43RD ANNIVERSARY REMEDIAL WORK CLASSES

Most Frequent Mistakes in English for Spanish Speakers

TEACHER S NOTES: For the last 44years at the CEI we have been
correcting recurrent mistakes in Spanish speaking students trying to
write in English The root cause for this is Spanish interference. A
sound piece of advice here is to become fully aware of the error zones
Towards this end it will be necessary to revise your grammar
thoroughly at each step of the way

Though intensive, this course may be short of your expectations or

needs

This is a bird s eye view of the difficulties arising in the different

linguistic areas. If you should need further help, this work is done on a
yearly basis along a 10-month s long training.

This paper intends to highlight mistakes that are recurrent, and you often make even though
they have been explained to you before. Have a thorough look at your previous compositions
and pay attention to faulty structures or semantic errors and see what was wrong.
Students are requested to reread their corrected assignments once more. In doing so , they must
highlight the words or parts of sentences which were faulty and attempt a rewrite. They
must make sure they understand why that has been marked as incorrect (what is wrong
with the sentence) Unless this stage is carefully gone through, there will not be a
thorough understanding and consequently the mistake may not be eradicated.

The following is a list of some of the most troublesome structures which often cause
problems to Spanish speaking students because of transfer with the native language.

What must you prepare for these classes? :

Assignment: Make sure you are not just an attentive listener in classes. If you
really are intent on eradicating your errors, you must be an active producer.
Unless you go through the following steps carefully, you are not likely to improve
on your writings in the future. Remember at the CEI we expect you to be the one
doing most of the talking.

Steps: ( make sure you do not omit any of the following instructions )

1) Compare the following word/s and decide what part of speech each one:
(adjective, noun, pronoun, etc)
 2) Look up the item in a grammar theory book. If there are examples, copy them in
your folder. See how the item is used and decide what was wrong with the way
you used it.
3) Then write a new example of your own.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

 LONGMAN DICTIONARY OF CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH

 MICHAEL SWAN

CLASSES 1-2

 Problems using pronouns:

Other- another – others- each other- one another None / no one / not any / no / The
former / the latter - Some in interrogative sentences
little versus a little few versus a few everyone/thing much versus many
Concord and Sentence agreement
It and There as anticipatory pronouns

CLASSES 3-4

 Problems with references :

I did it vs I did so & I did that - I did so

So did I vs So I did

 Errors with subject omission : Is it possible to omit subject in

English sentences ? If so, when ?

 Problems with precision of expression Misuse of the words place

and thing

 Problems with connectors Simple vs. Complex Sentences:

Either- neither “ Neither-nor .

Overuse of so, but, and. Concord Rule of Proximity-
What versus which -
Connectives versus Conjunctions What is the difference? Here sts are expected to
revise the theory already dealt with in classes

 Syntactic problems with Conjunctions

Make sentences using connectors of
addition, contrast, opposition, ordering, time, consequence, result, purpose, condition,
manner, place, concession.
  The importance of punctuation when using conjunctions

CLASSES 5-6

Absolute Constructions Are there any verbless sentences?

Connectives between paragraphs- Text organizers – Examples of incoherence-

Cohesion and Coherence Examples Absolute or whole sentence - Reference and
prepositional connectors - Semantic ideas expressed by connection Prepositional
conjunctions

The same as - like – as - Likewise as a connective device

Temporal conjunctions followed by present tense -
No sooner than vs hardly when - rather than - wrong use of emphasis and
Inversion
Unlike –

 Problems with gerunds and present participles Dangling

participles

 Contrast the following verbs by means of sentences :

Fetch –bring – take / push- pull / meet- know / learn- know /

accept-agree-consent- admit / deny-refuse- / fear- frighten /
raise-rouse - rise-arise- arouse / lay – lie / wish – hope – expect /
discuss – argue / speak-talk -deal with treat / Ask - enquire -require /
seem – look like-look. -

 Problems using prepositions : Which verbs are not followed by

prepositions in English but are so in Spanish ?

 Problems with adverbs of manner Use the following in sentences:

thoroughly- completely-interestingly- sociably- drastically- civilly-
primarily- mostly- encouragingly – rudely-softly

 Misuse of Articles No articles in Generalizations

MAKE SURE YOU WRITE & BRING YOUR OWN EXAMPLES FOR EACH OF
THE ITEMS REQUESTED TO BE READ IN CLASS,

DATES : AUGUST 20 & 30 , SEPTEMBER 10 & 24 by MEET OR VIDEO

FEES : UP TO JULY 30TH : $ 5490 UP TO AUGUST 10TH: $ 6900 LATE
COMERS : $ 7900
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CEI, C-65 2022