INTRODUCTION
Do you want a speak Advanced English…. FAST?
If so, then this book is for YOU!!
I’m Greg Pioli, from English With Greg. I have taught English in person,
online, and via YouTube to thousands of students over the past 15 years.
In this book I am going to give you 16 quick fixes to help take your English to
an Advanced level.
We will do this by focussing on the 16 most common errors that 99% of
Intermediate / Upper Intermediate students make when speaking English.
If you fix these errors, you will instantly make noticeable progress in your
English.
Are you ready? Let’s fix your English!!…
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 1. We are 5 people
❑ Why is this wrong?
If you say “We are 5” you are actually saying that you are 5 years old,
not that there are 5 people in your group.
❑ The correction
Instead of “we are”, we have to use the expression “there are … of
us”. This might sound a bit strange, but it is the only way in English to
express number of people that are in your group.
❑ Example phrases
❌ How many are you?
✅ How many of you are there?
❌ We are 5.
✅ There are 5 of us.
❌ We were 5 at the meeting yesterday.
✅ There were 5 of us at the meeting yesterday.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 2. If I will... I will..
❑ Why is this wrong?
I often hear students say things like “If it will rain, I will call a taxi”.
However, we must never use will twice in a sentence.
❑ The correction
For sentences like this, we use the 1st conditional:
[If / When] + [present simple] + [future with ‘will’]
If
it rains
I will call a taxi
Although the first part of this sentence refers to a possible future, we
must use the present simple tense.
❑ Example phrases
❌ When I will get home, I will call you.
✅ When I get home, I will call you.
❌ If we will play well, we will win.
✅ If we play well, we will win.
❌ When I will find out, I will tell you.
✅ When I find out, I will tell you.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 3. Still v Already v Yet
❑ What’s the problem?
These three grammatical words are easily mixed up by students and
can cause real confusion when talking with native speakers.
❑ The correction
First we must imagine a timeline…
⏪ PAST → → → → → ▶ PRESENT → → → → → ⏩ FUTURE
Don’t panic: it’s easier than you think…
⏪ We use already to talk about things we have done in the past.
▶ We use still to talk about things that are happening now.
⏩ We use yet to talk about things we haven’t done, but we will do in
the future.
❑ Example phrases
✅ I don’t want to eat out tonight because I’ve already had dinner (I
had dinner in the past)
✅ I moved to the USA 3 years ago and I still live here. (I live here
now)
✅ I’m married but we don’t have any children yet. (I will have
children in the future)
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 4. As v Like
❑ What’s the problem?
These two words express a really similar meaning in English (and
even native speakers don’t always follow the more specific grammar
‘rules’).
❑ The correction
Let’s keep this simple…
1. As describes the function of a person or object.
2. Like expresses that something is similar to something else.
❑ Example phrases with ‘As’
✅ I work as a teacher. (This is my function / my job)
✅ You can use your key as a bottle-opener. (A function of my keys)
✅ I use one of the bedrooms as my office. (A function of the
bedroom)
❑ Example phrases with ‘Like’
✅ You are kind and sweet, just like your mum! (Similar to your mum)
✅ He plays the guitar like a professional. (He is not a professional)
✅ She speaks like a native speaker. (She is not a native speaker)
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 5. Bored v Boring
❑ What’s the problem?
There are many pairs of adjectives that are very similar (boringbored, interesting-interested, exciting-excited, tiring-tired…), and
students very often get very confused about when to use each one.
❑ The correction
We use -ing adjectives (boring, interesting, exciting…) when
describing our opinion of something.
We use -ed adjectives (bored, interested, excited…) when describing
a feeling.
❑ Example phrases
❌ It’s been a tired day! I had lots of work to do.
✅ It’s been a tiring day! I had lots of work to do. (My opinion of
today)
❌ There’s nothing to do here. I’m boring.
✅ There’s nothing to do here. I’m bored. (My feeling)
❌ My uncles is bored. He always tells the same stories.
✅ My uncle is boring. He always tells the same stories. (My opinion)
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 6. Make or Do?
❑ What’s the problem?
Many other languages have just one verb for these two verbs. It is
therefore very difficult to know when we use Make and when we use
Do.
❑ The correction
Here’s a quick guide: use Make for creating or producing something,
and use Do for activities or jobs. However the rules for this are not
black and white, and there are lots of exceptions. We must therefore
change the way we learn English, and always learn “chunks” – groups
of words that go together – rather than individual words.
