Common Mistakes Telugu Speakers Make in English
When we learn a new language, our mother tongue quietly shapes the way we build sentences. Telugu speakers often carry Telugu sentence patterns into English without realising it. Here are five very common mistakes, and how to fix each one.
1. "I am having a doubt"
In Telugu it feels natural to say "నాకు ఒక సందేహం ఉంది" which translates word-for-word to "I am having a doubt". But in English, we simply say:
"I have a doubt" or "I have a question."
Doubt is not normally used with the continuous form ("having") in this sense.
2. Skipping articles: "a", "an", "the"
Telugu does not have articles, so learners often drop them completely in English:
- Wrong: "I am going to market."
- Right: "I am going to the market."
A simple rule to start with: almost every singular, countable noun needs a, an, or the in front of it.
3. "Myself Ravi" instead of "I am Ravi"
This is one of the most common introductions we hear, but it is not correct English grammar.
Say instead: "I am Ravi" or "My name is Ravi."
4. Mixing up "since" and "for"
Use since with a point in time (since 2019, since Monday) and for with a duration (for three years, for two hours).
- Wrong: "I am living here since five years."
- Right: "I have been living here for five years."
5. Direct translation of polite requests
In Telugu, requests are often framed as questions about ability. In English this can sound blunt if translated directly. Instead of "Give me that book", try:
"Could you please pass me that book?"
Small changes like these make a big difference in how confident and natural your English sounds. Practice one mistake at a time rather than trying to fix everything at once.