ESL Writers on the Internet

When it comes to writers whose first language is not English, I've seen two distinct types stand out:  one type is those who are so skilled, so gifted and intelligent in their knowledge of English, they sound much better than the run-of-the-mill writer who learned the English language as a tiny tot.  But more noticeable are the ones who have numerous obvious problems in their use of the language.  And, of course, some writers will fall in-between these extremes.

Language mistakes (grammar, spelling, punctuation, word choice, word order) among these writers will probably include the same mistakes as first-language English-speakers make, possibly with a little twist, as well as a few more that are probably unique.

• Omission of the or a, contrary to normal usage            

               Ex.:  Literal meaning of this word is...
               Usual English:  The literal meaning of this word is...

• Including to as part of a verb infinitive in one of the instances when it should be omitted
• Confusion of collective or abstract nouns
• Confusion of expressions related to time

              Ex.:  I am here since last two years.
              Usual:  I have been here for the last two years;  OR
                         I have been here since 2010;  OR
                         I have been here since two years ago.
              Supplying additional information, this could also read:
                         I am here as a two-year member of this website.

              Ex.: It is not same one which I had joined before two years.
              Usual:  It is not the same one [which] I joined two years ago.
                         [Note: Which may be omitted here; or one could use that instead.]

              Ex.: A year back from now
              Usual: A year ago
              Not as usual, but okay:  A year before now

• Confusion of verb tenses
• Confusing the number of the verb (plural vs. singular or vice versa)
• Using the wrong preposition
• Using a contraction when usual English would not (very confusing, since we use them so often)

              Ex.: The person I'm today is better than yesterday.
              Usual: The person I am today....

• Confusing verb forms in such a way as to muddle the tense and voice of the verb
• Mixing up two or more different expressions that could be used in similar circumstances

               Ex.:  My main goal is to play my best part in guiding young people.
               Usual:  My main goal is to play a part in guiding young people.
                          Could be modified: to play an important part;
                                                        to play a vital part; to play a significant part
                  OR   My main goal is to do my best in guiding young people.
                           My main goal is to do my best to guide young people.
                           My main goal is to do the best I can to guide young people.
                           My main goal is to do the best job possible in guiding....
                           [Numerous other variations are possible.]

All of the examples I have included here are slightly modified versions of some sentences I have seen on HubPages.  Many of them were written by ESL writers who fall somewhere between the ones with numerous, truly problematic errors and those who are better than many English-as-a-first-language writers.

My goal for the immediate future is to provide other actual examples of language problems from both ESL writers and from native speakers of English, along with recommendations for improvement.  Let me preempt some objections by saying, Yes, there are and will be some mistakes in my writing too, and I don't mind having them pointed out. 

In cases where there are several acceptable options, I may respond to explain the way I wrote it in the first place. I believe one of the best ways we can come to understand one another as people is to talk about what we mean when we speak, and why we said things the way we did.

There will be more.