Jan. 4, 2026
There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a parents and their son. Their son could speak fluent Chinese with slightly accent. His parents wasn't that good but OK. At that time, it was rare to see and play with a foreign peer.
He told us——the group of kids who played together——His name is [tɕʰŷn] (I really don't know how to spell his name, either in English or Chinese. Though here is how we pronounce it) In my own version, it’s would be CHWEN.
We never saw him and his family again around the time we entered fifth grade. When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt any strange about a disappearance of one of my childhood playmate. When did he show up and when did he leaves. Is he back to US? Or moving to another city in China? I have no ideas.
Looking back, one or two things remain clear in my mind. Moments that revealed a page of differences between Chinese and Us.
The first things that shocks me is how they celebrate the Christmas and Halloween. They really invested lots of energy and time in it. One Christmas eve. He showed us a picture on his phone of his bedroom. In the picture, his room was decorated entirely with a spider man theme. Spider man printed on his bed, on the wallpaper, spider man on everywhere in his room. He told us the coolest part was what lay under his bed “full of spider man present” He didn’t show us the specific picture. I could only imagine.
In contrast, Chinese parents don't do such often. Most middle class family or those below, only give presents on birthday, or giving as a reward for academic performances. The most things Chinese student hear growing up from their parents is “If you get good ranking on next examination, you will get........” I received my first laptop in six grade for I ranked fifth at a science examination in my class. But relatives would give children money at Spring Festival, so they can buy anything they want. Quite fair actually.
The next things is about the attitude toward police officer. A normal day some friends asked me to follow them to watch a prank. A naughty kids spat on Chwen's father's car. Some children disliked his father for no clear reason—perhaps out of pure curiosity.
The kids were so excited when he had finished his prank, but merely few minutes later, Chewn’s father came with a cotton swab and a plastic seal bag. He used the swab, extract the saliva, put it into the seal bag than grabbed the boy’s arm and say “Let’s go to the police station and see what they have to say”
In China. Most of adult, especially parents, avoid to have argument with kids, directly. We always say things like that “There's no need to treat children as equals in conflicts,” much less the policeman. I still can’t tell if the father was only to freak him out so he would never dare to get close to his car. He looks extremely serious. As for what happened afterward—perhaps that was why the family eventually left.
我以前住的小区里曾经住着一个美国移民家庭,一对父母带着他们的儿子。小男孩能说一口流利的中文,有一点点口音;他的父母也能说点。那时,有一个外国玩伴是相当罕见的事情。
他告诉我们那群经常一起玩的孩子可以叫他 [tɕʰŷn]。我并不知道这个名字该怎么用英文或中文写出来,我只是知道发音,在我自己的版本里,我把它拼成 “Chwen”。
等我大概上了五年级之后,就再也没有见过他和他的家人了。如今再想起来,我甚至不太确定,那时候我有没有对一个童年玩伴的突然消失感到过奇怪。我已经记不清他是什么时候出现在我们的生活里的,又是在什么时候离开的。他是回到了美国,还是搬去了中国的另一座城市?我完全不知道。
我还记得有关他的一两件事情,这些经历让我让我第一次真切地意识到我与美国人之间的不同。
第一件给我带来冲击的是他们如何庆祝圣诞节和万圣节。他们真的在这些节日上投入了大量的时间和精力。有一年平安夜,他给我们看了一张他卧室的照片。照片里,他的房间完全被装饰成了蜘蛛侠主题:床上是蜘蛛侠,墙纸上是蜘蛛侠,房间里几乎到处都是蜘蛛侠。他告诉我们,最酷的部分在床底下——“全都是蜘蛛侠的礼物”。不过他并没有给我们看具体的礼物照片,我只能大概去想象。
相比之下,中国家庭很少这样做。大多数中产阶级或更普通的家庭,通常只会在生日,或者作为学习成绩好的奖励时才送礼物。中国孩子在成长过程中,最常从父母那里听到的一句话之一就是:“如果你下次考试考得好,就给你买……”我是在六年级的时候,因为一次科学考试在班里排了第五名,得到了人生中的第一台笔记本电脑。不过春节的时候我们的亲戚会直接塞给我们钱让我们想买什么买什么,所以其实还挺公平的。
第二件事,则和对警察的理解有关。某个普通的日子里,我的几个朋友叫我跟他们一起去看一个恶作剧。一个调皮的孩子朝 Chwen 爸爸的车吐了口水。有些孩子并不喜欢他的父亲,理由不清楚——我想也许只是出于一种无意识的好奇。
恶作剧完成后,那些孩子显得异常兴奋。但没过几分钟,Chwen 的父亲就来了,手里拿着一根棉签和一个塑料证物袋。他用棉签取了车上的唾液,把棉签放进袋子里,然后抓住那个孩子的手臂,说:“我们去警察局看看他们会怎么说。”
在中国,大多数成年人——尤其是有孩子的父母——都会避免直接和孩子发生冲突。我们常说“没必要和孩子计较”,更不用说把警察牵扯进来了。直到现在,我也无法确定,那位父亲是否只是想吓唬那个孩子,让他以后再也不敢靠近自己的车。他当时看起来非常严肃。至于后来发生了什么——也许,这正是他们一家最终离开的原因。
There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a parentscouple and their son.
