Public Database View - Target Language

Target Language	Category	Subject Areas	ISE II Mapping	CEFR	Priority	Failure Risk	Freq.	Cantonese Relevance
Wind turbines	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	20	Pronunciation challenge: 'wind' often mispronounced with a long /i:/ (weend), and 'turbines' has an unfamiliar vowel /ɜː/ and consonant cluster.
Renewable [noun]	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	19	Severe /r/ and /l/ confusion. HK learners frequently pronounce this as 'lenewable lesources'.
Binge drinking	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	15	Pronunciation of the /dʒ/ sound in 'binge' is often mispronounced as /z/ or /s/. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'drink a lot of wine'.
Gap year	Vocabulary	Education The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	14	Pronunciation of /gæp/ vs /gɛp/ and dropping the final /p/ is common. The concept is crucial for the Education topic.
Energy drinks	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	Medium	14	Dropping the plural 's' and the /ks/ consonant cluster at the end of 'drinks'.
Drawback	Vocabulary	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	12	A key B2 vocabulary word for discussing disadvantages. HK learners tend to over-rely on the literal translation 'bad point' or 'disadvantage'.
Compulsory	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	10	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress and a dark /l/. HK learners often avoid it entirely, substituting it with the grammatically incorrect 'must to do'.
Extreme sports	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	10	Consonant cluster /kstr/ and dropping plural 's' are common L1 errors.
In conclusion	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	10	Pronunciation of the /ʒ/ sound in 'conclusion' is often mispronounced as /s/ or /ʃ/. Essential discourse marker.
Plastic surgery	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	10	Pronunciation difficulty: dropping the /k/ in 'plastic' and confusing /r/ and /l/ in 'surgery', alongside mispronouncing the /dʒ/ sound as /z/.
Generate electricity	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	9	Syllable-timed L1 speakers struggle with the shifting stress in 'electric' vs 'electricity' (/ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/), often stressing the wrong syllables.
Study abroad	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	8	HK learners often say 'study in overseas' or 'go to foreign country to study' due to L1 translation. Dropping the 'd' in 'abroad' is also common.
Depend(s) on	Grammar	General	Speculating	B1	High	High	8	L1 interference leads to dropping 'on' or adding an unnecessary 'is' (e.g., 'is depend').
Rely on	Grammar	General Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	7	Pronunciation confusion between /r/ and /l/ ('lely on'). Preposition misuse is also common (often 'rely to').
Tell the truth	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	7	HK learners often say 'speak the truth' or 'say real' due to L1 translation (講真). Confusion between 'tell', 'say', and 'speak' is common.
Crash diets	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	7	HK learners often use literal translations like 'fast diet' or 'eat very little'. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'crash' is frequently mispronounced as /s/.
Boost [noun]	Phrase	General The world of work Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	7	The consonant cluster /sts/ in 'boosts' is extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in dropped sounds ('boo mood').
Role model	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Public figures past and present	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Low	6	Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /r/ and /l/, and dropping the dark /l/ in 'model' (pronouncing it as 'mo-do').
Earn money	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	Medium	6	Direct translation of the Cantonese phrase '搵錢' (find money) often leads to the fossilized error 'find money' instead of the correct English collocation 'earn money' or 'make money'.
Run out	Idiom	Natural environmental concerns General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	6	Direct translation of the Cantonese phrase '用完' (yung yun) leads to the common fossilized error 'use finish'. 'Run out' is essential for discussing resources.
Conservation	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	6	Pronunciation challenge: HK learners often confuse /v/ with /w/ or /f/ (con-ser-way-shun) and struggle with polysyllabic stress.
Space exploration	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	6	Pronunciation of /sp/ and /ks/ clusters is difficult. HK learners often insert a schwa ('s-pace') or drop the final consonants.
On the other hand	Phrase	General Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	6	A critical discourse connector. HK learners frequently misuse the preposition, saying 'In the other hand'.
Climate change	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	6	The /tʃ/ sound in 'change' is often devoiced or mispronounced. Essential vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic.
Multicultural society	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National customs	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	6	Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'multi' and polysyllabic stress in 'society' are challenging. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'many culture society'.
Play a/an [adjective] role	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	6	HK learners often use literal translations like 'is very important' or 'play an important part'. Pronunciation of 'crucial' (/kruːʃəl/) is also difficult.
Despite [noun phrase]	Grammar	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	High	6	Strong L1 interference leads to double conjunctions like 'Despite these challenges, but...'. Also, learners often incorrectly add 'of' ('Despite of').
Feel [adjective/past participle]	Grammar	Personal values and ideals General	Simple passive	B2	High	High	6	Passive construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'feel pressure to'.
