Common English Mistakes Romanian Professionals Make (and How to Fix Them)

1. "I am agree" instead of "I agree"

Romanian uses "sunt de acord," which translates literally to "I am agree." In English, "agree" is already a verb — no "am" needed.

2. Missing Articles ("a," "an," "the")

Romanian doesn't use articles the same way English does, so they're often dropped. A quick rule of thumb: if you can point to it or it's specific, use "the." If it's one of many, use "a/an."

3. "Depends of" instead of "Depends on"

4. "I have 30 years" instead of "I am 30 years old"

Age in Romanian uses "a avea" (to have); in English, age uses "to be."

5. "Do a mistake" instead of "Make a mistake"

General rule: "make" for creating something — a mistake, a decision, a plan. "Do" for tasks and actions — do the work, do the dishes.

6. "Actually" Used to Mean "Currently"

In Romanian, "actual" means "current." In English, "actually" means "in fact" or "surprisingly" — a common false friend.

7. "Since" vs "For" with Time

• Use "for" with a duration: "I've worked here for three years."
• Use "since" with a specific starting point: "I've worked here since 2023."
• Wrong: "I've worked here since three years."

8. Overusing "Very" Instead of Stronger Vocabulary

Not a grammar error, but it flattens your English. Instead of stacking "very":

• "Very good" → "excellent," "outstanding"
• "Very bad" → "poor," "disappointing"
• "Very important" → "critical," "essential"

A Simple Way to Fix These

You won't catch every error by memorising rules in the moment — that adds cognitive load exactly when you need to focus on your message. The fastest fix is targeted repetition: notice the pattern once, then practise the correct version in real sentences until it becomes automatic, the same way native speakers never consciously think about grammar rules while speaking.

If you keep making the same one or two mistakes despite knowing the rule, that's usually a sign it needs focused practice with feedback — not just more reading.