Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them.
Wrong: Écouter à la radio
Right: Écouter la radio
Explanation: The French verb écouter means "to listen to" - the idea of the preposition "to" is included in the verb itself. But beginners often mistakenly add à to it, in effect saying "to listen to to something," which is obviously incorrect.
J'écoute la radio - I'm listening to the radio
Il aime écouter les discours - He likes listening to speeches
Écouter is one of several French verbs that are not followed by a preposition whereas their English equivalents are.
Related lessons:
Verbs without prepositions
Verbs with prepositions
Écouter à la radio - French Mistake
French mistakes analyzed and explained
By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide
Language and Learning
Explore French Language
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