Common English Mistakes in Novels by Italian Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of passive voice

In the quiet village of San Gimignano, the townsfolk were whispering abouta mysterious eventwas being whispered about by the townsfolk. They said the ancient bell tower was said tohaved been seen glowing under the moonlight, and strange shadows were being cast upon the cobblestone streets. The villagers were filled with curiosity and fear, as the elders remembered thestories of the old legendswere being remembered by the elders.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I changed some (not all) of the passive voice constructions to the active voice to improve the flow of the text."

In the quiet village of San Gimignano, the townsfolk were whispering about a mysterious event. They said the ancient bell tower had been seen glowing under the moonlight, and strange shadows were being cast upon the cobblestone streets. The villagers were filled with curiosity and fear, as the elders remembered the stories of the old legends.

In the quiet village of San Gimignano, a mysterious event was being whispered about by the townsfolk. The ancient bell tower was said to have been seen glowing under the moonlight, and strange shadows were being cast upon the cobblestone streets. The villagers were filled with curiosity and fear, as the stories of the old legends were being remembered by the elders.

Mistake Example #2

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

In the quiet village of San Gimignano, Maria walked through the cobblestone streets, her heart full of dreams. "We'll mhakve a party tonight," she said to her friend Luca, excitement in her voice. "I'll bring the wine, and you bring the music, yes? WeI'll see yous at the piazza when the sun goes down." As they parted ways, Maria couldn't help but smile, thinking of the laughter and joy that awaited them under the Tuscan stars.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some adjustments to sound more natural."

In the quiet village of San Gimignano, Maria walked through the cobblestone streets, her heart full of dreams. "We'll have a party tonight," she said to her friend Luca, excitement in her voice. "I'll bring the wine and you bring the music, yes? I'll see you at the piazza when the sun goes down." As they parted ways, Maria couldn't help but smile, thinking of the laughter and joy that awaited them under the Tuscan stars.

In the quiet village of San Gimignano, Maria walked through the cobblestone streets, her heart full of dreams. "We make a party tonight," she said to her friend Luca, excitement in her voice. "I bring the wine, and you bring the music, yes? We see us at the piazza when the sun goes down." As they parted ways, Maria couldn't help but smile, thinking of the laughter and joy that awaited them under the Tuscan stars.

Mistake Example #3

Confusing singular and plural nouns

In the quiet village of Monterosso, the sun set behind the hill, castinga long shadow over the olive grove. Maria loved to wander through the grove, listening to the rustle of leafves and the distant call of birds. She often imagined the tree whisperingthe secrets of the past, each one holding a story of love and loss. As she walked, she picked up a stone, smooth and cool, and wondered how many fooeet had tread this path before her.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Very nice! I just corrected some issues with singular vs. plural nouns."

In the quiet village of Monterosso, the sun set behind the hill, casting a long shadow over the olive grove. Maria loved to wander through the grove, listening to the rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds. She often imagined the tree whispering the secrets of the past, each one holding a story of love and loss. As she walked, she picked up a stone, smooth and cool, and wondered how many feet had tread this path before her.

In the quiet village of Monterosso, the sun set behind the hill, casting long shadow over the olive grove. Maria loved to wander through the grove, listening to the rustle of leaf and the distant call of bird. She often imagined the tree whispering secrets of the past, each one holding a story of love and loss. As she walked, she picked up a stone, smooth and cool, and wondered how many foot had tread this path before her.