Compared with	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	5	HK learners often drop the '-ed' due to the lack of past participles in Cantonese, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'compare with traditional football'.
Animal welfare	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	5	Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /w/ and /f/ or /v/ in 'welfare', plus the dark /l/ which is often dropped.
Due to	Grammar	General	Discourse connectors (because of, due to)	B1	High	High	5	A required ISE II discourse connector. HK learners frequently misuse it by combining it with 'because' or 'so' (e.g., 'Because due to...').
Job market	Vocabulary	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	5	Learners frequently drop the final /b/ in 'job' and /t/ in 'market', making it sound like 'jo marke'. Essential vocabulary for 'The world of work'.
Animal testing	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	5	Dropping the 'ing' suffix is common ('animal test'). Essential topic vocabulary.
Homeschooling	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	5	Pronunciation challenge: dropping the /h/ sound or the dark /l/ in 'school'. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'study at home'.
Soft skills	Vocabulary	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	5	HK learners frequently drop the final 't' in 'soft' and the plural 's' in 'skills', resulting in 'sof skill'. Essential vocabulary for 'The world of work'.
Sense of [noun]	Phrase	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	5	Dropping the preposition 'of' is common. Pronunciation of polysyllabic 'accomplishment' often loses the final consonant cluster /mnt/.
Landfill sites	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	5	Compound noun. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'landfill' is often dropped, and the plural 's' in 'sites' is frequently omitted.
Avoid using	Grammar	General Pollution and recycling	Giving advice	B1	High	Medium	4	Strong L1 interference leads to the fossilized error 'avoid to use' or 'avoid to eat' because Cantonese does not distinguish between gerunds and infinitives.
Put people off	Idiom	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	4	HK learners generally avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'make people don't like'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.
Habitat	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	4	HK learners frequently drop the initial /h/ sound or the final /t/ consonant, leading to communication breakdowns.
Ecosystem	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	4	Crucial for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic. Pronunciation confusion between /i:/ and /e/ (echo-system).
Ethical considerations	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	4	The /θ/ sound in 'ethical' is often pronounced as /f/ or /d/ by HK learners. Polysyllabic stress on 'considerations' is also challenging.
Instead of asking / worrying	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	4	Similar to 'without learning', HK learners frequently fail to use the gerund after 'instead of', saying 'instead of ask'.
Mental health	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	4	Dropping the dark /l/ in 'mental' (men-toe) and replacing the /θ/ in 'health' with /f/ (healf).
Less likely to	Grammar	General	Speculating	B2	High	High	4	HK learners often use 'less chance to' due to L1 interference. 'Likely' is frequently mispronounced with dropped /l/ sounds.
Limited by	Grammar	General	Simple passive	B1	High	High	4	Passive construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in 'limit by'.
Environmentally friendly	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	4	HK learners frequently drop the '-ally' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'environment friendly'.
Drop out	Idiom	Education	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Low	4	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners typically use literal translations like 'quit school' or 'stop studying'.
Local produce	Vocabulary	National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	4	Noun vs verb stress confusion. HK learners often mispronounce 'produce' (/ˈprɒdjuːs/ vs /prəˈdjuːs/) or substitute it with 'local products'.
If I were [pronoun], I would(n't)...	Grammar	General	Second/third conditionals	B2	High	High	4	Cantonese lacks verb conjugation for tense and mood. Learners often use 'If I am him, I don't...' failing to produce the second conditional required for ISE II.
Are subsidized by	Grammar	Society and living standards Education	Simple passive	B2	High	High	3	Simple passive is frequently malformed. Learners drop the 'be' verb and the '-ed' suffix (e.g., 'turbines subsidize by government').
Commute	Vocabulary	The world of work Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	3	Often confused with 'communicate' or pronounced with incorrect stress on the first syllable (/kɒmjuːt/ instead of /kəˈmjuːt/) due to syllable-timed L1 habits.
Solar panels	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	3	Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /l/ and /r/, and dropping the dark /l/ in 'panels' (pronouncing it as 'pa-no').
Subject of debate	Phrase	General	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	B2	High	Low	3	HK learners often rely on simpler phrasing like 'people always argue'. This phrase elevates the discourse for the conversation task.
Technological advancements	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	3	Polysyllabic stress and /tʃ/ vs /k/ confusion in 'technological'. Learners often drop the plural 's' in 'advancements'.
Work-life balance	Vocabulary	The world of work Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	3	Pronunciation errors: 'work' (/wɜːk/ vs /wɔːk/), dropping the final /f/ in 'life', and missing the /s/ sound in 'balance'.
