Read in other languages: RU | UA | EN
Even sailors with a good level of English regularly make the same mistakes — simply because their native language works differently. Some of these slip-ups are harmless, but a few can distort the meaning of a command or a report at a critical moment. Let’s go through the most common ones and how to fix them.
1. Mixing up “advice” and “advise”
Ukrainian and Russian don’t distinguish between the noun and the verb form — but English does: advice (a suggestion) is a noun, advise (to suggest) is a verb. The same goes for practice/practise. It’s a small error, but it shows up constantly in written reports and applications.
2. Word-for-word translation of “according to” style phrases
Phrases like “згідно з розкладом” or “по прибутті” often get translated literally as “according to the schedule” instead of the more natural “as per schedule”, or as the clumsy “by arriving” instead of simply “on arrival”. SMCP standard phrases help avoid this trap — they already use the correct, established wording.
3. Misuse of articles the/a
A sailor’s native language has no articles at all, so choosing between “a” and “the” is often a matter of guesswork rather than rule. This rarely causes real misunderstanding in speech, but in written documents (survey reports, statements of fact) missing articles stand out and can look unprofessional.
4. Confusing Present Perfect and Past Simple
“I have checked the engine yesterday” is a classic mistake: Present Perfect doesn’t combine with a specific past time marker like “yesterday”. The correct form is “I checked the engine yesterday”. This error is especially noticeable in the oral part of MARLINS and CES tests.
5. False friends
The word “magazine” means a periodical publication, not a warehouse or a shop. “Complexion” means skin tone, not build or physique. “Sympathetic” means caring or understanding, not likeable. These words look deceptively similar to their Ukrainian/Russian counterparts but mean something completely different.
6. Wrong word order in questions
“You have checked the pressure?” instead of “Have you checked the pressure?” is a direct calque from a language where questions are formed by intonation, not word order. Over the radio or during a port state control inspection, this can sound uncertain or ambiguous.
How to get rid of these mistakes
- Record yourself speaking and listen back — most mistakes are easier to catch from the outside than to notice in the moment.
- Keep a personal list of your recurring mistakes and review it regularly.
- Practise the standard SMCP phrases — they’re already grammatically correct and remove part of the problem automatically.
- Practise with a teacher who can point out a mistake immediately and explain why it’s wrong — habits you form on your own take years to unlearn.
Conclusion
None of these mistakes are a reason to panic — they’re a normal part of learning a language. What matters is not memorising abstract rules but working through your own recurring mistakes in the context of real maritime practice. At Sea Service, we build our programme around the typical difficulties Ukrainian sailors face — it speeds up progress and helps you pass tests and communicate on board with more confidence.