You could also say a boy and his parents, a boy with his mother and father, etc.
Their son could speak fluent Chinese with a slightly accent.
His parents waseren't that good but OK., they were ok.
When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt any strange about athe disappearance of one of my childhood playmates.
When did he show up and when did he leaves.
IsDid he go back to the US?
Is he back to the US now? You could also say
Or movingdid he move to another city in China?
I have no ideas.
Moments that revealed a pageton of differences between Chinese and Usthe US.
The first things that shocksed me is how they celebrate the Christmas and Halloween.
Spider man printed on his bed, on the wallpaper, spider man on everywhere in his room.
He told us the coolest part was wthat lay under his bed was “full of spider man presents”
In contrast, Chinese parents don't often do such oftena thing.
Most middle class family or those below, only give presents on their birthday, or givinge them as a reward for academic performances.
The most things Chinese student hear growing up from their parents is “If you get good granking ondes on your next examination, you will get........”
A suggestion which may make it sound more natural
I receivedgot my first laptop in sixth grade forbecause I ranked fifth at a science examination in my class.
But relatives would give children money atduring Spring Festival, so they can buy anything they want.
The next things is about the attitude towards police officers.
AOn a normal day some friends asked me to follow them to watch a prank.
A naughty kids spat on Chwen's father's car.
He used the swab, extracted the saliva, put it into the sealed bag, thaen grabbed the boy’s arm and sayid “Let’s go to the police station and see what they have to say”
Most of adults, especially parents, avoid to havetend to avoid having an argument with kids, directly.
I still can’t tell if the father was only trying to freak him out so he would never dare to get close to his car again.
He looksed extremely serious.
Feedback
Very good job, a complicated story that you told well. Going to the police in that situation definitely sounds a touch extreme!
There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a parents and their sonboy and his parents.
"a" is for singular nouns.
I changed a few things to make the sentence sound more natural.
Their son could speak fluent Chinese with a slightly accent.
"slightly" is an adverb, so it modifies a verb. "Slight" is an adjective, so it modifies a noun.
His parents waseren't that good but OK.
"wasn't" = was not = singular= used for he, she, it
This sentence is understandable, but maybe someone else has a suggestion to improve "but OK."
He told us——the group of kids who played together——His name iwas [tɕʰŷn]
This happened in the past.
Unless you are quoting him (for example: He told us, "My name is Chwen.") the verbs about that time should refer to the past.
Though hereat is how we pronounce it.)
You would use "that" to refer back to [tɕʰŷn].
In my own version, it’s would be CHWEN.
"it's" = it is, and "it is would" which is incorrect
WAround the time we entered fifth grade, they disappeared, and we never saw him and his family again. ¶
They disappeared around the time we entered fifth grade., and we never saw him and his family again.
It is tricky to fit "never again" and "around the time" in the same sentence.
I added "disappeared" to link the two times.
