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.

, O7 m8 P2 F: s1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
/ i0 h) h1 V8 o2 t- q( s    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
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) u' c( k& h: Q9 c% H' B/ MThe 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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) X; h9 a0 E8 g7 U& N2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. Please close your phone.
, E7 j( H8 ~" Q( w# yThese 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?
: k$ B' ]) P: c7 y) FThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

- t2 b+ V& ?! Y3 V7 v( |5. I am a Chinese.
/ T' h/ V* D# Y" DI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
He is gay.
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7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
! _9 `$ I: |7 ~% h8. Thanks! No thanks!

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