Common Mistakes funny / fun funny = 好笑, fun = 好玩 I thought the comedian's jokes were very funny. What's so funny? He's no fun; whenever I ask him to come play with us, he always claims he has too much homework to do. Thanks, I had a really fun time at the beach today! sb. couldn't accept it / sb. [ couldn't believe | couldn't take ] it It's very obvious that "I couldn't accept it" is the translation of Chinese into English. The other ways of saying this are usually more appropriate. I couldn't believe it when he told me he had sold his violin in order to buy the fur coat for her. When she found out how much the new house would cost, she couldn't believe it. He couldn't take the news that both of his daughters had simultaneously eloped! It was really hard to take the news that I had been rejected from all of my favored schools. less vs. smaller "Less" refers to the amount of something, whereas "smaller" refers to its size. I have less time for leisure reading these days. Do you feel that the teacher assigned less homework than usual this week? A shrew looks exactly like a mouse, only smaller. Everything looks smaller from up here. "I'm very like ..." A verb is hiding in the contraction "I'm", so you can't append another verb such as "like". I like camping very much. She doesn't strike people as a very musical person, but she actually really likes composing songs. very vs. really Both words are adverbs, but "very" can only be used to describe adjectives, while "really" can describe either adjectives or verbs. Wow, those guys were driving very fast. Wow, those guys were driving really fast. I really like camping. person / people People is plural; "two people". Person is singular; "one person". You can't say "one people". You can say "two persons", but this is rare, and it's easier just to avoid using this. Lots of people showed up at the party last weekend. Pick two people to represent your team. Sometimes I feel very lonely, one person in a sea of flowing life and movement. "and so on" This phrase is overused. If you are listing something, just list a few examples and end the list. Don't think "等等"; that's Chinese, and when we speak or write English we rarely say "and so on" or "etc.". In my free time, I like to listen to music, read books, write letters, and play table tennis. I like shopping for clothes, CDs, and snacks. Some mistakes Chinese students often make when writing English are forgetting to capitalize words at the beginning of sentences (careless!), putting periods after every word (foolish!), and connecting several phrases with comma after comma, which results in bewildering run-on sentences (ridiculous!). "The end" | "That's it" | "So end!" When you are finished writing, your last sentence should give closure. You should never have to write any of these "finale" phrases! These things have all played a role in shaping my personality and my outlook on life. "I can do anything what I want to do" You can't say "anything what". What you probably mean is "whatever". Now that my parents aren't here to watch over me, I can do whatever I want! She eats whatever she wants, but she never gets fat! How does she do it? I can go wherever I want, but I choose to stay at home. "Good good study, day day up!" Of course you mean "好好学习，天天向上", but you can't translate this into English directly. It is a Chinese saying, and as is usually the case with strict translations of sayings from any language to any other language, this translation is wrong and sounds ridiculous. If I study well, I will improve day by day! there's nothing I can do = 我没有办法 I couldn't do anything about their decision to cancel the race. Don't worry too much about what happened; there was nothing you could have done. realize a dream = 实现梦想 Don't write "reach my dream". "Realize my dream" sounds even better than "make my dream come true". When will I realize my dream of travelling abroad? He finally realized his dream of taking a rocket into space. "as it is known to all" No! Use "as everyone knows". As everyone knows, 1 + 1 = 2. As every chicken knows, you don't need a head to make a lot of noise. "junior middle school" | "senior middle school" These terms are non-existent. middle school | junior high = 初中, high school | senior high = 高中. I've forgotten everything I learned in middle school and high school. The senior high students often picked on the students from junior high. Some people say Bino looks like he's still in high school. find out = 找出 She was furious when she found out he had ditched her to have dinner with his female co-workers. Could you find out when the earliest bus to Changsha leaves in the morning for me? "I am the only one in the world." Wrong! Choose from the following meanings: There is only one of me in the world. There's only one person left on the face of the planet, and it's me! must vs. have to Use "must" only when talking about something someone needs to do now or in the future, but not in the past. You can use "have to" when talking about past, present, or future. I must study hard to earn good grades and the teacher's respect. He stinks of sweat, and must take a shower before seeing his girlfriend. I had to wake up early to finish my homework this morning. Too many people have to struggle to make a living; she should feel fortunate to have what she has. and Don't begin sentences with "and", and don't string too many phrases together with "and". And this is an example of an INCORRECT sentence, because I started the sentence with "and", and I'm continuing the sentence with too many phrases, like this one, and this one, and I've made so many mistakes and this sentence has stretched so long that I'm sure whoever reads this will find it very boring, and will give up, and stop reading already! she's vs. her "she's" = "she is", while "her" is the only way to show possession. She's sure looking fine today! Oh my god, she's such a bitch! I'd step into her shoes, but I don't fancy rolling my ankles again. Her eyes are always looking into mine. I wonder what that means? "more stronger" | "more taller" Words ending in -er usually already have the meaning "even more", so it is wrong to prepend the word "more". I've gotten much stronger