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I learned English the wrong way.

Perfect_Meaning_4728
I learned english the wrong way and now I don't know how to unlearn it and start all over again. This my background: I learned English in school but didn't really pay attention because I was not really interested at the time. I managed to pass my classes by relying on memorization. I never bothered to ask anyone to correct my writings or verify if I understood something correctly. I just relied on my intuition. I blame my laziness for this and ADHD (which was diagnosed late). To give you an example if I see a sentence like this: "The driver will have arrived at 10am". I understand this as "The driver will arrive at 10am" which is actually wrong since the 1st sentence means the driver will arrive before 10 am not exactly at 10. Basically, i interpret all of the english tenses as present simple, past simple, or future simple. I have the same issue for my vocabulary, for example, i know the word "very" intensifies a descriptive word and i just left my understanding be limited at that. So I use it in a very unnatural manner. Aside from Grammar, the way I organize my thoughts is also a big issue as you can probably tell with this writing lol, and that is because my english flows the same way as my native language, which is a completely different language from english, not even the same family. To sum it all up, i kinda created my own version of english. And I have no idea how to unlearn everything and start the correct way. I don't even know where to start. Is anyone else in the same situation, and how did you resolve it? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

7 comments

JaguarMammoth6231•
I can't tell if you're joking because your English here looks great. Did you write the question yourself? The only minor problem I noticed is with the word writing as a noun (2x). It doesn't really mean "thing that is written".
Tetracheilostoma•
sounds like you have a good intuitive grasp of the language, and you also know which things you need to unlearn/relearn
zebostoneleigh•
You're either too hard on yourself or just fishing for compliments. In either case, let it go. Your English is quite good and the idea of unlearning what you've learned and starting over is ludicrous. You're doing just fine. Your self criticism is your worst enemy at this point. Perhaps, you just need to interact with and speak with native English speakers all day every day. Not sure if that's possible for you, but given how much you do know and already do understand... I think picking up speaking habits from natives would serve you well. At the same time, foreign languages are hard and you've done very well for yourself. The subtleties that you are distraught over are minimal.
whodisacct•
You’re being way too hard on yourself. Nobody expects perfection. They hope to be able to understand and be understood. No part of what you wrote indicates to me English isn’t a native language for you.
SnooDonuts6494•
> "The driver will have arrived at 10am" is incorrect, anyway. It should be, "The driver will have arrived **by** 10am". That should be easier to understand, because use of the adjective "by" indicates that it is not a specific time. > I use it in a very unnatural manner Can you give a few examples? > kinda created my own version of english Honestly, that's fine. Everyone creates their own version of English. You'll become more natural-sounding by using it more. You just need to practice, practice, practice. There is no need to unlearn anything.
Daug3•
Hi, lazy + adhd + slavic + self-taught English speaker here, I couldn't tell you what the rules are for the tenses honestly, I don't even really know which is which without an example ("present Perfect who? Ah, I have had/I have been, yes I know that one"). I learned them at school but don't really remember them. I do know them by heart and intuition, and do what sounds natural. Nobody has ever had a single complaint. Personally what matters most to me is sounding natural and understanding what I'm reading/hearing (the funny thing is, sometimes you have to ignore a few rules to sound more natural). If you feel the need to learn again - then learn. If you don't feel like it, just play it cool and make it sound like you know your stuff. Sometimes grammar flows better when you stop thinking about it.
cowheadcow•
You write very well