Common English Mistakes in Prescription Guides by Spanish Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Spanish speakers from Spain when writing a Prescription Guide in English.

Mistake Example #1

Misuse of present continuous ('I am having 30 years of experience' instead of 'I have 30 years of experience')

When you are taking this medication, you areneeding to follow the instructions carefully. You are ctonsumingtake one tablet every morning with water, and you areavoiding alcohol while you are on this treatment. If you areexperiencinge any side effects, you arecontacting your doctor immediately.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"Please be mindful of your use of present continuous tense. For example, "you are needing to follow" should be "you need to follow" and "You are consuming one tablet every morning with water, and you are avoiding alcohol" should be "You are to consume one tablet every morning with water, and avoid alcohol while you are on this treatment."."

When you are taking this medication, you need to follow the instructions carefully. You are to take one tablet every morning with water, and avoid alcohol while you are on this treatment. If you experience any side effects, contact your doctor immediately.

When you are taking this medication, you are needing to follow the instructions carefully. You are consuming one tablet every morning with water, and you are avoiding alcohol while you are on this treatment. If you are experiencing any side effects, you are contacting your doctor immediately.

Mistake Example #2

Confusion between 'do' and 'make' ('I make a mistake' instead of 'I made a mistake')

When you take this medication, it is important to dfollow the instructions carefully. You should make sure to dotake the dosageas prescribed by your doctor. If you mhakve any side effects, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

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

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

When you take this medication, it is important to follow the instructions carefully. You should make sure to take the dosage prescribed by your doctor. If you have any side effects, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

When you take this medication, it is important to do the instructions carefully. You should make sure to do the dosage as prescribed by your doctor. If you make any side effects, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

Mistake Example #3

Direct translations from Spanish ('It makes sense' vs. 'It has sense')

When you take this medicine, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. It hmakes sense to take the pill with food to avoid an upsetstomachupset. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is close to the next dose;. iIn that case, it makes sense to skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Great job! Very few changes were needed to correct writing errors in this guide. "

When you take this medicine, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. It makes sense to take the pill with food to avoid an upset stomach. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is close to the next dose. In that case, it makes sense to skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.

When you take this medicine, it is important that you follow the instructions carefully. It has sense to take the pill with food to avoid stomach upset. If you forget a dose, take it as soon as you remember, unless it is close to the next dose; in that case, it makes sense to skip the missed dose and continue with your regular schedule.