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.

" n, C4 v4 x* |& C7 Q1. 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.

& [  ~* s6 Y# B# ~$ u! Z. S$ L/ v7 I: 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.

- P9 c5 b, T$ y% z) h2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
. }& u) ^" i  W( g7 u/ C3. Please close your phone.
  |; r) E# b" X6 Q9 V5 c' V( DThese 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.


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?
% i* n, y- c6 Y5 \( f
5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
. ]# O( V0 o- k6 V! t" C3 HHe is gay.
' k! W" P% ^, X" L5 H- k
+ l- P' Y6 m  a5 k. i7. Why? No why.
1 @, |# K9 \: l6 Q. g$ yNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
- {2 c# c: ^( a  g. z3 J& h, B) H