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Common mistakes Spanish speakers often make in E ...

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  • I usually practise tennis and basketball every weekend.
    play (not practise)
  • We went outside for dinner. (not meaning outside or outdoors, but to a restaurant.)
    We went OUT for dinner.
  • I like drinking water before to go swimming.
    before goING (and without TO)
  • It was good the book you read last week.
    The book you read last week was good. (word order, and the appropriate subject, instead of the duplicate subject.)
  • Please, correct the following sentence: "He finds very difficult expressing himself clearly."
    (Word order! Subject + verb + object!) He finds it very difficult to express himself clearly. / He finds expressing himself clearly very difficult.
  • I called to my boss yesterday.
    called my boss (without TO)
  • I have done this 2 years ago.
    I did this
  • What is the difference between these 2 sentences: 1.) I have a question. 2.) I have one question.
    The difference is what we emphasize: QUESTION (a question, not something else) or ONE (not 2, 3 etc.)
  • pronunciation: her, him, here, hello, hi, how, who, hollow, I gave her honey, I hung out with him at home.
    a softer H than in Spanish
  • I asked to my new colleague about her studies and professional career.
    asked my new colleague (without TO)
  • I was already married with 23 years.
    I was already married when I was 23 / at the age of 23.
  • Yo tampoco. = Me, too.
    Me, neither.
  • They usually swim a lot of.
    a lot (without OF)
  • I´ll ask to my colleague.
    ask my colleague (without TO)
  • Please, pronounce the following words, first as a noun, then as a verb: progress, consult, project.
    The emphasis changes: it falls on the first syllable of the nouns, and on the second syllable of the verbs.
  • I work for this company for 8 years now.
    I have been working / I have worked for this company
  • I listened it on the news.
    I heard it on the news.
  • People often does a mistake with this.
    make (NOT does)
  • Are the following verbs collocated or NOT collocated with "TO"? tell, say, listen, call, watch, see, ask, explain,
    NO "TO": tell her, call her, watch her, see her, ask her. COLLOCATED WITH "TO": say it to her, listen to her, explain it to her.
  • This movie was bored. I felt boring in the movie theater.
    movie was borING. I felt borED
  • Which verb is NOT correct when collocated with "research"? make, do, conduct, drive, fund.
    *make*
  • pronunciation: looked, watched, visited, proved, attended, melted, washed, complicated, asked, decided, answered, replied, wanted, confirmed.
    -ED pronounced in 1 of 3 ways: -T (as in looked: lookT, and washed: washT), -D (as in answered: answerD), or -ID (as in decidED, attendED, visitED, complicatED)
  • We are only 4 at the dinner table. We are still waiting for my other brother to get home.
    IT IS only THE 4 OF US / THERE ARE only 4 OF US at the dinner table
  • The person whose you saw was not Tom.
    whom you saw / who you saw
  • 1.) The afternoon was FUN or FUNNY with you. 2.) Your jokes are FUN or FUNNY.
    1.) FUN (divertido) 2.) FUNNY (gracioso)
  • This book remembers me of my grandfather.
    reminds me of
  • She has 2 degrees: a Batchelor and a Master.
    a Batchelor´s and a Master´s.
  • The solution depends of the day.
    depends ON
  • He made a question to us about our hobbies.
    He asked us a question about
  • His friend that he lives in Singapore is visiting him next week.
    His friend who lives in
  • We will be 6 at the conference.
    There will be 6 of us / It will be the 6 of us at the conference.
  • Pronounce the following words, please: young, jungle, you, Jewish, Joe, yellow, July, yam, jam, June, yourself, yay, Jay.
    Differentiate between the sounds of how "Y" and "J" are pronounced. As a general rule, "Y" sounds softer in English than in Spanish, and "J" sounds harder.
  • Person A: "I haven´t done this before." Person B: "Me, too."
    Me, neither. / Neither have I. / I haven´t, either.
  • (entering a restaurant) Could we have a table, please? We are 3.
    It is the 3 of us (NOT *we are 3.) / OR: Could we have a table for 3, please?
  • I said her that I would do it.
    I said TO her / I told her
  • I like people who wears jeans.
    wear
  • There are 5 differents books on my desk.
    different
  • People is happy.
    are
  • We went to the movies first, after, we had some ice cream.
    after that / later / then
  • I enjoy very much this game.
