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.

  q* u8 O* ^- j3 F' I1. 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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2 a5 v" e' [- K' A5 r0 Q" tThe 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.
' @% S9 n; U6 Q, }& OThese 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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4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
% Y! b, ~. V2 w  e! u6 R9 BThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

5. I am a Chinese.
7 I0 W( ^% ]4 [( ?/ E$ |I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
5 L9 j1 ~8 Y* b3 K6. He is a gay.
0 y: c, H( Y, @( {3 U' mHe is gay.

3 e+ ~* D: w* t" ~7. Why? No why.
2 G' R: b# `( J) aNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
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