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.

) O& y- }9 i$ g8 Z- E4 g1. My husband has a good job. She makes over 100,000 dollars a year.
) R' J6 t. j7 u    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
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5 O- `( w" ?# |9 TThe 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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  `( c6 n+ g, h1 t  H; c, s2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. Please close your phone.
' g! Y, P5 r5 _' 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.
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  @6 F" R8 r1 d5 F4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
$ Y% ^6 r2 D2 x7 C3 l9 i7 IThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

7 I1 c1 J' U$ k6 M, [6 \# p5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
( `% w0 S" K/ b6 h$ t! _6 W6. He is a gay.
: H! z+ T1 i  E: ZHe is gay.

7. Why? No why.
1 U; d# U. t/ {  B+ ~" wNot no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!
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