    I enjoy this game very much (word order: verb and its object should stay together)
  • Please pronounce the following words corrrectly: bus, buzz, face, phase, faith, zoo, easy,
    differentiate between the "s" and the "z"
  • I felt too much tired last night so I didn´t go out.
    too tired (without "much"). too much/many + NOUN. too + ADJECTIVE (without "much" or "many")
  • This is a city that it has a lot to offer.
    which/that has (without IT)
  • I wanted to tell him don´t do that.
    I wanted to tell him NOT TO DO that.
  • I have a daughter who she has 8 years old.
    who is 8 years old.
  • I came back to Australia in 2015, but then I moved to France, and I have been here ever since.
    I went back to
  • The company is growing up very fast.
    growing (without UP). to grow = to become bigger. to grow up = when a child becomes an adult
  • Pronounce the following words correctly, please: hurt, heart, blood, bird, beer, beard, bear, pear, pearl,.
    hurt - sounds like Bert, the same vowel sound as in murder; heart - smart; blood - flood; bird - learned; beer - hear - beard; bear - pear - hair; pearl - curl
  • pronunciation: duck, product, subtitles, focus, vulnerable, fun, fundamental, funding, dust, industry, cultural, structure, introduction.
    The "U" is not pronounced the same way in English as in Spanish. (*puto vs. pato*)
  • 70 per cent of the people voted this candidate in the local elections.
    voted FOR
  • Which restaurant was it?! The one that we met? I have not been there in ages.
    the one WHERE we
  • pronuncation: adequate, appropriate, immediate, certificate, delicate, ultimate, mate, Kate, meditate.
    adequate (not adeQUATE), appropriate (not appropriATE), immediate (not immediATE) etc.
  • Please correct the sentence: "I really enjoyed with my friends."
    I really enjoyed the dinner/the time/hanging out etc. with my friends. (the object is needed after the verb "enjoy")
  • Please, clarify the difference between these pairs of words (false friends): 1: commitment vs compromise. 2: fabric vs factory. 3: remember vs remind. 4: actually vs currently.
    1: commitment=compromiso. compromise=acuerdo. 2: fabric=tela. factory=fábrica. 3: remember=recordarse. remind=hacer recordar a alguien. 4:de hecho. actualmente.
  • Please pronounce the following sentences correctly: 1. I enjoy it. 2. I enjoyed it.
    Please differentiate between present and past.
  • Could you, please, give me an advice on how to obtain this certificate?
    give me some advice (Uncountable)
  • Do you remember that I told you this a few weeks ago? The week that you were on vacation.
    the week WHEN you were
  • A lot of people have been affected for the storm.
    affected BY (not "for")
  • The people that it´s around me can hear me.
    people who are
  • I like a lot ice cream.
    I like ice cream a lot. (word order: verb and its object should not be separated.)
  • Collocate the following words correctly with "MAKE" or "DO": 1: a mistake, 2: arrangements, 3: research, 4: a phone call, 5: a commitment, 6: the accounts, 7: a list, 8: homework, 9: (the) laundry, 10: dinner.
    "MAKE": 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10. "DO": 3, 6, 8, 9.
  • I have luck that I have such wonderful kids.
    I am lucky
  • I have a friend that his son is studying in Ireland.
    I have a friend WHOSE son is studying in Ireland.
  • It is called VBP that it means ...
    , which means
  • I am going on a business travel to Paris next week.
    a business trip
  • pronunciation: Kate, cat, delicate, certificate, mate, ultimate, appropriate, adequate, radiant.
    delicate (not deliKATE), certificate (not certifiKATE), ultimate (not ultimMATE) etc.
  • I saw this in LinkedIn.
    on LinkedIn (pronunciation: LinkTin)
  • Tomorrow I am going on a business travel, and I still have to do my suitcase.
    a business TRIP (not travel!), ... to PACK (not do/make my suitcase!)
  • "Global vision" does NOT always refer to the same thing in Spanish and in English. Could you please clarify what this expression may mean and come up with (a) synonym(s)?
    overall vision / a comprehensive overview
  • I called my friend that she gave me this gift.
    my friend who gave
  • Yesterday I bought 2 furnitures.
    2 pieces of furniture (Uncountable)
  • I arrived at my house.
