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.

: h  }6 h6 e- u# g5 d5 X# {1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
* D6 d# w0 Q3 l7 q3 _    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

0 c7 z3 e# A5 pThe 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.
: [3 k. Y/ `! r$ x3. Please close your phone.
, Q* E8 m3 r8 q  J* T& n9 eThese 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.
: V) w- b  `; r9 {3 S; u% @

% k# B3 \4 B, c  X8 [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?

5. I am a Chinese.
8 H- t1 B6 e$ V# y- V2 cI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
8 A0 w4 Y3 _% g0 eHe is gay.
4 X9 p7 ~0 g* V0 d1 C
6 G0 y* I: @4 \6 m  A1 |/ M7. Why? No why.
) x% p7 C. q" W8 g6 D9 VNot no why, no reason.
) ?: z- @5 ?* Q  Z- D. L( v9 U8. Thanks! No thanks!
5 V! E' }: J* u+ @5 C% |, ^