Social norms	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National customs	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	3	HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' and struggle with the /r/ consonant in 'norms'.
Alternative to	Grammar	General Village and city life	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	3	Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'alternative of' or 'other choice of'. Pronunciation of /l/ and /r/ in 'alternative' is also difficult.
Without learning	Grammar	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	3	Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after prepositions, resulting in the fossilized error 'without learn'.
Begs the question	Idiom	General	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	C1	High	Low	3	HK learners avoid idioms and would typically say 'This makes me ask'. Using this elevates the discourse significantly.
Whether it's [noun] or [noun]	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	3	HK learners often use 'No matter A or B' due to direct translation of '無論'. 'Whether' is the correct B2 structure.
Make new friends	Phrase	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	3	Direct translation from Cantonese '識朋友' leads to the highly common fossilized error 'know new friends' or 'recognize new friends'.
Struggle with	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	3	HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'with' or use 'very hard to' instead.
Fossil fuels	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	3	Pronunciation of /f/ vs /v/ and the dark /l/ in 'fossil' and 'fuels'. Plural 's' is often dropped.
Manage their time	Phrase	Education The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	3	Direct translation from L1 '控制時間' leads to the fossilized error 'control time'.
Aware of	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	3	Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'aware about' or drop the preposition entirely.
Pollination	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	3	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. HK learners often confuse /l/ and /n/ ('po-ni-na-tion') and drop the final /n/.
Health benefits	Phrase	Society and living standards General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	3	Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound in 'health' is often replaced by /f/ ('healf'). Dropping the plural 's' in 'benefits' is also a common L1 error.
Make a decision	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	3	Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'do a decision' due to direct translation from Cantonese '做決定'.
Weight gain	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	3	HK learners often use literal translations like 'become fat' or 'add weight'.
Reliable	Vocabulary	General Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	3	Severe /r/ and /l/ confusion. HK learners frequently pronounce this as 'leliable'.
Harmful to	Grammar	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	3	Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'harmful for' due to L1 interference.
Cyberbullying	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	3	Pronunciation of the /saɪ/ syllable and dark /l/ in 'bullying'. HK learners often default to the literal translation 'internet bullying'.
Not only... but also	Grammar	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	High	3	Correlative conjunctions are frequently malformed by HK learners due to L1 interference, often resulting in errors like 'not only... and also'.
Traffic congestion	Vocabulary	Village and city life Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	3	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'traffic jam'. The /dʒ/ sound in 'congestion' is often mispronounced as /s/ or /z/.
Offset the benefits	Idiom	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	3	HK learners avoid this phrasing, preferring literal translations like 'cancel the good points'. Dropping the plural 's' in 'benefits' or the '-ed' in passive forms ('can be offset') is a common L1 error.
Quality of life	Phrase	Society and living standards Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	3	Direct translation from Cantonese '生活質素' often leads to the incorrect word order 'life quality'.
Contributes to	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	3	Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'contribute for' or drop the 'to' entirely. Dropping the 3rd person 's' is also common.
Hydroelectric	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	3	Severe pronunciation difficulty due to polysyllabic structure and shifting stress (/haɪdrəʊɪˈlɛktrɪk/). HK learners often avoid it entirely.
Valuable items	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Medium	3	Pronunciation of /v/ vs /w/ in 'valuable' is challenging. Dropping the plural 's' in 'items' is also a frequent L1 error.
In the long [term/run]	Idiom	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	3	Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'after a long time'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'run' vs 'long' often results in 'in the rong lun'.
Apply for [noun]	Phrase	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	3	Preposition dropping ('apply visa') and plural 's' dropping are extremely common L1 errors.
Source of [noun]	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	3	HK learners often use literal translations like 'money source' or 'where to find money'. Pronunciation of 'source' /sɔːs/ is sometimes confused with 'sauce' or lacks the proper vowel length.
[Modal] have been	Grammar	General	Modals for possibility/uncertainty (may, might, I'm not sure)	B2	High	High	3	Past modals for speculation or unreal past situations are rarely used by HK learners, as Cantonese lacks this grammatical structure. They often default to 'can be' or 'was', failing to demonstrate B2 range.
Are likely to	Grammar	General	Speculating	B1	High	High	3	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'have high chance to' due to direct translation from Cantonese. 'Likely to' is essential for B2 speculation.
Greenhouse gases	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	3	Pronunciation of the plural /ɪz/ in 'gases' is frequently dropped. Essential vocabulary for environmental topics.
You'd better	Grammar	General	Modals for advice/suggestions (should/ought to, could, you'd better)	B1	High	Medium	2	HK learners often drop the contracted 'had' ('You better') or misuse it as a standard modal ('You are better to').
