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.

1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
' t: g9 }" R1 w1 H) M    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

6 [2 f3 {/ W# v- x/ U) N2 i9 A. ^4 K8 k7 ^The reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
+ C/ X8 }0 `/ n2 m9 m5 j
- g# ~2 k$ b( ~2 ^0 {2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. 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.
. `& H6 y# ~. @8 j6 _5 l

$ w4 F9 A/ [" L! z  F! g; ?4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
$ c2 Y  @) c3 \2 ]' f3 HThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
  F" M% U+ q9 S5 S" B: F; ]2 [
$ |( m- E& a0 w5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
, T0 {; A. i! l: I- J- ]  r6. He is a gay.
7 x6 c$ B/ u+ n: J3 r5 lHe is gay.

5 [! a2 g' h, [$ S. @7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
0 n* b4 S$ x$ Y! D8 ^7 x& f
( M6 C8 z- t7 V/ L4 P. @) t: y# X