Common English Mistakes in Investigative Reports by German Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native German speakers from Germany when writing a Investigative Report in English.

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of passive voice

In tThe recent investigation, it was disuncoveredthat several financial irregularities were presentin the company's accounts. The team analyzed thedocuments were analyzed by the team,andit was found that funds were misallocated over several years. Interviews were conducted with key personnel, and it was revealed thatoversight was lacking in the auditing processlacked oversight.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to reduce the use of passive voice."

The recent investigation uncovered several financial irregularities in the company's accounts. The team analyzed the documents and found that funds were misallocated over several years. Interviews with key personnel revealed that the auditing process lacked oversight.

In the recent investigation, it was discovered that several financial irregularities were present in the company's accounts. The documents were analyzed by the team, and it was found that funds were misallocated over several years. Interviews were conducted with key personnel, and it was revealed that oversight was lacking in the auditing process.

Mistake Example #2

Incorrect word order in subordinate clauses

In the recent investigation about the new factory'senvironmental impactof the new factory, it was discovered that whenthe emissions were mesignificasured,ntly exceededthey the legal limitssignificantly. The report also highlights that although the company promised to reduce pollution, theyhave theynot yet implemented any effective measuresyet. This raises concerns about whether the local authorities, who areresponsible are for monitoring, have been adequately enforcing theregulations.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"Just a few changes to word order and the like, to make it flow more naturally. "

In the recent investigation about the new factory's environmental impact, it was discovered that the emissions significantly exceeded the legal limits. The report also highlights that although the company promised to reduce pollution, they have not yet implemented any effective measures. This raises concerns about whether the local authorities, who are responsible for monitoring, have been adequately enforcing the regulations.

In the recent investigation about the environmental impact of the new factory, it was discovered that when the emissions were measured, exceeded they the legal limits significantly. The report also highlights that although the company promised to reduce pollution, have they not implemented any effective measures yet. This raises concerns about whether the local authorities, who responsible are for monitoring, have been adequately enforcing regulations.

Mistake Example #3

Capitalizing all nouns (following German grammar rules)

The Iinvestigation into the recent Iincident at the Cchemical Pplant has revealed several Kkey Ffactors that contributed to the Aaccident. According to the Rreport, the Ssafety Mmeasures were not adequately followed, leading to a significant Rrisk of Eexposure to Hhazardous Mmaterials. The Aauthorities are now considering implementing stricter Rregulations to prevent such Eevents in the Ffuture.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"This was well-written; I just needed to fix a few issues with capitalization."

The investigation into the recent incident at the chemical plant has revealed several key factors that contributed to the accident. According to the report, the safety measures were not adequately followed, leading to a significant risk of exposure to hazardous materials. The authorities are now considering implementing stricter regulations to prevent such events in the future.

The Investigation into the recent Incident at the Chemical Plant has revealed several Key Factors that contributed to the Accident. According to the Report, the Safety Measures were not adequately followed, leading to a significant Risk of Exposure to Hazardous Materials. The Authorities are now considering implementing stricter Regulations to prevent such Events in the Future.