Common English Mistakes in Personal Essays by Italian Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of passive voice

Growing up in a small town in Italy, my family cherished many traditionswere cherished by my family. Every Sunday, a big lunch was prepared bymy grandmotherwould prepare a big lunch, and the whole family wasould gathered around the table. Stories were shared, and laughter was heard throughout the house. These moments are remembered fondly, and I missthe warmth of those daysis missed greatly.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Changes I made were mostly to improve fluidity and readability. Nicely done :)"

Growing up in a small town in Italy, my family cherished many traditions. Every Sunday, my grandmother would prepare a big lunch, and the whole family would gather around the table. Stories were shared, and laughter was heard throughout the house. These moments are remembered fondly, and I miss the warmth of those days.

Growing up in a small town in Italy, many traditions were cherished by my family. Every Sunday, a big lunch was prepared by my grandmother, and the whole family was gathered around the table. Stories were shared, and laughter was heard throughout the house. These moments are remembered fondly, and the warmth of those days is missed greatly.

Mistake Example #2

Confusing singular and plural nouns

When I think about my childhood, I remember the times I spent with my family in the countryside. We used to have picnics under the big tree, and my brother and I would play with our favorite toys. Those moments are precious to me, and I often wish to relive them. My grandmother would tell us storyies about her life, and we would listen with great interest.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking for correct singular and plural noun usage."

When I think about my childhood, I remember the times I spent with my family in the countryside. We used to have picnics under the big tree, and my brother and I would play with our favorite toys. Those moments are precious to me, and I often wish to relive them. My grandmother would tell us stories about her life, and we would listen with great interest.

When I think about my childhood, I remember the time spent with my family in the countryside. We used to have picnic under the big tree, and my brother and I would play with our favorite toy. Those moment are precious to me, and I often wish to relive them. My grandmother would tell us story about her life, and we would listen with great interest.

Mistake Example #3

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

When I was a child, I always dreamed tof becomeing a famous painter. My mother, she always said to me, "You have the talent, butyou must follow your heart." We'll see useach other tomorrow at the art gallery, where my first exhibition will beheld. I am very excited to show my work to the world and Ihope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Very nice! I just changed a few words to make the English sound more natural."

When I was a child, I always dreamed of becoming a famous painter. My mother always said to me, "You have the talent, but you must follow your heart." We'll see each other tomorrow at the art gallery, where my first exhibition will be held. I am very excited to show my work to the world and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.

When I was a child, I always dreamed to become a famous painter. My mother, she always said to me, "You have the talent, you must follow your heart." We see us tomorrow at the art gallery, where my first exhibition will be. I am very excited to show my work to the world and hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed creating it.