在一個多元種族、多元語文的社會里，人民的互動，文化的交流，是理所當然的事。在這種情況下，語言的運用，就難免互相影響，甚至產生不良的干擾作用。例如街頭巷尾，不難聽到這樣的問句：

① They want to go where?

② She wants to do what?

這樣的問話，偶爾開開玩笑還可以，如果習以為常，以訛傳訛，就不好了。

①和②正確的句法如下：

③ Where do they want to go ?

④ What does she want to do ?

諸如此類中文式的英語句子很多。下列是些常見的例子：

⑤ Wenmin’s body is very tall. / Wenmin is a high man.(文明身體很高。/文明是個高佬。)

⑤里“body”的這種用法，可能被誤解為“尸體”。正確的用法是：“Wenmin is very tall.”或“Wenmin has a tall body.”

⑥ How much is the price of your new watch?(你新表的價錢多少?)

英語可用“How much……”或“What is the price of……?”兩個句式不可融合為一，因此要這樣問：“How much is your new watch?”/“What is the price of your new watch?”/“What price is your new watch?”/“How much does your new watch cost?”

⑦ Peter hurried to go to the post office.

(彼得匆匆忙忙到郵政局去。)

在英語里，⑦的正確用法是：“Peter hurried to the post office.”/“Peter went to the post office in a hurry.”

⑧ Some of our people are easy to catch cold.(有些人容易傷風。)

像這種意思的句子，英語有幾種說法，但沒有一種是像⑧里所寫的。例如：(a) Some of our people catch cold easily. (b) Some of our people are liable to catch cold. (c) Some of our people are susceptible to cold. (d) It is easy for some of our people to catch cold.

⑨ -Do you like this fruit juice?

-Yes, I like.

這個答語既不是個完整句，也不是個省略句。如果是前者，應該是：“Yes, I like this fruit juice.”或“Yes, I like it.”如果是后者，應該用代替詞“do”:Yes, I do.

⑩ -Pat isn’t a lecturer, is she?

-Yes, she isn’t.

中文的“yes”不一定和肯定句連用，而“no”也不必和否定句掛鉤，所以才有中式的“Yes, she isn’t (a lecturer).”或甚至“ No, she is (a lecturer).”的回應。

反之，英語就不如此。英語的“yes”要用肯定句(positive statement)：“no”后面是否定句(negative statement)。因此，⑩里的邏輯答語是：“No, she isn’t.”