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.
! q2 u3 j( N; K+ b$ |' @    My girlfriend did not live with me, because he is still in China.

; F* y6 b* ^4 T) m1 eThe reason to make this mistake is not due to grammar knowledge. One reason might be she and he have the same pronunciation in Chinese.
- K5 ^5 G  T7 u  l" Q: x$ r* w
1 I% |! E% }9 D; C( N7 z2. 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.


4. How to say: heavy rain, light rain, and turn off your phone in English?
3 d) T5 D4 b; v+ h/ r( [2 `The correct way to ask the question is like this: how do you say... in English?
% u" O* z' |% r0 ^7 ?
0 a0 D3 o1 `  K6 r$ v5. I am a Chinese.
" g+ F& |  |, Z$ K( Y* B3 qI am a Chinese person, or I am Chinese.
6. He is a gay.
) [; j' m, o$ ^: GHe is gay.
% `* J4 {& R* n5 K; k
% b9 K* ^0 I& @7 J% ^" g8 r6 M7. Why? No why.
Not no why, no reason.
8. Thanks! No thanks!