Common errors in English
Macmillan Dictionary includes over 100 special boxes which deal with common learner problems in the use of particular words. For example, corpus analysis showed us that many learners struggle with the syntax of the verb prevent, frequently using it with an infinitive, in sentences like 'They prevented me to leave'. The correct pattern here would be 'They prevented me from leaving', so we added the 'Get it right!' box to the entry for the verb to explain and correct the problem.
What type of information is provided?
We show helpful advice on:
- spelling;
- punctuation;
- grammatical behaviour of words;
- words that are often confused.
Get it Right! Boxes
Explore the special Get it Right! boxes at the following Macmillan Dictionary entries – click through to read the information and examples provided:
- ability
- accept
- access
- accommodation
- actual
- advice
- afford
- agree
- another
- approve
- arrive
- ask
- attend
- avoid
- beginning
- behaviour
- bit
- breath
- can
- capable
- commit
- contact
- contribute
- control
- criterion
- damage
- decrease
- dependent
- desire
- despite
- develop
- difference
- discuss
- each other
- economical
- end
- enter
- every
- everyday
- evidence
- few
- fulfil
- half
- happy
- help
- increase
- independence
- independent
- influence
- information
- interest
- its
- it's
- knowledge
- learn
- lose
- make
- marry
- maybe
- mean
- most
- much
- need
- news
- occur
- pay
- person
- possibility
- practice
- prevent
- progress
- proof
- provide
- reason
- related
- research
- responsibility
- responsible
- right
- risk (noun)
- risk (verb)
- say
- solution
- spend
- stop
- suggest
- tell
- tendency
- their
- think
- thousand
- till
- trouble
- until
- used to
- useful
- well
- whether
- who
- work
- worth
Useful links
The following pages provide further information about Macmillan Dictionary and its special features:
