GCE A/L General English common mistakes
GCE A/L General English · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Answering comprehension questions by copying a whole sentence or paragraph straight from the passage, then adding nothing of your own, so the answer neither uses your own words nor matches the question's focus.
Candidates fear losing marks by rewording, so they lift text verbatim; they also misread the question type (e.g. 'in your own words' or 'give two reasons') and treat every question as a 'find the sentence' task.
What to do instead
Before writing, underline the key words in the question (e.g. 'two reasons', 'in your own words', 'what does the writer imply'). Locate the relevant lines, then close the passage and write the answer from memory in one or two short sentences, keeping the same meaning but changing vocabulary and structure. Check the number of points demanded and number them if necessary.
Missing inference and tone questions by giving a literal restatement of the passage instead of stating what is implied, or by choosing an answer that is true in general knowledge but not supported by the text.
Candidates confuse 'what the passage says' with 'what the writer suggests'; they also import outside knowledge and fail to notice qualifying words such as 'apparently', 'arguably' or 'it would seem'.
What to do instead
Practise tagging each paragraph with its function (claim, example, concession, conclusion). For inference questions, ask 'which line forces this conclusion?' and reject any option that cannot be tied to a specific phrase. Treat hedged language as a signal of the writer's attitude, and never select an option merely because it is factually true.
Choosing a vocabulary option because it sounds formal or impressive rather than because it fits the exact context, collocation and grammatical slot in the sentence.
Candidates learn word lists in isolation and memorise one meaning per word; they ignore collocation (e.g. 'make a decision', not 'do a decision') and connotation (positive/negative), and they overlook the part of speech required by the gap.
What to do instead
Record new words in phrase form with a collocate and a short example sentence, not as single items. In the exam, first decide what part of speech and what shade of meaning the gap needs, predict a word yourself, then match it to the closest option. Eliminate options that are wrong in register or collocation even if the meaning is roughly right.
Forming derivatives with the wrong suffix or wrong word class, e.g. writing 'success' where 'successful' is needed, 'economical' for 'economic', or producing non-existent forms such as 'informations' or 'unresponsible'.
Candidates rely on sound-alike patterns and do not check the grammatical slot: whether the gap needs a noun, adjective, adverb or a negative form. They also confuse related pairs (economic/economical, sensible/sensitive, industrial/industrious).
What to do instead
For every word-formation gap, first identify the required word class from the surrounding words (article + noun, adverb + adjective, verb + adverb). Then apply the standard suffix set for that class and check whether a negative prefix (un-, in-, im-, dis-, non-) is required by the meaning. Keep a personal list of commonly confused pairs and test each new form in a full sentence.
Using an idiom or fixed expression with the wrong preposition, article or verb, e.g. 'discuss about', 'in the contrary', 'make a party', 'depend of', or altering a fixed phrase such as 'in charge for'.
Idioms are memorised loosely from reading and listening, and interference from the candidate's first language supplies a direct translation that feels correct. Fixed expressions are also stored without their grammatical frame.
What to do instead
Learn each idiom as a complete chunk with its preposition and article, and write one original sentence using it. Build a correction list of your own recurring errors from past writing and review it weekly. In error-correction tasks, read the sentence aloud: fixed phrases that are wrong usually sound wrong once the chunk is known as a unit.
Breaking subject-verb agreement and tense consistency in complex sentences, especially with collective nouns, 'one of the + plural noun', inverted structures, and long subjects separated from the verb by a phrase.
Candidates match the verb to the nearest noun rather than the head noun, and they shift tense mid-paragraph when narrating or reporting, often after a subordinate clause.
What to do instead
In any long sentence, bracket the subject and draw a line to its verb before checking agreement. Apply the rule that 'one of the + plural noun + who/that' takes a singular main verb but a plural verb inside the relative clause. For tense, decide the time frame of the whole passage first and mark any deliberate shift (e.g. present for general truths) explicitly.
Filling cloze and gap-fill items one by one in isolation, so the choice ignores the cohesive links (however, therefore, moreover, despite) and the grammatical pattern set up earlier in the passage.
Candidates treat each gap as a separate vocabulary test and skip reading the whole text first; they also miss pronoun and reference chains that determine whether a singular or plural, or a definite or indefinite article, is required.
What to do instead
Read the entire passage once without writing anything, noting its topic, tense and argument direction. Then fill gaps, checking for each one: part of speech, agreement with the surrounding words, and logical connector meaning (contrast, result, addition, concession). Read the completed passage through to confirm it flows.
Writing functional texts (letters, emails, notices, reports) that omit the required purpose, audience or format features, such as a missing subject line, no salutation or sign-off, an informal register in a formal complaint, or a notice with no date and no contact detail.
Candidates focus on content and grammar and treat format as decoration; they also fail to identify the role and reader implied by the prompt, so register drifts between formal and chatty.
What to do instead
Before writing, note the five essentials from the prompt: sender role, recipient, purpose, required content points, and format type. Use a fixed skeleton for each text type: email (subject line, salutation, opening purpose sentence, body points, closing action, sign-off); notice (heading, date, audience, details, contact); report (title, introduction, findings, recommendation). Keep register consistent: no contractions or slang in formal letters.
Producing a guided composition that lists points without paragraph structure or linking, drifts off the given topic, or falls far short of the required length so content points are undeveloped.
Candidates plan in the first language, translate sentence by sentence, and run out of time; they also misread the prompt's angle (e.g. 'discuss both views' answered as a one-sided opinion) and forget topic sentences.
What to do instead
Spend three minutes planning: a one-line position, three body points, and a linking word for each. Write one clear topic sentence per paragraph followed by explanation and a specific example. Allocate a time budget and check word count against the requirement, adding a developed example rather than repetition if short. Re-read the prompt at the end to confirm every required element is addressed.
Misusing punctuation and register: comma splices and run-on sentences, apostrophes in plural nouns, missing or misplaced commas after introductory clauses, and mixing contracted or slang forms into formal writing.
Candidates punctuate by pause and breathing rather than by grammatical structure, and they do not distinguish spoken from written registers because most of their English exposure is conversational.
What to do instead
Learn three punctuation tests: a comma cannot join two independent clauses (use a full stop, semicolon or conjunction); an apostrophe marks possession or a contraction, never a simple plural; a comma follows a fronted subordinate clause or long introductory phrase. For register, scan the finished text for contractions, 'you' in formal reports, and informal intensifiers ('a lot of', 'really'), and replace them with formal equivalents.