❑ Example phrases that use ‘Make’
✅ Make a booking
✅ Make money
✅ Make a decision
✅ Make an effort
Example phrases that use ‘Do’
✅ Do exercise
✅ Do someone a favour
✅ Do business
✅ Do a course
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 7. Listen v Hear
❑ What’s the problem?
Confusing these two verbs is a mistake that typical intermediate
speakers make. But I want you to have an advanced level, so you
need to stop making this type of mistake! Now!
❑ The correction
Hear is an involuntary action. But when you want to hear something,
you listen to it (please learn it together with the preposition… ‘listen
to’!)
❑ Example phrases with ‘listen to’
✅ I always listen to the radio when I’m driving my car.
✅ Hey! I’m talking to you! Are you listening to me?
✅ Julie says her husband never listens to her!
Example phrases with ‘hear’
✅ Can you speak more loudly, please? I can’t hear you very well!
✅ Have you heard the news about the elections?
✅ My house is so near the airport that I can hear the aeroplanes.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 8. Say v Tell
❑ What’s the problem?
Confusing these two verbs can make you sound like you have a
lower level of English. Don’t let that happen. You deserve better!
❑ The correction
The rule is simple… We say + something
We tell + a person
So, use say when the verb is followed by another phrase (e.g. happy
birthday / she was coming / hello / that’s not fair…)
And use tell when the verb is followed by a person (e.g. him, them,
me, you, Peter, everybody…
❑ Example phrases with ‘tell’
✅ I’ve already told you the answer three times! (person: you)
✅ Katy told Peter she wanted to eat out (person: Peter)
❑ Example phrases with ‘say’
✅ Courtney said she was coming to the event.
✅ Rob said that it wasn’t fair, and left the meeting angrily.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 9. I didn't do nothing
❑ Why is this wrong?
In some languages it is OK to use double negatives, but in English,
we must never use two negatives in a phrase. Just remember, in
English (and mathematics), two negatives make a positive!
❑ The correction
If you already have one negative word (e.g. don’t, didn’t, can’t,
aren’t…), the other word must be anything / anyone / anywhere /
any…
❑ Example phrases
❌ I haven’t had nothing to eat all day.
✅ I haven’t had anything to eat all day.
❌ I don’t know nothing about rugby.
✅ I don’t know anything about rugby.
❌ I haven’t said nothing to him for 2 years.
✅ I haven’t said anything to him for 2 years.
❌ I didn’t do nothing special this weekend.
✅ I didn’t do anything special this weekend.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 10. See you next Wednesday
❑ Why is this wrong?
To make things easier, let’s imagine today is Monday 1st January. If
you say “See you next Wednesday” you are not referring to
Wednesday 3rd January, but rather Wednesday 10th January (i.e.
Wednesday of next week). Similarly, if you say See you next 10th
January, you are referring to the 10th January of next year. Be
careful: you probably don’t want to say the word ‘next’ when making
plans!
❑ The correction
If you plan on seeing someone on Wednesday of the same week,
then simply say, “See you on Wednesday”. If you want to see
someone on 10th January of the same year, say “See you on 10th
January”.
❑ Example phrases
❌ Let’s meet for your job interview the next 4th June.
✅ Let’s meet for your job interview on 4th June.
❌ Come to my house next Friday for dinner.
✅ Come to my house on Friday for dinner.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 11. The cat of the dad of Joe
❑ Why is this wrong?
This overuse of the word of is often caused by directly translating
from your own language. If you use of once in a sentence (e.g. the
cat of Joe), you sound quite unnatural. However, if you use it twice
(e.g. the cat of the dad of Joe), it becomes quite difficult for native
speakers to understand what you’re talking about.
❑ The correction
Use the apostrophe to express possession (you might have learnt
this as the “saxon genitive”, though native speakers generally just
call it the apostrophe). So we would say Joe’s dad’s cat (3 simple
words) instead of the cat of the dad of Joe (7 words!). We could go
on and on and say, for example, Joe’s dad’s ex-wife’s son’s friend’s
cat’s food.
❑ Example phrases
❌ It’s the birthday of the wife of my friend today.
✅ It’s my friend’s wife’s birthday today.
❌ This is the favourite song of my mum.
