A run-through of mistakes that Italian pre-intermediate students commonly make.

1. Common
mistakes

2. silly errors
!

3. spelling

4. than > then
untill > until
tipical > typical

5. use the spellcheck

6. capitalisation

7. i go to University

8. capitalised in English not capitalised in Italian
1st person singular I io
pronoun
national adjectives English, Italian inglese, italiano
days of the week Monday, Friday lunedì, venerdì
months March, June marzo, giugno

9. I spoke to a man.
I spoke to Andrea.

10. I go to university.
I spoke to a man.
I go to Roma Tre University.
I spoke to Andrea.

11. bad punctuation

12. when I come back ,I have
dinner
I finish lessons.I go back…

13. silly errors send the message

14. “I don‟t care!”

15. other small points

16. no article before meals

17. I have breakfast / lunch / dinner.
…a breakfast etc.

18. no „to‟ before „home‟

19. I go / come / drive home.
…to home.

20. „a‟ / „the‟ / „no article‟
before places

21. a restaurant
a museum
a party
I go to … the bar
the pub
the bank
the theatre
the cinema
generic „the‟

22. prison
school
church
hospital
university

23. My sister‟s a student. She
studies maths at university.
Her friend is an electrician. He‟s
working in the university this
week.

24. telling the time with
- am/pm
- o‟clock

25. o‟clock is only used on the hour
three o‟clock
half past three o‟clock

26. don‟t use am/pm with o‟clock
three pm
3.00 pm
three o‟clock
three pm o‟clock

27. you don‟t have to say am/pm if
the time is obvious
compare:
I get up at 8.30.
I get up at 8.30 pm

28. „usually‟ translating „uso fare‟

29. I usually get up early.
I use…
I used…
I‟m used…

30. infinitive of purpose

31. I go to the shop for some bread.
I go to the shop to buy some bread.
…for buy…
…for to buy…

32. prepositions following „go for‟

33. I go to a restaurant for a meal
I go for a meal at a restaurant
…meal to a…

34. I go for a drink in a pub
I go for a walk in the park
I go for a walk on the beach