Strategies to avoid errors when writing in English
Content originally published on LinkedIn July 14, 2021
Part 2 of Common mistakes non-native authors make when writing in English
In the first installment on this topic, we saw examples of mistakes non-native speakers often make when writing in English. Here, we cover a few strategies for reducing these to a minimum. For simplicity, let’s consider them as three stages: before, during, and after writing. But you can think of it as a circular process repeated each time you write.
Most of the guidelines below apply to any type of English writing—since our expertise in is scientific writing we have addressed specific needs for that style elsewhere. You should of course customize the suggestions to your own writing skills and experience.
Prep work before writing (and beyond)
1. Sharpen your English skills by taking a class, joining a virtual English conversation group or self-studying with the help of English teaching apps, books or podcasts. Many educational institutions, worldwide media, and individuals offer free online resources. Here are a few you can use to get started.
General:
Coursera—formal English courses
Duolingo—gamified language-learning app
BBC English learning—Courses, quizzes and a wealth of information
Grammar Girl—podcasts, tips and education on various grammar and writing topics
Need more ideas? Check out this list of podcasts for learning English.
Academic writing:
UNC writing center
Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab)—list of topics
2. Make it a habit to read, listen and watch materials of all kinds in English. Choose resources you find interesting or enjoyable, without worrying about learning—that will come naturally.
3. Collect the reference tools you’ll need as you write. These can be in paper form or software/online resources:
A reliable English grammar book
At least two dictionaries: a bilingual dictionary for your native language (to help you find the word you need) and a good monolingual English dictionary (to get more thorough definitions and usage examples)
A thesaurus—the MS Word Thesaurus feature is excellent, if you have the English version of MS Office available
A style guide—see Karen’s resource list
4. Read papers that are relevant to your area and make a note of technical terms, phrases and sentence structures that you want to follow. In addition to reference managing tools such as EndNote, Sciwheel or Mendeley, which are especially useful for academic writing, consider using note-taking apps such as Notion, Evernote or OneNote to organize your language-specific resources.
As you write your first draft
1. If you are writing with a specific journal or publication platform in mind, read the publication’s Instructions to Authors and make sure to follow them to the letter.
2. Choose your language variant and set your spellcheck tool accordingly.
3. Consult your reference materials often as you write. Whenever possible, use materials that match the language variant selected above or that are specific to your field.
4. Consider building your own “style sheet” summarizing essential decisions you are making while writing. For instance:
References—tools you use and anything you cite in your paper
Formatting—units, dates, numbers, headers, footnotes and bibliography
English variant
Abbreviations, acronyms, key terms, etc.
5. Keep false friends in mind and review them as you write. Whenever in doubt, double-check with an English dictionary to make sure the words you choose match the intended meaning—it may not be the first entry. Cross-check with a bilingual dictionary by searching the term in English and looking at the translation in your language.
After writing your first draft
1. Check that the language variant is still the same throughout your document and run a spelling and grammar checking tool such as the one that comes with Word. If you do a lot of writing, consider more advanced language checking tools that go beyond simple spelling and grammar checks and offer suggestions on style. Some are freely available online and some require a subscription or software purchase—a partial list follows. Be critical with the tool’s suggestions: don’t blindly accept them. And use other sources to check grammar rules when needed.
Antidote (available for English and French)
2. Set aside your draft for a while, then read it again, paying special attention to unidiomatic or awkward phrasing. To read with a fresh point of view, it can be helpful to print the text or change the font/format on the screen. Making it look different will help you spot errors.
3. If you are writing on behalf of a group of people (e.g., a research team), share the draft paper with each co-author to ask for comments on the content and language. Plan ahead so there is enough time to implement the suggestions before submitting.
4. Have your draft manuscript edited by a native speaker. Ask for detailed feedback so you understand the reason for the changes. Make a list of your common mistakes for future use, in the form of a cheat sheet or checklist. Post it on your wall near where you write!
5. When you write new articles, review your list of common errors and your style sheet (or make a new style sheet for each paper) and add to both as you go.
Writing is hard, and even more so in a language that’s not your own. Fortunately, many tools are available to help you improve your English writing and check for errors. By sharpening your English skills and practicing these few strategies consistently, you can eliminate many of the mistakes that obscure your message.
This is part of a series of articles by Isabelle Berquin and Karen Tkaczyk, two trained scientists who moved into providing language services for scientists. Isabelle was a molecular biologist who worked in cancer research and Karen was a development chemist who worked in pharmaceuticals.
Karen provides editing services for scientists, mainly academics, who write in English when that is not their native language. Isabelle has co-authored over 30 research papers; she provides translation and consulting services for life scientists and enjoys turning data into engaging visuals.
Look out for the other posts in this series by both Karen and Isabelle. Topics include common mistakes authors often make, style matters, language variants, software tools that can help you edit your texts, tips for better scientific writing in English, and tips on creating impactful visual elements. If these articles are of interest or you’d like us to cover a specific topic, leave us a comment!
English Writing Tips for Scientists: List of Topics