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.

. R' G# z0 ~9 X9 f7 Z9 b1. 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.

9 A( z$ W  W* ]# D% e3 k1 WThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
, j& V% D& v0 o7 n( w
. }, Z, i/ i) ~0 N. y2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
% Q% |# ]) K% C; G' |; O3. Please close your phone.
9 z! @: D2 O( AThese 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.


4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
' |0 U8 P3 E% k& `- ~: xThe correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?

5. I am a Chinese.
I am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
- n1 e/ C/ Z. z1 sHe is gay.

+ i8 S7 L4 u1 i  K7 g# K2 W7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
; q$ w) T' y! x& [8. Thanks! No thanks!