Common English Mistakes in News Articles by Cantonese Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

Hong Kong's Central district is experiencing muchany changes as new developments continue to rise. Many people are expressing concerns about the impact on local businesses, with some saying there areis too manyuch constructions happening at once. The government has announced several initiatives to address these issues, but there is still much debates among the residents about the effectiveness of these measures.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"There were some issues with "much" and "many" but good work overall!"

Hong Kong's Central district is experiencing many changes as new developments continue to rise. Many people are expressing concerns about the impact on local businesses, with some saying there is too much construction happening at once. The government has announced several initiatives to address these issues, but there is still much debate among the residents about the effectiveness of these measures.

Hong Kong's Central district is experiencing much changes as new developments continue to rise. Many people are expressing concerns about the impact on local businesses, with some saying there are too many constructions happening at once. The government has announced several initiatives to address these issues, but there is still much debates among the residents about the effectiveness of these measures.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

Hong Kong is experiencing avery significant weather event today, with vepoury heavying rain andvery strong winds affecting the city. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued averyn important warning to the public, advising everyone to stay indoors and avoid verydangerous areas prone to flooding. Residents are urged to take verycareful precautions to ensure their safety during this verysevere storm.

Text corrected by:
Vince, United States

"This was very good! Just a few small changes were made to reduce the use of "very." "

Hong Kong is experiencing a significant weather event today, with pouring rain and strong winds affecting the city. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued an important warning to the public, advising everyone to stay indoors and avoid dangerous areas prone to flooding. Residents are urged to take careful precautions to ensure their safety during this severe storm.

Hong Kong is experiencing a very significant weather event today, with very heavy rain and very strong winds affecting the city. The Hong Kong Observatory has issued a very important warning to the public, advising everyone to stay indoors and avoid very dangerous areas prone to flooding. Residents are urged to take very careful precautions to ensure their safety during this very severe storm.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

Hong Kong's weather today is very hot, and many people go to the beach fsorthey can enjoy the sun. The government has announced that they will add more lifeguards to ensure safety, because they want to give citizens asome peace of mind. In addition, the new park in Central is open now, and it is very popular among families who like to take a walk after dinner.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Sounds great! I just changed a few words to make the English sound more natural."

Hong Kong's weather today is very hot, and many people go to the beach so they can enjoy the sun. The government has announced that they will add more lifeguards to ensure safety, because they want to give citizens some peace of mind. In addition, the new park in Central is open now, and it is very popular among families who like to take a walk after dinner.

Hong Kong's weather today is very hot, and many people go to the beach for enjoy the sun. The government has announced that they will add more lifeguards to ensure safety, because they want to give citizens a peace of mind. In addition, the new park in Central is open now, and it is very popular among families who like to take a walk after dinner.