When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt any strangeness /anything was strange about athe disappearance of one of my childhood playmates.
"I felt anything strange" is a more natural way to say this, but "any strangeness" is fine too. "Strange" is an adjective, and you need a noun in that place in the sentence.
When did he show up and when did he leaves.?
If you begin the sentence with "When" it is a question.
IsDid he go back to the US?
"Is he back in US?" This is what you would say if you are wondering where he is now, as you are writing.
If you are telling us what you wondered back then, you would keep it in the past "Did he go back to the US?" I'm guessing this is what you are doing because of the next sentence, which seems more clearly to be about what you thought at the time.
Or movinge to another city in China?
Strictly speaking this should be "Or did he move" but this is not a grammar textbook, and the way you wrote it reflects your thoughts as they came to you.
I have no ideas.
The idiom is "I have no idea."
Moments that revealed a pageworld of differences between Chinesea and Usthe US.
"A page of differences" is a completely new expression to me. Maybe you invented it. A common phrase would be "a world of difference" or simply "major differences."
We can compare people (Chinese and Americans) or countries. I think countries works here because these are cultural differences and there may be variations among people. For example, not all people living in the US celebrate Christmas or Halloween.
The first things that shocksed me is how they celebrate the Christmas and Halloween in the US.
thing > is
things > are
past tense because this is when you felt the shock
They really invested lots of energy and time in it.
Use the present tense because this is a generalization. It was true then and is true now.
One Christmas eEve.,
This is not a sentence, so I attached it to the next sentence.
Hhe showed us a picture on his phone of his bedroom.
In the picture, his room was decorated entirely with a sSpider m-Man theme.
Spider m-Man printed on his bed, on the wallpaper, s; Spider man o-Man everywhere in his room.
He told us the coolest part was what lay under his bed “full of sSpider m-Man presents”
In contrast, Chinese parents don't do such things often. .¶
"don't do as much as often" might also work.
Most middle class family or those below,or working class families only give presents on birthdays, or givingthey give them as a reward for academic performances.
We have different words to label people who are below middle class. We also have "lower income" and "poor" for example. I'm not sure what fits best in this context.
TWhe most things Chinese student hen Chinese children are growing up, the most frequent thing they hear from their parents is, “If you get a good ranking on next examination, you will get........”
I received my first laptop in sixth grade forbecause I ranked fifth aton a science examination in my class.
But relatives would give children money at Spring Festival, so they can buy anything they want.
Use the present tense for a general statement. It was true then, and it is true now.
The next things is aboutdifference between China and the US is the attitude toward police officers.
It has been a long time since you began to describe the differences, so it might be good to remind your readers.
AOne normal day some friends asked me to follow them to watch a prank.
Stories in English often begin with the words "One day..."
A naughty kids spat on Chwen's father's car.
"A" means one kid.
Some children disliked his father for no clear reason—perhaps out of pure curiosity.
I'm not sure that it makes sense to dislike someone because we are curious about them, because being curious about someone shows you are interested in learning about them. A more common explanation is to say that people dislike people who are different from them.
The kids were so excited when he had finished his prank, but merelyjust a few minutes later, Chewen’s father came with a cotton swab and a resealable plastic seal bag.
Ziplock is a brand name in the US. I would say "a Ziplock bag" but "resealable" is used in the UK, and it's understandable by all.
He used the swab, extract to wipe up the saliva, put it into the resealable bag, thaen grabbed the boy’s arm and sayid, “Let’s go to the police station and see what they have to say.”
"extract" is to take (the liquid) out of something. "Wipe off" is to remove (the liquid) by absorbing it into something like a sponge, cloth, or cotton swab. (can refer to a few other substances besides a liquid)
In China.,
Adding this beginning to the next sentence.
Mmost of adults, especially parents, avoid to havehaving arguments with kids, directly.
We always say things like that, “There's no need to treat children as equals in conflicts,” much less thea policeman.
This is a major cultural difference I did not know about!
I still can’t tell if the father was only trying to freak him out, so he would never dare to get close to his car again.
"I still don't know" also works.
