EditingGuide to MultilingualTransfer Errors

The editing guide that follows identifies several problem areasfor multilingual/ESL writers. It shows grammatical features (column1) of specific languages (column 2), features that lead to an errorwhen transferred to English (column 3). An edited Standard Englishversion appears in column 4. Of course, the guide covers neither alllinguistic problem areas nor all languages. Rather, it lists a selection,with the goal of being useful and practical. Use the guide to raiseyour awareness about your own and other languages.

~,\II,J':

S Online Study Center ESL ESLcenter~/,,\,,

Editing Guide

Language sample Transfer EditedFeatures Languages Errors in English VersionARTICLES (60c-60f)No articles Chinese, Sun is hot. The sun is hot.

Japanese, I bought book. I bought a book.Russian, Computer has The computerSwahili, Thai, changed our has changedUrdu lives. our lives.

No indefinite Arabic, French, He is student. He is a student.article with Japanese, She lawyer. She is a lawyer.profession Korean,

VietnameseDefinite article Arabic She is in the bed. She is in bed.with days, He lives in the He lives in Peru.months, places, Peru.idiomsDefinite article Farsi, French, The photography Photography isused for German, is an art. an art.generaliza tion Greek, The books are Books are more

Portuguese, more expensiveSpanish expensive than disks.

than thedisks.

Definite article French, The Professor Professorused with German, Brackert Brackertproper noun Portuguese, teaches in teaches in

Spanish Frankfurt. Frankfurt.

EditingGuide to MultilingualTransfer Errors I~I 493

Language sample Transfer EditedFeatures Languages Errors in English VersionNo definite Hindi, Turkish Store on corner The store on thearticle is closed. corner is

closed.No indefinite Korean (uses He ran into one He ran into aarticle one for a; tree. tree.

depends oncontext)

VERBS AND VERB FORMS (chapter 61)Be can be Arabic, India hotter India is hotteromitted. Chinese, than Britain. than Britain.

Greek, Russian She working She is workingnow. now.

He cheerful. He is cheerful.No progressive French, They still They are stillforms German, discuss the discussing the

Greek, Russian problem. problem.When I walked When I walked

in, she slept. in, she wassleeping.

No tense Chinese, Thai, He arrive He arrivedinflections Vietnamese yesterday. yesterday.

When I was When I waslittle, I always little, I alwayswalk to walked toschool. school.

No inflection Chinese, The singer have The singer has afor third Japanese, a big band. big band.person Korean, She work hard. She works hard.singular Russian, ThaiPast perfect Arabic They were They hadformed with be arrived when arrived when

I called. I called.Different tense Arabic, I study here for I have beenboundaries Chinese, Farsi, a year. studying herefrom English French for a year.

He has left He leftyesterday. yesterday.

(Continued)

EditingGuide to MultilingualTransfer Errors EditingGuide to MultilingualTransfer Errors

Language Sample Transfer Edited Language Sample Transfer EditedFeatures Languages Errors in English Version Features Languages Errors in English VersionDifferent limits Japanese, They were Their luggage Verb after Bengali, ... (when) the ... (when) thefor passive Korean, stolen their was stolen. subject and German (in teacher the teachervoice Russian, Thai, luggage. object dependent money collected the

Vietnamese My name base My name is clause), Hindi, collected. money.on Chinese based on Japanese,characters. Chinese Korean,

characters. TurkishThe mess clean The mess was Coordination Arabic Frequent useup quick. cleaned up

favored over of and and soquickly.subordinationA miracle was A miracle

The studenthappened. (has) Relative clause Chinese, The enrolledhappened. or restrictive Japanese, in college (who was)

phrase Korean, student ... enrolled inNo -ing Arabic, She avoids to go. She avoids precedes noun Russian college ...(gerund)/ Chinese, going.it modifies. A nine-meter- An impressiveinfinitive Farsi, French, I enjoy to play I enjoy playing high monumentdistinction Greek, tennis. tennis. impressive that isPortuguese, monument ... nine metersSpanish,

high ...VietnameseHe gave me a He gave mea

Infinitive not Korean People exercise People exercise too difficult book thatused to for losing to lose weight. for me book. was tooexpress weight. difficult forpurpose me.Overuse of Hindi, Urdu I am wanting to I want to leave Adverb can French, I like very much I like clamprogressive leave now. now. occur between Spanish, Urdu clam chowder. chowder veryforms verb and object (before verb) much.WORD ORDER AND SENTENCE STRUCTURE (chapter 62) or before verb. They efficiently They organizedVerb precedes Arabic, Good grades Every student organized the the worksubject. Hebrew, received every in the class work. efficiently.

Russian, student in the received good That clause Arabic, French, I want that you I want you toSpanish class. grades. rather than an Hindi, Russian, stay. stay.(optional), infinitive Spanish I want that I want them toTagalog they try try harder.

Verb-subject French I knew what I knew what harder.order in would propose the committee Inversion of Chinese She is leaving She is leaving,dependent the committee. would propose. subject and and so I am. and so am I.clause verb (rare) (Continued)

language Sample Transfer Edited language Sample Transfer Edited

Features languages Errors in English Version Features languages Errors in English Version

Conjunctions Chinese, Farsi, Although she is Although she is No distinction Chinese, I gave the forms I gave the forms

occur in pairs. Vietnamese rich, but she rich, she between Gujarati, to she. to her. Or

wears simple wears simple subject and Korean, Thai I gave her the

clothes. clothes. object forms of forms.

Even if I had Even if I had some pronouns

money, I money, I Nouns and Chinese, She is beauty She is a

would also not would not buy adjectives have Japanese woman. beautiful

buy that car. that car. sameform. They felt very woman.

Subject Chinese, Is raining. It is raining.safety on the They felt very

(especially it Italian,train. safe on the

pronoun) can Japanese,train.

be omitted. Portuguese, No distinction Bengali, Farsi, My sister My sister

Spanish, Thai between he and Gujarati, dropped his dropped her

Commas set off German, He knows, that He knows that she, his and her Spanish (his purse. purse.

a dependent Russian we are right. we are right.and her only),

clause.Thai

No exact Japanese, This article says This article says No plural form Creole, Farsi He has two dog. He has two dogs.

equivalent of Korean, four reasons [that] there after a number

there is/there are Portuguese, to eat beans. are four No plural (or Chinese, Several good Several good

Russian, Thai reasons to optional) Japanese, book ... books ...

(adverb of eat beans. forms of nouns Korean, Thai

place and have) In the garden There are many No relative Korean The book is on The book that is

has many trees in the pronouns the table is on the table is

trees. garden. mine. mine.

NOUNS, PRONOUNS, ADJECTIVES, ADVERBS (chapters 44, 45, 60) Different Japanese, I bought three I bought three

Personal Arabic, My father he My father lives perception of Russian, furnitures. pieces of

pronouns Gujarati, lives in in California. countable/ Spanish furniture. Or

restate subject. Spanish California. uncountable I bought three

(optional) Ichairs.

No human/ Arabic, Farsi, Here is the Here is theShe has red hairs. She has red hair.

nonhuman French, student which student Adjectives Russian, I have helpfuls I have helpful

distinction for Russian, you met her [whom] you show number. Spanish friends. friends.

relative Spanish, Thai last week. met last week. Negative Spanish Jack no like Jack does notpronoun The people which The people who before verb meat. like meat.(who/which) arrived ... arrived ... Double Spanish They don't know They don't knowPronoun object Arabic, The house [that] The house that I negatives used nothing anything. Or

included in Chinese, Farsi, I used to live used to live in routinely They knowrelative clause Hebrew in it is big. is big. nothing.