Common Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES IN
ENGLISH MADE BY SPANISH SPEAKERS
PART 1
 1 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“You have the reason!”

SAY:
“You’re right!”
´You have the reason`is a direct
translation from Spanish.
 2 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“There was hard traffic
today.”

SAY:
“There was heavy
traffic today.”
The collocation is heavy traffic.
 3 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I lost my exam!”

SAY:
“I failed my exam.”
Lost and failed are often confused.
4 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I made my homework.”

SAY:
“I did my homework”
Try to learn the difference between
make and do.
 5 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I study English all
days.”

SAY:
“I study English
every day.”
`all days`is a direct translation from
Spanish.
 6 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“Do you know England?”

SAY:
“Have you been to
England?”
Use the present perfect to talk about
places you have visited in your life.
 7 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“People is really happy.”

SAY:
“People are really
happy.”
People are plural.
 8 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“Other problem is the
weather.”

SAY:
“Another problem is
the weather.”
`Another`is singular. You can say
`Other problems`.
 9 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I don’t practise any
sport.”

SAY:
“I don’t do any
sport.”
We `do`sport.
10 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“When I was in the
school.”

SAY:
“When I was at
school.”
Be careful with prepositions and the
use of articles.
 Common Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES IN
ENGLISH MADE BY SPANISH SPEAKERS
PART 2
11 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I´m watching TV in
this moment.”

SAY:
“I´m watching TV
at the moment.”
This is another common translation
from Spanish.
12 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I´m agree.”

SAY:
“I agree.”
12 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“It’s my birthday the
next week.”

SAY:
“It’s my birthday
next week.”
Don’t use `the`with next or last
week.
14 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“My fathers are visiting
this weekend.”

SAY:
“My parents are
visiting this
weekend.”
`fathers`is a direct translation from
Spanish.
15 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I took my lunch at
1pm.”

SAY:
“I had my lunch at
1pm.”
Remember that we ´have´lunch,
´have´a coffee.
 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“We are five people in
my family.”

SAY:
“There are five
people in my
family.”
17 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I´m very busy in my
job.”

SAY:
“I´m very busy at
work.”
18 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I´m very boring
today.”

SAY:
“I´m very bored
today.”
I´m bored and what I´m doing is
boring.
19 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I don’t drink much
when I´m in the party.”

SAY:
“I don’t drink much
when I´m at a
party.”
Be careful with prepositions.
20 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I was talking with my
partners today.”

SAY:
“I was talking with
my workmates
today.”
A partner could be a business
partner or your husband/wife/bf/gf.
 Common Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES IN
ENGLISH MADE BY SPANISH SPEAKERS
PART 3
21 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“My couple is a doctor.”

SAY:
“My partner is a
doctor.”
You can be a couple but when
referring to your husband/wife/bf/gf,
you say partner.
22 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I watched the film on
bed.”

SAY:
“I watched the film
in bed.”
Prepositions again.
23 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“For that reason I want
to change jobs.”

SAY:
“That’s why I want
to change jobs.”
`For that reason`sounds very formal.
When speaking, try to use `that`s
why`.
24 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“My travel at the
weekend was great.”

SAY:
“My trip at the
weekend was really
good.”
25 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I like doing sport, as
swimming, football and
tennis.”

SAY:
“I like doing sport,
such as swimming,
football and tennis.”
26 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I win a lot of money as
a doctor.”

SAY:
“I earn a lot of
money as a doctor.”
27 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I had a meeting with
friends on Saturday.”

SAY:
“I met some friends
on Saturday.”
A meeting is formal. You have a
meeting at work. You meet your
friends.
28 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’ve got a compromise
today.”

SAY:
“I’m busy today.”
29 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I usually share time
with friends on a
Saturday.”

SAY:
“I usually spend
time with friends on
a Saturday.”
30 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“There’s more security
in Bogota.”

SAY:
“It’s safer in
Bogota.”
 Common Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES IN
ENGLISH MADE BY SPANISH SPEAKERS
PART 4
31 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I told to my friend
yesterday.”

SAY:
“I told my friend
yesterday.”
32 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I lost time playing
computer games.”

SAY:
“I wasted time
playing computer
games.”
33 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I have 18 years old.”

SAY:
“I am 18.”
34 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I want to know new
cultures.”

SAY:
“I want to learn
about new cultures.”
35 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“My neighbourhoods are
from China.”

SAY:
“My neighbours are
from China.”
36 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I committed a mistake.”

SAY:
“I made a mistake.”
37 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I´m going to present
the IELTS.”

SAY:
“I´m going to take
the IELTS.”
38 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I missed my keys.”

