When speaking English casually, what error might a 12-year-old native Spanish speaker frequently make?

When speaking English casually, what error might a 12-year-old native Spanish speaker frequently make?

• A. Incorrect use of auxiliary verbs in tenses
• B. Improper combinations of conjunctions and prepositions
• C. Incorrect word order within sentences
• D. Improper use of multiple negations

Answer: (D)

A 12-year-old native Spanish speaker may frequently make errors involving multiple negations when speaking English casually. In Spanish, the use of double or multiple negations is grammatically correct and often necessary for the intended meaning. For instance, a statement like "I don't know nothing" can make sense in Spanish ("No sé nada"), where 'no' and 'nada' combine to express a single negative concept. When transitioning to English, the rules differ, and the correct form should be "I don't know anything." This misunderstanding can lead to the frequent and incorrect use of multiple negations in English because of the influence of their native language. While errors in the use of auxiliary verbs, conjunctions and prepositions, and word order might occur, they are less characteristic as a common trait among Spanish speakers when they are in the process of learning English, particularly at the age of 12, when they are actively developing their language skills and may be influenced by the structure of their first language in more specific ways.

A 12-year-old native Spanish speaker may frequently make errors involving multiple negations when speaking English casually. In Spanish, the use of double or multiple negations is grammatically correct and often necessary for the intended meaning. For instance, a statement like "I don't know nothing" can make sense in Spanish ("No sé nada"), where 'no' and 'nada' combine to express a single negative concept.

When transitioning to English, the rules differ, and the correct form should be "I don't know anything." This misunderstanding can lead to the frequent and incorrect use of multiple negations in English because of the influence of their native language.

While errors in the use of auxiliary verbs, conjunctions and prepositions, and word order might occur, they are less characteristic as a common trait among Spanish speakers when they are in the process of learning English, particularly at the age of 12, when they are actively developing their language skills and may be influenced by the structure of their first language in more specific ways.