Revision of a Non-Specialised Translation - List of Error Categories for Candidates - English into Hindi - Study guide

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by Cipher

Revision guidance for a non-specialised translation from English into Hindi, organized as a list of error categories spanning word, phrase, and sentence levels. Covers distortion of meaning (including shifts in time reference and adjective mistranslation), unjustified omission, and unjustified addition. Further addresses inappropriate register and unidiomatic expressions that sound unnatural. Includes grammar and syntax errors (tense, agreement, pronoun reference, sentence structure) plus spelling and punctuation mistakes, using labeled correct vs incorrect examples to show impact on meaning transfer.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages3

Reading Time8 min

AccessFree to download

Error Categories

Distortion

Unjustified omission

Unjustified addition

Inappropriate register

Unidiomatic expression

Grammar and syntax errors

Spelling errors

Punctuation errors

Revision of a Non-Specialised Translation: List of Error Categories for Candidates (English into Hindi) The translation includes errors at word, phrase or sentence level across the following categories: | Error Category | Examples of Errors | | --- | --- | | 1. Distortion: An element of meaning in the source text is altered in the target text.
A distortion can occur in an individual word, phrase, clause or entire sentence. | a) Correct version: this week the government announced that all public servants would get a pay rise.
a) Incorrect version: the government announced that all public servants would get a pay rise this week.
(Moving the phrase this week changes the time reference from the announcement to the pay rise, thereby altering the meaning of the target text.) . | | | b) Correct version: the witness described the thief as a young man with black hair.
b) Incorrect version: the witness described the thief as a young man with blond hair.
(Incorrect translation of the adjective, thereby altering the meaning of the target text. ) | | 2. Unjustified omission: An element of meaning in the sourcetext is not transferred into the target text.
An unjustified omission can occur with an individual word, phrase, clause or entire sentence. | Correct version: the largest increases in soil carbon levels are obtained in the first 6–8 years after changes in land management, and after 35 years the rate of change drops to zero.
Incorrect version: the largest increases in soil carbon levels are obtained in the first 6–8 years after changes in land management.
(Omission of the underlined clause results in a major loss of meaning in the context of the whole sentence. ) | | 3. Unjustified addition: An element of meaning that does not exist in the source text is added to the target text.
An unjustified addition can occur with an individual word, phrase, clause or entire sentence. | Correct version: would guarantee that people leaving the workforce in their mid-60s enjoyed a financially secure retirement.
Incorrect version: would guarantee that people leaving the workforce in their mid-60s enjoyed a financially secure retirement for therest of their lives, no matter how long they lived.
(The underlined words were not found in the original text, nor were they implied, and inserting them has a major impact on the transfer of meaning.) | | Error Category | Examples of Errors | | --- | --- | | 4. Inappropriate register:
Incorrect variety of language or inappropriate vocabulary for the text type (e.g. inappropriate level of formality or informality) . | a) Correct version: In a recent judgement, the Criminal Court handed down a three-month suspended sentence.
a) Incorrect version: In a recent judgement, the Criminal Court gave out a three-month suspended sentence.
(In the legal register, the wording usually used is that a court hands down rather than gives out a sentence.) | | | b) Correct version: [in minutes of board meeting] The Chairman expressed his extreme displeasure.
b) Incorrect version: The Chairman said he was really annoyed.
(The phrase said he was really annoyed conveys the correct meaning but is too informal in this context. ) | | 5. Unidiomatic expression: An expression sounding unnatural or awkward to a native speaker irrespective of the context in which the expression is used, but the intended meaning can be understood. | a) Correct version: Smog is a big problem in many cities.
a) Incorrect version: Smog is a large problem in many cities.
(In this context, the word big is more commonly used, but large can still be understood. ) | | | b) Correct version: subjected to intense criticism
b) Incorrect version: subjected with intense criticism
(The verb subject[ed] is normally collocated with the preposition to, but the meaning can be understood. ) | | 6. Error of grammar, syntax:
Error in structuring words, clausesand phrases of a language. E.g. incorrect word type

FAQs

What does “distortion” mean in this translation error guide?

Distortion means the target text alters the meaning of the source text, such as changing time reference or mistranslating an adjective.

How are “unjustified omission” and “unjustified addition” different?

Unjustified omission leaves out meaning present in the source, while unjustified addition inserts meaning that does not exist in the source and can change interpretation.

Which types of language problems are covered under grammar and syntax errors?

Grammar and syntax errors include incorrect word forms, wrong verb tenses, agreement mistakes between subject and verb, and incorrect sentence structure or pronoun reference.

Oct 1, 2026

Uploaded by Cipher