Common English Mistakes in Novels by Spanish Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

In the quiet town of San Miguel, I amwalking to the market every morning, where the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables aregreeting me with their freshness. My friend Carlos islivinges in the house next to mine, and every eveningheis tellings me stories about the old daysevery evening. We aresitting on the porch, and the sun issettings behind the mountains, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice job! I just fixed some problems with the verb tense."

In the quiet town of San Miguel, I walk to the market every morning, where the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables greet me with their freshness. My friend Carlos lives in the house next to mine, and every evening he tells me stories about the old days. We sit on the porch, and the sun sets behind the mountains, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink.

In the quiet town of San Miguel, I am walking to the market every morning, where the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables are greeting me with their freshness. My friend Carlos is living in the house next to mine, and he is telling me stories about the old days every evening. We are sitting on the porch, and the sun is setting behind the mountains, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink.

Mistake Example #2

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

In the quiet town of San Miguel, Maria found herself married witho the love of her life, Carlos. They had met during a vibrant festival, wherethe airwas filled with music and laughter, and—from that moment, they knew they were destined witho beach together. As they walked through the cobblestone streets, hand in hand, Maria couldn't help but feel grateful withfor the life they were building together, surrounded by the warmth of family and friends.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking for proper preposition usage, among other changes."

In the quiet town of San Miguel, Maria found herself married to the love of her life, Carlos. They had met during a vibrant festival, the air filled with music and laughter—from that moment, they knew they were destined to be together. As they walked through the cobblestone streets, hand in hand, Maria couldn't help but feel grateful for the life they were building together, surrounded by the warmth of family and friends.

In the quiet town of San Miguel, Maria found herself married with the love of her life, Carlos. They had met during a vibrant festival, where the air was filled with music and laughter, and from that moment, they knew they were destined with each other. As they walked through the cobblestone streets, hand in hand, Maria couldn't help but feel grateful with the life they were building together, surrounded by the warmth of family and friends.

Mistake Example #3

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

In the quiet town of San Miguel, Maria lived with her grandmother in a house full of stories. Every morning, she would say, "I havem hungery," and her grandmother would smile, knowing it was time for breakfast. Maria loved to explore the fields,. where sShe often met her friend Diego, who always said, "I havem 15 yearsold," with a proud grin, as if each year was a treasure he carried with him.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Very nice! I just changed a few expressions to make the English read more naturally."

In the quiet town of San Miguel, Maria lived with her grandmother in a house full of stories. Every morning, she would say, "I am hungry," and her grandmother would smile, knowing it was time for breakfast. Maria loved to explore the fields. She often met her friend Diego, who always said, "I am 15 years old," with a proud grin, as if each year was a treasure he carried with him.

In the quiet town of San Miguel, Maria lived with her grandmother in a house full of stories. Every morning, she would say, "I have hunger," and her grandmother would smile, knowing it was time for breakfast. Maria loved to explore the fields, where she often met her friend Diego, who always said, "I have 15 years," with a proud grin, as if each year was a treasure he carried with him.