✅ This is my mum’s favourite song.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 12. Two woman and a men
❑ Why is this wrong?
There are some confusing plurals in English, and they are sometimes
very basic words. Woman, man, child, wife and tooth are all
examples of words with confusing plurals that students often have
problems with. However, the most confusing of these examples is
the plural of woman…
❑ The correction
The correct plurals of the above words are women, men, children,
wives and teeth. Students have the most problems changing woman
to women because, although both words begin wo-, the sound of
the o changes in the plural and sounds more like an i.
❑ Example phrases
❌ All the childs in my class are lovely.
✅ All the children in my class are lovely.
❌ There are only three womans at my office.
✅ There are only three women at my office.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 13. Pronouncing -ed in past tenses
❑ What’s the problem?
English is not a phonetic language, and we do not pronounce every
letter that we write. I’m sure you know this. But I’m also sure you
sometimes pronounce regular verbs in the past incorrectly!
❑ What’s the fix?
Change your mentality! Pronouncing letters when you shouldn’t
(simply because we write them) will not help a native speaker
understand you.
There are 3 ways to pronounce the -ed:
1. /t/
2. /d/
3. /id
The thing is, that /t/ and /d/ are so similar that it’s almost impossible
to distinguish the two. So my personal tip is to always add /t/ to the
end of the verb. If it’s not possible to add a /t/ to the end of a word,
then add /id/.
Note: It’s only not possible to add a /t/ to the end of verbs that
already end in /t/ or /d/ sounds, for example:
✅ Decide
✅ Want
✅ Add
✅ Hate
✅ Collide
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 14. Used to v Usually
❑ What’s the problem?
You’ve used these words incorrectly so many times that you sound
like you missed the day they taught it at school.
❑ What’s the fix?
Used to is a past tense. We use it to talk about a past habit that is not
true now (think of things you habitually did as a child that you don’t
do now) e.g. I used to live with my parents, I used to go to school, I
used to have longer hair.
Usually is used for things we habitually do in the present! I usually go
on holiday in December. I usually eat fish on Fridays.
❑ Example phrases
❌ I am used to live in France when I was younger.
✅ I used to live in France when I was younger.
❌ I love the mornings, so I am used to wake up early.
✅ I love the mornings, so I usually wake up early.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 15. Do you like the beef?
❑ Why is this wrong?
Depending on your mother tongue, you will either have some or lots
of problems using the articles in English.
❑ The correction
The basic rule is quite simple…
When we are talking about something in general, we do not use ‘the’.
When we are talking about something specific, we use ‘the’.
❑ Talking about something in general (without ‘the’)
✅ Bananas are yellow.
✅ English is spoken in the USA
✅ I like beef
Talking about something specific (with ‘the’)
✅ The bananas I bought yesterday are still green.
✅ The English spoken in the USA is different to the English spoken in
the UK.
✅ I like the beef they sell at the local butcher’s.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
Quick Fix 16. I want to can speak English
❑ Why is this wrong?
Can is a useful word, but we can only use it in the present simple and
past simple tenses. It is not possible to use it in the infinitive (to can),
the future (I will can) or other tenses.
❑ The correction
If we want to use it as the infinitive, we must use be able to. This has
exactly the same meaning as can but we can use it in every tense by
simply conjugating the verb to be (e.g. I will be able to, I would like
to able to, I would have been able to…)
❑ Example phrases
❌ I would love to can speak English perfectly.
✅ I would love to be able to speak English perfectly.
❌ I’m not sure if I will can go to the party.
✅ I’m not sure if I will be able to go to the party.
❌ I’ve never could run fast.
✅ I’ve never been able to run fast.
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M
WHO AM I?
GREG PIOLI
British English Pronunciation and Grammar Coach
I’m Greg Pioli, and I help students like you to power through the intermediate
barrier to communicate clearly and confidently in English!
I was born in Yorkshire, England, and now live in Santiago de Compostela,
Spain with my wife and two bilingual daughters (the baby can cry in both
languages). I've been teaching English for more than 15 years, exclusively
online since 2012... and I absolutely LOVE it!!
In 2016 I started teaching via YouTube, and my lessons reach people in over
200 countries. I love how this makes the world seem a smaller place, and how
my lessons make a small difference to people’s lives all around the world.
◉▶ Click here to watch my NEWEST YouTube video
W W W. E N G L I S H W I T H G R E G . C O M