Prime Speak Plus

Common English Mistakes Russians Encounter

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by

Mark Lowe
in

Discover the10 Most Common English mistakes Russian speakers make and learn simple ways to improve grammar, pronunciation, and speaking confidence.

Learning English can be challenging for Russian speakers because the two languages are very different in grammar, pronunciation, and sentence structure.

The good news is that many mistakes are completely normal — and once students understand them, they can improve very quickly.

At Prime Speak Plus in Vladivostok, we regularly help students overcome these common problems through communication-focused learning and practical speaking practice.

Here are 10 of the most common English mistakes Russian students make and simple ways to fix them.

1. Forgetting Articles: “a”, “an”, and “the”

One of the biggest difficulties for Russian speakers is articles because the Russian language does not use them.

Russian students often say:
❌ “I bought car.”
(Я купил машина.)

❌ “Teacher is good.”
(Учитель хороший.)

Correct English:
✅ “I bought a car.”
(Я купил машину.)

✅ “The teacher is good.”
(Этот учитель хороший.)

How to fix it

Try thinking of articles as small words that help explain:

  • whether something is general,
  • specific,
  • or mentioned for the first time.

Articles may seem small, but they are very important in natural English.

2. Saying “I very like it”

In Russian, sentence structure is different, so students sometimes directly translate from Russian.

Incorrect:
❌ “I very like English.”
(Я очень люблю английский.)

Correct:
✅ “I really like English.”
(Мне очень нравится английский.)

✅ “I like English very much.”
(Я очень люблю английский язык.)

How to fix it

In English, “very” usually describes adjectives, not verbs.

Examples:
✅ “very good”
(очень хороший)

✅ “very interesting”
(очень интересный)

But:
❌ “very like”

3. Confusing “He”, “She”, and “It”

Because Russian nouns have grammatical gender, students sometimes accidentally use the wrong pronouns in English.

Examples:
❌ “My mother said he is busy.”
(Моя мама сказала, что он занят.)

❌ “The company changed her policy.”
(Компания изменила её политику.)

Correct:
✅ “My mother said she is busy.”
(Моя мама сказала, что она занята.)

✅ “The company changed its policy.”
(Компания изменила свою политику.)

How to fix it

Remember:

  • He = male person (мужчина)
  • She = female person (женщина)
  • It = objects, animals, companies, ideas (предметы, животные, компании, идеи)

4. Missing the Verb “To Be”

Russian often does not require the verb “to be” in the present tense.

Because of this, students may say:
❌ “He tall.”
(Он высокий.)

❌ “They happy.”
(Они счастливы.)

Correct:
✅ “He is tall.”
(Он высокий.)

✅ “They are happy.”
(Они счастливы.)

How to fix it

In English, sentences usually need:
Subject + Verb
(Подлежащее + Глагол)

Examples:
✅ “I am tired.”
(Я устал.)

✅ “She is a teacher.”
(Она учитель.)

5. Translating Directly From Russian

Direct translation is one of the most common problems.

Examples:
❌ “I feel myself good.”
(Я чувствую себя хорошо.)

❌ “How it is called?”
(Как это называется?)

Correct:
✅ “I feel good.”
(Я чувствую себя хорошо.)

✅ “What is it called?”
(Как это называется?)

How to fix it

Instead of translating word-for-word, try learning complete English phrases naturally through conversation and listening practice.

6. Problems With English Pronunciation

English pronunciation can be difficult because many sounds do not exist in Russian.

Common examples include:

  • “th” sounds,
  • long and short vowels,
  • and word stress.

Examples:
❌ “zis” instead of “this”
(зис вместо this)

❌ “tree” instead of “three”
(три вместо three)

How to fix it

Listening regularly to native English speakers helps students improve pronunciation naturally over time.

Speaking practice is essential.

7. Using Present Simple Instead of Present Continuous

Russian does not use continuous tenses in the same way English does.

Students often say:
❌ “I watch TV now.”
(Я сейчас смотрю телевизор.)

Correct:
✅ “I am watching TV now.”
(Я сейчас смотрю телевизор.)

How to fix it

Use Present Continuous for actions happening right now.

Examples:
✅ “She is studying.”
(Она сейчас учится.)

✅ “We are eating.”
(Мы сейчас едим.)

8. Using Double Negatives

In Russian, double negatives are normal. In English, they usually sound incorrect.

Incorrect:
❌ “I don’t know nothing.”
(Я ничего не знаю.)

Correct:
✅ “I don’t know anything.”
(Я ничего не знаю.)

How to fix it

English normally uses only one negative form per sentence.

9. Difficulty With Word Order

Russian word order is flexible, but English word order is usually fixed.

Incorrect:
❌ “Very interesting this book is.”
(Очень интересная эта книга.)

Correct:
✅ “This book is very interesting.”
(Эта книга очень интересная.)

How to fix it

English sentences normally follow:
Subject + Verb + Object
(Подлежащее + Сказуемое + Дополнение)

Examples:
✅ “I like coffee.”
(Мне нравится кофе.)

✅ “She studies English.”
(Она изучает английский.)

10. Fear of Speaking

This is probably the biggest problem of all.

Many Russian students:

  • know vocabulary,
  • understand grammar,
  • but feel nervous speaking English aloud.

This usually happens because students spend too much time studying rules and not enough time using English in conversation.

How to fix it

Confidence develops through:

  • speaking practice,
  • listening,
  • communication,
  • and regular interaction.

Making mistakes is a normal part of learning.

Why These Mistakes Are Completely Normal

Every language learner makes mistakes.

Russian speakers learning English face unique challenges because English grammar and pronunciation are very different from Russian.

The important thing is not avoiding mistakes completely — it is continuing to communicate and improve over time.

Students usually progress much faster when lessons focus on:

  • real communication,
  • listening,
  • speaking,
  • and confidence-building.

Final Thoughts

Most English mistakes Russian students make are very common and completely fixable with regular practice and communication.

The best way to improve is through:

  • speaking regularly,
  • listening to natural English,
  • learning common phrases,
  • and building confidence step by step.

At Prime Speak Plus, we focus on helping students in Vladivostok improve practical communication skills through supportive and conversation-focused learning environments.

Mistakes are part of the process — and every mistake is an opportunity to improve.

English Courses in Vladivostok

Prime Speak Plus offers English courses for:

  • children,
  • teenagers,
  • adults,
  • speaking clubs,
  • and communication-focused learning.

Our lessons focus on:

  • practical English,
  • confidence,
  • pronunciation,
  • and real-world communication with a native English speaker.
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