What do you think is the most cringe-worthy mistake commonly made by non-native speakers? This isn't a bashing thread, but it will instead help learners to not cause people to cringe.
In my opinion:
I'm agree.
In my opinion:
I'm agree.
Cringefest - most cringeworthy common mistake
Um, I've never thought about this, but an exceedingly tight way of packing information could be my pick.
I'm referring to a phenomenon that has been commented upon in a previous thread:
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t11153.htm
With happy November wishes,
Achab
I'm referring to a phenomenon that has been commented upon in a previous thread:
http://www.antimoon.com/forum/t11153.htm
With happy November wishes,
Achab
I also find it cringe-worthy when people with a relatively decent ability to communicate continue to make very basic grammatical mistakes, the kind of mistakes one learns in the first week of studying a new language. These are often due to laziness and bad habit. For example, people who can't be bothered to conjugate verbs even though they are quite capable of communicating in the language.
"You want by this?" - How hard can it be to say "do"??!!! This is one of the first things people learn, when asking a question one ought to use "do".
"You want by this?" - How hard can it be to say "do"??!!! This is one of the first things people learn, when asking a question one ought to use "do".
<<"You want by this?" >>
You mean "You want to buy this?"
Not learning interrogerative inversion is definitely high on my list. Another big thing is treating English like a phonetic language, picking one pronunciation for each letter and always giving it that pronunciation. What's odd is that often they'll pick an uncommon pronunciation, even if their native language is one without the Roman Alphabet, and thus don't have any reason to not take the most common pronunciation.
A related phenomenon is pronouncing a word the same no matter what part of speech it is (for instance, pronouncing "record" the same regardless of whether it's a noun or a verb).
Also, not pronouncing the last consonant of a word, and not knowing what are direct objects and what are indirect.
You mean "You want to buy this?"
Not learning interrogerative inversion is definitely high on my list. Another big thing is treating English like a phonetic language, picking one pronunciation for each letter and always giving it that pronunciation. What's odd is that often they'll pick an uncommon pronunciation, even if their native language is one without the Roman Alphabet, and thus don't have any reason to not take the most common pronunciation.
A related phenomenon is pronouncing a word the same no matter what part of speech it is (for instance, pronouncing "record" the same regardless of whether it's a noun or a verb).
Also, not pronouncing the last consonant of a word, and not knowing what are direct objects and what are indirect.
Germans who cannot pronounce the "V" sound in English. They are likely to say 'willage" or "uniwersisty" "adwantage"...
One mistake I've seen a lot is people using the adverb form when they shouldn't be. I have seen people say things like "His answer was wrongly."
"Germans who cannot pronounce the "V" sound in English. They are likely to say 'willage" or "uniwersisty" "adwantage"..."
The funny thing is that they actually can pronounce it (the English "v" exists in German while the English "w", ironically, doesn't) but don't do it because they think "willage" is the correct pronunciation. I'm German myself and never quite understood why.
The letter "v" is either pronounced like an English "v" or like an English "f" in German and the letter "w" always like an English "v". Maybe that's why some Germans think that "v" and "w" are pronounced the same in English.
The funny thing is that they actually can pronounce it (the English "v" exists in German while the English "w", ironically, doesn't) but don't do it because they think "willage" is the correct pronunciation. I'm German myself and never quite understood why.
The letter "v" is either pronounced like an English "v" or like an English "f" in German and the letter "w" always like an English "v". Maybe that's why some Germans think that "v" and "w" are pronounced the same in English.
<<but it will instead help learners to not cause people to cringe.>>
I find it pretty annoying when people split infinitives :)
I find it pretty annoying when people split infinitives :)
"I find it pretty annoying when people split infinitives :) "
Maybe because you're a moron.
Maybe because you're a moron.
what would you say about Singlish?
"oso can" (this is literally how its pronounced and even written sometimes), means "You can also do that". Or it could mean "I could also do that". Have to judge by context. I never cease to be amused by this wonderful dialect.
"oso can" (this is literally how its pronounced and even written sometimes), means "You can also do that". Or it could mean "I could also do that". Have to judge by context. I never cease to be amused by this wonderful dialect.
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<but it will instead help learners to not cause people to cringe.>
I find it pretty annoying when people split infinitives :) >
That's subjunctive, not infinitive.
<but it will instead help learners to not cause people to cringe.>
I find it pretty annoying when people split infinitives :) >
That's subjunctive, not infinitive.