Common English Mistakes in Press Releases by Cantonese Speakers

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

Mistake Example #1

Overuse of 'very' to emphasize adjectives

We are very excited to announce the verygrand opening of our vebryand new flagship store in the veryheart of Hong Kong. Thisvery special event will feature veryexclusive promotions andvery exciting activities for all ourvery valued customers. Join us on this verymemorable day to experience veryexceptional shopping and verydelightful surprises.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"I took out all but one "very" to avoid repetition. Otherwise, it sounds pretty good!"

We are very excited to announce the grand opening of our brand new flagship store in the heart of Hong Kong. This special event will feature exclusive promotions and exciting activities for all our valued customers. Join us on this memorable day to experience exceptional shopping and delightful surprises.

We are very excited to announce the very grand opening of our very new flagship store in the very heart of Hong Kong. This very special event will feature very exclusive promotions and very exciting activities for all our very valued customers. Join us on this very memorable day to experience very exceptional shopping and very delightful surprises.

Mistake Example #2

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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hong Kong, October 15, 2023 – We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new flagship store in the heart of the city. This store will offer muchany exciting products and provide many unique experience for all customers. Our team has put much effort into creating a space that reflects our commitment to quality and innovation. We invite everyone to join us for the opening ceremony on November 1st, where there will be muchany activities and special promotions.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"Nice job! I fixed a couple of issues with much/many. "

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hong Kong, October 15, 2023 – We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new flagship store in the heart of the city. This store will offer many exciting products and provide many unique experience for all customers. Our team has put much effort into creating a space that reflects our commitment to quality and innovation. We invite everyone to join us for the opening ceremony on November 1st, where there will be many activities and special promotions.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Hong Kong, October 15, 2023 – We are excited to announce the grand opening of our new flagship store in the heart of the city. This store will offer much exciting products and provide many unique experience for all customers. Our team has put much effort into creating a space that reflects our commitment to quality and innovation. We invite everyone to join us for the opening ceremony on November 1st, where there will be much activities and special promotions.

Mistake Example #3

Overuse of direct translations from Cantonese

For immediate release: Our company is very happy to announce the grand opening ofour new flagship store in Central. We hope everyone can come to join the event and enjoythe many exciting activities we have prepared. This is a big step for us, and we look forward to seproveiding you withthe best quality products and services.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

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

For immediate release: Our company is very happy to announce the grand opening of our new flagship store in Central. We hope everyone can come to join the event and enjoy the many exciting activities we have prepared. This is a big step for us, and we look forward to providing you with the best quality products and services.

For immediate release: Our company is very happy to announce the grand opening of new flagship store in Central. We hope everyone can come to join the event and enjoy many exciting activities we have prepared. This is a big step for us, and we look forward to serve you with best quality products and services.