Part-time job	Vocabulary	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	Medium	Low	2	Pronunciation issues: dropping the final 't' in 'part', and devoicing the 'j' to 'ch' in 'job' (/pɑːt taɪm tʃɒp/).
Chronic conditions	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	The word 'chronic' contains a /kr/ consonant cluster and a /k/ sound for 'ch', which is often mispronounced as /tʃrɒnɪk/ by Cantonese speakers.
Used to work	Grammar	The world of work Early memories	Used to	B1	High	High	2	Cantonese uses '以前' (before) + verb. HK learners frequently say 'He before work...' instead of using the 'used to' structure for past habits.
Superficial	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress and the /ʃ/ sound, which HK learners often mispronounce as /s/ (soo-per-fi-so).
Endangered species	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	Plurality confusion (species is both singular and plural). Pronunciation of the /dʒ/ sound in 'endangered' and /ʃ/ in 'species' is often mispronounced as /s/.
Even though	Grammar	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	High	2	HK learners frequently use double conjunctions like 'Even though... but...' due to direct translation from Cantonese '雖然...但係...'. This is a critical error for ISE II linking expressions.
Artificial intelligence	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation challenge: polysyllabic stress, /l/ vs /r/ confusion in 'artificial', and the /dʒ/ sound in 'intelligence'.
Temporary contracts	Vocabulary	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of consonant clusters /mpr/ and /kts/ is highly challenging. Learners often drop the plural 's' or final 't'.
Youth unemployment	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound in 'youth' is often replaced by /f/ or /s/. The polysyllabic 'unemployment' often suffers from incorrect stress.
Tend to be	Grammar	General	Speculating	B1	High	Medium	2	L1 interference leads to using 'always are' or dropping the 'to' ('tend be').
At risk from	Phrase	General Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Medium	2	Preposition misuse. Learners often say 'in risk of' or 'have risk'.
Pressing issues	Vocabulary	General Society and living standards Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	HK learners over-rely on 'urgent problems'. Using 'pressing issues' demonstrates a wider B2 vocabulary range.
Economic growth	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound in 'growth' is frequently replaced by /f/ by Cantonese speakers.
Values and ideals	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of 'values' (/v/ vs /w/) and 'ideals' (dark /l/ dropped).
Nuclear family	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	Severe /n/ vs /l/ confusion ('luclear') and difficulty with the /kl/ consonant cluster.
Gig economy	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	Voicing confusion between /g/ and /k/ often results in 'kik economy'.
Gender equality	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	The /dʒ/ sound in 'gender' is frequently mispronounced as /z/ or /g/ by Cantonese speakers.
Over the past [time]	Grammar	General	Present perfect continuous	B1	High	High	2	Cantonese lacks perfect aspect. Learners frequently pair this phrase with the past simple instead of the required present perfect.
Social interaction	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/ (so-so). Dropping the dark /l/ is also common.
Financial burden	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of 'burden' (/bɜːdn/) often lacks the correct vowel sound, and learners frequently drop the article 'a' before it.
What if	Grammar	General	Speculating	B1	High	High	2	Used for speculating. L1 interference causes HK learners to use direct translations like 'If incorrect then how?' instead of 'What if...'.
May be born	Grammar	General	Modals for possibility/uncertainty (may, might, I'm not sure)	B1	High	High	2	Passive voice combined with a modal. HK learners often drop the 'be' verb, saying 'may born that way'.
Most experts agree that	Phrase	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	B2	High	Low	2	A strong phrase for introducing opinions. HK learners often just say 'Many people think'. Pronunciation of the /ks/ and /pts/ clusters in 'experts' is challenging.
Natural talents	Vocabulary	Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation difficulty with the /l/ and /r/ distinction in 'natural', and dropping the plural 's' in 'talents'.
True calling	Vocabulary	The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	HK learners often struggle with the concept of 'calling' as a noun, defaulting to 'dream job'. The dark /l/ in 'calling' is also frequently dropped.
Reduces stress	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	2	Dropping the 3rd person /ɪz/ ending in 'reduces' and the /str/ cluster in 'stress' (s-tress).
Pros and cons	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	2	HK learners over-rely on 'good points and bad points'. This phrase is essential for discussing advantages and disadvantages.
Major downside	Vocabulary	General Public figures past and present	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	2	An excellent B2 alternative to the overused 'big disadvantage'.
Take precautions	Phrase	General	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	2	'Take' vs 'make' collocation confusion. Polysyllabic stress on 'precautions' is challenging.
