VERSION EN ESPAÑOL MAS ABAJO

OM MISTAKE is dedicated to the most common errors found among English language learners of Spanish-speaking background. This section is mainly aimed at helping students to avoid making these common mistakes, and may also help English teachers who are working -or planning to work- with Spanish-speaking students.

OMISSION OF SUBJECT
This is a very common (and understandable) mistake because, unlike Spanish, a subject is always necessary in English. Students often say: Is important to do this, whereas they should say, It is important to do this. The word it may not refer to anything in particular, but it is absolutely necessary to make the sentence above gramatically correct.

OMISSION OF ARTICLES
Spanish speakers often delete articles, He is teacher; I haven't dog; Does she have car? This occurs because they don’t use them in Spanish.  

PRONOUNS
Spanish speakers usually have trouble distinguishing personal pronouns (he, him), Did not know who was him instead of I did not know who he was.

ADJECTIVES
Spanish-speaking students may know a lot of adjectives, but the main problem is where to place them in the sentence. In Spanish adjectives are generally placed after the noun (OM Basic is a course very useful), but in English it is exactly the opposite (OM Basic is a very useful course).

DOUBLE NEGATIVES
Use of double negatives is another typical error, I didn't even have no problems. In Spanish it is grammatically correct to say: No tuve ningún problema.

VERBS
There is a tendency to use present tense only: ... she come back ; ... the first time I see her.  

WORD ORDER
Spanish-speaking students usually use inappropriate word order: He in kitchen has lunch, instead of He has his lunch in the kitchen; or Bobby is a black beautiful dog, instead of Bobby is a beautiful black dog.

OTHER/OTHERS
They often get confused with these two words and they usually say, I have others books, the correct form being I have other books. The mistake is also understandable as adjectives can take plural forms in Spanish, unlike English.

THIS/THESE
Although this is singular, whereas these is plural, Spanish speakers tend to pronounce this and these the same. Therefore they frequently use only this in writing. They don't seem to realize that there is also a plural form. Although the difference may look very obvious, it is still a recurrent problem. Examples: I think all this problems are related to poverty, instead of I think all these problems are related to poverty.

OM MISTAKE fue dedicada a los errores que con mayor frecuencia hemos detectado entre los estudiantes hispanoparlantes. Esta sección tiene por objetivo ayudar a los estudiantes a fin de que logren sortear este tipo de errores y puede servir asimismo de ayuda a los profesores de inglés que se encuentran trabajando -o planifican hacerlo- con estudiantes de origen latino. 

OMISION DEL SUJETO
Este es un un error muy común (y comprensible) porque, a diferencia del español, en inglés siempre es necesario un sujeto. A menudo los estudiantes dicen: Is important to do this, cuando deberían expresar, It is important to do this. La palabra it no necesariamente se refiere a algo en particular pero es imprescindible para que la oración anterior sea gramaticalmente correcta.

OMISION DE ARTICULOS
Los hispanoparlantes eliminan articulos con frecuencia, He is teacher; I haven't dog; Does she have car? Esto sucede porque no los usan en español.  

PRONOMBRES
Spanish speakers usually have trouble distinguishing personal pronouns (he, him), Did not know who was him instead of I did not know who he was.

ADJECTIVES
Los estudiantes hispanoparlantes podrán conocer una extensa variedad de adjetivos pero el problema principal es en qué parte de la oración colocarlos. En español los adjetivos se ubican generalmente detrás del nombre o sustantivo (OM Basic is a course very useful), pero en inglés ocurre exactamente al revés (OM Basic is a very useful course).

DOBLE NEGACION
La duplicación de negativos es otro error típico, I didn't even have no problems. En español es gramaticalmente correcto decir: No tuve ningún problema.

VERBOS
Existe una tendencia a utilizar únicamente el tiempo presente: ... she come back ; ... the first time I see her.  

ORDEN DE LAS PALABRAS
Con frecuencia, los estudiantes hispanoparlantes aplican un ordenamiento inadecuado de las palabras: He in kitchen has lunch, en lugar de He has his lunch in the kitchen; o Bobby is a black beautiful dog, en lugar de Bobby is a beautiful black dog.

OTHER/OTHERS
Generalmente suelen confundir estas dos palabras, expresando: I have others books, cuando la forma correcta es I have other books. El error es también comprensible ya que, a diferencia del inglés, los adjetivos en español se pluralizan.

THIS/THESE
Aunque la palabra this es singular y these es plural, los hispanoparlantes tienden a pronunciar this y these de un mismo modo. Por lo tanto, utilizan con frecuencia únicamente this en la escritura. Aparentemente, no distinguen que también existe una forma en plural. Por más obvia que pueda parecer la diferencia, éste es todavía un problema recurrente. Ejemplos: I think all this problems are related to poverty, en lugar de I think all these problems are related to poverty.