Common English Mistakes in Memo by Italian Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Italian speakers from Italy when writing a Memos in English.

Mistake Example #1

Using direct translations from Italian (e.g., 'We see us tomorrow' instead of 'See you tomorrow')

To: All Team Members Subject: Meeting forProject UpdateMeeting Dear Colleagues, Iam write youing to informyou about the meeting scheduled for next week. We'll see yous on Monday at 10:00 AM in the main conference room to discuss the progress of the project. Please bring with youall necessary documents and be prepared to share your updates. Thank you for your cooperation.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to sound more native and natural."

To: All Team Members Subject: Project Update Meeting Dear Colleagues, I am writing to inform you about the meeting scheduled for next week. We'll see you on Monday at 10:00 AM in the main conference room to discuss the progress of the project. Please bring all necessary documents and be prepared to share your updates. Thank you for your cooperation.

To: All Team Members Subject: Meeting for Project Update Dear Colleagues, I write you to inform about the meeting scheduled for next week. We see us on Monday at 10:00 AM in the main conference room to discuss the progress of the project. Please bring with you all necessary documents and be prepared to share your updates. Thank you for your cooperation.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of passive voice

To: All Staff It has bWeen decided that the meeting will be held on Friday at 3 PM. The agenda haisbeen prepared andit will be distributed by the end of the day. It isWe requested that all team members arbe present, and the necessary documents have been reviewed beforehand. The feedback from the last project was received positively, and it iswe hoped thatwe will achieve similar results will be achievedin the future.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Overall, your writing is very professional. I changed some (not all) of the passive voice constructions to the active voice to improve the flow of the text. "

To: All Staff We decided that the meeting will be held on Friday at 3 PM. The agenda is prepared and it will be distributed by the end of the day. We request that all team members be present, and the necessary documents have been reviewed beforehand. The feedback from the last project was received positively, and we hope that we will achieve similar results in the future.

To: All Staff It has been decided that the meeting will be held on Friday at 3 PM. The agenda has been prepared and will be distributed by the end of the day. It is requested that all team members are present, and the necessary documents have been reviewed beforehand. The feedback from the last project was received positively, and it is hoped that similar results will be achieved in the future.

Mistake Example #3

Confusing singular and plural nouns

To: All Staff Subject: Update on Project Timeline Dear Team, I want to inform you about the change in the project timelines. The new deadline for the report areis now set for next Friday. Please ensure that all data and analysis isare completed by then. If anyone haves questions or needs clarification, feel free to reach out. Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to the project.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"This is well-written overall - just be aware of your use of singular and plural nouns. For example, "The new deadline for the report are now set" should be "The new deadline for the report is now set" and "all data and analysis is completed" should be "all data and analysis are completed"."

To: All Staff Subject: Update on Project Timeline Dear Team, I want to inform you about the change in the project timelines. The new deadline for the report is now set for next Friday. Please ensure that all data and analysis are completed by then. If anyone has questions or needs clarification, feel free to reach out. Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to the project.

To: All Staff Subject: Update on Project Timeline Dear Team, I want to inform you about the change in the project timelines. The new deadline for the report are now set for next Friday. Please ensure that all data and analysis is completed by then. If anyone have question or need clarification, feel free to reach out. Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to the project.