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.
) j4 D7 n5 W; N    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.
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- W: p1 x3 h5 N; I2 `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.
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2. I do not like big rain, I like small rain.
3. 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.


' ?9 l3 {8 _4 e4 B4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
8 g& W# N7 Y, t& i/ x$ q0 W$ O( ?( FThe 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.
* U* x4 q; Q; Y; _. R& h* C6. He is a gay.
5 p# o' O% {+ _: hHe is gay.
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) \3 c) P9 k+ v# F& z8 B7. Why? No why.
7 X( q: p! c" J3 H; b% ^: \Not no why, no reason.
3 a: b8 z9 [: a* w8. Thanks! No thanks!
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