix the tense and point of view in the planning stage and write them at the top of the page as a reminder. Reserve the final three minutes for a top-down read: one paragraph per idea with a topic sentence, consistent tense, and consistent pronoun, correcting only these before polishing individual words.