Daily routine	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	2	Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion often results in 'daily loutine'. Essential vocabulary for discussing habits and lifestyle.
Complex issue	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	HK learners over-rely on 'complicated problem'. The /ks/ cluster in 'complex' is often dropped.
Invest in	Grammar	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'invest on' or 'invest to' due to L1 interference.
Convenience	Vocabulary	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /v/ and /w/ ('con-ween-ience') and dropping the final /s/ sound.
Problem-solving	Vocabulary	Education The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of the /pr/ cluster and /v/ sound. HK learners often drop the '-ing' suffix.
Make a big difference	Phrase	General Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	2	Collocation error. HK learners often say 'have a big difference' due to direct translation from Cantonese '有很大分別'.
Whether or not to	Grammar	General	Speculating	B2	High	High	2	HK learners often use 'No matter' due to direct translation of '無論'. 'Whether or not to' is the correct B2 infinitive structure.
Unemployed	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	2	Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a very common L1 error, making it sound like 'unemploy'.
Raise taxes	Phrase	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	2	HK learners often say 'add tax' (加稅) due to direct translation and drop the plural '-es'.
In a nutshell	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	2	Idiom. L1 speakers heavily over-rely on 'in conclusion' or 'shortly speaking'.
Build trust	Phrase	Personal values and ideals The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Dropping final consonants /d/ in 'build' and /st/ in 'trust'. L1 speakers often prefer 'make trust'.
Misunderstandings	Vocabulary	General Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Polysyllabic stress is difficult, and HK learners frequently drop the plural 's'.
Hurt someone's feelings	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	2	Dropping the possessive 's' and the plural 's' in 'feelings' is a very common L1 error.
Addicted to	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	Preposition misuse is highly common; HK learners often say 'addicted in' or 'addicted on'. Dropping the '-ed' suffix is also frequent.
Take into account	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'think about' or 'consider'. Word linking is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Open-minded	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in 'open-mind'.
Stand out	Idiom	The world of work Education Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	2	Phrasal verb avoidance. Linking the /d/ to /aʊ/ is difficult for L1 speakers.
Sponsorship	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Polysyllabic word. HK learners often drop the /p/ or /s/ sounds, or avoid the word entirely.
Create jobs	Phrase	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	2	Dropping the plural 's' in 'jobs' and the /kr/ cluster in 'create' are common L1 errors.
As a result	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	2	Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'So'. Linking sounds /æz ə rɪˈzʌlt/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
High blood pressure	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Dropping the final /d/ in 'blood' and struggling with the /pr/ consonant cluster and /ʃ/ sound in 'pressure'.
Balanced diet	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Giving advice	B1	High	High	2	Dropping the '-ed' suffix (/t/ sound) in 'balanced' is a very common L1 error, resulting in 'balance diet'.
Switch over to	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	2	HK learners generally avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'change to'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.
Store up	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	2	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners often drop the 'up' and just use 'store'.
On a large scale	Phrase	General Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Preposition and adjective misuse. HK learners often say 'in a big scale'.
Overcome obstacles	Phrase	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Collocation. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'solve problems'. Pronunciation of 'obstacles' is also challenging.
Sustainable	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. Essential vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic.
Is not tolerated	Grammar	Society and living standards Education The world of work	Simple passive	B2	High	High	2	Simple passive. HK learners frequently drop the 'is' and the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'not tolerate'.
Academic performance	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Polysyllabic stress shifting between 'academy' and 'academic'. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'school results'.
Social isolation	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	2	The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/. Polysyllabic stress in 'isolation' is challenging for L1 speakers.
Associated with	Grammar	General	Simple passive	B2	High	High	2	Passive voice and preposition misuse. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' and use 'to' instead of 'with' ('associate to').
In contrast	Phrase	General Natural environmental concerns	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	Medium	2	A key B2 discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'But' or 'However', and sometimes misuse it as 'In the contrast'.
Sustainable urban living	Vocabulary	Village and city life Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of 'urban' often lacks the /ɜː/ vowel, sounding like 'ah-ban'. 'Sustainable' has polysyllabic stress issues that challenge syllable-timed speakers.
Urban sprawl	Vocabulary	Village and city life Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	C1	Medium	Low	2	The /spr/ consonant cluster and dark /l/ in 'sprawl' are extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in 's-prow'.
Opting for	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	2	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on the literal translation 'choose' and struggle with the preposition 'for'.
Cosmetic procedures	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of the /z/ sound in 'cosmetic' and the /dʒ/ sound in 'procedures' is challenging. HK learners frequently drop the plural 's'.
