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.
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* V# O, y5 }/ I6 R# 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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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.
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2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
1 W3 \2 s; `: }3. Please close your phone.
) e; N" o) U. E4 @* H5 h5 UThese 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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! y" _  g" |( m  L/ a4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
3 S( @* N2 h- d4 b1 EThe 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.
* X3 S" E& S1 S% X0 t  }. A6. He is a gay.
% Y& V. k0 [  Z0 d& XHe is gay.

# f' N# i5 m$ i! Y4 L* y7. Why? No why.
. }4 _/ Y2 T( m" c: R+ kNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!