Shadowing Practice: Are YOU Saying it WRONG? 5 Highly Common Mistakes in English - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Have you ever used sentences like these?
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Have you ever used sentences like these?
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Probably I'll go out tonight.
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It's a quite big house.
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Or I ate the three last biscuits.
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If you have, I'm afraid you're making some very common English mistakes but don't worry, today we're looking at five of the most common ones but more importantly, how to correct them.
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Now, this video is part of a big series on my channel that comes with a free ebook.
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So, I need to tell you about something incredible.
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I have created a brand new, completely free ebook.
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It changes everything.
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35 common mistakes English learners make and how to fix them this powerful ebook will help you fix some of the most common errors english learners make immediately inside you will find everything from today's lesson plus 30 more mistakes that my teaching team and i have seen again and again and yes for now i'm offering it to you for free just sign up to my mailing list using the link in the description or scan the qr code now.
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I'll send it straight to your inbox.
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It's genuinely one of the best resources I've ever created and I can't wait for you to see it.
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Okay, let's begin.
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Can you spot the mistake in this sentence?
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Probably, I'll go out tonight.
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Now, we don't usually use probably at the beginning of a sentence.
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It just doesn't sound natural.
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But where should it go?
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Well, some adverbs of certainty like probably, possibly, certainly, and definitely usually go directly before the main verb.
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We call this the mid position.
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So it should be, I'll probably go out tonight.
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Go is the main verb.
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Will is the auxiliary.
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Now with the negative contracted form won't, the order is different.
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it is incorrect to say, I won't probably go out tonight.
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Instead, it's, I probably won't go out tonight.
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I probably won't speak to him again today.
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Try to learn these chunks.
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Try to remember them.
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I'll probably, I probably won't.
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Now, a note on pronunciation here, it's very important.
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probably can be pronounced with three syllables, probably.
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But many speakers will reduce it to just two in fast speech.
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Probably.
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I'll probably go.
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Let's see some more examples.
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I probably need more time.
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We can't possibly finish decorating the flat in two days.
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Now, an exception.
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This This is English.
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We love exceptions.
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When the main verb is to be, these adverbs usually appear after it.
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As in, this is probably the best restaurant in the neighbourhood.
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We can use these adverbs alone in short answers.
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Are you going out tonight?
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Yeah, probably.
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Do you think it'll rain?
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Possibly.
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Who knows?
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Now, take a look at the ebook, the free ebook, to learn about the positions of other adverbs of certainty.
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You can scan the QR code there or the link is in the description box.
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Okay, for our second common mistake, we have another word order problem.
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Can you spot it here?
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It's a quite big house.
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Well, it should be, it's quite a big house.
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Now, I think I understand why my students make this mistake.
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I think they copy the position of very.
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Both of these sentences are correct.
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It's very big.
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It's quite big.
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Very or quite plus adjective.
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But, and here's the issue, the words behave differently when the adjective comes before a noun.
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Listen, it's a very big house.
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It's quite a big house.
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Quite goes before the article, adjective, and noun.
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Again, it's a good idea to memorise and repeat chunks.
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It's quite a, he's quite a, that was quite an, for example.
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Notice how the t sound at the end of quite joins the vowel sound a, quite a, quite an.
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Now when you're in conversation and want to add specific details, it should be easier.
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He's quite a talented musician.
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That was quite an interesting lecture.
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Very, really, and pretty all follow a different structure.
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A plus very, really, or pretty, plus adjective, plus noun.
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It's a really good film.
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She had a pretty unusual name.
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Okay, let's move on to mistake number three now.
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We're sticking with word order.
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Word order is tough, but we're really going to focus on it today.
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Can you correct this sentence?
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I ate the three last biscuits.
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Now, I hear things like this all the time, but it should be, I ate the last three biscuits.
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That's a tough pronunciation challenge, isn't it?
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Last three, the t and then th.
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Last three biscuits.
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We would actually allied the t sound in last and say last three biscuits to make it a little bit easier.
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Now, if you say the three last biscuits, there is no communication problem.
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People will understand what you mean, so don't get stressed about this.
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But if you can correct all of the word order mistakes we're looking at today, you'll sound more natural and more fluent.
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I think it's a mistake that's worth correcting nice and early so that you don't have to correct it when you're at C1, C2 level and it's embedded in your brain.
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Here's a similar mistake I've heard before.
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The two first chapters are quite slow.
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Perfectly understandable, but it should be the first two chapters are quite slow.
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Why?
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Well, in English, words like first, last, next, and past come before a number.
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A couple more sentences.
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I'm booked solid for the next three weeks, not the three next weeks, the next three weeks.
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Or she's been to Edinburgh twice in the past six months, not the six past months.
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We also use this word order with other phrases like the first few or the past several.
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I only watched the first few minutes, not the few first minutes.
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Or it's been sunny for the past several days, not the several past days.
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Take a look at the ebook to see even more examples and another word that follows this pattern.
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We're moving away from word order.
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So what's wrong with this sentence?
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I saw everything which happened.
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Which isn't very natural.
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And if you think it should be what, I'm afraid that's not right either.
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The best choice is that.
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I saw everything that happened.
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Now, after words like everything, anything, nothing and all, we tend to use the relative pronoun that to introduce defining relative clauses.
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These clauses give us essential information.
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We don't usually use which after those words.
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For example, is there anything that I can do to help?
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Or there's nothing that we can do now.
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Or they are all that matters.
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In speech, we can leave out that if it's the object of the relative clause.
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For example, is there anything I can do to help?
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There's nothing we can do now.
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But we can't do it with they're all matters.
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That is the subject of the clause.
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Take a look at the ebook for an exception to this rule.
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You can scan that QR code there or click the link in the description box.
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It's free to download.
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Now, what is not a traditional relative pronoun, so we don't use it to introduce a relative clause.
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This sentence is considered grammatically incorrect, though you will hear it in some dialects.
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I saw everything, what happened?
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I recommend using that unless you're specifically trying to use a dialect that uses what instead of that.
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Okay, we're onto the final sentence.
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Is this a mistake?
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I cut my hair.
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Well, the answer is maybe.
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I cut my hair is a grammatically correct sentence That means I cut my own hair.
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I took a pair of scissors and chopped.
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Now, in my case, that would be a big mistake.
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I prefer to go to a hairdresser.
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So how would I say that?
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I had my hair cut or I got my hair cut.
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This is called a causative structure.
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Have or get plus object plus past participle.
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to have something done or to get something done.
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It's used when someone else does something for us, usually a paid service.
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Can you repair your own car?
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If the answer is no, use the causative.
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I had my car repaired yesterday.
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A mechanic did it.
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Would you paint your own house?
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I mean, it actually sounds like fun, but I'm not sure it would look very good if I did it.
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So I might say, we're having the house painted next month.
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A professional painter is doing it.
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Notice that only have or get change tense.
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We always use the past participle after the object.
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We can use the same structure to say that something bad happened to us, usually when we didn't cause the bad thing to happen.
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For example, I had my wallet stolen last night.
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Or she got her car broken into.
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do.
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Someone did these things to us.
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Again, there are more examples with the causative in the ebook.
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It's quite a useful structure to learn.
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It's a really useful structure.
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Okay, we have time for a little quiz before we finish the lesson.
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Some of these sentences contain mistakes.
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If there is a mistake, correct it.
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I'll read them out for you.
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One, who ate the two last slices of pizza?
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Two, she told me nothing that I didn't know already.
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Three, I'm having a tooth taken out tomorrow.
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Four, we had a quite good meal at that restaurant.
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And five, probably she'll help.
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I'll give you five seconds, but pause if you need more time.
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Okay, number one, contained a mistake.
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It should be the last two slices of pizza.
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Remember we put words like last and first before numbers in English.
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The second sentence was correct.
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We usually use nothing that in relative clauses, not nothing which or nothing what.
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Number three was also correct.
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I definitely wouldn't want to take my own tooth out.
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So the causative structure, meaning someone else will do it, is right.
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Number four was incorrect.
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It should be, we had quite a good meal.
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Remember it's quite plus article, adjective, noun.
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And number five also had a mistake.
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The most natural way to say this is, she'll probably help.
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with probably before the main verb.
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So how did you do out of five?
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Let me know in the comments.
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And don't forget to download the 35 Mistakes ebook.
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You're going to love it.
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It is absolutely huge and it's free.
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Scan the QR code there or click the link in the description box.
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I hope you enjoyed today's lesson.
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I hope you learnt something.
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I will see you in the next one.
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Bye.
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Transcrição e Legendas por Quintena Coelho