"was only intending to" also works
or without "was" --"only intended to" or "only meant to"
He looksed extremely serious.
Feedback
Wow! What a great story from beginning to the final sentence! Really well written, with a lot of natural sounding English!
Check singular versus plural and verb tenses when you review or edit your work, and you will probably make many of these types of corrections yourself. Great job and thank you for sharing.
Foreign family
There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a parents and their son.
Their son could speak fluent Chinese with slightly accent.
His parents waseren't that good but they were OK.
At that time, it was rare to see and play with a foreign peer.
He told us—— - the group of kids who played together——H - that his name iwas [tɕʰŷn]
It's not typical to use the phonetic alphabet in English. I had to Google the meaning. In the future if you want to spell out an unknown word in English, it's better to just use the Latin alphabet.
(I really don't know how to spell his name, either in English or Chinese.,
Though herebut this is how we pronounced it).
In my own version, it’s would be CHWEN.
We never saw him and his family again around the timefter we entered fifth grade.
When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt anything strange about athe disappearance of one of my childhood playmates.
When did he show up and when did he leaves.
IsDid he go back to the US?
Or movingdid he move to another city in China?
I have no ideas.
Looking back, one or two things remain clear in my mind.
Moments that revealed a page ofsome of the differences between Chinese and UsAmerican people.
The first things that shocks me is how they celebrate the Christmas and Halloween.
No "the" needed before Christmas.
They really invested lots of energy and time in it.
One Christmas eEve.,
This is not a full sentence.
Hhe showed us a picture on his phone of his bedroom.
In the picture, his room was decorated entirely with a sSpider m-Man theme.
Spider m-Man printed on his bed, on the wallpaper, sSpider m-Man on everywhere in his room.
He told us the coolest part was what lay under his bed “full of sSpider m-Man present”
I'm not 100% sure what you mean by Spider-Man present? Like under his bed was packed with Spider-Man themed gifts?
He didn’t show us the specific picture.
So I could only imagine.
In contrast, Chinese parents don’t do suchthis kind of thing very often.
Most middle class family or those below,ies only give presents on birthdays, or giving as a reward for academic performances.
The most common things Chinese students hear growing up from their parents is: “If you get good ranking on next examination, you will get........”
I received my first laptop in six grade forbecause I ranked fifth atin a science examination in my class.
But relatives would give children money at Spring Festival, so they canould buy anything they want.
Quite fair actuallyI think this is actually quite fair.
The next things is about was their attitude toward police officers.
A normalOne day some friends asked me to follow them to watch a prank.
A naughty kids spat on Chwen’s father’s car.
A naughty kid (singular)
OR
Some naughty kids (plural)
SomOne of the children disliked his father for no clear reason— -perhaps out of pure curiosity.
He disliked his father because he was curious? I'm not sure I understand your meaning here.
The kids were so excited when he had finished his prank, but merelyonly a few minutes later, Chewn’s father came out with a cotton swab and a plastic seal bag.
He used the swab, extracted the saliva, put it into the seal bag and thaen grabbed the boy’s arm and sayid: “Let’s go to the police station and see what they have to say.”
In China.,
This is not a sentence, so use a comma and not a period/full stop.
Most of adults, especially parents, avoid to havehaving any direct arguments with kids, directly.
We always say things like that:
“There’s no need to treat children as equals in conflicts,” much less the policeman.”
He looksed extremely serious.
Past tense, since you're telling a story from your past.
I still can’t tell if the father was only saying it to freak him out so he would never dear to get closeagain do anything to his car.
Feedback
He was not serious. No normal person would actually involve the police in that sort of thing in any Western country. He said it to scare the kid into behaving. And this is definitely not a common parenting strategy either.
Also good work!
