COMMON CHALLENGES FOR SPANISH-SPEAKING LEARNERS
OF ENGLISH
GRAMMAR
Question words
Spanish students oen make mistakes when forming
questions that begin with Who or What. Remember that
when Who or What is the subject, we do not use the
interrogative form of the verb. When Who or What refers to
the predicate, we must use the corresponding auxiliary verb.
¿Quién fue a la reunión? → Who came to the meeting? NOT
Who did come to the meeting?
¿Con quién te reuniste? → Who did you meet with? NOT Who
you met with?
It is also important to use the correct word order when using
auxiliary verbs to form questions.
¿A dónde fuiste ayer? → Where did you go yesterday?
NOT Where you did go yesterday?
¿Cómo lo pueden arreglar? → How can they fix it? NOT How
they can fix it?
Grammar Extra Unit 1.1 Exercises 1 and 2.
Word order
The word order in English is more rigid than in Spanish and
the normal order is: subject + verb + object.
No me gusta mucho tu chaqueta nueva OR Tu chaqueta nueva
no me gusta mucho.
I don’t like your new jacket very much. NOT Your new jacket I
don’t like very much.
Grammar Extra Unit 1.2 Exercise 2; Unit 3.2 Exercise 1;
Unit 10.2 Exercises 2 and 3.
Present perfect and past simple
Spanish students are oen confused about when to use
past simple and present perfect. In Spanish the present
perfect is compatible with expressions of finished time,
e.g. hace media hora. However, In English it is important
to distinguish between saying when the action happened
(past simple), referring to an indefinite time in the past
(present perfect) and speaking about an action that
started in the past and continues in the present (present
perfect).
He visto a tu hermano hace media hora. → I saw your brother
half an hour ago. NOT I have seen your brother half an hour ago.
Ella ha tocado el piano mucho esta mañana y ahora está
cansada. → She played the piano a lot this morning and now
she’s tired. NOT She has played the piano a lot this morning
and now she’s tired.
Grammar Extra Unit 2.1 Exercises 1, 2 and 3.
been to and gone to
Been is when someone has travelled and come back whereas
gone is used when that person is still there. It causes
confusion because in Spanish the verb ir can be used for
both cases.
Emily ha ido a Paris. (In Spanish we don’t really know if she
is back.)
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Emily has been to Paris. (She is back.)
Emily has gone to Paris. (She is still in Paris.)
Grammar Extra Unit 2.1 Exercise 1.
The future
In English the rules for speaking about the future are more
rigid than in Spanish. To make predictions, promises or
offers, or to announce spontaneous decisions, we use the
auxiliary will; to speak about decisions we have already
taken we use be going to. To speak about something
programmed or organised we use the present continuous.
Voy a comprar un portátil nuevo pronto. → I’m going to buy a
new laptop soon. NOT I will buy a new laptop soon.
Te prometo que no voy a llegar tarde. → I promise I won’t be
late. NOT I promise I am not going to be late.
Vamos a viajar a Praga el 22 de febrero. → We are travelling to
Prague on the 22nd February. NOT We will travel to Prague on
the 22nd February.
Grammar Extra Unit 3.1 Exercises 1 and 2; Unit 3.2
Exercises 1 and 2.
must, have to and should
The difference between have to and must is oen confusing
for Spanish speakers as both can express tener que hacer
algo. English uses must to impose an obligation and have to
to speak about an obligation. Should is used to give advice
or to recommend.
Eric, tienes que tomar el jarabe. → Eric, you must take the syrup.
Mañana tengo que levantarme a las 8 para coger el tren. → I
have to get up at 8 tomorrow to catch the train.
Deberías hacer más deporte. → You should do more exercise.
Grammar Extra Unit 4.1 Exercises 1 and 2.
used to and would
The use of would can be confusing because it can be used in
a conditional sentence but also to speak about past habitual
actions, in the same way as used to.
Cuando éramos niños, mi hermano y yo solíamos jugar al
fútbol casi todos los días. → When we were kids, my brother
and I would play football nearly every day. OR When we were
kids, my brother and I used to play football nearly every day.
Grammar Extra Unit 4.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
Question tags
This can be a challenging point because it is more
complicated than in Spanish. While in Spanish we can say
¿no? or ¿verdad? when we want to ask for confirmation,
in English we have to use the interrogative form of the
corresponding auxiliary verb. If the sentence is positive then
the question tag must be negative, and vice versa.
