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.

" Y: U* K& U; F1. 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.
% p, U! {1 u' u) m0 `9 y
) ?4 x9 P8 r  f, t9 [, f$ `, @* eThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

* S" T9 B3 B0 F* V( f8 \2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
7 e' e2 U" W* J7 K9 B/ I* k( `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.

% Z4 E  p5 c* E, b
' \2 k% j9 v9 I; A  K+ z4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
7 y2 i: W( \% A! _The 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.
6. He is a gay.
8 W  h# G0 V/ b  ^% w3 a6 qHe is gay.

7 w% Z9 ^( W* R7 M  s7. Why? No why.
( x6 s0 n4 v% v5 E+ K, q! K  d/ wNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!