This post, like Common Mistakes in B2 Writing (1), is based on examples from students’ writing tasks – in this case, reviews. These are areas that frequently create confusion. Whether you’ve made these mistakes or not, the goal is to raise awareness so they can be avoided in the future.
1. I love how helpful are the waiters.
Correction: I love how helpful the waiters are.
Why? The correct word order is subject + verb because this is not a question.
2. Using “centre” and “cozy” in the same task
Correction: cosy + centre (UK) // cozy + center (US)
Why? Mixing British and American spelling in the same piece of writing makes it look inconsistent. Common words I see mixed up in writings.
| UK | US |
| COSY | COZY |
| COLOUR | COLOR |
| FAVOURITE | FAVORITE |
| APOLOGISE | APOLOGIZE |
| ORGANISE | ORGANIZE |
| LITRE | LITER |
| GLOBALISATION | GLOBALIZATION |
| SOCIALISE | SOCIALIZE |
| TRAVELLED | TRAVELED |
| NEIGHBOUR | NEIGHBOR |
3. The waitress attended us very quickly.
Correction: The waitress served us very quickly
Why? Attend” without “to” is used for events (attend a class, attend a meeting). “Attended to us” is grammatically correct but too formal for a First for schools review.
4. The waitress recommended us lots of dishes.
Correction: The waitress recommended lots of dishes to us.
Why? The verb “recommend” is followed by an object (the thing being recommended) and then the recipient (who it’s being recommended to).
Alternative structures:
✔ They recommended trying their pizza.
✔ They recommended that we try their pizza.
5. They recommended their pizza, which it has a really thin base.
Correction: They recommended their pizza which has a really thin base.
Why? Which is the subject of has, so “it” is unnecessary. Think of it like saying “the pizza has”—adding “it” would be incorrect.
6. Nobody is going to change up my mind.
Correction: Nobody is going to change my mind.
Why? The standard phrase is “change my mind”.
“Change up” exists, but it means “to alter or vary something”, not to change an opinion.
✔ After the holiday, I decided to change up my daily routine.
7. It tasted as a real steak.
Correction: It tasted like a real steak.
Why? This sentence is incorrect because “as” is not the right preposition in this context. Instead, you should use “like” or “just like” when making comparisons with verbs like taste, smell, look, etc.
8. We ended going to another café
Correction: We ended up going to another café.
Why? “End up” is a phrasal verb that means to reach an unexpected or unintended outcome (“end” alone doesn’t work in this sense).
9. The café isn’t expensive but is not the cheapest.
Correction: The café isn’t expensive, but it is not the cheapest.
Why? Add “it” before “is not the cheapest” to maintain proper sentence structure.
You could also add “either” at the end to make it sound more conversational.
✔ The café isn’t expensive, but it’s not the cheapest either.
10. Also going with your parents it’s a good option.
Correction: Also, going with your parents is a good option.
Why? “Going with your parents” is the subject, and “is” is the correct verb form. The comma after “Also” improves readability. On another note, use a comma after “Also” if it appears at the beginning of a sentence.”
Thanks for reading! 