Common mistakes

Native speakers never say, “You'll enjoy nature,” or, “It has beautiful nature.”

Many English learners have trouble using the word “generation.” Does it mean what you think it means?

Try to spot what is unnatural about the following statement, “The number of people on my team is 5."

As your English improves, you are able to make longer and longer sentences. But, should you? 

Communicating in English means you have to communicate not only in a new language, but also across a culture. That means more than just translating words and phrases. 

At first glance, sentences like, "Anyone can try it" and, "Everyone can try it" seem to mean the same thing. What's the difference?

You’ve probably heard your teachers say, “Keep studying, it will be worth it in the long run!” Or, “Congratulations, you deserve it!” But what do these expressions really mean, and how can you use them in your own life?

There is a good chance you've said or heard someone say, "Sorry to be late!" But that's a mistake. Using sorry to + verb is not for an apology. It's used to express sympathy for an action you will do or are doing. 

A lot of people misuse in and later. Are you one of them?

In English, the negative component can be put in a variety of places. But, as long as the meaning is the same, the negative element should go as close to the beginning as possible.

The English word “budget” is complex. There are many ways to use it, and it is often misused by non-native speakers.

Should you translate your traditional words into English?

Okay usually means yes, sure. But when you say, "It's okay", the meaning changes significantly. 

In Japan, "global" is a buzz word that people like to use. Students want to be more "global". They want to work on the "global stage" for a "global company". In English, maybe you should choose a different word.

Simple, safe English is often not the best choice. Take, for example, the word "happy". If you can read this blog post, you can use that word, but should you? 

Many students are familiar with the word increase, but fail to use it correctly. Try to spot the error in the following sentence:

Elderly people are increasing in Japan.

The word "can" is used in different ways in English—it can mean ability, possibility and permission. When native English speakers talk about what they can do, what do they mean?

Consider this: 

In English, the subject of the sentence is not always the one who does the action. This can get a little confusing for non-native speakers.

Imagine someone spots something different about their friend:

As spring comes, so does allergy season. Millions of people around the world suffer from pollen allergies, so let's look at the words and phrases you can use to describe how this allergy affects us. 

While the words "value" and "values" are deceptively alike, they actually have two different meanings. 

• Value (uncountable) is your worth. What you bring to the table. In Japanese, the equivalent to it would be the word 価値.
• Values (countable, usually used with “s”) are your important and lasting beliefs or ideals. In other words, your principles. The Japanese word here would be 価値観.