    I got home.
  • IN or ON? ... the couch/sofa, ... TV, ... the Internet, .... a call, .... a bus, .... the car, .... a plane, .... the phone, .... therapy, ... a meeting, ... Netflix.
    on, on, on, on, on, in, on, on, in, in, on.
  • Do we need the article "the" or not in the following expressions? on Internet, next week, last week, following month, on weekend, on 8th July, on July 8th.
    on the Internet, next week, last week, the following month, on the weekend, on the 8th July, on July the 8th.
  • Pronunciation: gin, gene, jeans, ship, sheep, Lin, lean, kip, keep, lip, leap, chip, cheap, beach, pick, peak, this, these.
    to differentiate between the short and the long vowel sounds
  • I have a new: Sarah is dating Tom.
    I have some news (Uncountable)
  • Buying is fun if you have money.
    Shopping
  • During the meeting we talked about logistics and we discussed about the details of the delivery of this product.
    discussed the details (no preposition needed, without "about")
  • What is the correct pronunciation? certificate, ultimate, appropriate, purchase, accurate, bird, beer, beard, bear, corporate, wood, would, could, good dog, ear, eye, hear - heard, hurt, heart, blood.
    .
  • I have to explain you what this is about.
    explain TO you
  • There is confidence between us, because we have known each other since we were kids.
    trust (not confidence). Trust = confianza. Confidence / self-confidence = autoestima, seguridad en si misma
  • pronunciation: dinner, runner, fortunate, ultimate, delicate, accurate, appropriate, verbal, fundamental, culture, cultural, industrial, confirmed.
    (pronouncing the "schwa" [ə] sound properly)
  • I think no.
    I do not think so.
  • Last year we had 200 products on the market. Actually, we have 300.
    Currently,
  • I am going to have a training course the next week.
    next week (without THE)
  • Yesterday I decide not to do it because it was complicate.
    decidED.... complicatED
  • Yesterday I saw your car that was parked near the beach. (You have only 1 car.)
    your car, which was
  • IN or ON? the Internet, the sofa, the office, paper, the map, January, the 8th October, the bus, the car
    on, on, in, on, on, in, on, on, in
  • Not only this presentation was engaging, but it was also very informative.
    Not only + inversion: Not only WAS this presentation engaging, but it was also very informative.
  • What is the correct preposition? 1. to arrive .... the airport; 2. to be .... home; 3. to get .... the office; 4. to be .... the office; 5. to arrive .... the office; 6. .... the 22nd September; 7. ... November
    1.at, 2.at/-. 3.to, 4.at/in, 5.at, 6.on, 7.in
  • Please correct the sentences: "We analyzed afterwards the sales figures. It has increased a lot the number of clients."
    We analyzed the sale figures afterwards. The number of clients has increased a lot. (Word order! The verb and its object should stay together.)
  • She is doing some investigation on animal behavior.
    some research
  • I told to him that this was a bad idea.
    told him (without TO)
  • I am totally agree with her.
    I totally agree
  • Please, correct these sentences: 1.) I am used to swim every day when I was 10. 2.) I am used to swim for 30 minutes every day (now).
    1.) I used to swim (without "am"; the meaning is "solía") 2.) I AM used to swimmING ("to be" + used to + verb+ING; the meaning is "estar acostumbrada")
  • pronunciation: Spain, story (NOT estory), stop, strain, verbal, ship, sheep, beach, pick, peak, vet, bet, good dog, wood, would, could, very, berry, boy, Venice.
    to differentiate between V vs. B, short and long vowel sounds, st- vs. est-, G.
  • We decided dont do this.
    We decided NOT TO DO this.
  • I think yes.
    I think so.
  • Please pronounce the following words correctly: stop, Spain, story, history, strain, student, school, special, especially, specific, Stuart, stew, stellar, speak, spoke, spoken, skunk.
    Start the word on the S sound, NOT the E sound!
  • What is the correct preposition in the following expressions? 1. to listen ... something; 2. to focus ... something; 3: related ... something; 4: ... Instagram; 5: I am currently ... a call.
    1: to. 2: on. 3: to. 4: on. 5: on.
  • Do not wait too long before deciding what to do, otherwise you may lose the opportunity!
    miss the opportunity (NOT lose!)
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