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. 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.
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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.
, v* Q+ l! M& B* O7 P3. Please close your phone.
" F8 f2 s% Z5 i  ^( |: s( ~  T# wThese 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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/ [4 Z$ q* j1 x4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
0 T5 ?$ q. H3 A8 C3 P$ ZThe 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.
; j- A! l; \6 j, Y0 p6. He is a gay.
1 p' z* ?. O  u' O& X, G) vHe is gay.

# p! S  u. D/ |% R2 d8 Z3 u$ Y7. Why? No why.
& I. V8 X6 z( @0 C; V! y9 s0 {& DNot no why, no reason.
  M; h. O5 s( u5 l" x8. Thanks! No thanks!

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