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.

: q9 _/ ]5 [' y8 y7 c* X8 N2 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.
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; F9 [# F. I4 o0 V6 W3 zThe 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. 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.


# N7 J/ m, G* D$ |8 w8 Q5 W8 ^, G( s4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
9 y2 _/ h# W  x+ Q  ]) ZThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
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5. I am a Chinese.
' d$ U  r$ v. m4 ~2 q- EI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
He is gay.

7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
  N( Z$ `* h- m0 \2 H  O8. Thanks! No thanks!
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