since doing Yoga every morning. Instead of growing bigger, he has grown smaller every year; I think one day he will simply disappear! very well "Very well" is not exactly the same as "很好", because the latter can be either an adjective or adverb, while the former can only be an adverb. The adjective form of "很好" is, of course, "very good". I am very good at speaking English. Your homemade dishes are very, very good. I speak English very well. She doesn't drive very well, so give her some pointers the next time you see her. less and less / fewer and fewer vs. more and more "Less" can only be used to describe uncountable things and may be used as an adverb, while "fewer" can only be used to describe countable things and may not be used as an adverb. "More", on the other hand, can describe either uncountable or countable things. I feel that over the course of the week I have less and less energy. She seems less interested in art than before. I wonder why? Fewer and fewer students showed up to class, until in the end even the teacher thought going to class was a waste of time. Wow, I can't eat any more food. I'm completely stuffed! There are more stars in the sky than either you or I can count, but unfortunately we can't see them here in Xiangtan. (Now, why is that?) lively / living Lively = 活泼的, living = 活着(的) I am a lively boy. The atmosphere at the party was so lively that he was able to temporarily forget about his worries and join in the fun. We must respect all living things in nature, no matter how insignificant they seem. The living conditions deep in the ocean are probably unimaginable to us. delicious / doesn't taste good You cannot say something is "not delicious", only that it "doesn't taste good" or "tastes bad". This pie is really delicious! This pie doesn't taste very good. I thought the soup might turn out okay, but it tasted horrible. "We must be go now." There are two consecutive verbs here, which is wrong. You can say either of: We must go now. We must be going now. Vocabulary extra = 额外的 I brought a few extra pencils to the exam, just in case. Do you have an extra jacket I could borrow? There is an extra section about SARS in this week's Sunday paper. to slip = 滑 | 滑倒 The stairway is not well lit, so you should hold onto the handrail to avoid slipping. Don't buy those boots; they slip too easily. Have you ever slipped on a banana peel? The roads are especially slippery today; be careful driving. to hang out This is one of the most useful phrases you will learn. It means to spend time talking with or playing with other people. It is useful precisely because it is so vague; nobody knows exactly what you did or what you are going to do when you "hang out". Do you want to hang out tonight? We should hang out sometime. I hung out with him last weeked. criticize | criticise = 批评, criticism The teacher is fond of criticizing his students about everything, something they hate. You can't criticize me for something I didn't do! She doesn't take criticism well, and always lashes out at her would-be critics. Criticism is vital in order for something to improve. scary = creepy = 可怕 The shadows that surround my bed when I turn off the light are creepy. This place gives me the creeps. I don't find most horror movies very scary, but "The Exocist" is an exception. I think looking down from the top of a skyscraper is really scary! highway = interstate = freeway = expressway = turnpike = thruway = 高速公路 One area where China is still underdeveloped is its highway system. Take interstate 87 south for 15 miles, and get off at exit 15. I suggest you take the expressway during rush hour; the time you save more than makes up for the tolls you have to pay. to snore = 打鼾 I hate it when my roommate snores, so I try to fall asleep before he does. Do you find it strange when girls snore? Her husband's incorrigible snoring forced her to wear earplugs to bed. to deliver sth. = 投递 | 送 Can you deliver this letter to the foreign language department office? My father is a florist, and I help him deliver flowers over the weekend. I checked with the post office already; they said the package hasn't been delivered yet. to be a jerk A "jerk" is somebody who isn't nice and intentionally hurts other people. You're such a jerk! He's usually quite amiable, but when he drinks he can be a real jerk. echo = 回音 There is an echo in this room. I yelled as loudly as I could, but I still didn't hear an echo. gossip = 流言蜚语, 传播流言 I find gossip really boring, just like the people who gossip. I know there's all sorts of gossip about me floating out there, but please don't believe it. She loves to gossip, but one day it will come back to bite her in the ass. You shouldn't gossip about your friends! to be broke = 一文不名 I'd lend you some money, but I'm broke. He's such a spendthrift! Not two days after he received his paycheck , he was broke again. to have [ the sniffles | a stuffy nose ] = 鼻子塞 I have the sniffles today. Everyone came to class with a stuffy nose. fair share You'd better watch out if you don't give me a fair share of the profits! Hey, you've already eaten more than your fair share of the cake! Get off the computer; you've spent more than your fair share of time on it, and it's my turn. referee = 裁判员 He shouted at the referee after the unfair call. The referee blew the whistle signalling the end of the game. I think the referee made the right decision. intersection = 道路交叉口 Turn left at the next intersection. My house is at the intersection of Greenwood and Cedarwood. You should be careful when crossing intersections by foot. golf course = 高尔夫球场 I haven't seen a single golf course in China yet. Golf courses are difficult to maintain and require constant attention. No matter how small the golf course is, I still can't play well. invisible vs. hard to see Something that is "invisible" can't be seen at all, for example air. Something that is "hard to see" is difficult, but still possible, to see, for example a flea (跳蚤). Carbon monoxide is an invisible, yet lethal gas. Bacteria are invisible to the naked eye, so don't think that your hands are clean just because they look clean! It's hard to see anything through the fog. The features on the surface of the moon are hard to see clearly without a telescope. amusement park = 游乐园 There are many new rides at the amusement park, so we should check it out! The amusement park seemed huge when I was a child, but now I can make my way around the whole place in just a few minutes. You should take your girlfriend to the amusement park; I'm sure you would have fun. hotel / motel / inn / hostel These are all accommodations, or places you can pay money to stay at for a few days. "Hotels" are generally more expensive, while "motels", "inns", and especially "hostels" are generally cheaper. There are also other differences which are not explained here. Let's find a cheap hostel to stay at for the night. When my father travels for business, his company always puts him up in five-star hotels. Our room at the inn was small but tidy. Beat it! = 滚蛋！ Beat it, before I beat you! I'm beat! = 我累死了！ I'm so beat from the basketball game! Statue of Liberty = 自由女神像 I've been to New York City many times, but for some reason I've never gone to see the Statue of Liberty. kilometer = 公里 Head north on route 9 for twelve kilometers, and you will see Lake George on your right. You had better learn to think of distances in terms of miles if you want to go to the US, because they never use kilometers. Don't ask me why. Phrases and Sentence Patterns to make copies of sth. = 复印 Please make 120 copies of this handout for my students. I made a few extra copies just in case they lose the ones I give them; they always do! to run out of [ time | money | food | water | steam | patience | sth. ] I ran out of time during the exam, and ended up answering only two-thirds of the questions. She thought she had packed enough food for the entire trip, but she ran out on the way back. I always start running very fast, but I quickly run out of steam. I'm running out of patience with you! He ran out of film just as the fog lifted and a dazzling view unfolded before his eyes. to have [ anything | something | nothing | everything ] to do with sth. I don't have anything to do with the robbery that occurred last night. The movie had something to do with fishing, but I can't remember the details. How successful your father's business is has everything to do with whether your family will have money to send you to college. Whether or not a school admits a student should have nothing to do with how much money that student has or does not have. to be sick and tired of [ sb.'s nagging | hearing sb. complain | the way sb. does sth. ] I'm really sick and tired of hearing you complain about how much homework you have. It sounds like you're really sick of your mother's nagging. I'm sick and tired of the way you treat me! I'm leaving! to be fed up with sth. I'm so fed up with your bold faced lies. He was fed up with the way his cat destroyed all his clothing and furniture, and finally decided to give it away. to threaten to do sth. = 要挟 She threatened to withhold his allowance if he didn't stop playing computer games. He threatened to stab me if I didn't give him my wallet, so I just handed it over. Is that a threat? to [ take | go for ] a [ walk | stroll ] = 散步, 溜达 He's not here right now; he went to take a walk through the park. Let's go for a walk. I like going for a stroll through the neighborhood after dinner. highlight of sth. = 最精彩的部分 What was the highlight of your weekend? I thought the highway chase scene was the highlight of the movie. Going skin-diving in the coral reef was definitely the highlight of my vacation! to [ make sth. ] stand out [ like a sore thumb ] He didn't know everyone was supposed to wear black, so his blue suit stood out like a sore thumb. I know my friend's black skin will make her stand out in China. The unique design of the automobile made it stand out at the car show. to make fun of sb. = 嘲笑 Don't make fun of me! He makes fun of you all the time, but I think it's just because he likes you. Everyone made fun of her when they passed around the love letter she had written. to keep sth. secret = 保密 She kept her love for him secret. Don't tell him; he can never keep anything secret for long. Let's keep this information secret. to make a pass at sb. = 向某人调情 Did you see that? That disgusting old man just made a pass at me! She tried to make a pass at him, but he didn't even notice! I couldn't believe it when my best friend made a pass at my sister! sth. is based on [ a novel | a legend | sth. ] This movie is based on a true story. I'm currently reading a book based on Chinese myths. My trust is based on our many years of friendship. Your argument is based on faulty logic. Nothing you say will make me change my mind! = 无论你怎么说，我是不会改变计划的！ to save sb. a seat = 保留位置 Can you go into the movie theater first and save me a seat? He was very unhappy when he found out no one had saved him a seat at the concert. Can you [ tell me how to get to | give me directions to ] someplace ? Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to the nearest subway station? Can you give me directions to Wall Street? I would have arrived on time, but the directions you gave me were wrong! A won't mind if B does sth. He won't mind if you interrupt his studies; he's actually waiting for you. I don't mind if you borrow my camera, as long as you give it back to me. Do you mind if I take off my shoes? without sb. permission How could you read my diary without my permission? Don't use my credit card without my permssion! I don't remember giving you permission to go out with your friends. I have permission from my mother to stay home from school today. to do sth. [ intentionally | on purpose ] = 故意做某件事 The teacher made her stand up to read her speech on purpose. He intentionally missed the shot, which should have been very easy to make. Of course I didn't hit you on purpose! Even though you didn't intentionally hurt his feelings, you should still apologize to him. to drop sth. [ on the floor | on the ground ] He accidentally dropped his violin case, but the padding kept the instrument safe. She dropped some coins into the beggar's tin. I dropped my book on the floor and she picked it up for me. My brother dropped the hammer on his foot yesterday, so he might have a little trouble walking today.