Lo comprará mañana, ¿no? → He will buy it tomorrow, won’t he?
No te gusta la merluza, ¿verdad? → You don’t like hake, do you?
Grammar Extra Unit 5.2 Exercises 1, 2 and 3.
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 Present perfect simple and continuous
In Spanish the present continuous or simple can be used to
express that an activity started in the past and continues in
the present but in English we must use the present perfect.
The present perfect continuous is used much more in
English than in Spanish and is used to emphasise that the
action continues in the present.
He leído la revista. → I have read the magazine.
¿Cuánto tiempo llevas comiendo golosinas? → How long have
you been eating sweets? NOT How long are you eating sweets?
Grammar Extra Unit 7.1 Exercises 1 and 2.
Relative clauses
In English, some relative clauses don’t require the use of a
relative pronoun where Spanish does. Also note that in non-
defining relative clauses we cannot use the pronoun that
and this can be very confusing for Spanish students. In these
clauses, we use who for people and which for inanimate
objects, whereas in Spanish we can use que in both cases.
Los altavoces que compré de segunda mano no funcionan. →
The second-hand speakers (that/which) I bought don’t work.
La niña que ganó el premio tiene 5 años. → The girl who/that
won the prize is 5 years old. NOT The girl which won the prize is
5 years old.
Mi madre, que normalmente odia viajar, va a volar a Ibiza
mañana. → My mother, who that normally hates travelling, is
flying to Ibiza tomorrow.
Grammar Extra Unit 8.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
The passive voice
The passive voice is used more frequently in English than
in Spanish. One reason is that there is no expression
equivalent to se hace, se vendió, etc. so the passive voice is
used in these cases. It is important to conjugate the verb be
correctly to indicate the tense of the action.
Están construyendo un rascacielos. → A skyscraper is being
built. (Present continuous)
Aquí se habla italiano. → Italian is spoken here. (Present
simple)
Grammar Extra Unit 9.2 Exercises 1 and 2.
Reported speech
The use of tell and say can be a major difficulty in reported
speech because English has two verbs for the Spanish verb
decir. Use the verb say if we do not include the listener in
the sentence and the verb tell when we include the listener.
In Spanish we normally use the verb contar or decir equally
whereas in English the structure of the sentence is different
if we use one verb or the other.
Dijo que traería la bebida. → He said that he would bring some
drinks.
Me dijo que traería la bebida. → He told me that he would
bring some drinks.
Grammar Extra Unit 10.1 Exercises 1 and 2.
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Verb patterns
In English some verbs are followed by the -ing form of the
verb and some by the infinitive. This can be a problem
for students because there is no rule. Some of the most
important verbs followed by the -ing form are: mind, enjoy,
like, hate, avoid, succeed in, be used to, finish.
Evitó hablar del tema. → He avoided speaking about the
matter.
Some common verbs that are followed by the infinitive form
are: promise, offer, manage, intend, would like, mean, want.
Quieren terminar lo antes posible. → They want to finish as
soon as possible.
Grammar Extra Unit 10.2 Exercises 1, 2 and 3.
VOCABULARY
Collocations
Collocations are combinations of words which are frequently
used by native speakers. Consequently, Spanish speakers
could sound unnatural if they don’t know how to use them.
Collocations with make and do cause many of the most
common mistakes.
Ana se ha cogido un constipado. → Ana has caught a cold.
NOT Ana has taken a cold.
Tuve dos errores en el examen. → I made two mistakes in the
exam. NOT I did two mistakes in the exam.
Van a hacer dos nuevos experimentos. → They are going to do
two new experiments. NOT They are going to make two new
experiments.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 1 Exercises 4, 5, 7 and 8; Unit 6
Exercise 5; Unit 9 Exercises 4, 5 and 7.
Dependent prepositions
English and Spanish prepositions do not correspond exactly
and this is a major challenge for Spanish students.
¡Nunca llegas a la hora! → You are never on time!
Vamos a dar un paseo. → Let’s go for a walk.
Tu padre está muy orgulloso de ti. → Your father is really proud
of you.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 2 Exercises 2, 3 and 7; Unit 7
Exercises 7 and 9.
Expressions with say and tell.
There are some fixed expressions with the verbs say and tell
that are oen a major difficulty because there isn’t a rule
that explains which verb to use.
¿Alguna vez has dicho una mentira? → Have you ever told a lie?
NOT Have you ever said a lie?
