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.

1 V; X% `1 S; s4 x+ w1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

$ G3 [# B3 \( w& u) W9 v/ L1 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.
3. 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.
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  ]& t; q) {; J- ^. s/ T3 o4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
+ i" h% @5 c! U! P/ Z. }5 s  YThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
% l' v4 G4 ?9 a3 [; u6. He is a gay.
% W$ b  ]9 G. o! ]He is gay.
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* k& W) u3 d( E5 _8 }5 ?7. Why? No why.
- Q9 k' R$ I9 X, s( T+ K3 rNot no why, no reason.
, ~& A" w. l" S' N4 q" m2 q8. Thanks! No thanks!
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