maize

Maize sounds like maze (labyrinth) or amazing.

Here is an amazing maize maze!

eventually

In English, "eventually" means "in the end", "after a long wait" or "finally".

Example:

 

I argued with my colleague for over a week, but eventually I had to admit that she was right.

You can run from your problems but eventually they will catch up with you.

Origin of the confusion:

In German, "eventuell" means "possibly" or "potentially".

what it looks like and how it looks

Correct phrases:

what it looks like
how it looks

You can replace "looks" with "sounds", "feels", etc.

Examples:

This isn't what it looks like!
That wasn't how it sounded to me.

Incorrect:
"How it looks like". In German, this would be, "wienach es aussieht".

Capital letters

You don't need to use capital letters as often as you think!

It's very complicated, but a good rule of thumb is to capitalise at the start of sentences, names and places... and nothing else.

For example:

I like to go hiking in the Alps.

I live in Vienna.

My name is Bob.

There are some additional things that should be capitalised, like nationalities and religions:

For example: 

All Christians adhere to Christianity and follow the teachings of Jesus. 

The French president is called François Hollande.

So while you would say:

I am Italian.

you would also say:

I am a biologist.

There are some grey areas. The subject you study at university if often the title of your degree (so capitalised) but also a general subject (so not capitalised).

For example:

Both are correct:

I study law at the University of Vienna

I study Law at the University of Vienna

Present continuous or present simple?

Present continuous should be used when something is happening now for a limited amount of time.

For example:

Can I call you back later? I'm eating dinner.
Take an umbrella with you, it's raining.

Present simple is used for a fact (something that is always true) and for a routine.

For example: 

I have one sister.
I get up at 06:45 on weekdays.

The brewery in Vienna smells a bit like peanut butter.

Water boils at 100°C.

Present simple is used to describe results.

This shows that...
It indicates...
The sample consists of...

Origin of the confusion:
Present continuous doesn't really exist in German (ich bin dabei, etwas zu machen).  
Native German speakers who speak little English generally don't use present continuous. For example, if you asked "what are you doing" they might reply "I cook" (the correct answer is "I am cooking"). Or if you are talking in the cinema they might say "be quiet, the film starts" (the correct phrase is "be quiet, the film is starting").
Probably because they are afraid of making this mistake, native German speakers who speak good English generally use present continuous too much. They might say "your sister is looking a lot like you" (the correct phrase is "your sister looks a lot like you") or "I am sleeping a lot at the weekend" (the correct phrase is "I sleep a lot at the weekend").

insulation vs. isolation

Insulation is a layer of material that prevents energy from escaping.

For example:

I feel very well insulated with my new coat.
A rat nibbled the electrical insulation on the cable.

Isolation is being alone.

For example:

The disease was very contagious so they put the patient into isolation.
I felt very isolated when I lived in China because I couldn't speak Mandarin.

influence + on / of

For example:


Incubation time had no influence on pH. 

The results showed no influence of incubation time on pH.


... not influence to

vary, varies, various

Vary rhymes with scary hairy Mary.

Clicking on the words will take you to a dictionary where you can hear the words pronounced.
The "y" sounds like "tree"... 

...not "try"

Varies and various sound like vary but with a "s" and "ous".


Origin of the confusion:

Variety is pronounced differently.

determine

"Determine" sounds like "in"...

...not "mine".

for vs since

Correct use:

Describe a length of time without referring to a specific date using "for".

For example:

You’ve been here for five years.

Describe a length of time with reference to a specific date using "since".

For example:

You've been here since 2007.

Here's a link to a great exercise.

at + small/large scale

For example:

The experiments were first carried out at laboratory scale, and then at pilot scale.

Also, small/large scale is not written with a hyphen (-) unless it comes directly before a noun.

For example:

The small-scale experiments were validated with experiments at full scale.

overview + of

For example:

The first chapter will give you an overview of current research in the field of environmental bioremediation.

... not overview on / to

How many sides does a house have?

