IELTS and OET

Common Mistakes in Letters

Apr 25 2024

There are some simple mistakes that Indian students commonly make. These can damage scores especially when those mistakes are made in exams. Here are tips on how to correct these!

Common Mistakes in Letters - First Academy

Take a look at the following letter:

Hi everyone,

I have problems getting a new phone connection here, so instead of sending e-mails as usual, I'm actually sitting down to write a letter.

I'm imagining you'll be surprised to get this as I've never been much of a letter-writer. I'm putting the return address in big letters at the top, because to tell you the truth I'm beginning to feel quite lonely here.

Well, perhaps I'm not meaning that exactly. There are plenty of people for me to talk to. In fact I settle in to the student life quite well, but I don't really know anyone yet. I've got a room in a house a long way from college, and I'm seeming to spend a long time on the bus. A lot of students here cycle, so I'm trying to find a cheap bike, and I also think of moving nearer to college when I can find somewhere. Sorry - an interruption, someone knocks at the door.

More later, later.

One of the girls downstairs has a party, and I'm invited. And the phone line has been fixed, so I'm expecting you'll get an e-mail from me very soon! In fact, I consider tearing up this letter, so just ignore everything I've said ...

If you felt there was nothing wrong with the letter, you need to look again. The letter contains several errors, some of which are explained below.

Corrections and explanations

"I have problems" should be "I am having problems" because the writer is talking about an ongoing situation that is currently affecting them.

"I settle" should be "I am settling" to reflect the ongoing process of adapting to student life, which is a temporary situation.

"I'm seeming" is not a common construction in English. "I seem" is the correct form because it expresses a general perception or state rather than an ongoing action.

"I also think" should be "I am also thinking" because the writer is talking about a consideration they are making at the moment, which is a temporary state.

"Someone knocks" should be "someone has knocked" to indicate a recent past action that has an effect on the present moment.

"One of the girls downstairs has a party" should be "One of the girls downstairs is having a party" because the party is an event that is currently happening.

"I consider" should be "I am considering" because the writer is in the process of thinking about whether to discard the letter, which is a temporary state of contemplation.

"I'm not meaning that exactly." should be "I don't mean that exactly." The phrase "I'm not meaning that exactly" uses the present continuous tense incorrectly. The verb "mean" is a stative verb, which describes a state of being or a condition that is generally not used in the continuous form. The correct tense to use here is the present simple, as in "I don't mean that exactly," to express a general opinion or state of mind.

Have vs. Having

The difference between "have a party" and "having a party" lies in the tense and aspect of the verbs used, which convey different meanings regarding the timing and nature of the event.

"Have a party" is in the simple present tense.

It is used to describe a general action, a habitual event, or a scheduled event in the future. For example, "We have a party every New Year's Eve" suggests that the party is a recurring event. Alternatively, "We have a party next Saturday" indicates a planned future event.

On the other hand, "having a party" is in the present continuous tense.

This tense is used to describe actions that are currently ongoing or happening at the moment of speaking. For instance, "We are having a party right now" indicates that the party is taking place at the present time. In the context of the letter, the writer mentions that "one of the girls downstairs has a party, and I'm invited," which could suggest a specific, current event.

However, based on the standard use of English tenses, if the party is indeed happening at the time of writing, it would be more appropriate to say "one of the girls downstairs is having a party" to reflect the ongoing nature of the event.