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I don't usually go wrong when i'm playing song X on guitar.

I don't usually go wrong with playing song X on guitar.

I don't usually go wrong when it comes to playing song x on guitar.

I don't usually go wrong playing song X on guitar.

Do all the above sentences mean the same?

Are constructions that go "I don't usually go wrong doing sth" grammatically correct? Could i use it in any situation? Like,

I don't usually go wrong solving puzzles.

I don't go wrong playing chess.

I mean if i choose to drop out prepositions constructing similar sentences in any given context, ANY, would it be grammatically correct? If not, give me an example of the usage of " I don't usually go wrong doing sth" where it'd be deemed incorrect.

And i'm sorry, if the title of this post is a bit vague.

And if you feel the tags i've used are not right, feel free to edit them and change them.

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    What do you mean by "go wrong"? It means to make a bad decision or choice.
    – TimR
    Commented Mar 29, 2016 at 21:29
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    I agree with what TRomano says. There's a difference between "I don't go wrong when I'm playing chess", which to me, means I don't make a mistake when I'm playing chess, and "I don't go wrong playing chess" which to me means Playing chess is never the wrong decision for me.
    – stangdon
    Commented Mar 29, 2016 at 23:13
  • The OP probably tried to use don't go wrong in the sense of can't go wrong. Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 1:22
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    Hmm, I thought the OP meant make a mistake, as in "I don't usually make mistakes playing the guitar."
    – Peter
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 1:50
  • I mean making a mistake. I went wrong solving that math problem the other day. @TRomano Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 8:17

1 Answer 1

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The expression "make a mistake" sounds more natural in english here than "go wrong". Let's look at the sentences that way:

  1. I don't usually make mistakes when i'm playing song X on guitar.
    Very clear.

  2. I don't usually make mistakes with playing song X on guitar.
    Does not sound correct.

  3. I don't usually make a mistake when it comes to playing song x on guitar.
    It's a bit wordy to add "when it comes to", unless there's a reason to say it, perhaps if you will then continue to say "but then, when it comes to something else, I do make mistakes."

  4. I don't usually make mistakes playing song X on guitar.
    Short and simple. Maybe almost too simple because sentence 1. sounds a little better.

They all nearly mean the same thing, yes.

Can you say "go wrong" instead of "make a mistake"? Well... If something goes wrong, it's sort of implies some outside forces at work. "Then everything went wrong!" However, if you are personally responsible, it's a mistake in your guitar playing, right?

When you "drop out prepositions", as you have said, it is still understandable, but it's abbreviated. Including the "when I" sounds more proper. At least with the examples discussed in this question.

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