If your child says "open the light" or mixes up "he" and "she," you are not alone — and it is not a sign of poor learning! These mistakes happen because Tagalog and English work differently. Tagalog has no gendered pronouns, no verb changes for he/she/it, and no articles like "a" and "the." When kids translate in their heads, these patterns carry over. Here are the 10 most common mistakes — and simple, fun ways to fix each one at home.
1. "He" and "She" Confusion
In Tagalog, "siya" refers to both male and female — there is no separate word for "he" and "she." So when kids translate in their heads, they often say "My mom went to the market. He bought fish."
The fix: Practice with family photos! Point to each person and say the correct pronoun out loud: "This is Lola. She is cooking." Repetition builds the habit faster than correction.
2. Missing -s in Third Person
Kids often say "She walk to school" instead of "She walks to school." Tagalog verbs do not change based on who is doing the action, so this rule feels unnatural at first.
The fix: Teach the "he/she/it gets an S" rule as a rhythm or chant. Games with instant feedback work great here — kids learn the pattern by playing, not memorizing.
3. "Open the Light"
This classic comes from "buksan mo ang ilaw" — a direct translation. But in English, we turn on the light and turn off the light.
The fix: Make it physical! Every time your child flips a switch at home, say it together: "Turn ON the light!" Muscle memory plus language memory means it sticks.
4. Wrong Verb Tense
"I go to school yesterday" — Tagalog shows time through words like "kahapon" while the verb barely changes. English changes the verb itself: go → went.
The fix: Play "Yesterday I..." at dinner. Each family member shares one thing using past tense. Gentle correction in a fun setting beats drills every time.
5. Missing Articles (a, an, the)
"She is teacher" instead of "She is a teacher." Tagalog does not use articles the way English does, so kids naturally skip them.
The fix: Read aloud together and have your child point at every "a," "an," and "the" they see. Awareness comes first — accuracy follows.
6. "Bring" vs "Take"
Both translate to "dalhin" in Tagalog, so kids use them interchangeably. But "bring" means toward the speaker, "take" means away.
The fix: Use gestures: "Bring it HERE" (pull hands in), "Take it THERE" (push hands out). Kids remember actions better than definitions.
7. Double Comparatives
"This one is more better!" Kids combine two ways of comparing. English uses either -er OR "more" — never both.
The fix: The "short word, add -er / long word, add more" rule: big → bigger, but beautiful → more beautiful. Practice comparing toys, food, or cartoon characters.
8. "Cope Up With"
Very common even among adults! The correct phrase is simply "cope with" — no "up." This one spreads because everyone around says it.
The fix: Gently model the correct version in your own speech. Kids copy what they hear at home more than what they are taught in class.
9. Preposition Confusion
"She is married with a doctor" should be "married to a doctor." Prepositions rarely translate directly between languages, making them one of the trickiest parts of English.
The fix: Learn prepositions in phrases, not alone: "married to," "good at," "afraid of." Phrase-based practice beats memorizing lists.
10. "Fill Up" vs "Fill Out"
You fill out a form (complete it) but fill up a glass (make it full). Kids — and many adults — mix these constantly.
The fix: Silly sentence practice: "I fill OUT my homework, I fill UP my water bottle." The sillier the example, the better kids remember it.
Turn practice into play 🎮
WordWise PH has 1,045 grammar questions in game form — kids fix these exact mistakes while having fun. Grammar Quiz is free to try!