Common English Mistakes by Spanish Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Spanish speakers from Mexico when writing in English.

Category:ESL Writing
Writing for English as a Second Language learners improving their skills.
Common Users:Non-native speakers, Language learners.
Mistake Example #1

ESL Writing / Email Practice

Misuse of prepositions ('Married with' instead of 'Married to')

Hello Maria,I hope you are doing well. I wanted to invite you to my brother's wedding next month. He is getting married witho his girlfriend of five years, and we are all very excited. The ceremony will be in Guadalajara, and it would be great to see you there. Let me know if you can come.Best regards,Juan.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"There was an issue with a preposition and I changed the formatting a little. Great job overall!"

Hello Maria, I hope you are doing well. I wanted to invite you to my brother's wedding next month. He is getting married to his girlfriend of five years, and we are all very excited. The ceremony will be in Guadalajara, and it would be great to see you there. Let me know if you can come. Best regards, Juan

Hello Maria, I hope you are doing well. I wanted to invite you to my brother's wedding next month. He is getting married with his girlfriend of five years, and we are all very excited. The ceremony will be in Guadalajara, and it would be great to see you there. Let me know if you can come. Best regards, Juan.

Mistake Example #2

ESL Writing / Essay Writing Practice

Overuse of present continuous ('I am going to the school every day' instead of 'I go to school every day')

I am writing an essay about my daily routine. I amwakinge up at 7 AMa.m. every day and I amhavinge breakfast with my family. After that, I amgoing tothe school and I amstudying hard for my exams. In the afternoon, I amplaying soccer with my friends in the park.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"Nice job overall. Some of the verbs needed to be in the simple present tense."

I am writing an essay about my daily routine. I wake up at 7 a.m. every day and have breakfast with my family. After that, I go to school and study hard for my exams. In the afternoon, I play soccer with my friends in the park.

I am writing an essay about my daily routine. I am waking up at 7 AM every day and I am having breakfast with my family. After that, I am going to the school and I am studying hard for my exams. In the afternoon, I am playing soccer with my friends in the park.

Mistake Example #3

ESL Writing / Grammar Exercises

Misuse of prepositions ('Married with' instead of 'Married to')

Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions. Maria is married witho a wonderful man whom she met during her studies in university. They live in a small town close tof the mountains, and they often go hiking on weekends. Maria is very happy with her life and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Good job! Very few changes were needed. "

Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions. Maria is married to a wonderful man whom she met during her studies in university. They live in a small town close to the mountains, and they often go hiking on weekends. Maria is very happy with her life and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Complete the sentences with the correct prepositions. Maria is married with a wonderful man who she met during her studies in university. They live in a small town close of the mountains, and they often go hiking on weekends. Maria is very happy with her life and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Mistake Example #4

ESL Writing / Pronunciation Guide

Direct translation of Spanish expressions ('I have 25 years' instead of 'I am 25 years old')

Welcome to the pronunciation guide for English learners. In this guide, we will help you with common phrases and how to say them correctly. For example, when you want to tell someone your age, you might say "I have 25 years," but in English, it is more natural to say "I am 25 years old." Another common phrase is "I have hunger," which should be "I am hungry" in English. Practice these phrases to improve your pronunciation and sound more like a native speaker.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"The mistakes in this text are deliberate."

Welcome to the pronunciation guide for English learners. In this guide, we will help you with common phrases and how to say them correctly. For example, when you want to tell someone your age, you might say "I have 25 years," but in English, it is more natural to say "I am 25 years old." Another common phrase is "I have hunger," which should be "I am hungry" in English. Practice these phrases to improve your pronunciation and sound more like a native speaker.

Welcome to the pronunciation guide for English learners. In this guide, we will help you with common phrases and how to say them correctly. For example, when you want to tell someone your age, you might say "I have 25 years," but in English, it is more natural to say "I am 25 years old." Another common phrase is "I have hunger," which should be "I am hungry" in English. Practice these phrases to improve your pronunciation and sound more like a native speaker.

Mistake Example #5

ESL Writing / Sentence Structure Guide

Direct translation of Spanish expressions ('I have 25 years' instead of 'I am 25 years old')

When you visit Mexico, you will see that I havem 25 yearsold and my brother hais 30years. We enjoy togoing to the beach every weekend because we reallylikemuch the sun and the sea. If you come, we can take you to eat tacos, which are very delicious in my city.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Just a few small changes were needed. Otherwise it sounds great!"

When you visit Mexico, you will see that I am 25 years old and my brother is 30. We enjoy going to the beach every weekend because we really like the sun and the sea. If you come, we can take you to eat tacos, which are very delicious in my city.

When you visit Mexico, you will see that I have 25 years and my brother has 30 years. We enjoy to go to the beach every weekend because we like much the sun and the sea. If you come, we can take you to eat tacos, which are very delicious in my city.

Mistake Example #6

ESL Writing / Vocabulary Building Exercises

Direct translation of Spanish expressions ('I have 25 years' instead of 'I am 25 years old')

In this exercise, you will practice using new vocabulary words in sentences. For example, when describing your age, you might say, "I have 25 years," which is a common way to express it in Spanish, but in English, you should say, "I am 25 years old." Another example is when talking about your family, you might say, "I have two brothers and one sister," but remember to use "I am" when talking about your age. Try to use these new words in sentences about your daily life.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"The "mistakes" are examples of what not to do."

In this exercise, you will practice using new vocabulary words in sentences. For example, when describing your age, you might say, "I have 25 years," which is a common way to express it in Spanish, but in English, you should say, "I am 25 years old." Another example is when talking about your family, you might say, "I have two brothers and one sister," but remember to use "I am" when talking about your age. Try to use these new words in sentences about your daily life.

In this exercise, you will practice using new vocabulary words in sentences. For example, when describing your age, you might say, "I have 25 years," which is a common way to express it in Spanish, but in English, you should say, "I am 25 years old." Another example is when talking about your family, you might say, "I have two brothers and one sister," but remember to use "I am" when talking about your age. Try to use these new words in sentences about your daily life.