Common English Mistakes by Spanish Speakers

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

Category:Personal & Lifestyle Writing
Writing for personal expression and self-improvement.
Common Users:Bloggers, Life Coaches, Hobbyists.
Mistake Example #1

Personal & Lifestyle Writing / Journal Entry

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

Today I feel very happy because I makde a new friend at the park. We decided to meet again tomorrow to mhakve a picnic together. I hope I do not make any mistakes with the food I prepare.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some adjustments for readability and flow."

Today I feel very happy because I made a new friend at the park. We decided to meet again tomorrow to have a picnic together. I hope I do not make any mistakes with the food I prepare.

Today I feel very happy because I make a new friend at the park. We decide to meet again tomorrow to make a picnic together. I hope I do not make any mistake with the food I prepare.

Mistake Example #2

Personal & Lifestyle Writing / Life Advice Column

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

Dear Advice Column, I am writing to you because I amhavinge a problem with my friend. We harve knowing each other for many years, but lately, Iam feeling like we are growing apart. I amwanting to improve our friendship, but I am not sure how to start. Can you give me some advice on what I should do?

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Very good! Just a couple of changes to make verb tense consistent."

Dear Advice Column, I am writing to you because I have a problem with my friend. We have known each other for many years, but lately I feel like we are growing apart. I want to improve our friendship, but I am not sure how to start. Can you give me some advice on what I should do?

Dear Advice Column, I am writing to you because I am having a problem with my friend. We are knowing each other for many years, but lately, I am feeling like we are growing apart. I am wanting to improve our friendship, but I am not sure how to start. Can you give me some advice on what I should do?

Mistake Example #3

Personal & Lifestyle Writing / Motivational Speech

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

Dear fFriends,tToday I want to inspire you to believe in yourselves and to make your dreams come true. Remember, iti's not about how much you do, but about the passion you put into what you makedo. Every day, we have the opportunity to make a difference, so let's do theour best of it and make our lives extraordinary.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I fixed some issues with "do" and "make". I also made some stylistic changes. "

Dear Friends, Today I want to inspire you to believe in yourselves and to make your dreams come true. Remember, it's not about how much you do, but about the passion you put into what you do. Every day, we have the opportunity to make a difference, so let's do our best and make our lives extraordinary.

Dear friends, today I want to inspire you to believe in yourselves and to make your dreams come true. Remember, it is not about how much you do, but about the passion you put into what you make. Every day, we have the opportunity to make a difference, so let's do the best of it and make our lives extraordinary.

Mistake Example #4

Personal & Lifestyle Writing / Personal Blog Post

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

Today I went to the market, and it hmasde sense tho buyalot I bought too manyf oranges because they were on sale. My friend Maria always says that it is important to take advantage of these offers, and I agree with her. Also, I saw a beautiful dress that I liked,. but iIt was too expensive, so I decided to not buy it.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I just made a few changes so the English would read more naturally. Enjoy your oranges! :)"

Today I went to the market, and it made sense to buy a lot of oranges because they were on sale. My friend Maria always says that it is important to take advantage of these offers, and I agree with her. Also, I saw a beautiful dress that I liked. It was too expensive, so I decided to not buy it.

Today I went to the market, and it has sense that I bought too many oranges because they were on sale. My friend Maria always says that it is important to take advantage of these offers, and I agree with her. Also, I saw a beautiful dress that I liked, but it was too expensive, so I decided to not buy it.

Mistake Example #5

Personal & Lifestyle Writing / Personal Essay

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

When I was a child, I always wanted to make my own decisions, but sometimes I domake mistakes that teach me valuable lessons. For example, last summer I decided to mtake a trip to the mountains with my friends. We were excited, but I madoe a big error by not checking the weather forecast, and we ended up in a storm.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"Watch out for the proper use of "do" and "make." Otherwise, this looks good! "

When I was a child, I always wanted to make my own decisions, but sometimes I make mistakes that teach me valuable lessons. For example, last summer I decided to take a trip to the mountains with my friends. We were excited, but I made a big error by not checking the weather forecast, and we ended up in a storm.

When I was a child, I always wanted to make my own decisions, but sometimes I do mistakes that teach me valuable lessons. For example, last summer I decided to make a trip to the mountains with my friends. We were excited, but I do a big error by not checking the weather forecast, and we ended up in a storm.

Mistake Example #6

Personal & Lifestyle Writing / Self-Help Article

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

In the journey of personal growth, it is important to make the right choices and domake the best of every situation. Many people often make the mistake of thinking they need to do everything perfectly, but it is more important to make an effort and learn from the experiences. Remember, when you domake a decision, focus on the process and not just the outcome.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice job! I fixed some issues involving "do" vs. "make"."

In the journey of personal growth, it is important to make the right choices and make the best of every situation. Many people often make the mistake of thinking they need to do everything perfectly, but it is more important to make an effort and learn from the experiences. Remember, when you make a decision, focus on the process and not just the outcome.

In the journey of personal growth, it is important to make the right choices and do the best of every situation. Many people often make the mistake of thinking they need to do everything perfectly, but it is more important to make an effort and learn from the experiences. Remember, when you do a decision, focus on the process and not just the outcome.