Common English Mistakes in Memo by Ukrainian Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Ukrainian speakers from Ukraine when writing a Memos in English.

Mistake Example #1

Using 'will' incorrectly in conditionals ('If it will rain, I will stay' instead of 'If it rains, I will stay')

To: All Staff Subject: Upcoming Team Building Event Dear Team, I want to inform you about the team building event scheduled for next Friday. If it willrains, we will move the activities indoors, so please prepare accordingly. If you willhave any questions or need further information, feel free to contact me. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some corrections for proper use of language in conditionals."

To: All Staff Subject: Upcoming Team Building Event Dear Team, I want to inform you about the team building event scheduled for next Friday. If it rains, we will move the activities indoors, so please prepare accordingly. If you have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact me. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

To: All Staff Subject: Upcoming Team Building Event Dear Team, I want to inform you about the team building event scheduled for next Friday. If it will rain, we will move the activities indoors, so please prepare accordingly. If you will have any questions or need further information, feel free to contact me. Looking forward to seeing everyone there!

Mistake Example #2

Skipping articles ('I bought car' instead of 'I bought a car')

To: Team Members Subject: Project Update I am writing to inform you about theprogress onthe project. We have completedthe first phase and are moving to thenext stage. Please reviewthe document attached and provide feedback by theend ofthe week. Your input is crucial forthe success of project. Thank you for your cooperation.

Text corrected by:
Miss E., Cyprus, Europe

"This is a good write-up overall. However, don't forget to use articles in your sentences. For example, "about progress on project" should be "about the progress on the project" and "We have completed first phase" should be "We have completed the first phase"."

To: Team Members Subject: Project Update I am writing to inform you about the progress on the project. We have completed the first phase and are moving to the next stage. Please review the document attached and provide feedback by the end of the week. Your input is crucial for the success of project. Thank you for your cooperation.

To: Team Members Subject: Project Update I am writing to inform you about progress on project. We have completed first phase and are moving to next stage. Please review document attached and provide feedback by end of week. Your input is crucial for success of project. Thank you for your cooperation.

Mistake Example #3

Confusion with word order ('Always I go to the store' instead of 'I always go to the store')

To: All Staff Subject: Meeting Schedule Update Please note, changed has beenthe meeting timehas been changed to 3 PM on Thursday. DWe will discusswe will the new project timeline and allocate tasks accordingly. EPlease ensure you bring all necessary documents for the discussion. Thank you for your cooperationand—we'll see you then.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to correct word order problems, among other fixes."

To: All Staff Subject: Meeting Schedule Update Please note, the meeting time has been changed to 3 PM on Thursday. We will discuss the new project timeline and allocate tasks accordingly. Please ensure you bring all necessary documents for the discussion. Thank you for your cooperation—we'll see you then.

To: All Staff Subject: Meeting Schedule Update Please note, changed has been the meeting time to 3 PM on Thursday. Discuss we will the new project timeline and allocate tasks accordingly. Ensure you bring all necessary documents for the discussion. Thank you for your cooperation and see you then.