Avoiding Anglicisms & False Friends: A Student’s Guide to Clear, Confident AP Writing

Why Anglicisms and False Friends Matter for AP Students

When you’re preparing for AP exams—especially AP English Language and Composition or AP Literature—every word counts. A misused term or an awkwardly translated phrase can nudge an otherwise excellent essay off-course. In the heat of timed writing, it’s easy to lean on familiar structures or imported expressions from another language (these are called Anglicisms when English forms appear in another language) or to trip over false friends—words that look alike across languages but mean different things.

This guide is written for students who want to write with clarity, avoid embarrassing missteps, and convey nuance with confidence. We’ll unpack what Anglicisms and false friends are, show common examples that trip non-native and native speakers alike, and give practical, exam-ready strategies to fix them. Along the way you’ll find real AP-style examples, practice prompts, a study plan, and even a clean, comparable table to help you internalize the differences.

Understanding the Terms: Anglicisms vs. False Friends

What is an Anglicism?

An Anglicism is a word, phrase, or construction borrowed from English into another language, or an English phrase used in a way that reflects the grammar or idioms of another language. For bilingual students this can show up as literal translated phrases that sound “off” in formal English, like saying “make a photo” instead of “take a photo.” On AP exams, these slips can cost voice, clarity, and sometimes development scores if they confuse meaning.

What are False Friends?

False friends are pairs of words in two languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings. For example, in Spanish the word “embarazada” looks like the English “embarrassed” but actually means “pregnant.” In French, “actuellement” looks like “actually” but means “currently.” For multilingual AP students, false friends are a common source of subtle errors that can change an argument or undermine precision.

Why Precision Matters on AP Essays

AP rubrics reward precise vocabulary, coherent argumentation, and accurate use of language. When words are used incorrectly—especially because of Anglicisms or false friends—your claim may become fuzzy, your evidence ambiguous, and your analysis less persuasive. Clarity and control of language are central to scoring high on both rhetorical analysis and argumentative essays.

Real-world consequences beyond the exam

• College-level writing demands accuracy; early habits influence later grades.
• Scholarship essays and applications benefit from impeccable diction.
• Professional communication thrives on subtle distinctions—practice now and you’ll thank yourself later.

Common Anglicisms and How They Show Up

Anglicisms can be small and sneaky. Here are some recurring examples and quick fixes that are AP-friendly.

• Literal translations of idioms: “To have cold feet” becomes “to have feet of cold” in literal translations. Fix: Use the correct English idiom or a clear paraphrase.
• Overusing “make” and “do” incorrectly: Saying “make a party” instead of “throw/organize a party.” Fix: Learn the collocations—words that typically pair together.
• False calques of grammar: “I have 20 years” instead of “I am 20 years old” (common among Romance-language speakers). Fix: Memorize age constructions in English.
• Directly borrowing English verb constructions: “I am agree” instead of “I agree.” Fix: Remember that English often uses simple verbs rather than progressive forms for states.

Frequent False Friends That AP Students Should Know

Below is a curated list of classic false friends that appear most commonly for speakers of Romance languages and other commonly taught languages. Memorize the pairs and the correct English equivalents.

Strategies to Avoid These Pitfalls in AP Writing

These are practical, exam-ready moves you can use during practice and on test day. The goal is to build habits that make your writing precise without slowing you down.

1. Build a Short, Reliable Cheat Sheet

Create a two-column list: on the left, write the false friend or common Anglicism; on the right, write the correct English alternative. Keep it handy while you practice timed essays and review it weekly. Over time this becomes mental muscle memory.

2. Practice Collocations, Not Single Words

Instead of memorizing lone words, learn the pairs and groups that commonly go together (e.g., “make an argument,” “raise a point,” “pose a question”). Collocation practice makes your writing sound natural and academic.

3. Use Context Checks While Drafting

After writing a sentence, ask two quick questions: “Does this sound like native academic English?” and “Could this be a false friend?” If either answer is yes, revise. This short habit is fast and effective for timed writing.

4. Read High-quality Model Essays

Model essays—AP free-response sample answers and strong college-level writing—show how precise vocabulary and idiom are used. Pay attention to phrasing, not just ideas. Reading well-written passages builds an instinct for correct usage.

Practice Exercises (AP-style)

Below are exercises modeled after AP tasks. Time yourself where appropriate and then review with targeted revision.

Exercise 1: Identify and Fix

Find the Anglicism or false friend in each sentence and write the corrected sentence.

• “The author actually believes that the policy will be reestablished next year.”
• “She is sensible to criticism and often feels embarrassed when corrected.”
• “He assisted to the lecture last Tuesday and took many notes.”

