Common English Mistakes in Will & Testaments by Cantonese Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

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

I, Lee Wai Man, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. I leave muchost of my possessions to my beloved daughter, Mei Ling, including my jewelry and furniture. Furthermore, I wish to give manyost of my money to my son, Wai Kit, to support his education and future endeavors.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I changed "many" to "most" to make the English correct."

I, Lee Wai Man, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. I leave most of my possessions to my beloved daughter, Mei Ling, including my jewelry and furniture. Furthermore, I wish to give most of my money to my son, Wai Kit, to support his education and future endeavors.

I, Lee Wai Man, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. I leave much of my possessions to my beloved daughter, Mei Ling, including my jewelry and furniture. Furthermore, I wish to give many of my money to my son, Wai Kit, to support his education and future endeavors.

Mistake Example #2

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

I, Lee Wai Man, being of verysound mind andvery good health, hereby declare this to be my verylast will and testament. I appoint my very trusted friend, Chan Mei Ling, as the verysole executor of my estate. It is my verystrong wish that my very beloved family receives my very cherished possessions, and that my very dear children are taken care of in a veryloving manner.

Text corrected by:
Camille, Maryland, USA

"This looks good overall, but watch out for using "very" too often. The writing is strong as it is; "very" does not enhance the meaning. "

I, Lee Wai Man, being of sound mind and good health, hereby declare this to be my last will and testament. I appoint my trusted friend, Chan Mei Ling, as the sole executor of my estate. It is my strong wish that my beloved family receives my cherished possessions, and that my dear children are taken care of in a loving manner.

I, Lee Wai Man, being of very sound mind and very good health, hereby declare this to be my very last will and testament. I appoint my very trusted friend, Chan Mei Ling, as the very sole executor of my estate. It is my very strong wish that my very beloved family receives my very cherished possessions, and that my very dear children are taken care of in a very loving manner.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

I, Chan Wai Man, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this my last will and testament. I gileave my house to my son, and he will take care of it like his own. Mmy daughter wishall receive my jewelry, and she will keep it safe like it is her treasure.

Text corrected by:
Michele A., Boston, Massachusetts; United States

"I just changed some of the sentences so that the language is more straightforward. Otherwise, the ideas in this text are clearly expressed."

I, Chan Wai Man, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this my last will and testament. I leave my house to my son, and my daughter shall receive my jewelry.

I, Chan Wai Man, being of sound mind and body, hereby declare this my last will and testament. I give my house to my son, and he will take care of it like his own. My daughter will receive my jewelry, and she will keep it safe like it is her treasure.