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.
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5 v* s, F" z4 n  j, L' T8 t# ?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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" Q. `" e1 k" Q! e' o3 C+ K; bThe 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.
' n# n" Q: w  O9 I# Y6 X4 h3. Please close your phone.
% @  T6 I3 ?; I3 O% k; H& lThese 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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; }! z! L* M% G' Q% O: b; s4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
7 K! ?8 d, J/ l+ |6 j' A1 r. |- I) ^2 VThe 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.
, a5 ^) O. Y  x- XHe is gay.
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. i+ ~6 o! c' \" E7. Why? No why.
6 V3 w$ O, o+ ]& a4 B) sNot no why, no reason.
& n" y( Y( \$ ]6 ^: e# x8 Y. f, B) W8. Thanks! No thanks!