It has always felt to me a presumptuous task to narrow down a list of “the best of this” and “the most common of that.” But the question of “What are the most common writing mistakes of English as a Second Language (ESL) speakers?” is still a popular one and, as a search term, continues to yield 100k+ returns on a Google search no matter which way you phrase it. On top of that, many of you have been specifically requesting this list for some time now.

So before elaborating on “the list,” allow me to explain my hesitation and procrastination in not having done this sooner.

1. ESL speakers come from a variety of linguistic backgrounds and do not make the same grammatical mistakes.
2. There are more than 10 kinds of errors spread across several category types: grammar, cross cultural nuances, business communication protocol, and audience-centered writing principles among others. It’s hard to pick the “top.”
3. The more they are called “mistakes” the more our culture will be based on learning from “failures” rather than “successes.” I’m an advocate of the latter. http://discussionleader.hbsp.com

But since so many of you longsuffering- ESL speakers, colleagues of ESL speakers, and communications experts alike – have asked for a breakdown, here we go.

The first five mistakes we will look at fall into the “grammar” category.

1. SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Incorrect Sentence: We had a kick-off meeting with Mr. Schmidt from Big Medical Devices Company yesterday; I’m not sure he agree to our current proposal.

Correct Sentence: We had a kick-off meeting with Mr. Schmidt from Big Medical Devices Company yesterday; I’m not sure he agrees to our current proposal.

2. COUNT NOUNS vs. NON-COUNT NOUNS
Incorrect Sentence: She offered me a variety of inputs on the manuscript.
Correct Sentence: She offered me a variety of input on the manuscript.

3. PARALLEL STRUCTURE

Incorrect Sentence: We are looking at several options from reducing hours, get a contract seasonal worker, offer voluntary resignation packages, and the removal of some benefits.

Correct Sentence: We are looking at several options from reducing hours, getting a contract seasonal worker, offering voluntary resignation packages, and removing some benefits.

4. GERUND, INFINITIVE, or BOTH?

Incorrect Sentence: Please remind me of adding the meeting to my calendar; I anticipate to see many of the new hires there.

Correct Sentence: Please remind me to add the meeting to my calendar; I anticipate seeing many of the new hires there.

5. ARTICLES: A, AN, THE or NOTHING?

Incorrect Sentence: The patients receiving new UI drug experienced side effects of nausea, dizziness, and insomnia versus other group of patients who took competitor drug and experienced only mild side effect of taste loss.

Correct Sentence: Patients receiving the new UI drug experienced the side effects of nausea, dizziness, and insomnia versus the other group of patients who took the competitor drug and experienced only the mild side effect of taste loss.

These grammar mistakes are a tell-tale sign to the reader that the e-mail is not from a native speaker, which may unfairly add to a list of stereotypes or biased decisions about the writer’s credibility. ESL writers fear this, and with good reason.

One partial remedy would be to write e-mails first in Microsoft Word then transplant them into the e-mail body. This will catch most grammar and spelling mistakes. However, this doesn’t cover all of them and some errors are very habit-forming and difficult to break.

Some recommendations would be to take a short-term grammar class (online or one-on-one) that focuses specifically on the target grammar errors. There are so many choices available for this and more often than not, executives are too busy for self study. So, it is highly advised that one have accountability and structure in this area.

Other problem areas in ESL writing deserve equal attention. The following 6-10 areas represent a combination of business communication and writing technique mistakes common among both native and non-native speakers. The major differences are that they are more prevalent with the latter group and tend to be worsened and more implicating when coupled with some of the grammar mistakes mentioned in 1-5 above.

1. Informal language in formal correspondence
2. Emotive language
3. Tone: mechanical-sounding or non-conversational
4. No call-to-action or clear navigation
5. Lack of flow from one sentence to the next

If you would like to see examples of these, stay tuned for our next post. In fact, we are taking submissions via open enrollment, so take the liberty of slipping your own e-mails in there if you would like a complimentary proofing and analysis of your work. We promise to keep you anonymous!

Send submissions here: info@springboardsconsulting.com

Thank you for reading. And remember, we want to make this blog yours, so send us your submissions, questions and comments.

I have been in the habit of reading e-mails out loud while working on professional writing strategies with clients. This fared useful especially in a recent coaching session. For this particular client, we replaced his “somebody” with a “someone” in an e-mail to an external client. I explained to him that “somebody” and “anybody” are colloquial forms mostly used in speaking. While it’s true that we use these forms in writing as well, it is the case only in literary or less formal writing. For similar reasons, “gonna” and “wanna” are devoid in formal writing, as well as in formal speaking. If you catch yourself saying these too much in a professional setting, be wary. It is jarring to the ears and can damage your credibility as a professional speaker. Try consciously interchanging “wanna” with “I’d like to” and “gonna” with “I’m going to”, “I plan on doing”, or “I’ll be doing.” It’s good to vary your expressions and it sounds more put-together overall.

So remember, take the “body’s” out of your writing. While it may seem like a small detail, chances are there are a number of other things going on in your writing. The more you can do to attract more attention to your message–and less to your writing– the better.

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