Correct use:

A normal house has one front, one back, one left side and one right side.
A piece of paper has two sides. The one you are looking at, and the other side.
A page in a book has a front and a back.

For example:

Turn the page over to find the English version of the text. 
The English version can be found on the other side of the page.




Origin of the confusion:

In German, there is a "Hinterseite". In English, the "backside" means buttocks.

Houses and papers do not have a backsides!

In German, this is the difference between "hinten" and "Hintern", or "Hinterseite" and "Hinterteil".

hardly

Correct use:

Use the word "hardly" to mean almost not.

For example:

I hardly slept last night.


Origin of the confusion:

It sounds like it should be the opposite of "easily", but it isn't!
The best example of this is:

"I'm working hard" => I'm working a lot.
"I'm hardly working" => I'm almost not working.




Here are some examples of the opposite of "easily"

Some chemicals are easily degradable.
Some chemicals are hard to degrade.

I could easily run five kilometers.
You could run five kilometers, but with difficulty.

Master’s and Bachelor’s

This is my favourite English mistake.

Correct use

With an ’s

A "master’s thesis" is short for "master’s degree thesis". A "master's" is the degree you do to become a master.
master’s [degree], bachelor’s [degree],
master’s [degree] thesis, bachelor’s [degree] thesis
master’s [degree] presentation


Origin of the confusion and why it's wrong

Most other languages don't include the ’s, and because the word has an English origin, they assume it's the same in English.

I can't tell you how funny I find it when people tell me "I'm doing my master". This implies you're having sex with someone who dominates over you.
"I want to do a bachelor at the University" -> You want to have sex with a single student.
"I did my master in Spain" -> You called him Maestro.

A "master thesis" would be the thesis that is the lord over all other theses.

It’s fine to say “I’m doing my M.Sc., B.Sc. or Ph. D.”.
It's also fine to say, "I'm doing my doctorate", but don't say "I'm doing my doctor" unless you are actually having sex with your doctor.

on the one hand

There is some confusion around the phrase "on the one hand this, on the other hand that". In German it seems that you can use it in many different situations, but in English you can only use it one way.

Correct use:

The English phrase "on the one hand this, but on the other hand that" is used for two opposing statements related to one topic. It is often used to describe advantages and disadvantages.

For example: 

Statement 1 (disadvantage):  This mobile phone is expensive.
Statement 2 (advantage):  This mobile phone has a lot of useful functions.

I can't decide whether or not to buy this mobile phone. On the one hand, it's expensive, but on the other hand, it has a lot of useful functions.

This phrase can not be used for two statements agreeing statements related to one topic.

Origin of the confusion:

The German phrase that translates as "on the one hand this, on the other hand that" is somethimes used for two statements supporting the same conclusion.

For example:

Statement 1: Vegetable dishes taste good.
Statement 2: Eating less meat is good for the environment.

Here, you can not use "on the one hand".

You could say "Limiting your meat consumption is good because not only do vegetable dishes taste good, but eating less meat is good for the environment."

constructed in house or homemade vs self-made

Correct use:

"Assembled in house" or "constructed in house" is a phrase you use in science to say that your lab made something that you can't buy or order anywhere.

For example:

The filtration unit was constructed in house.

The bioreactor was assembled in house using glassware from Duran, Germany, and an impeller from Carl Roth, Germany.

"Homemade" means 

- something that you made 

- something someone made in their home

- something that was not made in a factory

For example: 

I brought a homemade cake to work. 

I'm wearing a homemade scarf, my mum knitted it for me. 

Origin of the confusion:

The German term "selbstgemacht" sounds confusingly like "self-made" in English, and this mistake is widespread in the German-speaking world.

The English term "self-made" is only used in one context: 

His parents were poor but he worked two jobs till he saved enough money to start his own business. Now he is a millionaire. He is a self-made man.

If you say "a self-made cake", it means the cake baked itself. A "self-made bioreactor" assembled itself.