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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" C' s! f& f$ G* U, P- V4 \$ \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.

# _5 m" C* `/ z- a. i& f: fThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

- {" E7 \  a. ^" d7 w" {1 G2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
9 U8 A& r% e' K" a$ p' j( ?1 ^! j3. 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.

# I2 x# G  U! M) M8 L, E8 p% r- y
8 ]/ v/ Y9 z, y$ j6 R4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
6 V9 W$ {# F- l1 VThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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# P. o& e  u. A# Q  k5. I am a Chinese.
1 ]" v6 b! f7 i3 k& ~I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
$ b' c9 m8 b" H' O" }( K6. He is a gay.
6 e8 Q0 D. d8 p/ `# gHe is gay.
3 R" \2 x: D& [0 z5 N0 z3 e
7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
4 e& f% _! f3 D7 A' ^5 |7 |% ~8. Thanks! No thanks!