Dijo adiós llorando. → He said goodbye crying. NOT He told
goodbye crying.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 2 Exercise 6.
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 Idioms
Some idioms can be difficult for Spanish students because
they are fixed expressions with meanings that are not
usually obvious. Sometimes the context can help with
understanding the meaning.
Arreglar la bici fue pan comido. → Fixing the bike was a piece
of cake.
¡Siempre das en el clavo! → You always hit the nail on the head!
Vocabulary Extra Unit 3 Exercises 3 and 4.
The verb get
The verb get has multiple meanings and there isn’t a single
verb in Spanish that covers all the meanings. Consequently,
this is one of the verbs which causes lots of confusion
among Spanish speakers.
Estaremos en contacto pronto. → We will get in touch soon.
Estás mejorando muy rápido. → You are getting better really
quickly.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 3 Exercises 6 and 7.
Confusing words
Some words are confusing for Spanish speakers for different
reasons. Some are ‘false friends’ which do not translate
literally. Others have different meanings (e.g. banco) and
each meaning is expressed by a different word in English.
Actualmente estoy estudiando ciencias. → Currently I’m
studying sciences. NOT Actually I’m studying science.
Recuérdame que coja las llaves. → Remind me to take the keys.
NOT Remember me to take the keys.
Han perdido el avión. → They’ve missed the plane. NOT They
have lost the plane.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 4 Exercises 4 and 5.
Suffixes
Forming nouns from adjectives in English can be problematic
for Spanish speakers because the Spanish ending does not
always indicate which suffix to use in English.
Puedo ver la felicidad en sus ojos. → I can see happiness in his
eyes.
Ha sido una gran mejora. → It has been a great improvement.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 5 Exercises 5, 7, 8 and 9.
-ing/-ed adjectives
Many adjectives in English have two forms: one ending in
-ing and the other ending in -ed (e.g. tiring – tired). Choosing
the correct form is oen confusing for Spanish speakers.
Try to remember that adjectives ending in -ing describe
characteristics of something/somebody while adjectives
ending in -ed, describe feelings.
Qué música más relajante, me encanta. → What relaxing
music, I love it. NOT What relaxed music, I love it.
Después de escuchar música, me siento muy relajado. → Aer
listening to some music I feel really relaxed. NOT Aer listening
to some music I feel really relaxing.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 6 Exercises 1 and 2.
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Multi-word verbs (phrasal verbs)
Phrasal verbs can be difficult to learn because their meaning
is oen unguessable for Spanish speakers.
Después de estar un rato llorando, se calmó. → Aer having
been crying for a while, he settled down.
Finalmente, se han establecido en Manchester. → Finally, they
have settled down in Manchester.
¡No te rindas, lo puedes hacer! → Don’t give up, you can do it!
Vocabulary Extra Unit 6 Exercises 3, 4, 7, 8 and 9.
Prefixes
English and Spanish prefixes do not correspond exactly,
which oen results in students making mistakes.
Es inusual que la peluquería esté cerrada a esta hora. → It is
unusual that the hairdresser is closed at this time.
La habitación está limpia pero desordenada. → The room is
clean but untidy.
Vocabulary Extra Unit 10 Exercises 3, 4, 7 and 8.
PRONUNCIATION
Silent letters
English has got a higher number of silent letters than
Spanish and these letters can cause lots of pronunciation
mistakes.
Creo que estudiaré ciencias en la Universidad. → I think I will
study science /ˈsaɪəns/ at university. (Silent C)
Aunque también estoy interesado en psicología. → Although I
am also interested in psychology /saɪˈkɒlədʒi/. (Silent P)
Pronunciation Extra Unit 1 Exercises 1A, 1B and 1C; Unit 2
Exercise 2A.
Verbs and nouns with the same form
Sometimes a verb and a noun have the same form but with
different pronunciations. This can be difficult for Spanish
speakers who tend to pronounce these words identically.
La exportación de jamón a China era ilegal. → The export (Oo)
of ham to China was illegal.
Nos gustaría exportar naranjas a Chile. → We would like to
export (oO) oranges to Chile.
¡Qué regalo tan bonito! → What a nice present! (Oo).
Quieren que presente el premio. → They want me to present
(oO) the prize.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 1 Exercises 4A and 4B.
The schwa sound
While Spanish vowels are always pronounced in the same
way, unstressed vowels in English are usually pronounced
with the weak form schwa /ə/. This sound is especially
difficult to pronounce for Spanish speakers but necessary to
sound natural as it is extremely common.