Self-esteem	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	HK learners often use literal translations like 'confidence' but struggle with the concept and pronunciation of 'esteem' (adding an intrusive /s/ or dropping the final /m/).
Suffered from	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	2	Preposition dropping is extremely common. HK learners often say 'he suffer cancer' instead of 'suffered from', and drop the '-ed' past tense marker.
Metabolism	Vocabulary	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. Syllable-timed L1 speakers often struggle to pronounce it clearly, leading to communication breakdown.
Have no choice but to	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	HK learners frequently omit 'but' and say 'have no choice need to' due to direct translation from Cantonese '無辦法唯有'.
Look after	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	Low	2	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'take care of' and struggle with linking the /k/ to /æ/ in 'look after'.
Overwhelming	Vocabulary	General Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	2	Severe pronunciation difficulty with /v/ vs /w/ confusion and polysyllabic stress. HK learners often avoid it, preferring 'too much'.
Real-world experience	Vocabulary	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'real' and 'world' is frequently dropped, making it sound like 're-wow'. HK learners often just say 'working experience'.
Global demand	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'global' is often dropped ('glo-bo'). This is a strong B2 collocation that replaces the overused 'many people want'.
Public transport	Vocabulary	Village and city life Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	2	HK learners often drop the /k/ in 'public' and the /t/ in 'transport'. They also sometimes pluralize it incorrectly as 'public transports'.
Ask for advice	Phrase	Personal values and ideals General	Giving advice	A2	High	High	2	Preposition dropping is a critical L1 error. HK learners frequently say 'ask advice' or 'find advice' due to direct translation.
Intuition	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. Syllable-timed L1 speakers often struggle to pronounce it clearly, leading to communication breakdown.
Time spent [verb-ing]	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	2	Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently use the infinitive, resulting in the highly common fossilized error 'time spent to swim'.
Weight-bearing exercise	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	2	Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Dropping the final /t/ in 'weight' and /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'bearing' are common.
Knocking down	Idiom	Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	2	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer single verbs like 'destroy' or 'break'. Dropping the final /k/ sound in 'knock' is also common.
In fact	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	2	Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Actually' due to direct translation. 'In fact' provides a natural alternative for expanding ideas.
Become [adjective]	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	2	Pronunciation of the /fl/ cluster and /uə/ vowel is challenging. L1 speakers often use the grammatically incorrect 'speak very good'.
By [verb-ing]	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	2	Preposition + gerund rule. HK learners frequently drop the '-ing' and say 'by plant trees' due to L1 lacking gerunds.
Steady [noun]	Vocabulary	The world of work General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of 'schedules' (/ˈʃɛdjuːlz/ or /ˈskɛdʒuːlz/) is highly problematic, often resulting in 'se-du'.
Set [a time] limit(s)	Vocabulary	The world of work Education Personal values and ideals	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	2	Collocation. HK learners often say 'give limits' or drop the plural 's' ('set limit').
Lead to [noun]	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	2	HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'to' or misuse the noun form, saying 'lead addict' or 'make you addiction'.
Take time off	Idiom	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	2	Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'take leave' or 'rest'. Linking sounds /taɪm ɒf/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Career change	Vocabulary	The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	2	HK learners often use the verb phrase 'change job' instead of the noun phrase 'career change'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'career' ('carrier' error) is common.
Waste management	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Pronunciation of 'management' often drops syllables or mispronounces the /dʒ/ sound as /z/. Essential vocabulary for environmental topics.
Waste-free society	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Pronunciation of the /fr/ cluster in 'free' is sometimes confused with /fl/.
Smells and fumes	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Village and city life	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	2	HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' on both nouns. The /f/ vs /v/ confusion in 'fumes' is also a common L1 error.
Make decisions	Phrase	General Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	2	Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'do decisions' due to direct translation from Cantonese '做決定'.
Play a part in	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Collocation error. HK learners often say 'play a role of' or 'have a part of' due to preposition confusion.
Carry out	Vocabulary	General The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	2	HK learners heavily avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal single-word translations like 'do' or 'complete'.
Short-term memory	Vocabulary	Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	Compound noun. HK learners often drop the hyphen and struggle with the /tɜːm/ vowel sound, mispronouncing it as 'tom'.
Food miles	Vocabulary	National and local produce and products Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	2	Topic-specific compound noun. HK learners may not know this term and use clunky descriptions like 'the distance food travels'.
Do without	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	2	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'live without' or 'don't have'.
Small-scale farming	Vocabulary	National and local produce and products Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	2	Compound adjective. HK learners often drop the hyphen and say 'small farm'. Pronunciation of the /sk/ cluster in 'scale' is challenging.
