說英文的時候，我們的大腦運作其實和搜尋引擎很像，要表達一個訊息時，它會用最短的時間，去"match"一個或一群最接近的元素。例如：He understood immediately. (他立刻就懂了)。句子這麼講也沒錯，但反反覆覆都是這類表達，I'll be there immediately. We'll finish it soon. 句子單調到不行，怎麼可能優雅豐富呢？

現在如果你把它改成→　He understood the very first time. 意思一樣，但表達的多樣性就出現了。英文從A到A＋，大部份都不是處理「對不對」，而是「好不好」。也因此"Paraphrase"(改寫、重寫)的練習是少不了的。現在看看怎麼paraphrase吧！

試著用比較advanced的句型造句，造句的時候一定要唸出來，覺得好像錯了，就再唸一遍，全部做完再對答案，答案於本文最末。

1. I haven't seen her for ages. 　
   The _____ was 10 years ago.
   A. last time we saw 　B. latest time I saw her 　C. last time I saw her
2. You must never take your helmet off while you are riding a bicycle.
   Helmets must be worn _____ when riding a motorcycle.
   A. all times 　B. all the times 　C. at all times
3. I thought parking was allowed here.
   I _____ that parking was allowed here.
   A. under the impression 　B. was under the impression 　C. am under the impression　
4. His daughter continued to cry until he could not be seen any longer.
   She continued to cry until he ____.
   A. was in sight 　B. was out of sight 　C. went out sight
5. I'm afraid that computer is just too expensive.
   That computer is _____.
   A. out of means 　B. beyond my means 　C. out of means to do
6. Can I accompany you to the party?
   Do you _____ to the party?
   A. mind my coming 　B. mind if I can 　C. mind I can
7. You should feel horrible! Why did you say that to Jane?
   _____ you! Why did you say that to Jane?
   A. Shame on 　B. Shame of 　C. Shame for
8. The authorities said she wasn't responsible for the accident.
   The accident _____.
   A. wasn't her fault. 　B. fault wasn't of her 　C. was her fault.

• 1.C,  2.C,  3.B,  4.B,  5.B,  6.A,  7.A,  8.A

1. A: Who's this? B: I'm Jason. A: 是誰呀? B: 我是Jason。
2. Oh, the food smells great. My mouth is watering! 喔，這食物聞起來真香，我都流口水了呢!
3. All of us are in the same boat, and we should watch over each other. 我們所有人都在同一條船上，應該要能彼此照應。
4. It's cool to have a star named after your name. 讓一顆星星以你的名字命名是很酷的一件事。
5. Does your company do translation by itself? 你們公司的翻譯工作是由內部負責嗎?

1. This is Jason.、It's Jason.
   不管是應門或是電話，回答都不會像中文一樣說I'm Jason，在英文聽起來就是怪怪的。問話者通常也不會說who are you?，聽起來不禮貌。
2. Oh, the food smells great. It's mouth-watering.
   water有流口水的意思，但如果要指「垂涎三尺」，會用複合形容詞，例如a mouth-watering aroma「令人垂涎不已的香氣」。如果說my mouth is watering，意思是說「我一直流口水」，這裡就沒有mouth-watering那種讓人垂涎、極為吸引人的意思，而是指嘴巴裡的口水很多！
3. All of us are in the same boat, and we should watch over one another.
   前句說到all of us，所以應該不只兩個人(如果是兩人會用both)，英文裡的彼此有each other和one another，前者指的是兩者之間，後者則是三者以上。我們太習慣講each other，會忘記如果指的是三者以上的人們，要用one another才合適。
4. It's cool to have a star named after you.
   「以...命名」的用法，after後面不會再加上「名字」。雖然中文常說以某人的名字命名，但是在英文裡面，指出要說的名詞就好，例如：The street is named after Justin Bieber.「這條街是以小賈斯汀的名字命名」，或者是Some star signs are named after animals.「有些星座是以動物命名」。
5. Does your company have in-house translation capability?
   in-house 指 in the office of a company, 而不是在家裡。capability指人力，特別指有專業能力的。如果是發稿給外部人員做，則用動詞片語farm out translation。

錯用或誤用英文的最主要原因，就在於思維出了問題，所以才用錯字、發錯音、表達不對的意思。本書「精選」華人使用英文常犯的錯誤60篇，可謂非英文母語學習者常見問題的「集大成」。只要用心潛讀，逐一修正這些「非典型英文」失誤，就能使用連外國人都稱讚的標準英文。