Common English Mistakes in Creative Nonfictions by Ukrainian Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

In the quiet village where my grandmother lives, alwaysthe sunalways rises over the golden fields, painting the sky with thecolors of dreams. OWe oftenwe gather in the kitchen, where she tells stories of old times she tells, her voice weaving magic into the air. Sometimes, when the moon is full, we goto the forestwe go, listening to the whispers of the trees, feeling the ancient spirits that guide us through the night.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some changes to correct some of the word order, among other tweaks."

In the quiet village where my grandmother lives, the sun always rises over the golden fields, painting the sky with the colors of dreams. We often gather in the kitchen, where she tells stories of old times, her voice weaving magic into the air. Sometimes, when the moon is full, we go to the forest, listening to the whispers of the trees, feeling the ancient spirits that guide us through the night.

In the quiet village where my grandmother lives, always the sun rises over the golden fields, painting the sky with colors of dreams. Often we gather in the kitchen, where stories of old times she tells, her voice weaving magic into the air. Sometimes, when the moon is full, to the forest we go, listening to the whispers of the trees, feeling the ancient spirits that guide us through the night.

Mistake Example #2

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

The sky over Kyiv was painted with shades of orange and pink as the sun began its descent. If it willrains tomorrow, I will take my umbrella and walk through the cobblestone streets, listening to the rhythm of the city. The Dnipro River will whisper its secrets, and if it will bes quiet enough, I will hear the echoes of history in the gentle breeze.

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

"I corrected the conditional form of the verb tenses in some of these sentences. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

The sky over Kyiv was painted with shades of orange and pink as the sun began its descent. If it rains tomorrow, I will take my umbrella and walk through the cobblestone streets, listening to the rhythm of the city. The Dnipro River will whisper its secrets, and if it is quiet enough, I will hear the echoes of history in the gentle breeze.

The sky over Kyiv was painted with shades of orange and pink as the sun began its descent. If it will rain tomorrow, I will take my umbrella and walk through the cobblestone streets, listening to the rhythm of the city. The Dnipro River will whisper its secrets, and if it will be quiet enough, I will hear the echoes of history in the gentle breeze.

Mistake Example #3

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

Inthe summer of 1995, I took atrip tothe Carpathian Mountains with my family. We stayed in asmall wooden cabin neara river, where we could hearthe sound of water flowing gently over rocks. Every morning, we would hike through theforest, breathing in fresh mountain air and feeling connected to nature in away that was both peaceful and invigorating.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"Your ideas were clear :) I just added articles before nouns that needed them. "

In the summer of 1995, I took a trip to the Carpathian Mountains with my family. We stayed in a small wooden cabin near a river, where we could hear the sound of water flowing gently over rocks. Every morning, we would hike through the forest, breathing in fresh mountain air and feeling connected to nature in a way that was both peaceful and invigorating.

In summer of 1995, I took trip to Carpathian Mountains with my family. We stayed in small wooden cabin near river, where we could hear sound of water flowing gently over rocks. Every morning, we would hike through forest, breathing in fresh mountain air and feeling connected to nature in way that was both peaceful and invigorating.