Spanish speakers do not make random English mistakes. Most of the repeated ones come from a perfectly logical transfer: the sentence works in Spanish, so it feels like it should work in English.
This page is not a list to memorise. It is a map of the patterns worth noticing — and a way to practise the ones that appear in your own writing.
The patterns that repeat
| What may feel natural | Natural English | What is happening |
|---|---|---|
| I have 25 years. | I’m 25 years old. | Age uses be in English. Use have for experience: “I have five years of experience.” |
| I am agree. | I agree. | Agree is already a verb. No am. |
| People is friendly. | People are friendly. | People is plural in English. |
| It depends of the client. | It depends on the client. | Depend takes on, not of. |
| Explain me the plan. | Explain the plan to me. | The person comes after to. |
| I didn’t went. | I didn’t go. | Did carries the past; the main verb stays in the base form. |
| We meet in Monday. | We meet on Monday. | Days take on; months and years take in. |
| I need to make a question. | I need to ask a question. | English uses ask a question, not make. |
False friends worth catching
- Actually means “in fact,” not “currently.” For “actualmente,” use currently or at the moment.
- Eventually means “finally, in the end,” not “possibly.”
- Realize usually means “become aware”; for “realizar” a project, use carry out or complete.
- Assist means “help,” not “attend.” Attend a meeting; assist a colleague.
Why literal translation fails
Spanish allows flexible word order and uses articles, prepositions and auxiliaries differently. When you translate word for word, every word can be correct and the sentence still sounds non-native.
This is not a reason to study every rule. It is a reason to learn the handful of patterns your own writing keeps producing. The mistake is the curriculum.
How to practise without a generic course
- Write three sentences about your work using one pattern from the table.
- Run them through VerbaClara and read the explanation in Spanish.
- Rewrite the sentence from memory, then use it in a real email or message.
The first explanation works offline with Harper. A model is optional for deeper, context-specific explanations and Practice Lab lessons.
What VerbaClara does — and does not — do
Harper catches English spelling and many grammar patterns on your computer. It will not catch every tense or meaning problem, and it is not a Spanish-to-English translator. If a sentence needs a deeper rewrite, add a local model or your own key.
What it does well is the loop this page is about: correct the sentence, explain the pattern in your language, then turn it into practice from your own mistakes.
FAQ
Are these mistakes only made by Spanish speakers?
Many of these patterns are common across learners, but some — such as age with tener, depend of, or explain me — are especially frequent for Spanish speakers because of direct translation from Spanish.
Do I need to memorise the whole table?
No. Pick the two or three patterns that appear in your own writing. The table is a map, not a test.
Can VerbaClara explain the mistake in Spanish?
Yes. The first explanation is generated offline in Spanish using the built-in explanation pack. Deeper explanations and Practice Lab lessons need an optional model.
Fix one real sentence today.
Install VerbaClara, select something you actually wrote, and see the first explanation in your language — no model or key needed.
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