2

deck

For speakers of languages closely related to English—such as German, Dutch, or Scandinavian languages—learning English tends to be relatively easy.

These languages share common roots with English and often have similar grammar, word order, and vocabulary, which reduces the learning curve.

But for speakers of structurally different languages — such as Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, and other non-Indo-European languages — English poses unique challenges.

Let's explore some key areas where English differs significantly from many other languages.

===

1. Distinction Between Singular and Plural

Let’s take a look at a simple English sentence.

Sentence
I eat the apples on the table every morning.

English places clear emphasis on whether something is singular or plural—like apple vs. apples.

However, many languages do not enforce this distinction as strictly. In such languages, plural markers may be optional, or the same word may be used for both singular and plural depending on context.

This structural difference can make English feel overly specific or even unnatural to some learners.

===

2. Articles for Defining Specificity

English uses articles like a, an, and the to indicate whether something is general or specific.

Sentence
There is a cat. The cat is sleeping in the box.

In the first sentence, a cat refers to any cat. In the second, the cat refers to a specific cat already introduced.

Languages such as Chinese, Russian, Korean, and Japanese do not have articles, which makes this concept unfamiliar and often confusing for learners.

Articles are a fundamental part of English grammar, as well as other European languages like French and German.

===

3. Pronunciation Variations of Articles

In English, article usage changes based on how the next word sounds—not how it's spelled.

For example:

• a house (because "house" begins with a consonant sound)
• an HTTP request (because "H" is pronounced "aitch," which begins with a vowel sound)

Even the pronunciation of the changes:

• thee before vowels (e.g., the apple)
• thuh before consonants (e.g., the car)

This rule is sound-based and trips up learners from languages that don’t vary word forms based on pronunciation. It's somewhat similar to how some languages change particles or case markers depending on final sounds, but it's rarely intuitive for non-native speakers.

===

Countable Nouns

In English, nouns are divided into countable and uncountable, which affects grammar and article usage.

You can say a book, but not a software—because software is uncountable.

This distinction is absent or less strict in many languages. Learners may incorrectly say “a research” or “an information” due to literal translation.

Uncountable Noun	Wrong
Hardware	❌ a hardware
Software	❌ a software
Information	❌ an information
Data	❌ a data
Code	❌ a code
Research	❌ a research
Knowledge	❌ a knowledge
Bandwidth	❌ a bandwidth

Mastering countable vs. uncountable usage is essential for writing grammatically correct English.

===

4. Prepositions

English uses prepositions like on, in, at, to, and by to express relationships between objects—such as time, place, direction, and method.

For example:

• a girl at the park
• data stored on the server
• a process running in the browser

These words may look simple, but they’re notoriously tricky for non-native speakers.

In many other languages, similar relationships are expressed through word endings, particles, or postpositions instead.

Even advanced learners can struggle with whether to say:

• on the server or in the server
• in the browser or at the browser

Correct answers: on the server, in the browser

Prepositions often follow patterns that don't translate neatly between languages, making them one of the hardest parts of English grammar to master.

===

5. Word Order

English generally follows a Subject + Verb + Object (SVO) structure:

Sentence
I like coffee. (S + V + O)
(Equivalent in an SOV language: I coffee like.)

But many languages — such as Japanese, Korean, Turkish, or Hindi — use a Subject + Object + Verb (SOV) order.

This means that when translating or thinking in English, learners from those backgrounds may naturally place the verb at the end, leading to awkward or incorrect sentence construction.

English emphasizes the verb early in the sentence to reduce ambiguity. Understanding and adapting to this structure helps learners process English more fluently and naturally.

A helpful tip: train yourself to interpret English in its native order rather than mentally rearranging it into your own language’s structure.

===

6. Sentence Structure

In English, omitting the subject or pronoun can lead to ambiguity or incorrect grammar.

For example, this sentence is incomplete:

"Eat the apples on the table every morning." (Who is the subject? Is it a command?)

In many languages, such as Korean or Japanese, omitting the subject is common and grammatically correct when the meaning is understood from context.

Language	Sentence
Implicit	Received the file. ❌
Explicit	I received the file. ✅

English, however, is a non-pro-drop language, which means pronouns like I, you, and they are typically required.

This grammatical trait often reflects broader cultural patterns—languages that frequently omit pronouns tend to come from more collectivist cultures, while those that require explicit pronouns often come from more individualistic cultures.

Understanding this difference not only helps with grammar but also with communication style and clarity when using English professionally.

Want to learn more?

Join CodeFriends Plus membership or enroll in a course to start your journey.

Learn moreSign In