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.
" f; q  `+ ]# L! j) F, _: P" y2 S% M    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
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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.
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2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
6 N. ~. _/ ~4 b9 T; z6 ?) v8 K3. 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.


3 N& N/ i4 C% z' n: _; g" n' a4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
' B+ f% K! [$ X4 ~/ N+ ~The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
5 J) Z/ O# g& v3 g9 v$ a: L, eHe is gay.
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7. Why? No why.
0 S' B$ s0 w' z5 R# u4 `Not no why, no reason.
5 \7 b% d1 f# D) z# E! x/ T' M8. Thanks! No thanks!

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