Common English Mistakes

When learning English, it is important to pay attention to common mistakes that can happen from translating directly from Russian. Understanding these differences will help you speak more naturally and correctly.

Correct Expressions and Phrases

Some Russian expressions are translated into English differently. For example, instead of saying 'to make a mistake,' you should use the phrase make a mistake:

• I make a mistake - Я делаю ошибку.

When someone sneezes, in English, it is common to say Bless you. The phrase 'be healthy' is not used in this situation.

To the question 'How are you?', people often want to answer 'As usual'. But translating literally 'as usually' is wrong because usually is an adverb of time. It is correct to say as usual. Also, you cannot answer 'How are you?' with 'I am usual', because this means 'I am an ordinary person'. The correct answer is:

• I am as usual - Я как обычно (meaning 'I am as I usually am').

Be careful with the phrase 'I feel myself good'. Feel myself means 'to touch yourself' in an indecent way. If you want to say you feel well, just use I feel good.

If you want to say you really like something, for example, 'I like it very much', do not say 'I very like'. The adjective very is used before adjectives, not before verbs. With verbs like like, you should use the adverb really:

• I really like it - Мне это очень нравится.

When you agree that someone likes something very much, and you want to say 'me too', use a lot or also. If a lot is at the end of the sentence, it does not need the preposition of:

• I like it a lot - Мне это очень нравится (at the end of the sentence).
• I also like it - Мне тоже это нравится (in the middle of the sentence).

If you want to say 'I speak English well', do not use the word free. The word free means 'free of charge'. Instead, use fluently:

• I speak English fluently - Я бегло говорю по-английски.

The word free can also mean 'free from something'. For example, if a bar sign says 'smoke free', it means 'free from smoking', meaning 'smoking is not allowed':

• This bar is smoke free - В этом баре запрещено курить.

If you do not have children yet, you can say it in two ways, using the auxiliary verb have:

• I haven't got children. (using the modal verb got)
• I don't have children. (using the auxiliary verb do)

Using Prepositions

Be careful with prepositions, as their use in English often differs from Russian. Here are some examples:

• 'In the picture' is translated as in the picture, not 'on the picture'. The preposition in here means 'inside' or 'within the limits of'.

• 'Answer my question' is translated as answer my question, without the preposition on. The verb answer does not need a preposition after it when referring to responding to something.

• 'To be angry with someone' is translated as be angry with somebody, not 'on somebody'. The preposition with indicates the person with whom you are angry.

• 'To wait for someone' always requires the preposition for after the verb wait:

• Wait for me - Подожди меня.

• When you talk about periods of time, such as 'next year' or 'last week', prepositions are not used:

• Next year - В следующем году.

• Last week - На прошлой неделе.

• Some verbs of motion also do not require prepositions before certain nouns:

• Go to school - Идти в школу.

• Go to work - Идти на работу.

• Go home - Идти домой (without the preposition to).

Plural Forms and Noun Peculiarities

In English, there are words that do not form a plural, for example, advice (советы). To express many pieces of advice, use the phrase pieces of advice:

• I have some pieces of advice for you - У меня есть для вас несколько советов.

The word news (новости) is always used in the plural form, but it is treated as singular, that is, with the verb is:

• What is the news? - Какие новости?

The phrases no problem (нет проблем) and no comment (без комментариев) are used in the singular, even though they are translated into Russian as plural. In English, they mean 'there is no problem' or 'there is no comment':

• No problem - Нет проблем.
• No comment - Без комментариев.

Some words, which already mean plural, do not require adding -s. For example, men (мужчины) is already the plural of man (мужчина), and people (люди) is already the plural of person (человек). Do not say 'mens' or 'peoples'.

If you see an apostrophe and -s after a word that is already plural (for example, people's or children's), it indicates possession, not plural form:

• People's problems - Проблемы людей (problems belonging to people).
• Children's toys - Детские игрушки (toys of children).

Remember these rules to avoid common mistakes and improve your English.