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.

+ H: t2 Y, I- G% E* @1 z1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
" L* x' N6 w6 v; E* O( N    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
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: P. l5 G' o, N- a7 C2 `The reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
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2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
1 a+ z6 s# }5 m5 Z6 E- n3. Please close your phone.
These 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.


4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
& w" R% Q: `1 w& v) R4 [0 ^The 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.
6. He is a gay.
He is gay.
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* T4 Y) T( E( F7 |7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
9 g: ?) R; o) r2 v+ i! \8. Thanks! No thanks!

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