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.
: f8 h, d  `( f4 J" S# M5 Y5 O2 t
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.
: d8 R7 M- ~, ^8 C
2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3 W4 p& c& W! `( j3. Please close your phone.
These 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.


, y% a$ u; a3 h! N4 m4. 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?

7 ?( O& `8 o( c8 @& [/ p5. I am a Chinese.
  d% K* X6 j. X) s7 b3 V3 j; oI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
% C/ J3 _4 P$ L; ]! @6. He is a gay.
! q/ [0 n: S: c$ Q( {+ s! cHe is gay.

7. Why? No why.
4 @: ?- s, P$ E; u0 b. wNot no why, no reason.
$ Q: \/ U% @1 ^* Q1 I# n/ A3 n8. Thanks! No thanks!
8 l4 B) ?9 e; _- ]
5 [% |& q4 o7 I8 q8 q, F6 Q