Common English Mistakes in Engineering Specifications by German Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Capitalizing all nouns (following German grammar rules)

The Eengineering Sspecification outlines the Ddesign Rrequirements for the new Hhydraulic Ssystem. The Ssystem must operate under Ppressure Cconditions of up to 300 Bbars and maintain Eefficiency Llevels above 85 Ppercent. All Ccomponents should be made from Ccorrosion-Rresistant Mmaterials to ensure Llongevity and Rreliability in various Eenvironmental Cconditions.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I changed some of the capital letters to lower case, per the rules of English grammar. Nice job overall!"

The engineering specification outlines the design requirements for the new hydraulic system. The system must operate under pressure conditions of up to 300 bars and maintain efficiency levels above 85 percent. All components should be made from corrosion-resistant materials to ensure longevity and reliability in various environmental conditions.

The Engineering Specification outlines the Design Requirements for the new Hydraulic System. The System must operate under Pressure Conditions of up to 300 Bar and maintain Efficiency Levels above 85 Percent. All Components should be made from Corrosion-Resistant Materials to ensure Longevity and Reliability in various Environmental Conditions.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of passive voice

The new hydraulic system is designed to improve efficiency in the manufacturing process. The components are assembled with precision to ensure optimal performance. It is recommended that you performregular maintenance checksare performed to prevent any potential failures.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Good work! I just changed the passive voice to the active voice in the last sentence."

The new hydraulic system is designed to improve efficiency in the manufacturing process. The components are assembled with precision to ensure optimal performance. It is recommended that you perform regular maintenance checks to prevent any potential failures.

The new hydraulic system is designed to improve efficiency in the manufacturing process. The components are assembled with precision to ensure optimal performance. It is recommended that regular maintenance checks are performed to prevent any potential failures.

Mistake Example #3

Incorrect word order in subordinate clauses

The new hydraulic system, which we testedlast weektested, shows significant improvements in efficiency. When the pressure exceeds the threshold, the valve automatically itadjustsit to maintain optimal flow. It is crucial that the components, which wereceived from our supplierreceived, meet the specified quality standards to ensure system reliability.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some reworking for word order errors."

The new hydraulic system, which we tested last week, shows significant improvements in efficiency. When the pressure exceeds the threshold, the valve automatically adjusts it to maintain optimal flow. It is crucial that the components we received from our supplier meet the specified quality standards to ensure system reliability.

The new hydraulic system, which we last week tested, shows significant improvements in efficiency. When the pressure exceeds the threshold, the valve automatically it adjusts to maintain optimal flow. It is crucial that the components, which we from our supplier received, meet the specified quality standards to ensure system reliability.