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.
* `' e; M4 g( x& i# u, O
. N( x7 D3 q2 L0 S8 H8 H& ~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.

3 b5 b' J% P; X6 P5 X. kThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.

4 f, a9 I8 {# }( }& b+ r# @! W2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. Please close your phone.
( v. \( k, U7 w, D/ h, T2 E0 O5 t& MThese 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.
1 O- y6 l/ Z& t( b; j

4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
" F) z4 s( ^- I8 `! A" e) b
1 P/ `# d+ J- F8 v' v2 }5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
& Q' ]9 X6 `! t( w/ aHe is gay.
1 \& f! m- K" j+ [5 u
7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
* m5 w+ D6 V. H