Direct translation copies the words of another language one by one. The reader understands the sentence, but it sounds unnatural. Translate the idea, not the words.
This lesson follows learning collocations in complete sentences in the vocabulary in context section.
What do translated sentences look like?
They carry the structure of another language. Here are five patterns common in student writing.
| Translated pattern | Natural English | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| I am agree with you. | I agree with you. | “Agree” is already a verb |
| He is very handsome and tall, same like his father. | He is tall and handsome, just like his father. | Use “just like” or “the same as” |
| Yesterday I go to school late. | Yesterday I went to school late. | Show past time with the verb form |
| I follow my friend go to the library. | I went to the library with my friend. | Use “with” for company |
| The food is very delicious. | The food is delicious. | “Delicious” already means very tasty |
The first column is easy to understand, but a reader can tell it was built from another language.
Say-it-in-English-first routine
- Think of the idea without words in any language.
- Say it in the simplest English you know.
- Only then add detail or a more exact word.
For example, the idea is that you came late because the bus was slow. The simple English version is “The bus was slow, so I was late.” A translated version might begin “Because the bus is slow, so I late”.
Worked example: an original paragraph
Before.
Last week I follow my mother go to the market. She buy many vegetables and I help her to carry. After that, we are go back home by walking.
After.
Last week I went to the market with my mother. She bought some vegetables and I helped her carry them. After that, we walked home.
| Change | Reason |
|---|---|
| follow my mother go → went … with my mother | Use one past verb and “with” |
| She buy → She bought | Past tense of buy |
| help her to carry → helped her carry | “Help” does not need “to” here |
| are go back home by walking → walked home | One verb covers the whole idea |
A common mistake
Many students translate a whole sentence and then fix only the spelling. The grammar stays tied to the other language, so errors remain.
Fix it by building the sentence again in English from the idea, rather than patching the translated one.
Check yourself
Rewrite naturally: “My brother he very like play football and every day he go to field.”
Answer
“My brother loves playing football and goes to the field every day.”
The extra “he” is removed, “very like play” becomes “loves playing”, and “he go” becomes “goes”. The meaning is unchanged, and the sentence now follows English patterns.
What to study next
Once your sentences sound natural, make your vocabulary work in many topics. Continue with reusing vocabulary across new contexts, or try the vocabulary practice.
For a teacher to go through translated patterns in your writing, see online one-to-one English tuition.