Context & Background

Understanding common mistakes in English can significantly enhance your communication skills. The speaker in the video addresses typical errors made by English learners, offering students a chance to refine their speaking abilities. By highlighting five frequently encountered mistakes, the speaker provides practical corrections to help learners articulate their thoughts more clearly and accurately. Engaging with these lessons can be especially valuable for those preparing for IELTS speaking practice or anyone who wants to learn English with YouTube resources.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • I'll probably go out tonight. - Remember, 'probably' usually comes before the main verb.
  • I probably won't go out tonight. - Notice the position of 'probably' in negative sentences.
  • This is probably the best restaurant in the neighborhood. - When using the verb 'to be', the adverb follows it.
  • We can't possibly finish decorating the flat in two days. - Use 'possibly' before the main verb for mid-position.
  • Yeah, probably. - Utilize adverbs in brief responses to sound more natural.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

To master the phrases and improve your overall speaking ability, follow this step-by-step shadowing guide:

  1. Select a Shadowing App: Choose a reliable shadowing app that lets you practice with audio clips from the video.
  2. Listen and Repeat: Play the video and listen carefully to the speaker’s pronunciation. Pause after each phrase, and repeat it aloud, mimicking the intonation and rhythm.
  3. Focus on Problematic Words: Pay particular attention to words and phrases mentioned in the video, like 'probably'. Notice how the speaker reduces the syllables in fast speech to 'prob’ly'.
  4. Record Yourself: Use the app to record your own voice as you repeat the phrases. Comparing your pronunciation to the original can highlight areas for improvement in your English pronunciation.
  5. Practice Regularly: Incorporate this method into your daily routine, ensuring you practice multiple times a week to reinforce your learning.

By utilizing these techniques and resources, you'll not only correct common mistakes but also become more adept at spontaneous conversation, making you feel more confident in your English abilities.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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