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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( `/ R1 y) Y5 `/ y+ O% `0 q3 I1. 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.
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1 h$ v' r# P( L2 p# V. c, oThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

4 Q! c3 Q  V0 x1 {2 m4 Y2. 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.


& X, ~2 y" A, Z$ x! }1 A, [4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
7 }; |) t3 A, m* hThe 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.
+ K6 _( g% v1 e0 b1 a/ {9 _' B6. He is a gay.
. o' @1 A# O+ \- a- QHe is gay.

7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
, N( ~' g, T& y$ }0 A6 ?8. Thanks! No thanks!

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