When we learn another language, we have to learn not just the translations of the words we use in our own language, but also pay attention to differences in grammar. Here are six examples of typical English grammar errors that a Spanish speaker might make. These are caused by directly transferring and translating the Spanish structure.

The fun thing about these types of errors is that you can learn about how someone's first language works from the errors they commit in the foreign language! So, you will no doubt hear English speakers who are learning Spanish commit the opposite errors as they translate directly from English into Spanish.

In the list below, the first example is the incorrect transfer into English of a Spanish structure, and the second example in each pair is the correct English form.

1. a. Do you have sister? (incorrect)
    b. Do you have a sister? (correct)

2. a. It's not easy learn English. (incorrect)
    b. It’s not easy to learn English. (correct)

3. a. Where's my pencil? Have you seen him? (incorrect)
    b. Where's my pencil? Have you seen it? (correct)

4. a. I am more tall than my brother. (incorrect)
     b. I am taller than my brother. (correct)

5. a. Was snowing when I got up. (incorrect)
    b. It was snowing when I got up. (correct)

6. a. She took off the glasses. (incorrect)
    b. She took off her glasses. (correct)

Do you recognise yourself making some of these errors? Hopefully studying these examples will help you keep improving. Good luck!

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