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12 common English mistakes Indonesian learners make, and how to fix them

Many mistakes come from translating Bahasa Indonesia word for word. Learn the pattern once and you'll hear it everywhere.

By the IELSco team · Published · Baca dalam Bahasa Indonesia

Bahasa Indonesia and English work differently: Indonesian verbs don't change for time or person, nouns don't take a plural ending, and some prepositions don't map one to one. Most of the mistakes below come from that, not from carelessness. Once you know the pattern, they're easy to catch.

Grammar

  1. "I very like it." → "I really like it." / "I like it very much." Very can't go before a verb. Use really before the verb, or very much after the object.
  2. "Yesterday I go to campus." → "Yesterday I went to campus." Indonesian uses time words (kemarin) instead of changing the verb. English needs both.
  3. "She work in a bank." → "She works in a bank." In the present simple, he, she and it take -s.
  4. "I already eat." → "I've already eaten." / "I already ate." Already usually goes with the present perfect (or the past simple in American English).
  5. "I'm agree." → "I agree." Agree is a verb, so it doesn't need am.
  6. "Many informations" → "a lot of information". Some nouns are uncountable in English: information, advice, equipment, homework, feedback. No -s, and use much / a lot of.

Word choice

  1. "We will discuss about it." → "We will discuss it." Discuss takes a direct object. (A discussion about is fine.)
  2. "Can you explain me?" → "Can you explain it to me?" You explain something to someone.
  3. "Can I borrow you my pen?" → "Can I lend you my pen?" You borrow from someone; you lend to someone.
  4. "Make homework" → "do homework". Use do for tasks and work (do homework, do the dishes) and make for creating something (make a plan, make a mistake).
  5. "Same with me." → "Same here." / "Me too." A natural reply when you agree or share an experience.

Pronunciation

  1. Dropping final consonants. Worked should end with a clear /t/ sound and dogs with /z/. Final sounds carry grammar (past tense, plurals), so listeners notice when they're missing. Say the word slowly, then at normal speed.

How to practise so the fixes stick

  • Pick two mistakes a week, not twelve. Write a few true sentences about your life using the correct form.
  • Say them out loud. Reading the rule isn't enough; your mouth needs the practice.
  • Listen for them. Once you know a pattern, you'll notice it in videos and conversations, which reinforces it.
  • Practise with people. In a community session, ask a partner to tell you when you make one of your two target mistakes.

Want quick practice? The free weekly IELS Circle sessions are a friendly place to speak. For short grammar games, Elco AI (a separate English learning app) has a game called Spot the Error: see Elco's English games.