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Tips, insights, and updates about English learning
Stop Confusing spend, take, and cost: Master English Collocations for "Spending Time and Money" Once and for All
In Chinese, the single word "花" covers both time and money, but in English, you must choose the verb based on the subject: people use spend, situations/actions use take for time, and things use cost for price. Learn these collocations once and for all by comparing them with the most common Chinglish errors.
Stop Misusing senior/junior: How to Say 'School Senior,' 'Senior,' and 'Senior Colleague' in English
The Chinese concepts of 'school senior,' 'predecessor,' and 'senior colleague' do not map directly to the single word senior. When Taiwanese people use it directly to address classmates or colleagues, native speakers often find it confusing or mistake it to mean 'elderly person.' This article uses a side-by-side comparison of ✗ Chinglish → ✓ Idiomatic Phrasing to help you learn the correct terms to use on campus and in the workplace.
see, look, watch, hear, listen: Are you using these 'eye' and 'ear' English words correctly?
In Chinese, a single word for 'looking' or 'hearing' does it all, but English distinguishes between 'accidental' and 'intentional.' Group these five words into two rows and compare them with the sentences Taiwanese learners make mistakes on most often to memorize them once and for all. Easily master these high-frequency A2 basic words.
Master say, tell, speak, and talk once and for all: Choose the right word with just three questions
A single Chinese word for 'to speak' corresponds to four different English words, which learners often mix up. In fact, by asking yourself just three simple questions, you can choose the right one among say, tell, speak, and talk instantly. This article uses a '✗ Chinglish → ✓ Authentic English' comparison to help you learn the key differences between these four verbs once and for all.
price, cost, fee, or fare? Stop mixing up these four English words for 'how much'
In Chinese, a single phrase 'how much' can get you anywhere, but English divides it into four words: use price for price tags, cost for expenses, fee for service charges, and fare for transit fares. Mixing them up won't lead to misunderstandings, but it immediately sounds like Chinglish. This article uses common mistakes made by Taiwanese learners to help you tell them apart once and for all.
"according to my opinion" is Wrong: Natural Ways to Say "I Think" and "In My Opinion"
Many Taiwanese people blurt out according to my opinion when they want to say "I think," but unfortunately, this sounds like a broken sentence to native speakers. Through a series of "✗ Chinglish → ✓ Natural expression" comparisons, this article will help you understand the division of labor between according to and in my opinion once and for all, so you'll never mix them up again in writing or speaking.
Playing on your phone is not play phone! "play" is actually not as versatile as you think
In Chinese, the single word "玩" covers everything, but in English, play is only used for sports, instruments, and games. How do you say "scrolling on your phone" or "using the computer"? This article uses high-frequency example sentences that Taiwanese people get wrong every day to help you use play correctly, sentence by sentence.
Don't say open/close when turning lights on and off! turn on / turn off is the natural way!
In Chinese, a single word is enough to mean 'open/close', but in English, the phrasing changes depending on the object. For electrical appliances, you should say turn on / turn off, while open / close is used for doors and windows. This article uses a series of '✗ Chinglish → ✓ Natural English' comparisons to help you once and for all break this mother-tongue interference mistake that almost everyone makes.