Common English Mistakes in Personal Essays by Arabic Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Arabic speakers from United Arab Emirates when writing a Personal Essay in English.

Mistake Example #1

Misuse of articles ('I have car' instead of 'I have a car')

Growing up inthe United Arab Emirates, I have astrong connection to thedesert andthe sea. My family often takes trips to the beach where we enjoy thebeautiful sunsets. I rememberthe first time I rode acamel; it wasan exciting experience that I will never forget.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"It sounds good overall. I just added some articles and fixed some singular/plural issues."

Growing up in the United Arab Emirates, I have a strong connection to the desert and the sea. My family often takes trips to the beach where we enjoy the beautiful sunsets. I remember the first time I rode a camel; it was an exciting experience that I will never forget.

Growing up in United Arab Emirates, I have strong connection to desert and sea. My family often takes trip to the beach where we enjoy beautiful sunset. I remember first time I rode camel; it was exciting experience that I will never forget.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of passive voice

Growing up in the United Arab Emirates,I developed a deep appreciation for the desert landscapes. wMas developed bny admire. Tthe vast dunes and the endless horizonare admired by many, but it is the quiet beauty that isI truly cherished by me. TI embrace the traditions and culture of my countryare embraced by me, andI feel a strong connection to my heritage is feltevery day.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"This sounds lovely! I just switched the passive voice constructions to the active voice to enhance the flow."

Growing up in the United Arab Emirates, I developed a deep appreciation for the desert landscapes. Many admire the vast dunes and the endless horizon, but it is the quiet beauty that I truly cherish. I embrace the traditions and culture of my country, and I feel a strong connection to my heritage every day.

Growing up in the United Arab Emirates, a deep appreciation for the desert landscapes was developed by me. The vast dunes and the endless horizon are admired by many, but it is the quiet beauty that is truly cherished by me. The traditions and culture of my country are embraced by me, and a strong connection to my heritage is felt every day.