El museo está a 1 km. → The museum /mjuːˈziːəm/ is 1 km
away. /əˈweɪ/
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 Varios políticos han sido arrestados. → Several /ˈsevrəl/
politicians /ˌpɒlɪˈtɪʃənz/ have been arrested. /əˈrestɪd/
Pronunciation Extra Unit 2 Exercises 4A and 4B.
Weak forms in auxiliary verbs
English auxiliary verbs are also oen pronounced with the
weak form /ə/ and this can make listening difficult for
Spanish speakers and make speaking sound unnatural.
¿Qué estabas buscando? → What were /wə/ you looking for?
Tom ya había visto la película. → Tom had /həd/ already seen
the film.
¿Qué has hecho? → What have /ˈwɑtəv/ you done?
Pronunciation Extra Unit 2 Exercises 1, 3A and 3B; Unit 7
Exercises 1A and 1B; Unit 9 Exercises 2A, 2B and 2C.
Intonation
When a question begins with a Wh- word, the intonation
falls at the end of the question. However, when the question
begins with an auxiliary verb, the intonation rises at the end.
Using the correct intonation for question tags in English can
be problematic for Spanish students because sometimes
the intonation rises and other times it falls. If the speaker is
not sure of the facts and is asking for confirmation, then the
intonation rises. However, if the speaker is sure of the facts
and is only making conversation, the intonation falls.
¿A qué hora te acostaste? → What time did you go to bed?
¿Te gustó el concierto? → Did you enjoy the concert?
You haven’t seen Vince today, have you? (Not sure – rising
intonation)
It’s really cold today, isn’t it? (Sure – falling intonation)
Pronunciation Extra Unit 1 Exercises 2A and 2B: Unit 5
Exercises 2A and 2B.
Stress shi on nouns
With many English words the position of the stress changes
when we add a suffix to an adjective in order to form a
noun, which can result in Spanish speakers not pronouncing
words correctly.
Todos los alumnos han aprobado el examen de biología. → All
the students have passed the biology (oOoo) exam.
Sudar es una respuesta biológica del cuerpo. → Sweating is a
biological (ooOoo) body response.
¡Me llamó estúpido! → He called me stupid! (Oo).
No te enfades por esa estupidez. → Don’t get angry because of
that stupidity (oOoo).
Pronunciation Extra Unit 5 Exercises 3A, 3B and 3C.
Connected speech in modals
In fast speech the pronunciation of many words may change
a little, e.g. to is usually pronounced /tə/. Also, when a word
finishes with a consonant and the next word begins with a
consonant, the final consonant of the first word is oen not
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pronounced. This can be a challenge for Spanish speakers
because in Spanish sounds don’t change in fast speech.
Mark solía estudiar mucho más. → Mark used to /ˈjuːstə/ study
a lot more.
Deberías ser más cuidadoso → You should be /ˈʃʊbɪ/ more
careful.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 4 Exercises 1A and 1B; Unit 6
Exercises 2A, 2B and 2C.
Weak forms in passive sentences
It is important to remember that the verb to be is
pronounced as a weak form in passive sentences so that
your English will sound more natural.
Decían que era muy mal estudiante. → It was /wəz/ said that
he was a really bad student.
Creo que fueron pintados por Frida Kahlo. → I think they were
/wə/ painted by Frida Kahlo.
Pronunciation Extra Unit 9 Exercises 3A and 3B.
Stress on prefixes
While in Spanish we pronounce every part of a word clearly,
in English prefixes are usually unstressed so we stress the
root word.
Los niños suelen desobedecer a sus padres. → Children tend to
disobey (ooO) their parents.
¡Es imposible llegar a tiempo! → It’s impossible (oOoo) to be
on time!
Pronunciation Extra Unit 10 Exercises 2A and 2B.
Long and short vowel sounds
In general, in Spanish all vowels take the same length
of time when pronouncing them but English has short
vowels and long vowels and we must differentiate the
pronunciation of these to avoid misunderstandings and to
sound natural.
¿Dónde deja ella sus llaves? → Where does she leave /li:v/ her
keys? (Long vowel sound)
¿Dónde vive ella? → Where does she live? /lɪv/ (Short vowel
sound)
Pronunciation Extra Unit 10 Exercises 4A and 4B.
WRITING
Formal and informal expressions
When writing formal and informal emails, Spanish speakers
must be aware of inappropriate expressions and incorrect or
literal translations.