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(I really don't know how to spell his name, either in English or Chinese. (I really don't know how to spell his name, either in English or Chinese |
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In my own version, it’s would be CHWEN. This sentence has been marked as perfect! In my own version, it "it's" = it is, and "it is would" which is incorrect |
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We never saw him and his family again around the time we entered fifth grade. We never saw him and his family again a
It is tricky to fit "never again" and "around the time" in the same sentence. I added "disappeared" to link the two times. |
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When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt any strange about a disappearance of one of my childhood playmate. When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt anything strange about When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I "I felt anything strange" is a more natural way to say this, but "any strangeness" is fine too. "Strange" is an adjective, and you need a noun in that place in the sentence. When I look back at those memories, I’m not even sure whether I had ever felt |
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When did he show up and when did he leaves. When did he show up and when did he leave When did he show up and when did he leave If you begin the sentence with "When" it is a question. When did he show up and when did he leave |
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Foreign family This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a parents and their son. This sentence has been marked as perfect! There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a "a" is for singular nouns. I changed a few things to make the sentence sound more natural. There was an American immigrant family living in my community, consisting of a You could also say a boy and his parents, a boy with his mother and father, etc. |
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Their son could speak fluent Chinese with slightly accent. This sentence has been marked as perfect! Their son could speak fluent Chinese with a slight "slightly" is an adverb, so it modifies a verb. "Slight" is an adjective, so it modifies a noun. Their son could speak fluent Chinese with a slight |
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His parents wasn't that good but OK. His parents w His parents w "wasn't" = was not = singular= used for he, she, it This sentence is understandable, but maybe someone else has a suggestion to improve "but OK." His parents w |
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At that time, it was rare to see and play with a foreign peer. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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He told us——the group of kids who played together——His name is [tɕʰŷn] He told us It's not typical to use the phonetic alphabet in English. I had to Google the meaning. In the future if you want to spell out an unknown word in English, it's better to just use the Latin alphabet. He told us——the group of kids who played together——His name This happened in the past. Unless you are quoting him (for example: He told us, "My name is Chwen.") the verbs about that time should refer to the past. |
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Though here is how we pronounce it)
Th You would use "that" to refer back to [tɕʰŷn]. |
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The kids were so excited when he had finished his prank, but merely few minutes later, Chewn’s father came with a cotton swab and a plastic seal bag. The kids were so excited when he had finished his prank, but The kids were so excited when he had finished his prank, but Ziplock is a brand name in the US. I would say "a Ziplock bag" but "resealable" is used in the UK, and it's understandable by all. |
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He used the swab, extract the saliva, put it into the seal bag than grabbed the boy’s arm and say “Let’s go to the police station and see what they have to say” He used the swab, extracted the saliva, put it into the seal bag and th He used the swab "extract" is to take (the liquid) out of something. "Wipe off" is to remove (the liquid) by absorbing it into something like a sponge, cloth, or cotton swab. (can refer to a few other substances besides a liquid) He used the swab, extracted the saliva, put it into the sealed bag, th |
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In China. In China This is not a sentence, so use a comma and not a period/full stop. In China Adding this beginning to the next sentence. |
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Most of adult, especially parents, avoid to have argument with kids, directly. Most
Most |
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We always say things like that “There's no need to treat children as equals in conflicts,” much less the policeman. We always say things like This is a major cultural difference I did not know about! |
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I still can’t tell if the father was only to freak him out so he would never dare to get close to his car. I still can’t tell if the father was only trying to freak him out, so he would never dare to get close to his car again. "I still don't know" also works. "was only intending to" also works or without "was" --"only intended to" or "only meant to" I still can’t tell if the father was only trying to freak him out so he would never dare to get close to his car again. |
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He looks extremely serious. He look Past tense, since you're telling a story from your past. He look He look |
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As for what happened afterward—perhaps that was why the family eventually left. |
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In contrast, Chinese parents don’t do such often. In contrast, Chinese parents don’t do |
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A naughty kids spat on Chwen’s father’s car. A naughty kid A naughty kid (singular) OR Some naughty kids (plural) |
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We always say things like that We always say things like |
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“There’s no need to treat children as equals in conflicts,” much less the policeman. “There’s no need to treat children as equals in conflicts |
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I still can’t tell if the father was only to freak him out so he would never dear to get close to his car. I still can’t tell if the father was only saying it to freak him out so he would never |
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Is he back to US?
