Last month, Demmi asked me to review an important email before she sent it. She had been working with a potential client for weeks, and this was her proposal for a €30,000 contract.
The proposal itself was excellent. However, there were some small mistakes scattered throughout. For example, "discuss about the timeline," "I look forward to hear from you," "the informations we gathered."
We spent 20 minutes fixing them. Not because they would necessarily cost her the contract, but because they were distracting. Each one made the reader pause, even if just for a second, and think about her English instead of her solution.
She sent the corrected version. Two days later, she got the contract. Fortunately, these mistakes do not usually cost you the contract. However, they may cost you credibility, confidence, or the smooth professional impression you are trying to create. People may start focusing on how you say things instead of what you say.
That is what correcting these mistakes may do. It may remove these small distractions that pull focus away from your competence and expertise.
I have seen the same mistakes being repeated. However, they are predictable, fixable, and once you know them, easy to avoid.
Most Common Mistakes
1. "I look forward to hear from you"
Wrong: "I look forward to hear from you."
Right: "I look forward to hearing from you."
Why it's wrong: The verb that follows the ‘I look forward to' always has to have the "ing". This is one of the most common mistakes in email closings.
2. "Please discuss about the proposal"
Wrong: "Let's discuss about the budget."
Right: "Let's discuss the budget."
Why it's wrong: The verb 'discuss' doesn't require a preposition. The meaning of "about" is already included in the verb itself. This mistake is incredibly common, particularly for speakers whose native languages add an extra preposition here.
3. "We are agree with your proposal"
Wrong: "We are agree with your proposal."
Right: "We agree with your proposal."
Why it's wrong: "Agree" is a verb, not an adjective. You don't need "are" before it. This happens when people directly translate from languages that use a different structure.
4. Adding 's' to uncountable nouns
Wrong: "I'll send you the informations tomorrow."
Right: "I'll send you the information tomorrow."
Wrong: "We need to gather more evidences."
Right: "We need to gather more evidence."
Why it's wrong: Never put an 's' on the end of 'information', 'knowledge', or 'advice' because they are all uncountable nouns. These nouns do not have plural forms in English, even when referring to multiple pieces of information.
5. Mixing up "personnel" and "personal"
Wrong: "This is a personal issue for our department." (when discussing staffing)
Right: "This is a personnel issue for our department."
Wrong: "I need to take a day off for personnel reasons." (when discussing private matters)
Right: "I need to take a day off for personal reasons."
Why it's wrong: These words sound similar but have completely different meanings. "Personnel" means staff or employees. "Personal" means private or individual. They're not interchangeable.
6. Overusing filler words
Wrong: "Um, I think, like, we should maybe move the deadline?"
Right: "I suggest moving the deadline."
Why it's wrong: Filler words can make you sound uncertain and unprofessional in business communication. While everyone uses some fillers occasionally, excessive use undermines your authority.
7. Wrong prepositions with common business verbs
Wrong: "I am responsible of this project."
Right: "I am responsible for this project."
Wrong: "We need to focus in the results."
Right: "We need to focus on the results."
Why it's wrong: Certain verbs always pair with specific prepositions in English. These combinations (called collocations) do not follow logical rules, and you simply need to learn them. English prepositions are tricky, especially in professional settings.
8. "We must do a decision"
Wrong: "We must do a decision by Friday."
Right: "We must make a decision by Friday."
Wrong: "I will make a meeting with the client."
Right: "I will schedule a meeting with the client."
Why it's wrong: Some mistakes happen because people directly translate phrases from their native language into English. In English, certain verbs naturally pair with certain nouns. You "make" decisions, not "do" them. You "schedule" or "arrange" meetings, not "make" them
The Reality About Mistakes
The truth is that everyone makes mistakes. Native speakers included. The goal is not perfection, but it is reducing the mistakes that matter most for professional credibility.
Some mistakes are minor and barely noticeable. Others, like the ones I have covered here, create doubt about your professionalism. That is why I recommend focusing your energy on fixing these high-impact mistakes first.
The real goal is clear communication so people focus on your ideas and not your grammar.
These mistakes are fixable. You do not need years of study but you need awareness and practice. Start with one or two from this list. Fix those until they become automatic. Then move on to the next ones.
Your English does not have to be perfect. It just has to be professional enough so that people focus on what you say and not how you say it.