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.

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.
! i8 Y9 P% {* j& [: `
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.
) k! Y" ]! a; I) F; Y6 }0 V5 j
( W+ Z& _0 H/ K+ _2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. Please close your phone.
6 h7 l+ N; T0 @$ OThese 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.

+ R0 J  p/ u  p. Y1 ^' k& l
* P) A6 X/ F0 t5 B/ ]' R4. 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?

0 H* l' m% `- a2 Y/ X5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
# {. Y9 A) X% j8 C  _( I( R6. He is a gay.
% \1 ]  R! O4 X+ LHe is gay.
1 m$ o2 u1 [% b& ?* T: w$ c
7. Why? No why.
9 s+ d0 i7 _& k% ^* q$ ]9 G6 O1 GNot no why, no reason.
: ^$ E1 C8 s" D8. Thanks! No thanks!
* ]1 X0 l# N. q5 A; p