"Is he back in US?" This is what you would say if you are wondering where he is now, as you are writing. If you are telling us what you wondered back then, you would keep it in the past "Did he go back to the US?" I'm guessing this is what you are doing because of the next sentence, which seems more clearly to be about what you thought at the time.
Is he back to the US now? You could also say |
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Or moving to another city in China? Or Or mov Strictly speaking this should be "Or did he move" but this is not a grammar textbook, and the way you wrote it reflects your thoughts as they came to you. Or |
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I have no ideas. I have no idea I have no idea The idiom is "I have no idea." I have no idea |
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Looking back, one or two things remain clear in my mind. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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Moments that revealed a page of differences between Chinese and Us. Moments that revealed Moments that revealed a "A page of differences" is a completely new expression to me. Maybe you invented it. A common phrase would be "a world of difference" or simply "major differences." We can compare people (Chinese and Americans) or countries. I think countries works here because these are cultural differences and there may be variations among people. For example, not all people living in the US celebrate Christmas or Halloween. Moments that revealed a |
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The first things that shocks me is how they celebrate the Christmas and Halloween. The first things that shocks me is how they celebrate No "the" needed before Christmas. The first thing thing > is things > are past tense because this is when you felt the shock The first things that shock |
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They really invested lots of energy and time in it. This sentence has been marked as perfect! They really invest Use the present tense because this is a generalization. It was true then and is true now. |
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One Christmas eve. One Christmas This is not a full sentence. One Christmas This is not a sentence, so I attached it to the next sentence. |
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He showed us a picture on his phone of his bedroom.
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In the picture, his room was decorated entirely with a spider man theme. In the picture, his room was decorated entirely with a In the picture, his room was decorated entirely with a |
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Spider man printed on his bed, on the wallpaper, spider man on everywhere in his room. Spider Spider Spider man printed on his bed, on the wallpaper, spider man |
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He didn’t show us the specific picture. This sentence has been marked as perfect! |
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He told us the coolest part was what lay under his bed “full of spider man present” He told us the coolest part was what lay under his bed “full of I'm not 100% sure what you mean by Spider-Man present? Like under his bed was packed with Spider-Man themed gifts? He told us the coolest part was what lay under his bed “full of He told us the coolest part was |
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I could only imagine. So I could only imagine. |
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In contrast, Chinese parents don't do such often. In contrast, Chinese parents don't do such things often "don't do as much as often" might also work. In contrast, Chinese parents don't often do such |
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Most middle class family or those below, only give presents on birthday, or giving as a reward for academic performances. Most middle class famil Most middle We have different words to label people who are below middle class. We also have "lower income" and "poor" for example. I'm not sure what fits best in this context. Most middle class family or those below, only give presents on their birthday, or giv |
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The most things Chinese student hear growing up from their parents is “If you get good ranking on next examination, you will get........” The most common thing
The most things Chinese student hear growing up from their parents is “If you get good gra A suggestion which may make it sound more natural |
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I received my first laptop in six grade for I ranked fifth at a science examination in my class. I received my first laptop in six grade I received my first laptop in sixth grade I |
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But relatives would give children money at Spring Festival, so they can buy anything they want. But relatives would give children money at Spring Festival, so they c But relatives Use the present tense for a general statement. It was true then, and it is true now. But relatives would give children money |
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Quite fair actually.
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The next things is about the attitude toward police officer. The next thing The next It has been a long time since you began to describe the differences, so it might be good to remind your readers. The next thing |
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A normal day some friends asked me to follow them to watch a prank.
Stories in English often begin with the words "One day..."
|
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A naughty kids spat on Chwen's father's car. A naughty kid "A" means one kid. A naughty kid |
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Some children disliked his father for no clear reason—perhaps out of pure curiosity.
He disliked his father because he was curious? I'm not sure I understand your meaning here. Some children disliked his father for no clear reason—perhaps out of pure curiosity. I'm not sure that it makes sense to dislike someone because we are curious about them, because being curious about someone shows you are interested in learning about them. A more common explanation is to say that people dislike people who are different from them. |
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