【英語島專欄】這幾句話的英文哪裡錯了？

那大概只能撐5分鐘。
(X) Only might be work for five minutes.
(O) It might work for only five minutes.

這是我最不希望你做的事。
(X) This is the thing I don’t want you to do the most.
(O) This is the last thing I’d expect you to do.

我有機會進行電話會議。
(X) I have the opportunity do a conference call.
(O) I have an opportunity to participate in a conference call.

他們很在意…。
(X) They very care…
(O) They care very much…

我希望時間由我自己做決定。
(X) I want my time to be decision by myself.
(O) I want my time to be decided by myself.

Solution:
說出來的英文常常很「中式」，可以(1)發現老外的句子和你不一樣，立刻寫下來重複練習(2)讀中英對照文章，眼睛讀中文，嘴巴說英文，再去對和英文原文哪裡不一樣，把這些英文模式思考內建到大腦。

錯誤NO.2=>動詞不給力

上禮拜認識了一個新朋友。
(X) I knew a new friend last week.
(O) I met a new friend last week.

可以借一下廁所嗎？
(X) May I borrow your bathroom?
(O) May I use your bathroom?

我要準備一場大考。
(X) I need to prepare for a big exam.
(O) I need to study for a big exam.

我在泰國度假時住在一間不錯的飯店。
(X) I lived in a nice hotel during my vacation in Thailand.
(O) I stayed at a nice hotel during my vacation in Thailand.

Solution:
乍看之下文法沒錯的句子，其實用動詞被中文牽著走，有時候英文比較實事求是，「用」洗手間是use，「準備」考試其實是要study，「住」飯店其實只有停留stay幾天，邏輯通了就不容易再錯。

廣告

錯誤No.3=>詞性搞不清

去大賣場真好玩。
(X) Going to the mall is so funny.
(O) Going to the mall is a lot of fun.

這個方法有效多了。
(X) That way is more efficiency.
(O) That way is more efficient.

亞洲人
(X) Asia people
(O) Asian people

我很急。
(X) I was very rush.
(O) I was very rushed.

你必須排出優先順序。
(X) You need to category your priorities.
(O) You need to categorize your priorities.

Solution: 
學單字要見樹見林，不要只查單字翻譯，找有各種詞性例句字典，就能掌握正確用法。例如學「決定」這個字，可以上thefreedictionary.com熟悉怎麼用動詞decide、名詞decision、形容詞decisive。

錯誤NO.4 =>對象是誰沒在看！

誰在意！
(X) Who care!
(O) Who cares!

他只是需要有一點紀律。
(X) He just need a little discipline.
(O) He just needs a little discipline.

人們做了研究。
(X) People does research.
(O) People do research.

他不會進來。
(X) He don't come in.
(O) He doesn't come in.

Solution:
一開始說得慢一些沒關係，腦中找到正確搭配的動詞變化再說出來，之後每次慢慢加快，就像運動一樣訓練久了，反應就變成直覺了。

錯誤NO.5=>沒有時間感

他會遲到五分鐘。
(X) He will be late for 5 minutes.
(O) He will be 5 minutes late.

廣告

我明天白天時間會去辦這件事。
(X) I'll get it done tomorrow in the daytime.
(O) I'll get it done tomorrow during the daytime.

我從小就認識他了。
(X) I know him since I was a child. 
(O) I have known him since I was a child.

臉書今年已經賺了64億。
(X) Facebook already gets $64 billion this year.
(O) Facebook already got $64 billion this year.
 
Solution:
沒有時間感的錯誤有兩種，一種是看到時間就想用for；另一種是對於「期間」和「發生動作的時間」掌握不好，例如白天的時間是一段期間，介係詞要用during，認識一個人多久也是一段期間，要用完成式；而Facebook賺了多少錢已經發生了，所以用過去式。

________________________________________

他們討論了下一季的目標。
(X) They discussed about the goal for next quarter.
(O) They discussed the goal for next quarter.
(O) They had a discussion about the goal for next quarter.

錯誤NO.6=>超愛about和with

還有一種超容易錯用with的形容詞，都用在比較：
與…類似
(X) similar with
(O) similar to

與…不同
(X) different with
(O) different from

與…一樣
(X) same with
(O) same as

其中的不同
(X) the difference with
(O) the difference between

廣告

Solution:
因為學過talk about所以覺得discuss也要about，不用去想是及物或不及物動詞，只要記得少數容易搞錯的動詞就好。
中文說與/跟…不同，所以說英文也自動加了with。感覺一下介係詞，similar to是一種「對應」的比較，different from是「不同於…」，same as有「就如同…」的意思，the difference between是兩件事「之間」的不同所以用between。這是一種語感的累積，需要時間，但是確立的用法多了，就會掌握越來越好。

錯誤 還有，

我從臺大畢業。
(X) I was graduated from National Taiwan University.
(O) I graduated from National Taiwan University.

Solution: 
 “I was graduated from…”不是不能用，只是習慣用法是主動，被動用法有時也帶著一種好不容易學校才讓我畢業的語氣。

我不知道我能/應該做什麼。
(X) I don't know what can/should I do.
(O) I don't know what I can/should do.

Solution:
What can I do?是問句的倒裝，The thing I can do才是一般的句型，所以I don’t know what (=the thing which) I can do. 理清楚就能應用所有類似句型。

我們應該要更嚴謹。
(X) We should be more strict about the things.
(O) We should be stricter about the things.

Solution:
通常形容詞有三個以上的音節，比較級才會用more，例如：beautiful=>more beautiful。 

廣告