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.

! A  N( p$ N/ Y: X# J1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
+ [5 A. j) b, @. ^+ ~; J    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

2 ~7 O. Z8 H- c  h4 \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.

3 f% s. N8 X8 p5 w4 X# w/ [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.

7 S  t" u# D: a" r9 [1 T0 x! P
" X1 Q- z3 w& {4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
$ A( p5 @$ z5 W3 I" C7 a4 aThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

5. I am a Chinese.
5 h, p4 I2 Z# @0 o. ZI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
He is gay.

7. Why? No why.
% H$ P' ]0 B) u& ~6 M6 ^Not no why, no reason.
( k9 `2 D" u# ~+ Y) _/ @9 L3 ]8. Thanks! No thanks!
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