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.

; W' r2 A  M, k: S1. 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.

- ~/ Y' H) T5 nThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
, m0 ~) w! ~: N* k1 B0 n
2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. Please close your phone.
2 H- ?8 x& M: ~  R' R' gThese 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.

% j5 K& r# M" _7 A# \
4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

5. I am a Chinese.
5 I& Z+ z$ ~+ oI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
, J2 w8 R/ D( X9 C2 Y3 c) G, _& X+ JHe is gay.
+ Y* [+ b. J" ]; ]8 X. }! `6 L, y% I
3 [7 G+ \9 u, E$ B! C7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
: C" j( X( G' S1 I5 N8. Thanks! No thanks!

- z" G  R# D" U. H# d, S. g# A