Common English Mistakes in Medical Reports by Korean Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Korean speakers from South Korea when writing a Medical Report in English.

Mistake Example #1

Omitting articles ('a', 'an', 'the')

PThe patient isa 45-year-old male presenting with chest pain and shortness of breath. He reports that thepain started two days ago after he wasliftinged a heavy object. On examination,the patient has elevated blood pressure and anirregular heartbeat. DThe doctor recommends immediate admission tothe hospital for further tests and monitoring.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"Nice job overall. I have just added articles where needed."

The patient is a 45-year-old male presenting with chest pain and shortness of breath. He reports that the pain started two days ago after he lifted a heavy object. On examination, the patient has elevated blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat. The doctor recommends immediate admission to the hospital for further tests and monitoring.

Patient is 45-year-old male presenting with chest pain and shortness of breath. He reports that pain started two days ago after he was lifting heavy object. On examination, patient has elevated blood pressure and irregular heartbeat. Doctor recommends immediate admission to hospital for further tests and monitoring.

Mistake Example #2

Confusion with prepositions ('in', 'on', 'at')

The patient was admitted into the hospital at 3 PM on the afternoonwith symptoms ofa severe headache and dizziness. Upon examination, it was noted that the pain was localized on the right side of the head, and the patient reported feeling nauseous in the morning. Further tests are scheduled in the next day to determine the cause of these symptoms.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Great job! Very few changes were needed to revise your report. "

The patient was admitted to the hospital at 3 PM with a severe headache and dizziness. Upon examination, it was noted that the pain was localized on the right side of the head, and the patient reported feeling nauseous in the morning. Further tests are scheduled in the next day to determine the cause of these symptoms.

The patient was admitted in the hospital at 3 PM on the afternoon with symptoms of severe headache and dizziness. Upon examination, it was noted that the pain was localized on the right side of the head, and the patient reported feeling nauseous in the morning. Further tests are scheduled in the next day to determine the cause of these symptoms.

Mistake Example #3

Incorrect word order in complex sentences

PThe patient is a 45-year-old male who,was admitted to the hospital after experiencing chest pain, was admitted to the hospital. The symptoms, which he described as sharp and radiating to the left arm, were concerning. It is important, before discharge, that the patient receives further evaluationbefore discharge to ensure no underlying conditions are present.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Your ideas were clear :) I just made a few small changes to improve the flow and polish things up."

The patient is a 45-year-old male who was admitted to the hospital after experiencing chest pain. The symptoms, which he described as sharp and radiating to the left arm, were concerning. It is important that the patient receive further evaluation before discharge to ensure no underlying conditions are present.

Patient is a 45-year-old male who, after experiencing chest pain, was admitted to the hospital. The symptoms, which he described as sharp and radiating to the left arm, were concerning. It is important, before discharge, that the patient receives further evaluation to ensure no underlying conditions are present.