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English for Arabic Speakers: Common Mistakes
The predictable errors Arabic speakers make in English, why each one happens, and how to fix it. Eight practice questions with explanations, open to all, no sign up.
Eight questions on the errors that come specifically from speaking Arabic as a first language. These are not random mistakes. They are predictable, they come from real differences between the two languages, and once named they are quick to fix.
Why these particular errors happen
Every first language leaves a fingerprint on the English of its speakers. For Arabic the fingerprint is consistent enough that a teacher who knows it can predict your errors before hearing them.
- Articles. Arabic marks definiteness with a prefix and handles indefiniteness differently, so English "a" and "an" get dropped, and "the" gets added where English leaves it out.
- The present perfect. Arabic has no clean equivalent, so "I have worked here for five years" becomes "I work here since five years", which stacks two errors.
- Consonant clusters. Arabic syllables do not begin with three consonants, so a helping vowel appears: "is-treet", "is-pring".
- The /p/ sound. Absent from standard Arabic, so it merges with /b/.
- Prepositions. These almost never map between languages and have to be learned as fixed pairs, not translated.
Systematic is the good news here. A fixed list can be worked through; "my English is weak" cannot. To find out which items on the list still bite, the CEFR level test gives you a label, and the workplace writing set shows whether the articles and prepositions survive into what you actually send at work. The /p/ and the consonant clusters are the exception. Those need a person listening to you, which is what the one to one classes are for.
All questions, answers and explanations
8 questions · every answer explained
The full set is below, so you can read it without taking the quiz.
Which is correct?
- AI went to the school to meet the teacher, then I went to the home.
- BI went to school to meet the teacher, then I went home. correct
- CI went to the school to meet teacher, then I went home.
- DI went school to meet the teacher, then I went to home.
Why: 'Go to school' and 'go home' drop the article. Arabic marks definiteness differently, so extra 'the' is the single most common Arabic to English error.
Choose the correct sentence.
- AI am living in Sharjah since 2020.
- BI live in Sharjah since 2020.
- CI have lived in Sharjah since 2020. correct
- DI lived in Sharjah since 2020.
Why: Arabic has no direct present perfect equivalent, so this tense is routinely replaced by the present. 'Since' plus a start point requires the present perfect.
Which word pair is most often confused by Arabic speakers?
- Abig and large
- Bp and b sounds correct
- Ccat and dog
- Drun and walk
Why: Standard Arabic has no /p/, so 'park' and 'bark' or 'copy' and 'cobby' can merge. It is a production issue, not a comprehension one, and responds quickly to targeted practice.
Say this word: 'street'. What is the common difficulty?
- AIt is too long
- BThe consonant cluster 'str' at the start correct
- CThe vowel
- DThe final t
Why: Arabic does not permit three consonant clusters at the start of a syllable, so a vowel often gets inserted: 'is-treet'. Practising the cluster in isolation fixes it.
Which is correct?
- AHe is engineer.
- BHe is an engineer. correct
- CHe is the engineer at company.
- DHe engineer.
Why: English requires an article before a singular job title. Arabic does not, so the article is often dropped exactly where English needs it and added where it does not.
Choose the natural word order.
- AWent he to the office yesterday.
- BHe went yesterday to the office.
- CHe went to the office yesterday. correct
- DYesterday went he to the office.
Why: English is firmly subject verb object, with time usually at the end. Arabic allows verb first order, which sometimes carries across.
Which sentence uses the correct preposition?
- AI am angry from him.
- BI am angry on him.
- CI am angry with him. correct
- DI am angry to him.
Why: Prepositions rarely map one to one between languages. Arabic's preposition here translates as 'from', which produces 'angry from him'. English fixes on 'angry with'.
Which is correct?
- AShe has 25 years old.
- BShe is 25 years old. correct
- CShe is have 25 years.
- DShe has 25 years.
Why: English uses 'be' for age. Several languages including Arabic use a 'have' construction, which produces 'she has 25 years'.
Frequently asked questions
Why do Arabic speakers add 'the' in English?
Arabic marks definiteness with a prefix and handles indefinite nouns without an article, so the two systems do not line up. The result is 'the' appearing before school, home and work, where English drops it.
Why is the p sound difficult?
Standard Arabic does not have /p/, so speakers substitute the nearest sound, /b/. It is a production habit rather than a hearing problem, and targeted minimal pair practice usually shifts it within a few sessions.
Do I need an Arabic speaking teacher?
No, and teaching is in English because a class conducted in Arabic does not build English. What matters is that the teacher recognises Arabic transfer patterns and targets them, rather than treating each error as a one off.
How long does it take to fix these?
The grammar points, articles and the present perfect, respond within weeks once named. Pronunciation habits take longer because they are motor patterns, not knowledge. Both improve faster with one to one correction than in a group.
Practice costs nothing. Feedback does.
A quiz tells you what you got wrong. It cannot tell you why you keep getting it wrong, or fix it. That is what a teacher is for. The demo is AED 30 and includes a level assessment.
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