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.

3 i8 Z0 J$ H+ K+ T. }% }( f1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
; t" H" x* G$ o9 V& @    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

; E7 O' w1 N+ gThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

- A/ w$ U, T* i2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
# I6 S, l8 @' {" _! W9 q1 D3. 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.
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# N7 }5 }8 T$ J5 ?' ?4. 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?

  s7 m- o$ z9 K" _5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
& N  a2 x' s& y$ w  `; b6. He is a gay.
' }' H4 J6 T. T: j0 zHe is gay.
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9 F( c& N/ `$ t  O7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
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