Minor but significant mistakes you may have made in speaking English

billzhao

Some friends, especially those who are just learning English, often make the following mistakes.

! q! H& w7 a, K) _+ m+ P$ q1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
: @5 s- g; g8 X' t7 J7 H5 e    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
) G8 F9 {' c2 _+ @# Q8 F
3 P$ m  l4 y6 j9 r) ~1 q* E, ^* {& _+ KThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
4 c  P0 Y" j+ M# A3. Please close your phone.
+ L; f  C0 o  {" HThese mistakes are made because of direct translation. Another similar mistake is: I very like Canada. You really like Canada, or you like Canada very much.


0 ~# F4 I7 W7 ]; k5 u+ p% F4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
* b& b5 o  X% f/ W% _4 QThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
% Y2 O7 ]" m; G9 O" b4 Y6. He is a gay.
) Y* r* C- K7 DHe is gay.
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7. Why? No why.
; ^" @" q. g5 k- _+ Y6 `  e) G0 SNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
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