10 FRENCH TRANSLATION MISTAKES…answers and grammar

03/09/2021

Overview

It's important to understand why you can't always translate directly from your own language into English. The translation of a word might have a different meaning in English (a 'false friend'), the word order can be different (English usually puts adjectives before a noun object for example), and some phrases are more 'idiomatic' in meaning or very specific to the context in English. If you want to improve your English skills and to avoid relying on translating from your language, try a course of one-to-one lessons with us where we can focus on the specific parts of English that you want to practice and improve.

Answers and grammar information

  1. He proposed to me to suggested (that) I book a taxi from the airport.

The verb suggest (without ‘to’) is used much more naturally in English and is usually followed by a subject pronoun or verb-ing (suggest doing something). to propose to someone is what a person does when he/she asks someone to marry them! 

  1. I’m agree with you, she is a very sympathetic nice woman.

Agree is a verb, not an adjective, therefore is not used with the verb ‘be’. We can describe someone as ‘sympathetic’ but as a translation it actually means nice in English!

  1. We will stay here during for the next two weeks.

When we describe a defined length of time we use for + time period. During is used to describe what will happen at an unspecified point in that period of time. For example: He will visit London during his holiday.

4.Can you tell to me how works this machine works?

Tell is a verb that is NOT followed by ‘to’ (also, explain/inform). When we make a sentence with an indirect question (“Can you tell me..”) the topic of the sentence is made with a statement form.

 

  1. We discussed about to doing some new projects next year.

We don’t use ‘about’ after the verb discuss or ‘to’. However, we do use the ‘gerund’ or verb-ing form.

  1. I am going in to Marseille tomorrow.

When we are talking about a future event we use a future form – in this case ‘(be) going to, as it is a planned event. When we use the verb go + a place we use to, to indicate a movement from one place to another.

  1. He is a friend of me mine.

Mine is the possessive object pronoun. We could also say ‘He is my friend’.

  1. I don’t see haven’t seen them for many years.

We use the present perfect simple to talk about the length of time that an action, or state, exists from the past up to the present time.

  1. My decision to take the job depends of on the salary.

Ah, we all love verb + prepositions! Other on examples are: rely on, lean on

  1. When it will be is ready, I will send the report.

Very similar to the first conditional (if) – we use the present form in the first clause.

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