Answers (sample): (1) If the writer means “currently believes,” change “actually” to “currently”; if he means “in fact,” keep “actually”—clarify intent. (2) Replace “sensible” with “sensitive.” (3) Replace “assisted to” with “attended.”

Exercise 2: Timed Revision

Write a 25-minute argument essay on a prompt (for AP Language: “Claim: Technology improves the quality of public discourse. Support, refute, or qualify the claim.”). Spend the first 20 minutes writing and the last 5 minutes scanning specifically for Anglicisms and false friends.

Sample AP Essay Paragraph with Explanations

Below is a short model paragraph that addresses the claim from the timed revision exercise. Read it and note how word choice and idiom are used to convey precision.

Sample paragraph:

“Advocates argue that technology promotes democratic participation by lowering barriers to information. While platforms have indeed made civic texts more accessible, access alone does not guarantee deliberative quality. The proliferation of unverified sources and emotionally charged content often amplifies noise rather than reasoned debate. To strengthen public discourse, technological tools must be paired with media literacy and incentives for credible reporting—measures that foster critical engagement instead of passive consumption.”

Why this works: Note the collocations (“promotes democratic participation,” “lowers barriers,” “media literacy”) and the avoidance of literal translations or awkward turns. Each phrase is concise and native-sounding—key to AP scoring.

Study Plan: A 6-Week Roadmap to Clean Language

This schedule assumes weekly practice and progressive mastery. You can compress or extend it based on your timeline.

How to Get the Most Effective Feedback

Feedback is essential. You can self-edit, trade essays with peers, or get expert help. If you want structured, individualized support, consider Sparkl’s personalized tutoring—its 1-on-1 guidance and tailored study plans can help you identify recurring Anglicisms and false friends in your writing. A skilled tutor or coach can show patterns, suggest alternative phrasing, and help you develop a revision checklist tailored to your needs. AI-driven insights that some programs offer can accelerate progress by pinpointing frequent lexical errors across multiple essays.

What to ask for in feedback

• Highlight each suspect word or phrase and ask: “Is this the best choice?”
• Request alternatives—at least two—for any phrasing that sounds non-native.
• Ask for examples showing how a suggested word would be used in different contexts.

Quick Revision Checklist for Test Day

Print this short checklist and memorize it so you can run through it in the final minute or two of your essay time.

• Scan for any words that look like translations from your other language.
• Replace suspicious words with simpler synonyms if you’re unsure.
• Check collocations (does this verb normally go with this noun?).
• Ensure idioms are used correctly or paraphrase them into literal language.
• Read the sentence out loud—if it sounds awkward, revise.

Examples of Small Changes That Yield Big Gains

Here are a few before-and-after mini-rewrites that show how tiny word choices improve clarity and tone.

• Before: “This argument has a lot of force.” After: “This argument is compelling.” (“Force” can read odd in academic prose.)
• Before: “He did a long speech about ethics.” After: “He delivered an extended speech about ethics.” (“Delivered” and “extended” are more formal and precise.)
• Before: “I have 18 years.” After: “I am 18 years old.” (Fixes age construction.)

Final Thoughts: Making English Your Precision Tool

AP exams test not only what you know but how effectively you can communicate that knowledge. Anglicisms and false friends are natural artifacts of bilingualism and language learning—not moral failings. The secret to overcoming them is deliberate practice: build awareness, practice collocations, read strong models, and get targeted feedback. Over time, the diagnostic checklist and cheat sheets will feel less like crutches and more like part of your writing identity.

Small consistent edits produce large improvements. Even on test day, a five-minute sweep for diction and idiom can transform a good essay into a great one. If you’d like a structured way to accelerate progress, personalized support—such as Sparkl’s personalized tutoring that combines 1-on-1 guidance, tailored study plans, expert tutors, and focused insights—can be worth exploring. The right tutor can help you turn recurring mistakes into polished habits and ensure that your voice comes through clearly and confidently.

Resources for Continued Practice

Keep practicing with high-quality prompts, model essays, and a regular review of your personal cheat sheet. Make speaking and listening practice part of your routine too—oral fluency often reinforces written accuracy. Above all, be patient and reflective: language mastery is a gradual process, and each revision makes your voice stronger.

Closing encouragement

Language is a craft. Whether you’re aiming for a high AP score, a compelling college essay, or simply clearer classroom writing, learning to avoid Anglicisms and false friends will serve you in every academic and professional setting. Step by step, sentence by sentence, you’ll develop precision—and with it, confidence. Write on.