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.
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. R( R) j+ W0 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.

/ U! X9 W/ O2 Y- N+ A* AThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

- H8 L  P# Y- y( j& j+ a& d2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
) r& Y/ N4 A/ _' b) E: |  {3. Please close your phone.
  m) p' J! `1 t* B- z0 W" m4 yThese 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.


4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
7 s# i8 `# s( [  d  y3 `The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

5. I am a Chinese.
0 D9 c0 U# z- iI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
& L) M$ k$ T" n6. He is a gay.
. v5 C+ @5 _2 R: g/ G0 W( kHe is gay.

7. Why? No why.
2 G1 ^: j% L. w: t/ C0 S7 a4 ^Not no why, no reason.
1 k4 D  j+ f+ ~8. Thanks! No thanks!

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