I'm not sure I agree with him.	Phrase	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	A2	High	High	1	HK learners often use direct, grammatically incorrect translations like 'I very disagree' or 'I not agree'. This phrase provides a polite, grammatically accurate alternative essential for the collaborative task.
The best way to [verb] is to [verb]	Grammar	General	Giving advice	B1	High	Medium	1	Cantonese speakers frequently drop the second 'to' infinitive, resulting in 'The best way to learn is speak', due to the lack of infinitive markers in L1.
To detect if someone is lying	Grammar	Personal values and ideals General	Reported speech	B1	High	High	1	Embedded questions often suffer from incorrect subject-verb inversion in HK English (e.g., 'detect if is someone lying').
He comes from a humble background	Vocabulary	Public figures past and present Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of 'humble' often includes an intrusive vowel or dropped 'l'. The collocation 'humble background' is less commonly used than literal translations like 'poor family'.
Chronologically	Vocabulary	General Early memories	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty due to the /kr/ consonant cluster, polysyllabic stress, and /l/ vs /r/ distinction, often resulting in unintelligible speech.
As opposed to	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	1	Complex prepositional phrase. Cantonese speakers usually default to the simpler 'and not' or 'but not'. Using this improves discourse cohesion.
He should at least...	Grammar	General	Modals for advice/suggestions (should/ought to, could, you'd better)	A2	High	High	1	HK learners often drop the modal or use 'He need to' incorrectly. 'Should' is critical for the Collaborative Task to give advice.
Chasing debtors	Vocabulary	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	The silent 'b' in 'debtor' (/ˈdetə/) is almost always pronounced by HK learners due to phonetic spelling reliance.
I didn't know	Grammar	General	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	A2	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks past tense inflection. HK learners often double-mark the past tense (e.g., 'didn't knew') or drop the auxiliary entirely.
I have been working since...	Grammar	The world of work	Present perfect continuous	B2	High	High	1	Cantonese uses aspect markers rather than distinct tenses. Learners frequently use the present simple ('I work since 2004') instead of the present perfect continuous.
Rural	Vocabulary	Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty due to the double /r/ and dark /l/. Often mispronounced as 'loo-low', causing complete breakdown in communication.
Make my job easier	Grammar	The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	Medium	Low	1	Topic-prominent L1 interference leads to incorrect word order, such as 'make easier my job' or 'make my job is easier'.
Visual pollution	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	The word 'visual' contains a difficult /ʒ/ sound and a dark /l/, often mispronounced by Cantonese speakers as 'wee-so'.
Pricey	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'very expensive'. 'Pricey' is a natural B2 alternative, but learners may struggle with the /s/ vs /z/ sound and the consonant cluster.
Oversubscribed	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	Complex prefix and suffix. Cantonese speakers frequently drop the final '-ed' consonant cluster, making it sound like 'oversubscribe'.
Out of control	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners often use literal translations like 'cannot control'. Linking the sounds in 'out of' (/aʊt əv/) is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Break the ice	Idiom	General Personal values and ideals	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	B2	High	Medium	1	Idiomatic expression. Cantonese speakers tend to avoid idioms, preferring literal phrases like 'make them not shy'. Using idioms is key for B2.
When it comes to	Phrase	General	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	B2	High	Medium	1	Topic-prominent L1 speakers often just state the topic ('About the wind turbines...'). This phrase is an excellent B2 discourse marker to introduce a topic naturally.
Fall short	Idiom	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	C1	Medium	Low	1	HK learners typically avoid phrasal verbs and idioms, preferring literal translations like 'not good enough'. Using this demonstrates a higher range of vocabulary.
Look forward to	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks gerunds, leading to the highly common fossilized error 'look forward to see you' instead of 'seeing'.
Diagnose illnesses	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'diagnose' (/daɪəɡˈnəʊz/) is difficult, and HK learners frequently drop the plural /ɪz/ ending in 'illnesses'.
Keep track of	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners tend to avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal single-word translations like 'record'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.
Wearable devices	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /w/ and /v/ in 'wearable' and 'devices', plus dropping the plural /ɪz/ ending.
Bridge gaps	Idiom	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Idiomatic expression. HK learners usually prefer literal phrases like 'connect places'. Pronunciation of the /dʒ/ ending in 'bridge' is often devoiced to /tʃ/.
Have access to	Phrase	Society and living standards Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Medium	1	Noun vs verb confusion. HK learners often misuse 'access' as a verb without the preposition (e.g., 'can access the internet') instead of the noun phrase 'have access to'.
