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.
/ `' G9 x8 {* ]* e  [1 k8 G    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
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" E7 h  i4 c+ v$ a0 VThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
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+ m; t# f, B  `* R5 F/ V& d2. 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.


# X6 d+ g+ |+ s% O  \" w4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
( j/ ^( X: e' \* |& A+ D& |The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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" N* F0 u8 V6 e' `5 y/ ?  f4 Y5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
7 D/ O3 Y/ i0 N  w$ ^# h' _" FHe is gay.
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7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!

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