Thomas Spengler : English Teacher and Native of USA - Conversation, TOEFL

16/01/2026

How to use adjectives correctly... •

To use English adjectives correctly, place them before the noun they modify (e.g.

13/12/2025

In English, simple present tense, verbs for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, or a singular noun/name) typically add an "-s"...
Thomas Spengler
Thomas Spengler
(507) 6244 5110 CIUDAD DE PANAMA [email protected] Thomas Spengler 100% NATIVE ENGLISH CLASSES Conversation, interview prep, English tests, CANAL TEST, aviation and more. 21 years of experience. 6244 5110

December 12, 2025
In English, simple present tense, verbs for third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, or a singular noun/name) typically add an "-s" (or "-es", "-ies") to the base verb, as in "he runs," "she eats," "it rains," a rule that distinguishes present actions from other tenses and is essential for correct grammar, adding "-es" for verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, or -o, and changing -y to -ies after a consonant.

Common Rules for Adding -s/-es/-ies:

Most verbs: Add -s (e.g., walks, talks, gives).
Verbs ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, -o: Add -es (e.g., misses, catches, fixes, goes, does).
Verbs ending in consonant + y: Change -y to -ies (e.g., studies, flies, cries).
Verbs ending in vowel + y: Add -s (e.g., plays, stays).

Examples:

He works hard.
She watches TV.
The dog barks loudly.
The robot tries its best.

02/12/2025

English Words with Multiple Meanings
In Spanish, as in English, there are plenty of words with multiple meanings. For example, the word cola in Spanish can mean a line of people or cars, the tail of an animal, or glue, depending on the context of the sentence.
However, even though a Spanish word may have various meanings, it’s rare for one translated English word to carry all of the same meanings. Look out for the following common mistakes on this theme:
Make/Do: In Spanish, hacer means both make and do, so many Spanish speakers use the word make when they should use do (e.g., make your homework instead of do your homework, make business instead of do business).
Lose/Miss: In Spanish, perder means both lose and miss, so many Spanish speakers use the word lose when they should use miss (e.g., lose the bus instead of miss the bus, lose the interview instead of miss the interview).
Story/History: In Spanish, historia means both story and history, so many Spanish speakers use the word history when they should use story (e.g., tell a history instead of tell a story, a fantasy history instead of a fantasy story).
Know/Meet: In Spanish, conocer means both know and meet, so many Spanish speakers use the word know when they should use meet (e.g., know new people instead of meet new people, know my friend’s brother instead of meet my friend’s brother).
Listen/Hear: In Spanish, escuchar means listen and oir means hear, but in certain contexts they are used interchangeably. This is why many Spanish speakers use the word listen when they should use hear (e.g., Do you listen me? instead of Do you hear me?).

02/12/2025

Literal Translations
When acquiring a new language, it is natural for learners to attempt to directly translate from their native tongue to English. However, translating phrases and expressions word-for-word from Spanish to English can produce grammar errors. Below are some common examples of these mistakes:
“I am agree” (Estoy de acuerdo) instead of “I agree”
“I said that no” (Dije que no) instead of “I said no”
“For how much time?” (¿Por cuánto tiempo?) instead of “How long?”
“Depends of the weather” (Depende del clima) instead of “Depends on the weather”
“Six and a half in the afternoon” (Seis y media en la tarde) instead of “Six thirty in the afternoon”
“The people is beautiful” (La gente es hermosa) instead of “The people are beautiful”
“She has five years” (Ella tiene cinco años) instead of “She is five years old”
“It’s the car of my sister” (Es el auto de mi hermana) instead of “It’s my sister’s car”
How to overcome it…
It’s best to become aware of common translation errors early on so that you do not become fixed in bad habits. Pay special attention to time prepositions like for, since, and during to avoid literal-translation mistakes. You could even try keeping a journal of phrases you notice which do not directly translate from Spanish to English, to keep track of these tempting mistakes! See my profile for contact information.

02/12/2025

Watch out for false friends while learning English!

Luckily for Spanish speakers, there are hundreds of words that both English and Spanish share: actor, hotel, mediocre, popular, bar, vulnerable, chocolate, etc. These words, also known as cognates, are spelled similarly and share the same definition.