If you grew up speaking English as a second language, there’s a good chance you’ve used the phrase “I am coming” more times than you can count.
Imagine this situation.
Your friend calls and asks, “Where are you?”
You quickly reply, “I’m coming!”
Sounds perfectly normal, right?
Well, not always.
One of the most common English mistakes people make is using “I am coming” when they haven’t actually started their journey yet. While most people will understand what you mean, native English speakers often use different expressions depending on the situation.
For example, if you’re still at home putting on your shoes or getting ready to leave, saying “I’m coming” isn’t the most natural response.
Instead, you could say:
- “I’ll be there soon.”
- “I’m about to leave.”
- “Give me a few minutes.”
- “I’m on my way.” (if you’ve already left)
It may seem like a small difference, but little corrections like this can make your English sound much smoother and more natural.
Interestingly, this isn’t the only expression that many people use incorrectly.
Take this sentence:
❌ “I did not saw him yesterday.”
The correct version is:
✅ “I did not see him yesterday.”
The reason is simple: once you use “did,” the verb should return to its basic form.
Another common example is:
❌ “She gave me an advice.”
✅ “She gave me some advice.”
The word “advice” cannot be counted individually, so we don’t say “an advice.”
Many people also say:
❌ “I am having two sisters.”
A more natural way to say it is:
✅ “I have two sisters.”
These mistakes are extremely common, and there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, most fluent English speakers today learned by making similar errors and gradually correcting them over time.
The good news is that improving your English doesn’t require memorizing hundreds of grammar rules. Sometimes, learning just one small correction can make a big difference in how confidently you communicate.
Now let’s be honest.
How many years have you been saying “I am coming” when you were still at home getting ready?
Don’t worry—you are definitely not alone.
Tell us in the comments: Which of these mistakes surprised you the most?
