Even fluent speakers mess up their Business English from time to time. Let’s explore 10 common Business English mistakes with explanations and examples. And we have a little test! Do any of these mistakes sound familiar to you? Spot the errors in our mock email and learn how to say these things correctly.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

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What are the most common Business English mistakes?

Common Business English mistakes include using incorrect prepositions (e.g., “depend of” instead of “depend on”), choosing the wrong tense (“She has gone to the meeting yesterday” instead of “She went to the meeting yesterday”), and confusing gerunds and infinitives (“He suggested to take a break” instead of “He suggested taking a break”). Other errors include redundancy (“return back”) and uncountable nouns (“equipments” instead of “equipment”). These subtle mistakes can impact the impression you make. And while they will not generally stop you from being understood, they may trigger clients and colleagues to think – consciously or unconsciously – Is this person really professional?Precise in how they do their work? Let’s start with a little quiz to find out which of these common mistakes you’re still making.

Can You Spot the 10 Common Business English Mistakes?

Below is a business email containing 10 common errors. Can you find them all?

From: Mark van der Berg
To: Sarah Thompson
Subject: Re: Project Update Meeting
Date: March 28, 2025

Dear Sarah,

I have sent you an email yesterday about the project timeline, but I am doubting if you received it. I look forward to meet you and discuss the progress next week. We are with five in the meeting, including the new team members.

He is working on a project since January, and I am used to work long hours with him on previous projects. I will explain you the details when we meet, but basically, we discussed about the new strategy and made good progress.

Please let me know if you need any further informations. Can you repeat again what time works best for you?

Best regards,
Mark

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Who vs. Whom? Learn how to use these correctly in their own dedicated blog post!

The 10 common mistakes and their corrections

1. “I have sent you an email yesterday”
   Correct: “I sent you an email yesterday”
   Explanation: With specific time markers like “yesterday,” use the past simple tense.
   
2. “I am doubting if you received it”
   Correct: “I am wondering if you received it”
   Explanation: In English, we don’t typically use “doubt” this way; “wonder” is more appropriate.
   
3. “I look forward to meet you”
   Correct: “I look forward to meeting you”
   Explanation: After “look forward to,” use the gerund (-ing form).
   
4. “We are with five in the meeting”
   Correct: “There are five of us in the meeting”
   Explanation: This is a direct translation from Dutch that doesn’t work in English.
   
5. “He is working on a project since January”
   Correct: “He has been working on a project since January”
   Explanation: Use present perfect continuous for actions that started in the past and continue to the present.
   
6. “I am used to work long hours”
   Correct: “I am used to working long hours”
   Explanation: After “used to” (meaning accustomed to), use the gerund (-ing form).
   
7. “I will explain you the details”
   Correct: “I will explain the details to you”
   Explanation: The verb “explain” requires “to” before the indirect object.
   
8. “discussed about the new strategy”
   Correct: “discussed the new strategy”
   Explanation: The verb “discuss” doesn’t need “about” after it.
   
9. “further informations”
   Correct: “further information”
   Explanation: “Information” is uncountable and doesn’t take an “s.”
   
10. “Can you repeat again”
    Correct: “Can you repeat”
    Explanation: “Repeat” already means “say again,” so “repeat again” is redundant.
    

How Did You Do?

• Found all 10: You’re a Business English pro!
• Found 7-9: Excellent eye for detail
• Found 5-6: Good catch! Keep practicing
• Found fewer than 5: These subtle mistakes can be tricky – now you know what to watch out for

How can I improve my Business English?

To correct your Business English mistakes, identify and understand your weak spots. Get help, practice regularly, and expand your vocabulary.

When writing, proof you work. Proofread. Edit! Then proof it again. We can’t emphasize that too much. Learn to spot your own errors. Then for more protection, use your built in tools, or Grammarly or AI to help identify any remaining errors. And always focus on clear, concise communication. Delete unnecessary information.

You might also consider taking a Business English Course. Not a high-school-type course, but rather a focused one-to-one learning experience with a native-speaker trainer solely dedicated to helping you fix your mistakes.

If you think you now have these common grammatical errors in Business English cleaned up, you may be interested in the bigger, more complex challenge of diplomacy and cultural differences in professional English. Check out our blog post Diplomatic English for Business for 10 logical, actionable tips to navigate this tricky topic!

“10 Common Business English Mistakes” by A Roberts & Brenda de Jong-Pauley MA, Director, The English Center, 2025

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