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A new one every day
Twenty seconds each. The everyday slips almost every Indian speaker makes — and exactly what to say instead.
That was “Cousin brother”
✗He is my cousin brother.
✓He is my cousin.
In English, cousin already means the child of your uncle or aunt — male or female. There is no cousin brother and no cousin sister.
And a “real brother” is just your brother. The extra word does not add respect; it only marks the speaker as a learner.
That was "Giving my exam"
✗I'm giving my exam tomorrow.
✓I'm taking my exam tomorrow.
A student takes an exam. The person who sets it — the teacher, the board, the university — gives it.
So "I'm giving my exam tomorrow" tells a listener outside India that you are the examiner. Say "I'm taking my exam tomorrow", or simply "I have my exam tomorrow", which is what most people actually say.
That was “Borrow me your pen”
✗Can you borrow me your pen?
✓Can you lend me your pen?
You lend, I borrow. The pen moves from you to me — so you lend it, and I borrow it.
Both are correct when they point the right way: “Can I borrow your pen?” (I'm asking to take it) and “I'll lend you my pen” (I'm offering to give it).
That was “When I will reach”
✗I'll call you when I will reach home.
✓I'll call you when I reach home.
After when, there's no need to add “will”. The “I'll” at the start already tells us it's the future.
Same pattern: I'll message you when I'm free. I'll leave after I finish.
That was “I am agree”
✗Yes, I am agree with you.
✓Yes, I agree with you.
Agree is already the verb, so there's no need to add “am”. Just say “I agree”.
Same with everyone: we agree, she agrees — and if not, I disagree.
That was “Where you are going?”
✗Where you are going?
✓Where are you going?
In a question, are comes before you. “You are going” is a statement; “are you going?” is a question.
Same rule every time: What are you doing? When are you coming? Swap the two words and the question sounds natural.
That was “Informations”
✗Please send me all the informations.
✓Please send me all the information.
Information has no plural. However much of it there is, it stays “information”.
The same goes for advice, luggage and furniture — never with an “s”. Need a count? Say “a piece of advice”, “two pieces of luggage”.
That was “Tomorrow itself”
✗I'll come tomorrow itself.
✓I'll come tomorrow.
The word itself is doing no work here. “I'll come tomorrow” already says exactly when.
If you want the emphasis, say “tomorrow for sure”. Same habit with “only” — “I told you only” should be “I did tell you”.
That was “Discuss about”
✗Let's discuss about the budget.
✓Let's discuss the budget.
Discuss already means “talk about”. Adding “about” says the same thing twice.
Same trap with return back (just return) and order for (just order). English does not repeat the preposition.
That was “Out of station”
✗I am out of station this week.
✓I'm out of town this week.
“Out of station” is Indian English. Outside India, most people simply won’t understand it.
Say “I’m out of town”, or just “I’m travelling this week”. Everyone, everywhere, knows what that means.
That was “Passed out of college”
✗I passed out of college in 2020.
✓I graduated in 2020.
Outside India, passed out means you fainted. Say it to a foreign interview panel and you have just told them you collapsed.
Say “I graduated in 2020”, or “I finished my degree in 2020”. It is the first thing you say about yourself in an interview — worth getting right.
That was “Close the light”
✗Close the light.
✓Turn off the light.
You close a door and a window. You turn off a light and a fan.
Doors and windows: open, close. Lights and fans: turn on, turn off. So it is “switch on the fan” — never “open the fan”.
That was “Today morning”
✗Today morning I woke up late.
✓This morning I woke up late.
There is no “today morning” in English. It is this morning.
Today night → tonight. Yesterday night → last night. These time phrases are one of the fastest giveaways in spoken English, and one of the easiest things to fix.
That was “Revert back”
✗Please revert back to me.
✓Please get back to me.
Revert means to return to a previous state. It does not mean reply.
And “revert back” is doubly wrong, because revert already contains the back. Say “please get back to me”, or simply “please reply”.
That was “Do the needful”
✗Kindly do the needful.
✓Please approve this by Friday.
It is the most common sign-off in Indian office mail, and it tells the reader nothing.
Outside India, most people genuinely do not know what you are asking them to do. Say exactly what you want done — and by when.
You can watch these all day and still freeze in the interview. Thirty days of speaking practice is what changes that. The first class is free — call and ask.
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