Common English Mistakes in Interview Transcripts by Spanish Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

**Interview Transcript:** Interviewer: Can you tell me about your professional background? Interviewee: Yes, of course. I amhavinge 30 years of experience in the field of journalism. I amworkinged as a reporter for various newspapers in Spain, and I amcoveringed many important events throughout my career.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice job! I just needed to adjust the verb tense."

**Interview Transcript:** Interviewer: Can you tell me about your professional background? Interviewee: Yes, of course. I have 30 years of experience in the field of journalism. I worked as a reporter for various newspapers in Spain, and I covered many important events throughout my career.

**Interview Transcript:** Interviewer: Can you tell me about your professional background? Interviewee: Yes, of course. I am having 30 years of experience in the field of journalism. I am working as a reporter for various newspapers in Spain, and I am covering many important events throughout my career.

Mistake Example #2

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

**Interview Transcript:** Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Maria. Can you tell us about your experience working in the tech industry in Spain? Maria: Yes, of course. It has been a very interesting journey. I started in a small company, and it was there wthereat I learned many things. For me, it hmakes sense to work in a place where innovation is a priority. The team was very supportive, and we always tried to do the things in the best way possible.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"Most of this is well-written. Please note that "it has sense to work in a place" should be "it makes sense to work in a place"."

**Interview Transcript:** Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Maria. Can you tell us about your experience working in the tech industry in Spain? Maria: Yes, of course. It has been a very interesting journey. I started in a small company, and it was there that I learned many things. For me, it makes sense to work in a place where innovation is a priority. The team was very supportive, and we always tried to do things in the best way possible.

**Interview Transcript:** Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Maria. Can you tell us about your experience working in the tech industry in Spain? Maria: Yes, of course. It has been a very interesting journey. I started in a small company, and it was there where I learned many things. For me, it has sense to work in a place where innovation is a priority. The team was very supportive, and we always tried to do the things in the best way possible.

Mistake Example #3

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

**Document Type**: Interview Transcript **Writing Category**: Journalism & Media **Error Type**: Confusion between 'do' and 'make' **Country**: Spain **Language**: Spanish --- Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Maria. Can you tell us about your role in the company? Maria: Yes, of course. In my position, I makedo many tasks related to project management. Every day, I domake sure that the team is aligned with our goals and deadlines. Sometimes, I make decisions quickly to solve unexpected issues.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to address confusion between "do" and "make.""

**Document Type**: Interview Transcript **Writing Category**: Journalism & Media **Error Type**: Confusion between 'do' and 'make' **Country**: Spain **Language**: Spanish --- Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Maria. Can you tell us about your role in the company? Maria: Yes, of course. In my position, I do many tasks related to project management. Every day, I make sure that the team is aligned with our goals and deadlines. Sometimes, I make decisions quickly to solve unexpected issues.

**Document Type**: Interview Transcript **Writing Category**: Journalism & Media **Error Type**: Confusion between 'do' and 'make' **Country**: Spain **Language**: Spanish --- Interviewer: Thank you for joining us today, Maria. Can you tell us about your role in the company? Maria: Yes, of course. In my position, I make many tasks related to project management. Every day, I do sure that the team is aligned with our goals and deadlines. Sometimes, I make decisions quickly to solve unexpected issues.