Common English Mistakes in Government Memos by Spanish Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

To: All Department Heads Subject: Annual Budget Review It haveis themy pleasure to inform you that the meeting for the annual budget review will take place on the 15th of November. It is important that all departments bring their reports and be prepared to discuss any adjustments. We have 10 yearsworkinged with the current systemfor 10 years, and it is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness. Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Good job! I just changed some of the phrasing to make the English sound more natural."

To: All Department Heads Subject: Annual Budget Review It is my pleasure to inform you that the meeting for the annual budget review will take place on the 15th of November. It is important that all departments bring their reports and be prepared to discuss any adjustments. We have worked with the current system for 10 years, and it is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness. Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.

To: All Department Heads Subject: Annual Budget Review I have the pleasure to inform you that the meeting for the annual budget review will take place on the 15th of November. It is important that all departments bring their reports and be prepared to discuss any adjustments. We have 10 years working with the current system, and it is necessary to evaluate its effectiveness. Please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.

Mistake Example #2

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

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Implementation I am writing to inform you that we arewill implementing the new policy starting next month. We arehavinge meetings every week to ensure all departments areunderstanding the changes. I amexpecting that everyone isto reviewing the policy documents regularly to stay updated. Please make sure your teams arepreparinge for a smoothe transitionsmoothly.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Overall your writing was very professional; it just needed a few tweaks to make the grammar consistent. Good job! "

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Implementation I am writing to inform you that we will implement the new policy starting next month. We have meetings every week to ensure all departments understand the changes. I expect everyone to review the policy documents regularly to stay updated. Please make sure your teams prepare for a smooth transition.

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Implementation I am writing to inform you that we are implementing the new policy starting next month. We are having meetings every week to ensure all departments are understanding the changes. I am expecting that everyone is reviewing the policy documents regularly to stay updated. Please make sure your teams are preparing for the transition smoothly.

Mistake Example #3

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

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Changes Dear Colleagues, I am writing to inform you about the new policy changes that will be implemented starting next month. It is important to familiarizeyourselves with the updated guidelines to ensure compliance across all departments. Please coordinate with your teams to review the changes and address any questions during our next meeting. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment witho this transition.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"There are just a few errors here: "It is important to familiarize with the updated guidelines" should be "It is important to familiarize yourselves with the updated guidelines" and "commitment with this transition" should be "commitment to this transition"."

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Changes Dear Colleagues, I am writing to inform you about the new policy changes that will be implemented starting next month. It is important to familiarize yourselves with the updated guidelines to ensure compliance across all departments. Please coordinate with your teams to review the changes and address any questions during our next meeting. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to this transition.

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Changes Dear Colleagues, I am writing to inform you about the new policy changes that will be implemented starting next month. It is important to familiarize with the updated guidelines to ensure compliance across all departments. Please coordinate with your teams to review the changes and address any questions during our next meeting. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment with this transition.