Common English Mistakes in Life Advice Columns by Slovak Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Slovak speakers from Slovakia when writing a Life Advice Column in English.

Mistake Example #1

Incorrect placement of adjectives ('The car red' instead of 'The red car')

Dear Advice Column, I am feeling overwhelmed with themy busy lifebusy and theimportant decisionsimportant that I must make. My closefriendclose suggests that I take thea long vacationlong to clear my mind, but I am unsure if this is the bestsolutionbest. Could you please give me thelpful guidancehelpful on how to manage thedaily stressdaily and find the rightbalanceright in my life?

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Your ideas were all very clear :) I just made a few small changes to improve the flow and polish things up."

Dear Advice Column, I am feeling overwhelmed with my busy life and the important decisions that I must make. My close friend suggests that I take a long vacation to clear my mind, but I am unsure if this is the best solution. Could you please give me helpful guidance on how to manage daily stress and find the right balance in my life?

Dear Advice Column, I am feeling overwhelmed with the life busy and the decisions important that I must make. My friend close suggests that I take the vacation long to clear my mind, but I am unsure if this is the solution best. Could you please give me the guidance helpful on how to manage the stress daily and find the balance right in my life?

Mistake Example #2

Omitting 'it' as a subject in dummy subject sentences ('Is raining' instead of 'It is raining')

Dear Advice Column, I hamve been feeling very stressed lately becauseit is hard to balance work and personal life. Sometimes it is difficult to find time for myself, andit is making me feel overwhelmed. What can I do to manage my time better and find peace in daily routine?

Text corrected by:
Michele A., Boston, Massachusetts; United States

"I added the subject "it" to a few phrases. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

Dear Advice Column, I have been feeling very stressed lately because it is hard to balance work and personal life. Sometimes it is difficult to find time for myself, and it is making me feel overwhelmed. What can I do to manage my time better and find peace in daily routine?

Dear Advice Column, I am feeling very stressed lately because is hard to balance work and personal life. Sometimes is difficult to find time for myself, and is making me feel overwhelmed. What can I do to manage my time better and find peace in daily routine?

Mistake Example #3

Struggles with perfect tenses ('I am here since three years')

Dear Advice Column, I hamve been living in Bratislava for the pasincet five years and Ihave ambeen struggling with making new friends. I have tried joining clubs and attending events, but I am not feeling connected with people. How can I improve my social life when I hamve been here for so long and still feel like outsider?

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"I made edits to correct the tenses: "I am living in Bratislava since five years" should be "I have been living in Bratislava for the past five years" and "when I am here for so long" should be "when I have been here for so long"."

Dear Advice Column, I have been living in Bratislava for the past five years and have been struggling with making new friends. I have tried joining clubs and attending events, but I am not feeling connected with people. How can I improve my social life when I have been here for so long and still feel like outsider?

Dear Advice Column, I am living in Bratislava since five years and I am struggling with making new friends. I have tried joining clubs and attending events, but I am not feeling connected with people. How can I improve my social life when I am here for so long and still feel like outsider?