Common English Mistakes in Government Memos by Spanish Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Confusion between 'do' and 'make' ('I make a mistake' instead of 'I made a mistake')

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Implementation We need to makedo a review of the new policy guidelines before they are implemented next month. It is important that each department do itheirs part to ensure a smooth transition. Please make sure to domake the necessary adjustments in your respective areas and report any issues by the end of the week.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Very good! Just a couple of changes to make the writing consistent."

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Implementation We need to do a review of the new policy guidelines before they are implemented next month. It is important that each department do its part to ensure a smooth transition. Please make sure to make the necessary adjustments in your respective areas and report any issues by the end of the week.

To: All Department Heads Subject: Upcoming Policy Implementation We need to make a review of the new policy guidelines before they are implemented next month. It is important that each department do their part to ensure a smooth transition. Please make sure to do the necessary adjustments in your respective areas and report any issues by the end of the week.

Mistake Example #2

Misuse of present continuous ('I am having 30 years of experience' instead of 'I have 30 years of experience')

To: All Department Heads Subject: Implementation of New Policy I am writing to inform you that we are implementing anew policy regarding the use of company resources. I hamve noticinged that many employees are using the resources for personal tasks, and this is affecting our productivity. We are having sSeveral meetings arescheduledfor next week to discuss how we can improve this situation. Please ensure that your team isattendings these meetings and isthat they are prepared to contribute ideas.

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

"I changed some of the verb tenses to be consistent. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

To: All Department Heads Subject: Implementation of New Policy I am writing to inform you that we are implementing a new policy regarding the use of company resources. I have noticed that many employees are using the resources for personal tasks, and this is affecting our productivity. Several meetings are scheduled for next week to discuss how we can improve this situation. Please ensure that your team attends these meetings and that they are prepared to contribute ideas.

To: All Department Heads Subject: Implementation of New Policy I am writing to inform you that we are implementing new policy regarding the use of company resources. I am noticing that many employees are using the resources for personal tasks, and this is affecting our productivity. We are having several meetings scheduled next week to discuss how we can improve this situation. Please ensure that your team is attending these meetings and is prepared to contribute ideas.

Mistake Example #3

Direct translations from Spanish ('It makes sense' vs. 'It has sense')

To: All Department Heads Subject: Implementation of New Policy It hmakes sense to implement the new policy starting next month, as it will improve the efficiency of our operations. We must ensure that all employees receive the necessary training, and it is important that everyone understands the changes. Please, let me know if there are any questions or if more information is needed.

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

"I just replaced a word or two to make the English sound more natural. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

To: All Department Heads Subject: Implementation of New Policy It makes sense to implement the new policy starting next month, as it will improve the efficiency of our operations. We must ensure that all employees receive the necessary training, and it is important that everyone understands the changes. Please let me know if there are any questions or if more information is needed.

To: All Department Heads Subject: Implementation of New Policy It has sense to implement the new policy starting next month, as it will improve the efficiency of our operations. We must ensure that all employees receive the necessary training, and it is important that everyone understands the changes. Please, let me know if there are any questions or if more information is needed.