BASIC MISTAKES IN COMPOSITIONS: MISTAKE BANK.
-FORMAT: Interview, description, narration, etc. ACCORDING TO THE TASK.
-NEVER invent words like “ensaladation”. If you don’t know a word, simply do not use it.
-Abbreviations in English are different from the Spanish ones. AIDS = SIDA
-Order of the sentence SVO: DO NOT THINK IN SPANISH.
She takes in the morning for breakfast a white coffee and some toasts.
Note: Never brake the joint VO with anything in the middle.
-PUNCTUATION: Help the reader breathe and understand. Do not make very long sentences.
-PARAGRAPHS. Cohesive (grammar) and coherent (ideas) paragraphs.
-EDIT your text by reading it in English and correct possible mistakes. Give me a reason to smile and to let the correction pen down on the desk.
-THIRD PERSON “s” please.
-PREPOSITIONS. Try to learn the prepositions in English. Learn the verb and the preposition together. For example: To depend on/ consist of/ listen to/ spend money on
-POSITION OF ADVERBS: She eats normally……. . She normally is……..
-ARTICLES: Never say: the lunch. the breakfast.
-ADJECTIVES: Never use plural forms: She likes differents kinds of food.
-RELATIVES AND SUBJECTS: Always use a subject in a sentence, but do not repeat it when you use a relative adjective.
I like Spanish ham because it is really tasty.
I like Spanish ham, which is very tasty.
-THE NOUN PEOPLE, contrary to your likes and expectations, is PLURAL.
PEOPLE ARE CHANGING THEIR HABITS.
-SOME MODAL VERBS LIKE CAN, MUST, SHOULD, MAY, are never followed by to infinitive.
I must eat less chocolate
She should cut down on fat.
-STRUCTURES WHICH LOOK LIKE QUESTIONS. (INDIRECT QUESTIONS).
I don’t know how tall is he.
I don’t know how tall he is.
-USED TO(expresses a habit in the past) AND USUALLY(in the present).
Note: I am used to…( I am accustomed to) is followed by an –ing form.
-ACTUALLY (means “a propósito”)/ NOWADAYS (means “actualmente”)
-ANOTHER is singular and means “one more” or “one different”
Another days she eats ……….
Other days she eats……..
-EXPRESSING PURPOSE. (FINALIDAD): to + infinitive.
I come to school for to learn English.
I come to school (in order) TO learn English
NEGATIVES in order not to
so as not to
so that + full sentence
-EXPRESSING UTILITY: for + ing form.
These pair of scissors a for cutting …………..
-THE EXPRESSION “On the other hand” indicates contrast with something that has been previously said. It is common to be used after “On the one hand”.
- USE ed/ing adjectives properly: I am bored/ I am boring.
-To Travel is a verb, never use it as a noun.
- The negative form of must in the past is didn’t have to….., never say hadn’t.
