Common English Mistakes in Lab Reports by Italian Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Italian speakers from Italy when writing a Lab Report in English.

Mistake Example #1

Using direct translations from Italian (e.g., 'We see us tomorrow' instead of 'See you tomorrow')

During the experiment, we have observed the reaction ofbetween the solution with the metal. The solutionit was changing color from blue to green, indicating a chemical transformation. We havemeasured the temperature every five minutes, and we have noticed that it was increasing constantly. We see that the results are consistent with our hypothesis, and we will analyze them further in the next section.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Good work! I just made a few changes to improve the flow."

During the experiment, we have observed the reaction between the solution with the metal. The solution was changing color from blue to green, indicating a chemical transformation. We measured the temperature every five minutes, and we noticed that it was increasing constantly. We see that the results are consistent with our hypothesis, and we will analyze them further in the next section.

During the experiment, we have observed the reaction of the solution with the metal. The solution it was changing color from blue to green, indicating a chemical transformation. We have measured the temperature every five minutes, and we have noticed that it was increasing constantly. We see that the results are consistent with our hypothesis, and we will analyze them further in the next section.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of passive voice

The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. The samplreswearcheres prepared the samplesandwere placedthem in a water bath set to different temperatures. Theresults werey recorded the resultsandwere analyzedthem to identify any significant changes in enzyme activity.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice job! For a lab report, some use of the passive voice is fine, but I changed two of the sentences to the active voice to improve the flow of the text."

The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. The researchers prepared the samples and placed them in a water bath set to different temperatures. They recorded the results and analyzed them to identify any significant changes in enzyme activity.

The experiment was conducted to determine the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. The samples were prepared and were placed in a water bath set to different temperatures. The results were recorded and were analyzed to identify any significant changes in enzyme activity.

Mistake Example #3

Confusing singular and plural nouns

During the experiment, we observed that the bacteria groew rapidly in the petri dish. The data shows that the bacteria colonies reached their maximum size after 48 hours. It is important to note that the results indicate a significant increase in thebacteria population, compared to the initial measurement.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking for proper usage of singular vs. plural nouns."

During the experiment, we observed that the bacteria grew rapidly in the petri dish. The data shows that the bacteria colonies reached their maximum size after 48 hours. It is important to note that the results indicate a significant increase in the bacteria population, compared to the initial measurement.

During the experiment, we observed that the bacteria grow rapidly in the petri dish. The data show that the bacteria colonies reach their maximum size after 48 hour. It is important to note that the result indicate a significant increase in bacteria population compared to the initial measurement.