He cometido un error en mi tarea.

I have made a mistake in my homework.

Breakdown of He cometido un error en mi tarea.

• yo: I
• en: in
• mi: my
• la tarea: the homework
• haber: to have
• el error: the mistake
• cometer: to commit

Questions & Answers about He cometido un error en mi tarea.

What tense is used in "He cometido un error en mi tarea" and how is it constructed?

The sentence employs the present perfect tense. It's constructed by using the auxiliary verb haber in the first-person singular form (he) combined with the past participle cometido (from the verb cometer). This tense expresses a past action that still has relevance to the present.

Why is the verb cometer used in the expression instead of a verb like hacer?

In Spanish, the idiomatic way to express "to make a mistake" is cometer un error. Although English uses "make," Spanish prefers cometer—which literally means "to commit"—to convey the idea of committing an error. Using a verb like hacer would be unidiomatic and sound awkward.

Why is there no subject pronoun in the sentence, unlike in English where we say "I have committed an error"?

Spanish typically omits the subject pronoun when the verb conjugation already clearly indicates the subject. In this sentence, the auxiliary verb he tells us that the subject is I, making the additional pronoun yo unnecessary.

What does "en mi tarea" mean, and why is the preposition en used here?

The phrase en mi tarea translates to "in my homework" or "in my assignment." The preposition en is used to indicate that the error was made within the context or confines of the task (homework).

Are there regional differences in using the present perfect tense in this context in Latin America compared to Spain?

Yes, there are regional nuances. In Spain, using the present perfect (as in he cometido) is common for describing recent actions with ongoing relevance. In many parts of Latin America, speakers tend to use the preterite form (cometí un error) even for recent actions. Both forms are grammatically correct, though usage preferences can vary by region.