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.

& B  M5 g9 a( A6 o" s3 W% E1. 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.

" Z/ `3 N$ ]2 P4 C+ PThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
" c7 z  o. `7 M4 v: B+ h
2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
2 b+ a/ _0 |) d* B3. Please close your phone.
- C5 I: Y' O% o( h9 x( \' b: qThese 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.
; T; N1 v9 Z0 Y" Z

1 x4 Z: ~; l& |* ]& t( E, v6 l4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
$ [. c$ \0 u6 V# }9 Q3 s8 BThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

) h5 C5 N7 u* R. l* O; j2 b! x( N! n5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
5 G7 [6 m8 c6 A3 s4 }1 `- _: A6. He is a gay.
! i4 ]0 J* C$ @: \4 k6 [He is gay.

7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!

$ Y2 v+ y& q+ k0 B