Business English
5 English Mistakes French Professionals Make
French professionals often have strong technical knowledge, but small English mistakes can make emails, meetings and interviews sound less natural. The good news: most of these mistakes are easy to fix.
In professional English, the problem is rarely intelligence. The problem is interference from French: sentence structure, false friends, direct translation and overly formal phrases. Fixing these errors helps you sound clearer, sharper and more natural at work.
1. Using false friends
False friends are words that look similar in French and English but do not mean the same thing. They are small traps with big “oops” energy.
| French Idea | Wrong English | Better English |
|---|---|---|
| Actuellement | Actually | Currently / At the moment |
| Éventuellement | Eventually | Possibly / Maybe |
| Assister à une réunion | Assist a meeting | Attend a meeting |
| Demander une question | Demand a question | Ask a question |
2. Translating French sentence structure directly
French and English do not always organise ideas in the same way. Direct translation often creates sentences that are understandable but unnatural.
Weak version
I explain you the situation.
Better version
I will explain the situation to you.
The structure is the key: in English, we usually say explain something to someone, not explain someone something.
3. Using the present simple instead of the present perfect
French speakers often avoid the present perfect because French uses time differently. In business English, this mistake appears constantly in emails, updates and interviews.
| Weak Sentence | Better Sentence |
|---|---|
| I work here since 2022. | I have worked here since 2022. |
| We know this client for years. | We have known this client for years. |
| She is manager since January. | She has been manager since January. |
4. Choosing the wrong preposition
Prepositions are brutal because they often do not follow French logic. You cannot always translate à, de, pour or sur directly.
- responsible for a project
- interested in a position
- good at communication
- depend on the situation
- according to the report
These phrases are especially important for TOEIC, Bright English and professional emails because they appear often in workplace situations.
5. Sounding too formal or too translated
Many French professionals write English that is technically correct but too heavy. Business English usually prefers short, clear and direct sentences.
| Too Heavy | More Natural |
|---|---|
| I remain at your disposal for any further information. | Let me know if you need anything else. |
| I permit myself to contact you. | I am contacting you about... |
| Thank you to come back to me. | Please get back to me. |
How to fix these mistakes
The fastest way to improve is not to memorise random grammar pages. Focus on the mistakes that damage professional communication and exam performance.
- Learn common false friends.
- Practise English sentence structure, not direct translation.
- Review present perfect with since and for.
- Memorise common verb and adjective prepositions.
- Use shorter sentences in emails and meetings.
Want to test your English for work or exams?
Take a free BeFluent mini test for TOEIC, Bright English or Linguaskill, then use the right preparation guide to improve grammar, vocabulary and exam strategy.