Estimado…… → Dear ….. (formal)
¡Hola! → Hi! (informal)
Esperando recibir noticias suyas → I look forward to hearing
from you (formal)
Nos vemos pronto → See you soon (informal)
Le saluda atentamente → Yours sincerely (formal)
Te deseo lo mejor → All the best (informal)
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 Writing Extra Unit 1 Exercises 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Time linkers
Linkers of time are important for writing, so students
should know how to use them and if they are followed by
grammatical structures which are different from those used
in Spanish.
Tan pronto como terminó, se quedó dormido. → As soon as he
finished, he fell asleep.
Durante sus vacaciones, ganó algo de peso. → During her
holidays, she gained some weight.
Writing Extra Unit 2 Exercises 4 and 5.
Abbreviations
Native speakers oen use abbreviated forms when writing
informal messages and notes, e.g. omitting auxiliary verbs,
articles and prepositions, or using short forms which omit
vowels or have the same sound as a longer word. Obviously
this can present a challenge for Spanish speakers.
Tengo un regalo para ti. → Gotta present 4 u. (I’ve got a
present for you.)
Vuelve lo antes posible. → Come back asap. (Come back as
soon as possible.)
Writing Extra Unit 3 Exercises 2 and 3.
Punctuation
There are some differences between English and Spanish
punctuation. One of the main differences is the use of the
colon, in Spanish, when starting a letter and the use of the
comma in numerals.
Estimado Sr. López: (colon in Spanish) → Dear Mr. López,
(comma in English)
2,04 (comma in Spanish) → 2.04 (point in English)
Writing Extra Unit 4 Exercises 2 and 3.
Starting and finishing formal letters
In English, when we begin a formal letter with Dear + the
person’s name, at the end of the letter we write Yours
sincerely + our name. However, if we begin with Dear Sir/
Madam, we finish the letter with Yours faithfully + our name.
Estimado Mr. Dougan: … Atentamente, Robert Smith → Dear
Mr Dougan, … Yours sincerely, Robert Smith.
Estimado señor: … Atentamente, Robert Smith → Dear Sir, …
Yours faithfully, Robert Smith.
Writing Extra Unit 1 Exercises 2 and 3.
Writing about the future
When writing about future events and the probable future,
use will and will probably. It is also important to know some
useful expressions related to the future time to avoid
mistakes.
En dos años se celebrará aquí el festival de cine. → In two
years’ time, the film festival will be held here.
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Si en un futuro próximo no encuentro un buen trabajo
probablemente me iré al extranjero. → If I don’t find a good job
in the near future, I will probably go abroad.
Writing Extra Unit 6 Exercises 4 and 5.
Relative pronouns
Relative pronouns are important to write more elaborate
sentences. However, because in Spanish the pronoun que
can refer to both people and objects, students can confuse
who, that and which in English. Be careful to spell which
correctly.
Este libro, que es una nueva edición, te ayudará con la
gramática. → This book, which is a new edition, will help you
with grammar. NOT This book, wich/who is the new edition, will
help you with the grammar.
Writing Extra Unit 8 Exercises 2 and 3.
Writing suggestions
Spanish students oen make mistakes when using the verb
suggest because the Spanish structure is different and there
is a tendency to translate it too literally. In English we must
not put an object pronoun aer suggest. We can follow the
verb suggest with that + a subject pronoun (that is optional).
Sugiero que cambiemos la contraseña. → I suggest (that)
we change the password. NOT I suggest us to change the
password.
Writing Extra Unit 8 Exercise 4.
Time sequencers
Using time sequencers to link ideas makes writing more
ordered, cohesive and interesting to read. However, students
oen make mistakes by translating too literally from
Spanish.
En primer lugar, este tema es muy controvertido. → In the first
place, this is a very controversial topic. NOT In first place, this is
a very controversial topic.
Vi una película y después me fui a la cama. → I watched a film
and aer that, I went to bed. NOT I watched a film and aer I
went to bed.
Writing Extra Unit 9 Exercises 3 and 4.
Capitalisation
Some rules about capitalisation are different in English and
Spanish. For example, in English when writing the title of
a book or film, all the words are capitalised except articles
and conjunctions. In addition, nationalities, languages,
ethnic groups, months and cardinal points are capitalised in
English.
Me encanta la película Bailando con lobos. → I love the film
Dances with Wolves.
Los masáis viven en África. → The Maasai tribe live in Africa.
Writing Extra Units 1–10.
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