▲ 10 r/LearningEnglish
A common speaking mistake I see in Chinese learners of English
As an English teacher, I often see this pattern:
Students know grammar rules, but still produce sentences like:
“I very like it” instead of “I really like it.”
This is not just a grammar issue — it’s a structure transfer issue from Chinese to English.
In Chinese, intensifiers like “very” can be placed more flexibly.
But in English, “very” cannot directly modify verbs like “like” in that way.
So even when students “know” the correct form, they still default to their native structure during speaking.
What English structure do you personally find hardest to use correctly when speaking?
u/Dazzling-Tap-5371 — 1 day ago