Common English Mistakes in Personal Essays by Korean Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Korean speakers from South Korea when writing a Personal Essay in English.

Mistake Example #1

Omitting articles ('a', 'an', 'the')

When I wasa child, I always dreamed of becomingan artist. I would spend hours drawing pictures of nature and animals, imagining that one day I could create amasterpiece. My parents were supportive, always encouraging me to follow mypassion. Now, asan adult, I still hold onto that dream, hoping to make it areality.

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

"I added articles before some of the nouns in this text. Otherwise, your ideas were expressed clearly and correctly."

When I was a child, I always dreamed of becoming an artist. I would spend hours drawing pictures of nature and animals, imagining that one day I could create a masterpiece. My parents were supportive, always encouraging me to follow my passion. Now, as an adult, I still hold onto that dream, hoping to make it a reality.

When I was child, I always dreamed of becoming artist. I would spend hours drawing pictures of nature and animals, imagining that one day I could create masterpiece. My parents were supportive, always encouraging me to follow passion. Now, as adult, I still hold onto that dream, hoping to make it reality.

Mistake Example #2

Incorrect word order in complex sentences

When I was young,I remember the summerswhen I was young in my grandmother's village, where the air was always fresh and the skybluesky was endless. The days wemy cousins and I spent playing in the fields, my cousins and I, were filled with laughter and joy. At night, when the stars appeared, we would lie on the grass, telling stories until the moon washighwas in the sky. Those memories, they are precious to me, and I often think about them when life becomes too busy.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"I have reordered some words to make the language flow more fluently. Nice job!"

I remember the summers when I was young in my grandmother's village, where the air was always fresh and the blue sky was endless. The days my cousins and I spent playing in the fields were filled with laughter and joy. At night, when the stars appeared, we would lie on the grass, telling stories until the moon was high in the sky. Those memories are precious to me, and I often think about them when life becomes too busy.

When I was young, I remember the summers in my grandmother's village, where the air was always fresh and the sky blue was endless. The days we spent playing in the fields, my cousins and I, were filled with laughter and joy. At night, when the stars appeared, we would lie on the grass, telling stories until the moon high was in the sky. Those memories, they are precious to me, and I often think about them when life becomes too busy.

Mistake Example #3

Confusion with prepositions ('in', 'on', 'at')

When I was atin high school, I always dreamed about studying inabroad. I imagined myself sitting oin a park in a foreign city, writing stories and feeling inspired by everything around me. Last summer, I finally had the chance to visit my cousin in New York, and it was like living in a dream. We spent hours walking on the streets, and I felt so alive at every moment.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

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

When I was in high school, I always dreamed about studying abroad. I imagined myself sitting in a park in a foreign city, writing stories and feeling inspired by everything around me. Last summer, I finally had the chance to visit my cousin in New York, and it was like living in a dream. We spent hours walking on the streets, and I felt so alive at every moment.

When I was at high school, I always dreamed about studying in abroad. I imagined myself sitting on a park in a foreign city, writing stories and feeling inspired by everything around me. Last summer, I finally had the chance to visit my cousin in New York, and it was like living in a dream. We spent hours walking on the streets, and I felt so alive at every moment.