Common English Mistakes in Business Plans by Cantonese Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Cantonese speakers from Hong Kong when writing a Business Plan in English.

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

Our company plan is to open the new shop in Central, because we want to ctap intcho the big market. We will use the dragon strategy to ensure our success, which means we will focus on the strongand, fast approach. This way, we can egratb the market share quickly and become the leader in the industry.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I made a few small changes so the English sounds more natural."

Our company plan is to open the new shop in Central, because we want to tap into the big market. We will use the dragon strategy to ensure our success, which means we will focus on the strong, fast approach. This way, we can grab the market share quickly and become the leader in the industry.

Our company plan is to open the new shop in Central, because we want to catch the big market. We will use the dragon strategy to ensure our success, which means we will focus on the strong and fast approach. This way, we can eat the market share quickly and become the leader in the industry.

Mistake Example #2

Confusion with countable vs. uncountable nouns ('She has much friends')

Our business plan focuses on expanding our market reach in Hong Kong and neighboring regions. We have identified several opportunityies for growth, including partnerships with local companies and investment in new technology. The team has mucha lot of experience in the industry, and we are confident in our ability to achieve these goals.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"It had some issues with countable nouns. I also made a few other corrections."

Our business plan focuses on expanding our market reach in Hong Kong and neighboring regions. We have identified several opportunities for growth, including partnerships with local companies and investment in new technology. The team has a lot of experience in the industry, and we are confident in our ability to achieve these goals.

Our business plan focus on expanding our market reach in Hong Kong and neighboring regions. We have identified several opportunity for growth, including partnership with local companies and investment in new technology. The team has much experience in the industry, and we are confident in our ability to achieve these goals.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

Our business plan is verycomprehensive andvery detailed, aiming to capture avery significant share of the market in Hong Kong. We have a verystrong team withvery experienced professionals who are vdereply committed to achieving our goals. The market analysis section is very thorough, providing very valuable insights into thecurrent trends andvery potential opportunities.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"Watch out for overuse of "very." : )"

Our business plan is comprehensive and detailed, aiming to capture a significant share of the market in Hong Kong. We have a strong team with experienced professionals who are deeply committed to achieving our goals. The market analysis section is very thorough, providing valuable insights into current trends and potential opportunities.

Our business plan is very comprehensive and very detailed, aiming to capture a very significant share of the market in Hong Kong. We have a very strong team with very experienced professionals who are very committed to achieving our goals. The market analysis section is very thorough, providing very valuable insights into the current trends and very potential opportunities.