Common mistakes · Romance background

Mistakes Italian speakers make

Italian drops subject pronouns, uses one verb ("fare") for both "make" and "do", and forms questions by intonation. These habits transfer directly to English.

Pick one to practise

Dropping subject pronouns

✗Is raining outside.

✓It is raining outside.

Italian conjugates verbs for each person, so the subject is clear without saying it. English nearly always needs the subject — including "it" for weather, time, and impersonal expressions.

"Make / do / take" confusion

✗I need to make a shower.

✓I need to take a shower.

Italian "fare" covers "make", "do", and even some uses of "take". English has specific collocations: "take a shower", "do homework", "make a decision", "have breakfast".

Question without "do / does"

✗You like pasta?

✓Do you like pasta?

Italian forms questions by intonation only. English needs "do/does/did" + base verb in most questions.

Present simple vs present perfect

✗I work here since 2020.

✓I have worked here since 2020.

Italian "lavoro qui dal 2020" uses present tense for a situation that started in the past. English uses present perfect (have/has + past participle) for actions that started in the past and continue.