Common English Mistakes in Essay Writing Practices by Cantonese Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

In Hong Kong, wevery like to eat dim sum on the weekends because it is very lively. When we go to the restaurant, we willdrink tea and chat withour friends, just like the old days. This is a tradition that makes us feel warm inat heart.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I just made some small changes so the English would sound more natural. Well done!"

In Hong Kong, we like to eat dim sum on the weekends because it is very lively. When we go to the restaurant, we drink tea and chat with our friends, just like the old days. This is a tradition that makes us feel warm at heart.

In Hong Kong, we very like to eat dim sum on the weekend because it is very lively. When we go to the restaurant, we will drink tea and chat with friends, just like the old days. This is a tradition that makes us feel warm in heart.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

Hong Kong is avery vibrant city with avery diverse culture. The food here is verydelicious, and the people arevery friendly. I think it is a very exciting place to live because there are verymany things to do and see.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"Watch out for overuse of "very" to emphasize adjectives. Once is enough in this passage (or you could drop it entirely). "

Hong Kong is a vibrant city with a diverse culture. The food here is delicious, and the people are friendly. I think it is a very exciting place to live because there are many things to do and see.

Hong Kong is a very vibrant city with a very diverse culture. The food here is very delicious, and the people are very friendly. I think it is a very exciting place to live because there are very many things to do and see.

Mistake Example #3

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

In Hong Kong, education is very important, and many students spend much time studying. They have mucha lot of homework every day, and it is common for them to join many extracurricular activities. Some students also have mucha great deal of interest in learning new languages, which help them in theirfuture career.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"This was already well-written – I just made a few minor changes to refine your practice essay :)"

In Hong Kong, education is very important, and many students spend much time studying. They have a lot of homework every day, and it is common for them to join many extracurricular activities. Some students also have a great deal of interest in learning new languages, which help them in their future career.

In Hong Kong, education is very important, and many students spend much time studying. They have much homework every day, and it is common for them to join many extracurricular activities. Some students also have much interest in learning new languages, which help them in future career.