Top Writing Mistakes Indians Make in English — And How to Fix Them Before Publishing

English has become the primary language for authors, entrepreneurs, students, and professionals in India. But even confident writers often make subtle mistakes that weaken their message, reduce clarity, and create an unpolished reading experience. These mistakes can stand between a good manuscript and a professionally publishable book.

Whether you’re writing fiction, self-help, poetry, or academic content, avoiding these common errors will drastically improve the quality of your writing—and increase your chances of making a strong impression on readers, publishers, and literary agents.

As a publishing partner trusted by authors across India, Freedom Publishing House (Mohali, Chandigarh & Punjab) regularly guides writers through editing, proofreading, and book preparation. This blog is designed to give you high-value insights, not just a pitch—so you can genuinely strengthen your writing before taking the next publishing step.

1. Overusing Long, Complicated Sentences

Many Indian writers believe that longer sentences make their writing sound more “professional.” In reality, unnecessarily long sentences reduce readability and confuse the reader.

Example of a common mistake:

Due to the fact that the circumstances were uncertain, we were not able to proceed with the final outcome of the project which otherwise would have been completed.

Better version:

Because the situation was uncertain, we couldn’t complete the project.

✔ How to Fix It

Use one idea per sentence.
Keep your sentences crisp and purposeful.
Read your text out loud—if you run out of breath, the sentence is too long.

Clear writing shows confidence.

2. Incorrect Prepositions

English prepositions often confuse Indian writers because they don’t always translate directly from regional languages.

Common errors:

❌ Discuss about the issue
❌ Return back
❌ He is married with her
❌ I will meet you in Monday

Correct usage:

✔ Discuss the issue
✔ Return
✔ He is married to her
✔ I will meet you on Monday

✔ How to Fix It

Make a list of preposition pairs and practice them.
Read well-edited English books to absorb natural usage.

3. Confusing Tenses and Mixing Timeframes

Tense errors weaken narrative flow, especially in fiction and storytelling.

Mistake:

He goes to the station and then he met his friend.

Correct:

He went to the station and then he met his friend.
OR
He goes to the station and then he meets his friend.

Choose one tense and stick to it.

✔ How to Fix It

Review your draft only for tense consistency.
Decide the tense before writing your first chapter.

4. Literal Translations From Indian Languages

Writers unconsciously translate phrases from Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, or Bengali into English—resulting in awkward sentences.

Examples:

❌ What is your good name?
❌ I am having one doubt.
❌ My health is not well today.

Correct:

✔ What is your name?
✔ I have a question.
✔ I am not feeling well today.

✔ How to Fix It

Replace literal translations with simple, natural English.
Ask an editor if a sentence “sounds Indian” rather than universally readable.

5. Using Unnecessary Fillers and Wordiness

Words like “basically,” “actually,” “literally,” “very,” “just,” and “so” weaken your writing when overused.

Weak:

It was actually a very good experience and basically I just wanted to share it.

Stronger:

It was a good experience, and I wanted to share it.

Cutting fillers makes writing stronger and more impactful.

6. Misusing Homophones

Indian writers frequently confuse words that sound similar but have different meanings.

Common mix-ups:

affect vs. effect
compliment vs. complement
then vs. than
there, their, they’re

✔ How to Fix It

Create a “confusing words list” and refer to it during revisions.

7. Overusing Passive Voice

Passive voice is not grammatically wrong—but it weakens clarity when used unnecessarily.

Passive:

The book was written by the author to inspire readers.

Active:

The author wrote the book to inspire readers.

✔ How to Fix It

Use active voice when you want clarity, energy, and directness.

8. Over-Formal or Textbook Style Writing

Many Indian authors write in a rigid, overly formal style because that’s how they learned English in school.

Example:

The aforementioned factors contribute significantly to the problematic situation.

This sounds stiff and outdated.

Better:

These factors contribute to the problem.

Readers prefer clean, modern English.

9. Grammar Mistakes in Dialogue Writing

Indian authors often write dialogue that sounds unrealistic or overly proper.

Unnatural:

"Where are you going?" he inquired.
"I am proceeding towards the marketplace to purchase vegetables."

Natural:

"Where are you going?" he asked.
"To the market to buy vegetables."

Dialogue should sound like real speech, not textbook English.

10. Lack of Consistency in Formatting and Style

Inconsistent:

Quotation marks
Spacing
Capitalization
Chapter headings
Paragraph indentation

These issues make a manuscript look amateur.

✔ How to Fix It

Use a consistent formatting style throughout the book.
Freedom Publishing House offers professional typesetting and interior formatting to ensure your book meets market standards.

Why Fixing These Mistakes Matters Before Publishing

Readers judge a book by its language quality as much as its content. Common mistakes can lead to:

Poor online reviews
Higher return rates on Amazon
Loss of credibility
Lower sales
Reduced chances of foreign readership

High-quality writing builds trust and helps your book stand out in India’s competitive publishing landscape.

Helpful Resources for Indian Authors (Interlinked Guides)

To support your publishing journey, here are additional guides by us:

📘 How to Get ISBN in India (2025 Guide)
👉 https://freedompublishingjournal.blogspot.com/2025/11/how-to-get-isbn-in-india-2025-guide.html

📘 How to Turn Your Idea Into a Book — Step-By-Step Guide
👉 https://freedompublishingjournal.blogspot.com/2025/11/how-to-turn-your-idea-into-book-step-by.html

📘 Print-on-Demand vs. Bulk Printing: Which Is Better?
👉 https://freedompublishingjournal.blogspot.com/2025/12/print-on-demand-vs-bulk-printing-best.html

These three articles together help authors prepare, structure, and publish their books with complete clarity.

How Freedom Publishing House Helps Authors Improve Their Writing and Publish Professionally

While this blog focuses on offering value, it’s important to know that the right publishing partner can help you polish your manuscript at every stage.

At Freedom Publishing House (Mohali, Chandigarh & Punjab), we offer:

✔ Professional editing and proofreading
✔ Grammar correction and rewriting support
✔ Interior formatting and typesetting
✔ Cover design and illustration
✔ Printing in paperback & hardback
✔ Amazon KDP + Flipkart publishing
✔ ISBN assistance
✔ Marketing and promotional tools

We work closely with new and experienced authors to transform manuscripts into high-quality, market-ready books.

You can view our Google profile here:
👉 https://share.google/AST18lAo8vBqszbfj

Final Thoughts

Every writer—beginner or advanced—makes mistakes. What matters is the willingness to revise, learn, and polish your work before publishing. By avoiding the common writing errors discussed in this blog, you will not only strengthen your manuscript but also significantly increase its publishing potential.

"A good story becomes a great book when the writing is clear, clean, and professionally refined"