What NOT to say to your English speaking friend…

Posted on August 15th, 2011 by Debra

Your friends are your friends, and they will most certainly help you with your English if it’s appropriate, or if they see you struggling to communicate. It’s natural to help the person you’re talking to express themselves so mutual understanding is achieved.

However, if you ask them to help you, the boundaries between friendship and teaching will have been crossed, and your friends might deem your requests as work.

Try to avoid turning a social interaction into work by NOT saying the following:

Maybe you can correct me when I say something wrong?
Which is the right way to say this?
Should I say do, does, or did in this sentence?
Did I say that right?
Why do you say “in” and not “on”?
Can you tell me how to say ____ ?
What’s another word for ___?

Your friends can be an invaluable resource to your English growth…just not always as a walking-talking grammar and vocabulary reference. Just remember that not everyone is comfortable explaining grammar even if they use it correctly.