More Common English Mistakes!

#5 How many???
Example: Many people like to have drink after work.
Correct English #1: Many people like to have a drink after work.
Correct English #2: Many people like to have (a few, some, many, a lot of) drinks after work.

"Have drink" is NOT correct. One big problem for non-native speakers of English is using singular and plural nouns correctly. Nouns are singular or plural. It's like black or white, there is no gray!! For singular nouns, such as an apple, finger, TV etc, you must specify if it is one or more in English. Such as one, two, a few, many, whatever. So for singular nouns you must use "a/an" OR it must be plural and needs an "s" after the noun. For plural nouns such as "information" and "equipment", you CAN NOT use a/an. Both singular and plural can be proceeded by "the", but that is for a specific noun known to the speaker and listener.

#6 Ape Man!
Example: Student looks at Mark and yells "Ape Man!!!"
Correct English #1: Student looks at Mark and says "There is an Ape Man who lives in those mountains!"
Correct English #2: Student looks at Mark and says "Watch out! There is an Ape Man behind you!"

Looking at Mark and saying "Ape Man" will make Mark think he is an Ape Man, or you are calling him an Ape Man. But of course, this is not correct. One word answers or replies often make people confused about who and what are you talking about. Its always better if you can make a sentence to make clear what you mean.

#7 What are you sinking?
Example: I sink Chinese food is delicious.
Correct English #1: I think Chinese food is delicious.
Chinese lacks the following consonant sound: th. I often hear Chinese say "sink" when they mean to say "think". I heard that Chinese don't like to show their tongue, so "th" is hard for them to get used to. However, in order to say words with "th" correctly, you need to put your tongue on the edge of your upper teeth.

This list of words: think, thought, these, those, through, thumb, thick, three, and throw will be very good practice for you to distinguish between "th" and "s".

#8 Ever and Never
Example: I haven't ever ate there.
Correct English #1: I have never eaten there
I am not sure what is taught in Chinese schools, but I often hear students use "not ever" when they should say "never". I have also heard students incorrectly say "I have ever gone there", when they mean "I have been there before", which is correct.

More mistakes to come!!!