Common English Mistakes in Investigative Reports by Korean Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

Ina recent investigation, we discovered that pollution levels in thecity have increased significantly overthe past year. Residents reported that air quality has deteriorated, causing health issues among children and theelderly. GThe government has promised to implement measures to address theproblem, but many citizens remain skeptical about theeffectiveness of proposed solutions.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaks to include missing articles ("the," "an," etc.)."

In a recent investigation, we discovered that pollution levels in the city have increased significantly over the past year. Residents reported that air quality has deteriorated, causing health issues among children and the elderly. The government has promised to implement measures to address the problem, but many citizens remain skeptical about the effectiveness of proposed solutions.

In recent investigation, we discovered that pollution levels in city have increased significantly over past year. Residents reported that air quality has deteriorated, causing health issues among children and elderly. Government has promised to implement measures to address problem, but many citizens remain skeptical about effectiveness of proposed solutions.

Mistake Example #2

Incorrect word order in complex sentences

The investigation revealed that the suspect, who the police had been following for several weeks, was seen leaving the scene of the crime at 3 AM. Witnesses reported that the man, wearing a dark hoodie, quickly gotinto a cargot and drove away. The authorities believe that the suspect, whoas connections to a local gang has,nd may be involved inother similar incidents in the area.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I fixed some issues with the word order and polished up the text."

The investigation revealed that the suspect, who the police had been following for several weeks, was seen leaving the scene of the crime at 3 AM. Witnesses reported that the man, wearing a dark hoodie, quickly got into a car and drove away. The authorities believe that the suspect has connections to a local gang and may be involved in similar incidents in the area.

The investigation revealed that the suspect, who the police had been following for several weeks, was seen leaving the scene of the crime at 3 AM. Witnesses reported that the man, wearing a dark hoodie, quickly into a car got and drove away. The authorities believe that the suspect, who connections to a local gang has, may be involved in other similar incidents in the area.

Mistake Example #3

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

Ina recent investigation, it was discovered that the pollution levels in Seoul have increased significantly. The data collected onver the past month shows a rise in harmful particles atin the air, which is concerning for residents living in the city. Experts are urging the government to take action on reducing emissions from vehicles and factories to improve air quality in the future.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Good work! I changed a few prepositions and added a couple of articles, but otherwise it sounds great."

In a recent investigation, it was discovered that the pollution levels in Seoul have increased significantly. The data collected over the past month shows a rise in harmful particles in the air, which is concerning for residents living in the city. Experts are urging the government to take action on reducing emissions from vehicles and factories to improve air quality in the future.

In recent investigation, it was discovered that the pollution levels in Seoul have increased significantly. The data collected on the past month shows a rise in harmful particles at the air, which is concerning for residents living in the city. Experts are urging the government to take action on reducing emissions from vehicles and factories to improve air quality in the future.