Common English Mistakes in Social Media Posts by Mandarin Chinese Speakers

This page focuses on errors typically made by native Mandarin Chinese speakers from Taiwan when writing a Social Media Post in English.

Mistake Example #1

Misuse of singular/plural nouns ('There are much people here' instead of 'There are many people here')

I went to the night market yesterday, and there wasere so many food stalls! There awere mucha lot of people enjoying the delicious snacks and drinks. I tried some new dishes, and it was areally fun experience.

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking for proper usage of singular vs. plural nouns, among other fixes."

I went to the night market yesterday, and there were so many food stalls! There were a lot of people enjoying the delicious snacks and drinks. I tried some new dishes, and it was a really fun experience.

I went to the night market yesterday, and there was so many food stalls! There are much people enjoying the delicious snacks and drinks. I tried some new dishes, and it was really fun experience.

Mistake Example #2

Omitting the subject in sentences ('Is important to learn English' instead of 'It is important to learn English')

EI am excited to share my travel experience in Taipei! VI visitedthe night market yesterday, and itwas so much fun. TI tried stinky tofu for thefirst time,—it isa very unique taste. CI can't wait to explore more places and eat more delicious food!

Text corrected by:
Gregg, Los Angeles, CA

"This needed some tweaking to replace missing sentence subjects."

I am excited to share my travel experience in Taipei! I visited the night market yesterday, and it was so much fun. I tried stinky tofu for the first time—it is a very unique taste. I can't wait to explore more places and eat more delicious food!

Excited to share my travel experience in Taipei! Visited night market yesterday, was so much fun. Tried stinky tofu for first time, is very unique taste. Can't wait to explore more places and eat more delicious food!

Mistake Example #3

Using overly formal or direct language

I amvery happy to announce that I have completed my university studies with excellent results. I siamncerelyow inviteing all my friends to attend my graduation ceremony next Saturday. Your presence will be greatly appreciated and will bring me immense joy.

Text corrected by:
Jennifer, Detroit, Michigan USA

"It sounded a little too direct, so I changed the tone slightly. Congratulations to you on completing your studies! :)"

I am happy to announce that I have completed my university studies with excellent results. I am now inviting all my friends to attend my graduation ceremony next Saturday. Your presence will be greatly appreciated and will bring me immense joy.

I am very happy to announce that I have completed my university studies with excellent results. I sincerely invite all my friends to attend my graduation ceremony next Saturday. Your presence will be greatly appreciated and will bring me immense joy.