Common English Mistakes in Lab Reports by Spanish Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of present continuous ('I am going to the school every day' instead of 'I go to school every day')

In this experiment, we are analyzing how the plant isgrowings under different lighting conditions. I ammeasuringe the height of the plant every day, and I amrecording the data in the table. The results areshowing that the plant isgrowings faster when it isreceivinges more sunlight.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Overall your writing was very technical; it just needed a few tweaks to make things consistent. Good job!"

In this experiment, we are analyzing how the plant grows under different lighting conditions. I measure the height of the plant every day, and I record the data in the table. The results show that the plant grows faster when it receives more sunlight.

In this experiment, we are analyzing how the plant is growing under different light conditions. I am measuring the height of the plant every day and I am recording the data in the table. The results are showing that the plant is growing faster when it is receiving more sunlight.

Mistake Example #2

Misuse of prepositions ('Married with' instead of 'Married to')

In this experiment, we analyzed the reaction of sodium chloride when mixed with water. The solution was observed for changes in temperature and clarity. After adding the salt, the mixture was stirred with a glass rod for five minutes. It was noted that the salt dissolved completely withn the water, resulting in a clear solution. The temperature increased slightly during the process, which was consistent with the hypothesis. Further tests will be conducted to compare results with different concentrations of salt.

Text corrected by:
Michele A., Boston, Massachusetts; United States

"I just replaced a word or two to make the English sound more natural. Overall, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

In this experiment, we analyzed the reaction of sodium chloride when mixed with water. The solution was observed for changes in temperature and clarity. After adding the salt, the mixture was stirred with a glass rod for five minutes. It was noted that the salt dissolved completely in the water, resulting in a clear solution. The temperature increased slightly during the process, which was consistent with the hypothesis. Further tests will be conducted to compare results with different concentrations of salt.

In this experiment, we analyzed the reaction of sodium chloride when mixed with water. The solution was observed for changes in temperature and clarity. After adding the salt, the mixture was stirred with a glass rod for five minutes. It was noted that the salt dissolved completely with the water, resulting in a clear solution. The temperature increased slightly during the process, which was consistent with the hypothesis. Further tests will be conducted to compare results with different concentrations of salt.

Mistake Example #3

Direct translation of Spanish expressions ('I have 25 years' instead of 'I am 25 years old')

In the experiment, we have used a beaker to heat the water until it reached 100 degrees Celsius. After that, we haveobserved that the water started to boil, and we havetaooken notes of the changes. It is important to mention that I have 20 yearsof experience in studying chemistry, and this experience helps me to understand the reactions better.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Changes I made were mostly to correct errors relating to verb tense. Nicely done :)"

In the experiment, we used a beaker to heat the water until it reached 100 degrees Celsius. After that, we observed that the water started to boil, and we took note of the changes. It is important to mention that I have 20 years of experience in studying chemistry, and this experience helps me to understand the reactions better.

In the experiment, we have used a beaker to heat the water until it reached 100 degrees Celsius. After that, we have observed that the water started to boil, and we have taken notes of the changes. It is important to mention that I have 20 years studying chemistry, and this experience helps me to understand the reactions better.