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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. I: c# b6 l- U) z1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
" b7 w9 E2 s* W( j5 r2 n" u: h' |    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

. E' ^! ?5 y9 G9 JThe 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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2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
$ v7 x, j) z) I7 y1 ~1 y6 S; z3. Please close your phone.
5 @0 J, u' Z( T1 ^2 K7 g; H- tThese 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.

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4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
* X- N7 T5 e9 JThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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+ A, t; J8 F0 ]* ?5 ~" [* U5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
' J* d4 m, o4 x: j$ R7 Q% h% S+ ]7 z% @  p6. He is a gay.
3 |/ `- u9 ~, FHe is gay.
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$ x4 b" I, W. u; A; y7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
  w7 z- F  e( f8 g, f' @1 X8. Thanks! No thanks!