do vs make

Correct use:

You do an activity, and you do any type of work.

For example: 

do an experiment
carry out an experiment

also, do a test, do/give a tour of the building, do/give a presentation,



Origin of the confusion:


In German it's all "machen", but in English, if you make something, you usually finish with a physical product.

For example: 

Make a cake, make a cup of coffee. 

There are several exceptions though, like make a plan or make up your mind.


More information: http://www.learnenglish.de/grammar/doormake.htm

shouldn’t or mustn’t vs don't have to

Correct use:

The term "you shouldn’t / mustn’t" means DON’T DO IT!
There is practically no difference between shouldn't and mustn't.

For example:

You shouldn't leave the door open at night.
You mustn't leave the oven on when you leave the house.
You should brush your teeth before going to bed.

Origin of the confusion:


The German term "du musst nicht"means "you don't have to".

For example:

You don't have to buy a ticket for the bus because it's included in your train ticket.

getting vs becoming

a.k.a. Why your colleague did not become a baby last weekend.

Although this is the most well-known German-English mistake, I still hear it regularly. 

The English words "getting", "obtaining" and occasionally "having" translate into the word "bekommen" in German.

The English word "becoming" translates into the word "werden" in German.

For example:

Did you get the form you need from the secretary?

I got an e-mail from an old friend yesterday.

We're getting new computers at work.

Did you obtain permission to take a holiday next Friday?

The chemicals were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich.

My sister is having a baby.

I had a sandwich from the cafeteria for lunch today.

My grandfather became forgetful in his old age.

Obama became president of the USA in 2008 after a very successful presidential campaign.

Electricity generated from renewable resources is becoming increasingly important as fossil fuel supplies run out.

technical and mechanical

In English, technical and mechanical are pronounced tek-ni-kal and me-ka-ni-kal. Clicking on the words will take you to a dictionary where you can hear the words pronounced.

There is never a soft "ch" in English, like in the German technisch or mechanisch.