Common English Mistakes in Personal Essays by Spanish Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Spanish speakers from Mexico when writing a Personal Essay 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')

Iam livinge in Mexico City, and I amenjoying the vibrant culture here. I amgoing to the market every weekend with my family, and we aretrying new foods each time. I amlovinge the way people arecelebratinge festivals, and I am learning so much about traditions.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some corrections to reduce use of present continuous tense."

I live in Mexico City, and enjoy the vibrant culture here. I go to the market every weekend with my family, and we try new foods each time. I love the way people celebrate festivals, and I am learning so much about traditions.

I am living in Mexico City, and I am enjoying the vibrant culture here. I am going to the market every weekend with my family, and we are trying new foods each time. I am loving the way people are celebrating festivals, and I am learning so much about traditions.

Mistake Example #2

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

Growing up in Mexico, I always dreamed of being married witho someone who shares my love for adventure and travel. When I finally met Carlos, I knew he was the one because we both enjoy exploring new places and trying different foods. Now, we are happily married witho each other and continue to discover the world together.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some corrections for proper prepositional phrasing."

Growing up in Mexico, I always dreamed of being married to someone who shares my love for adventure and travel. When I finally met Carlos, I knew he was the one because we both enjoy exploring new places and trying different foods. Now, we are happily married to each other and continue to discover the world together.

Growing up in Mexico, I always dreamed of being married with someone who shares my love for adventure and travel. When I finally met Carlos, I knew he was the one because we both enjoy exploring new places and trying different foods. Now, we are happily married with each other and continue to discover the world together.

Mistake Example #3

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

When I was a child, I always dreamed wiabouth becoming a famous artist. Now, I havem 25 yearsold and I am studying inat the university to make my dream come true. My family is very supportive, and they always tell me that with effort and dedication, everanything is possible.

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 about becoming a famous artist. Now, I am 25 years old and I am studying at the university to make my dream come true. My family is very supportive, and they always tell me that with effort and dedication, anything is possible.

When I was a child, I always dreamed with becoming a famous artist. Now, I have 25 years and I am studying in the university to make my dream come true. My family is very supportive, and they always tell me that with effort and dedication, everything is possible.