Present simple vs Present continuous - Writing needs proofreading.

Question

Hello. This is a short writing (about 200 words) where I have to use present simple and present continuous. I'd appreciate your corrections and comments. Thank you in advance.

Dear SpanishDict,

Here I am, in Spain. I'm having a great time these days. People are very kind to visitors in this town, they always smile and say: "have a nice day!"

I'm staying with Antonio and Mari Carmen, they are and old an elderly married couple who live alone right now because their sons and daughter live elsewhere elsewhere (Where I can't remember right now).

I'm taking Spanish lessons this term. They are every (working) day at 8:00, so I get up at 7:00 - I have a shower, I have breakfast and I walk to a bus stop 3 blocks away from where I live.

I am always seeing Elisa at the bus stop (Elisa is my partner in the Spanish classes, she is Italian). I guess she is staying somewhere near there. Elisa speaks Spanish much better than I do but she's always complaining about her lousy writing style. You know how perfectionist people are... can be.

The weather is getting becoming unstable of late (lately) and sometimes a downpour surprises us in the morning and Antonio has to take us there on his car when that happens.

My letter ends here. I'm doing my homework right now and I must continue to the next lesson. Hugs!

Do you need proodreading or proof reading? Jeje - pmikan-pam, Sep 27, 2013

:D - RelaxingCup, Sep 27, 2013

Answer 1

Hi amigo

Most of my changes are just a question of style.

Here I am, in Spain. I'm having a great time these days. People are very kind to visitors in this town, they always smile and say: "have a nice day!"

I'm staying with Antonio and Mari Carmen, they are an elderly married couple who live alone right now because their sons and daughter live elsewhere (Where I can not remember right now).

I'm taking Spanish lessons this term. They are every (working) day at 8:00, so I get up at 7:00 - I have a shower, breakfast and walk to a bus stop 3 blocks away from where I live.

I always see Elisa at the bus stop (Elisa is my partner in the Spanish classes, she is Italian). I guess she is staying somewhere near there. Elisa speaks Spanish much better than I do but she's always complaining about her lousy writing style. You know how perfectionist people can be.

The weather is becoming unstable of late and sometimes a downpour surprises us in the morning and Antonio has to take us there on his car when that happens.

My letter ends here. I'm doing my homework right now and I must continue to the next lesson. Hugs!

Hello Ian. My textbook says I can use "I am always seeing/meeting Elisa" when 'it's something unexpected that happens several times'. Would you say that it is not very common? Or maybe I made it look like usual or frequent? - RelaxingCup, Sep 27, 2013

I think both ian and me understood your sentence about Elisa as something that happens frequently, yes. - Manity, Sep 27, 2013

Muy bien hecho (que se espera, por supuesto) - rogspax, Sep 27, 2013

In English a structure like "I am always seeing .......... " is often used but to indicate something that is not enjoyable example - ian-hill, Sep 27, 2013

He is always smoking in bed. :) - ian-hill, Sep 27, 2013

Remember that in English we use the -ing form almost whenever we can but its meaning can sometimes be obscure. - ian-hill, Sep 27, 2013

Thank you all. - RelaxingCup, Sep 27, 2013

Answer 2

Great initial effort and suggestions from Ian afterwards.

I'll offer only one alternate for a sentence near the end, that I think will read better -- i.e. sound more natural. Ian made it good, and stayed very close to your original, but I want to suggest a further change.

You. .

The weather is getting unstable lately

Ian.

The weather is becoming unstable of late

My humble suggestions.

The weather has been unstable of late

or.

The weather has been unstable lately

You're right! I tried to use only present simple and present continuous tenses. Thank you very much :) - RelaxingCup, Sep 27, 2013