SAY:
“I lost my keys.”
39 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’m thinking in
travelling abroad.”

SAY:
“I’m thinking of
travelling abroad.”
40 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I enjoy to play tennis.”

SAY:
“I enjoy playing
tennis.”
Use the gerund (verb -ing) when
talking about preferences.
 Common Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES IN
ENGLISH MADE BY SPANISH SPEAKERS
PART 5
41 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“Your advices were
good, thank you.”

SAY:
“Your advice was
good, thank you.”
Advice is uncountable. We always use
uncountable nouns in a singular form.
E.g Good advice is important.
42 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I lived a good
experience.”

SAY:
“I had a good
experience.”
43 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“The party was alone.”

SAY:
“The party was
dead.”
44 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I want to prove English
food.”

SAY:
“I want to try
English food.”
45 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I usually use jeans
when I go to a party.”

SAY:
“I usually wear
jeans when I go to
a party.”
 Common Mistakes

COMMON MISTAKES IN
ENGLISH MADE BY SPANISH SPEAKERS
PART 6
46 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“Most of times.”

SAY:
“Most of the time.”
47 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I don’t speak any other
idioms.”

SAY:
“I don’t speak any
other languages.”
48 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I want to take the
sun.”

SAY:
“I want to be in the
sun.”
49 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I need to put more
attention to my
teacher.”

SAY:
“I need to pay more
attention to my
teacher.”
50 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I want to enjoy the
life.”

SAY:
“I want to enjoy
life.”
51 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I should to learn more
English.”

SAY:
“I should learn more
English.”
52 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’ve got a lot of
homeworks.”

SAY:
“I’ve got a lot of
homework.”
53 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“There are a lot of
strangers from England
in Bogota.”

SAY:
“There are a lot of
foreigners from
England in Bogota.”
54 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I left smoking 2 years
ago.”

SAY:
“I gave up smoking
2 years ago.”
55 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I commit a lot of
mistakes in English.”

SAY:
“I make a lot of
mistakes in English.”
56 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I live by my own.”

SAY:
“I live on my own.”
57 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I finished my career at
university last year.”

SAY:
“I finished my
degree at university
last year.”
58 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I work a lot of.”

SAY:
“I work a lot.”
59 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I work a lot, then I
have a lot of money.”

SAY:
“I work a lot, so I
have a lot of
money.”
60 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I would like going to
Ibiza next year.”

SAY:
“I would like to go
to Ibiza next year.”
61 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I listen music.”

SAY:
“I listen to music.”
62 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I hoped for a year to
start my course.”

SAY:
“I waited a year to
start my course.”
63 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
I made a big inversion.

SAY:
I made a big
investment.
64 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“The company was
broken.”

SAY:
“The company went
bust.”
65 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I made a bad election.”

SAY:
“I made a bad
choice.”
66 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“The cut on your finger
looks angry.”

SAY:
“The cut on your
finger looks sore.”
67 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“We have been
boyfriends for 3 years.”
(male & female)

SAY:
“We have been
together for 3
years.”
68 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“My brothers are older
than me.” (male &
female)

SAY:
“My siblings are
older than me.”
69 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“In one hand… in the
other hand.

SAY:
“On one hand… on
the other hand.”
70 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“We’ll receive you at
the airport.…

SAY:
“We’ll come and pick
you up at the
airport.”
71 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“Have you been in
England.

SAY:
“Have you been to
England.”
72 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I want to have a picnic
today but it depends of
the weather..

SAY:
“I want to have a
picnic today but it
depends on the
weather.”
74 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’m thinking in getting
a new pet.

SAY:
“I’m thinking
of/about getting a
new pet.”
75 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’m married with a
Colombian.

SAY:
“I’m married to a
Colombian.”
76 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I made an inversion in
bitcoin.

SAY:
“I made an
investment in
bitcoin.”
77 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I listen music.

SAY:
“I listen to music.”
78 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I don’t win a lot of
money.

SAY:
“I don’t earn/make
a lot of money.”
79 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’m in holidays.

SAY:
“I’m on holiday.”
80 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’m going to a party at
night today.

SAY:
“I’m going to a
party tonight.”
81 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I’m not happy in my
actual job.

SAY:
“I’m not happy in my
current job.”
82 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I have a date with my
doctor.

SAY:
“I have an
appointment with my
doctor.”
83 Common Mistakes

DON’T SAY:
“I had a discussion with
my husband, and now we
aren’t talking.

SAY:
“I had an argument
with my husband,
and now we aren’t
talking.”
 Thank you for reading!!

By Laura’s IELTS Page

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