Common English Mistakes in Life Advice Columns by Spanish Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

Dear Advice Column, I hamve been married witho a wonderful man for five years, but lately, I feel like we've arbeen growing apart. We used to spend weekends together, but now he prefers to go out with his friends. I want to improve our relationship and be more connected witho him. What can I do to bring back the closeness we had before?

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"This is good overall. However, don't forget to use prepositions correctly in your sentences. For example, "married with a wonderful man" should be "married to a wonderful man" and "connected with him" should be "connected to him"."

Dear Advice Column, I have been married to a wonderful man for five years, but lately, I feel like we've been growing apart. We used to spend weekends together, but now he prefers to go out with his friends. I want to improve our relationship and be more connected to him. What can I do to bring back the closeness we had before?

Dear Advice Column, I am married with a wonderful man for five years, but lately, I feel like we are growing apart. We used to spend weekends together, but now he prefers to go out with his friends. I want to improve our relationship and be more connected with him. What can I do to bring back the closeness we had before?

Mistake Example #2

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

Dear Advice Column, I hamve been feeling very stressed because I am thinking about my future all the time. I amworrying that I am not making the right decisions, and I amwanting to know how I can be more confident in my choices. I am hoping you can give me some advice on how to handle these feelings, as I hamve to going to the university every day and it is becoming overwhelming.

Text corrected by:
Michele A., Boston, Massachusetts; United States

"I changed some instances of the present continuous verb tense. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

Dear Advice Column, I have been feeling very stressed because I am thinking about my future all the time. I worry that I am not making the right decisions, and I want to know how I can be more confident in my choices. I am hoping you can give me some advice on how to handle these feelings, as I have to go to the university every day and it is becoming overwhelming.

Dear Advice Column, I am feeling very stressed because I am thinking about my future all the time. I am worrying that I am not making the right decisions, and I am wanting to know how I can be more confident in my choices. I am hoping you can give me some advice on how to handle these feelings, as I am going to the university every day and it is becoming overwhelming.

Mistake Example #3

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

Dear Advice Column,I havem 25 yearsold and I am feeling a bit lost in my career. I work inat a company where I have many responsibilities, but I do not receive the recognition that I deserve. My friends tell me that I should speak with my boss, but I am afraid that it will not change anoything. What do you recommend Ifor dome to improve my situation?

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Good work! I just made some changes so the English would read more naturally."

Dear Advice Column, I am 25 years old and I am feeling a bit lost in my career. I work at a company where I have many responsibilities, but I do not receive the recognition that I deserve. My friends tell me that I should speak with my boss, but I am afraid that it will not change anything. What do you recommend for me to improve my situation?

Dear Advice Column, I have 25 years and I am feeling a bit lost in my career. I work in a company where I have many responsibilities, but I do not receive the recognition that I deserve. My friends tell me that I should speak with my boss, but I am afraid that it will not change nothing. What do you recommend I do to improve my situation?