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.
, x5 M1 b( \" B/ m. J9 Q
+ Y) z% P' q9 A+ Z1. 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.
& K: f9 x* z4 V
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.

2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
8 V. u& \8 Z6 w# }5 `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.


, N, ]* I, T  h, Y/ I" P4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
2 n, S! h1 A6 ~& [5 G1 l" \0 jThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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) N# s, o; B$ p* `! y5. I am a Chinese.
% @8 X  L$ c6 ]$ zI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
' O( i8 K. \1 r) {' v9 i4 Z" |* ]/ H6. He is a gay.
' q; J9 `  d/ g" Q9 P, @% M# W0 I6 vHe is gay.

7. Why? No why.
& T- G6 ]: q' ~: i4 S! |$ _Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!