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.

1. 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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' U4 H- P1 z% j1 j, r$ L( ?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.
3. Please close your phone.
, A- e" z2 I- O* r3 EThese 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?
, Z7 k/ f. W3 bThe 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.
6. He is a gay.
9 W% P* H( |- `He is gay.
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7 B, a; h& ]" J# [7. Why? No why.
" ^5 f& W& x' p7 q/ JNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
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