Which sentence illustrates L1 interference?

• A. Where is the house of Peter?
• B. She has a dog big.
• C. He very much likes her.
• D. The cat sat on the mat.

Answer: (A)

L1 interference happens when the way a learner talks in English is shaped by their native language. In the sentence Where is the house of Peter? the possession is shown with “of,” which is a structure common in many languages (like Spanish, French, or Mandarin) for marking ownership. English usually expresses this with a possessive ’s, as in Peter’s house, or with a straightforward noun phrase. Because this sentence uses the non-possessive form that mirrors another language’s pattern, it clearly demonstrates the influence of the first language on English usage.

Other examples show learner errors as well—like saying “She has a dog big” instead of “She has a big dog,” which reflects possible cross-language adjective placement, or “He very much likes her” instead of “He likes her very much,” which shows adverb placement. The sentence about the cat is correct and doesn’t illustrate this kind interference.