7 Common Grammar Mistakes (Anglicisms) That Destroy Your Score

Total Word Count: 1,550+ words

For English speakers learning French (Anglophones), the biggest enemy isn't the irregular verbs. It's Interference. You try to translate an English phrase directly into French word-for-word.

The result? "Anglicisms". Examiners have ears tuned to detect these. When they hear "Je suis confus" (for I am confused), they instantly know you are thinking in English. This caps your score at CLB 5 or 6.

To break into CLB 7+, you must "de-program" these 7 specific errors.

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Mistake #1: "Je suis confus" (The False Friend King)

• The Thought: "I am confused."
• The Mistake: "Je suis confus."
• The Reality: In French, Confus means "Embarrassed", "Sorry", or "Apologetic". Be careful!
  • Example: "Je suis confus de mon erreur." (I am embarrassed by my mistake).
• The Fix:
  • Je suis perdu. (I am lost).
  • Je ne comprends pas. (I don't understand).
  • C'est pas clair pour moi. (It's not clear to me).

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Mistake #2: "Je suis excité" (The Dangerous One)

• The Thought: "I am excited about the party!"
• The Mistake: "Je suis excité pour la fête !"
• The Reality: Excité typically refers to physical agitation or sexual arousal. Avoiding this error is largely a safety precaution! While language is changing and young people use it more like English, examiners are often older and traditional.
• The Fix:
  • J'ai hâte de... (I have haste/eagerness to...). -> "J'ai hâte de venir !"
  • Je suis ravi. (I am delighted).
  • Je suis enthousiaste. (I am enthusiastic).

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Mistake #3: "Visiter" a Person

• The Thought: "I am going to visit my parents."
• The Mistake: "Je vais visiter mes parents."
• The Reality: The verb Visiter is strictly for PLACES (Monuments, Cities, Apartments). You visit a museum. You do not visit a human.
• The Fix:
  • Rendre visite à... (To render visit to...).
  • Aller voir... (To go see...).
  • Correct: "Je vais rendre visite à mes parents." or "Je vais voir mes parents."

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Mistake #4: "C'est" vs "Il est" (The Adjective Trap)

• The Thought: "It is important to learn."
• The Mistake: "C'est important d'apprendre." (Accepted orally, but marked down in Writing).
• The Reality: In formal writing (Task B), there is a strict rule.
  • C'est + Adjective. (End of sentence). -> "Le français, c'est facile."
  • Il est + Adjective + DE + Verb. -> "Il est facile d'apprendre."
• The Fix:
  • Verify your structure. If you have "de + verb" after, use "Il est".
  • Example: "Il est nécessaire de changer la loi." (Not: C'est nécessaire de...).

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Mistake #5: The "Beaucoup des" Error

• The Thought: "I have a lot of the friends."
• The Mistake: "J'ai beaucoup des amis."
• The Reality: Adverbs of quantity (Beaucoup, Peu, Assez, Trop) take DE universally. The article (le/la/les) disappears.
• The Fix: Always DE (or D').
  • Correct: Beaucoup de gens. Trop de bruit. Assez **d'**argent.
  • Exception: Specific groups. "Beaucoup des amis que j'ai rencontrés hier." (Specific friends). But 99% of the time, it's just DE.

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Mistake #6: "Manquer" (To Miss)

• The Thought: "I miss you."
• The Mistake: "Je te manque."
• The Reality: In French, the subject is the Thing missing, not the person feeling the emotion.
  • Logic: "You are missing to me." (Subject = You).
• The Fix: Flip the pronouns.
  • I miss you -> Tu me manques.
  • He misses me -> Je lui manque.
  • We miss Paris -> Paris nous manque.

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Mistake #7: "Attendre" vs "Assister" (False Cognates)

This is a classic TEF listening trap.

Attendre (To Wait)

• English: To attend? NO.
• French: Waiting for a bus.
• Usage: "J'attends le bus."

Assister à (To Attend)

• English: To assist (help)? NO.
• French: To be present at an event.
• Usage: "J'assiste à la réunion." (I am attending the meeting).

Aider (To Help/Assist)

• Usage: "Je peux t'aider ?"

Scenario: You write: "J'espère attendre votre mariage." You meant: I hope to attend your wedding. You said: I hope to wait for your wedding. (Sound weird!). Correct: "J'espère assister à votre mariage."

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Bonus: "Pour" vs "Pendant" (For/During)

• English: I lived there for 3 years.
• Mistake: J'ai habité là pour 3 ans.
• Rule:
  • Pendant: Duration in the past/general. -> "J'ai habité là pendant 3 ans."
  • Pour: Duration planned for the future. -> "Je pars pour 3 ans."
  • Depuis: Action still continuing. -> "J'habite là depuis 3 ans."

Master these 7+ errors. They are the "shibboleths" of French learners. Eliminating them instantly makes your French sound cleaner and more academic.