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.
# c/ n, H& R* x8 l9 J; @$ r6 H
1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
9 c! E  ~8 M! y! S    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

9 y/ E: Q- n4 z: u# x# y& h: 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.
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3 \- ?+ `3 j& u7 m1 C2 w( z2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. Please close your phone.
$ x7 s' |+ F0 L, v) e8 qThese 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?

- L" F5 S: P3 K. P3 }5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
# w! P! L/ q& V, `& p' WHe is gay.
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( u# N0 u" Z, Y7 z) U7. Why? No why.
; {3 c$ ?! }* o4 ?9 fNot no why, no reason.
( S" G0 V  b. h6 W8. Thanks! No thanks!