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.
+ U5 Q9 N* j6 Z2 }3 Q; \6 \& b5 X: ]
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.
0 W2 J$ U; D' s9 Z6 ^
. A: Q. \& i" I3 r; tThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
7 c; E: S) o5 Y7 H1 \
& l, a! T% h3 z; u  N- T2. 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.
5 I% R# |" y- E( E. T4 c

4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
# B6 o" m" y1 ~: K$ y0 l
7 y9 ]* j  K9 A- |# `5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
( ?. y% e9 _' R6. He is a gay.
7 O, L% b- v5 ?' _He is gay.
0 o' _- \- X) R/ x* M+ z# H
9 X) n! p1 t* X- {1 K" M7. Why? No why.
) |% V" x7 F. E( w* ]# V( |Not no why, no reason.
5 G5 S6 c9 b/ C$ k4 b5 U8. Thanks! No thanks!

/ {, [0 i7 F% h; i( F