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.

; y( n6 Z' q, J+ h% X1. 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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+ f! a" Z0 d; b; kThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
- T. g0 J6 P1 F) f3 Q" I; b7 Z3. 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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9 k8 G5 O$ k. Q! W" `+ o4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
: K6 C. u0 E, N  P1 d6 DThe 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.
9 Q2 P* J0 a+ p7 g7 V! Y" ?6. He is a gay.
* O! F" J; e' m, Z7 W  [5 `2 T3 fHe is gay.
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7. Why? No why.
7 j; y- F2 ]4 _$ n) y2 KNot no why, no reason.
- `1 h) G1 ]% \  ^+ X/ Q* h8. Thanks! No thanks!
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