Common mistakes

As your English improves, you are able to make longer and longer sentences. But, should you? 

At first glance, sentences like, "Anyone can try it" and, "Everyone can try it" seem to mean the same thing. What's the difference?

There is a good chance you've said or heard someone say, "Sorry to be late!" But that's a mistake. Using sorry to + verb is not for an apology. It's used to express sympathy for an action you will do or are doing. 

In English, the negative component can be put in a variety of places. But, as long as the meaning is the same, the negative element should go as close to the beginning as possible.

Should you translate your traditional words into English?

In Japan, "global" is a buzz word that people like to use. Students want to be more "global". They want to work on the "global stage" for a "global company". In English, maybe you should choose a different word.

Many students are familiar with the word increase, but fail to use it correctly. Try to spot the error in the following sentence:

Elderly people are increasing in Japan.

In English, the subject of the sentence is not always the one who does the action. This can get a little confusing for non-native speakers.

Imagine someone spots something different about their friend:

While the words "value" and "values" are deceptively alike, they actually have two different meanings. 

• Value (uncountable) is your worth. What you bring to the table. In Japanese, the equivalent to it would be the word 価値.
• Values (countable, usually used with “s”) are your important and lasting beliefs or ideals. In other words, your principles. The Japanese word here would be 価値観.