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.

( R% u+ q8 _  I6 d( Y1. 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.

- }6 B7 [8 G8 XThe 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.
8 P" {2 D, U/ M6 r7 ?% q" W3. 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.


# q" `& q2 E2 }# l4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
2 D! i& M+ H4 `4 P2 R& Z* Y8 @% FThe 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.

% j0 [: U8 r- \1 w" E7. Why? No why.
. i- D9 z0 L# Q7 xNot no why, no reason.
; {* N0 B' p7 U& k( d8. Thanks! No thanks!

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