Reap the rewards	Idiom	General The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'get good things'. Pronunciation challenge with /r/ vs /l/ ('leap the lewards').
Therapeutic	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty with the /θ/ sound (often replaced by /f/ or /d/) and polysyllabic stress.
Low-maintenance	Vocabulary	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often use literal, clunky phrases like 'easy to take care'. Pronunciation of 'maintenance' often drops syllables.
Novice	Vocabulary	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Confusion between /v/ and /w/ or /f/ ('no-wice'). Learners over-rely on 'beginner'.
Layoffs	Vocabulary	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners tend to avoid phrasal nouns, preferring literal translations like 'fire people' or 'lose job'.
Obsessed with	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Preposition misuse is common (often 'obsessed to' or 'obsessed on'). Dropping the final '-ed' /t/ sound is also frequent.
Vast majority	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Pronunciation of /v/ is often replaced by /w/ ('wast'). Polysyllabic stress on 'majority' is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Showing off	Idiom	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Low	1	HK learners avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'displaying' or 'acting proud'.
As was expected	Grammar	General	Simple passive	B2	Medium	Medium	1	Passive voice construction. HK learners often drop the 'was' or the '-ed' ('As expect').
Turn into	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Low	1	Avoidance of phrasal verbs. Learners often use 'become to' instead.
Well spent	Phrase	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Passive concept. L1 interference leads to direct translations like 'spend good' (用得好) instead of the correct English collocation.
Vast sums of money	Phrase	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of /v/ is often replaced by /w/ ('wast'). The consonant cluster /st/ is also frequently dropped.
Natural disasters	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Plural 's' dropping is common. The /z/ sound in 'disasters' is often pronounced as /s/.
Worthwhile investment	Phrase	Society and living standards Education The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty with /w/ and /θ/ sounds in 'worthwhile', plus the /v/ in 'investment'.
Biological differences	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Dropping the plural 's' in 'differences'. Polysyllabic stress in 'biological' is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Pave the way for	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'make it possible'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.
Medical breakthroughs	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	The /θr/ consonant cluster in 'breakthroughs' is extremely difficult, often resulting in 'break-fools'.
Climb the corporate ladder	Idiom	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners avoid idioms. Pronunciation of 'corporate' suffers from /r/ vs /l/ confusion ('colpolate').
Unexplained phenomena	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Plurality confusion (phenomenon vs phenomena) is common. Pronunciation of the 'ph' as /f/ and polysyllabic stress is challenging.
Take for instance	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'for example'. Using this phrase demonstrates a wider range of B2 discourse markers.
What's fascinating is	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Cantonese lacks cleft sentences. Learners typically use simple SVO structures like 'It is very fascinating'. This structure elevates grammatical range.
Neither he nor	Grammar	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	High	1	Correlative conjunctions are frequently mixed up by HK learners, resulting in errors like 'Neither he or' or double negatives.
Hard to deny	Phrase	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	B2	High	Medium	1	A natural phrase for agreement/disagreement. HK learners often use direct, clunky translations like 'I cannot say no'.
Caught up to	Idiom	General	Speculating	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners generally avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal single words. Pronunciation of 'caught' often lacks the /ɔː/ vowel.
Whether one believes or not	Grammar	General Personal values and ideals	Speculating	B2	High	High	1	HK learners frequently misuse 'if' in place of 'whether' due to direct translation from Cantonese '如果'.
Peer pressure	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /p/ and /b/ ('beer pressure') and dropping the /r/ sound. Essential vocabulary for education/society topics.
Tailored to fit	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' in 'tailored' due to L1 lacking past participles. They also tend to over-rely on simple words like 'made for'.
Dive deeper into	Idiom	General Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners avoid phrasal verbs and idioms, preferring literal translations like 'study more'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'dive' is often replaced by /f/.
Extracurricular activities	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty due to polysyllabic stress, the /ks/ consonant cluster, and /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'activities'.
Daunting	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of the /ɔː/ vowel is difficult, often replaced by /aʊ/ or /ɒ/. Learners over-rely on 'very difficult' or 'scary'.
Euthanasia	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Pronunciation is highly challenging for HK learners (/juːθəˈneɪziə/), often mispronouncing the /θ/ as /f/ and /z/ as /s/.
Terminal illness	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	HK learners frequently drop the dark /l/ in 'terminal' and omit the plural /ɪz/ ending in 'illnesses'.
Right to die with dignity	Phrase	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	The abstract noun 'dignity' is difficult to pronounce (/ˈdɪɡnəti/) and often avoided in favor of simpler, less accurate phrasing.
Vulnerable individuals	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty: /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'vulnerable', dropping the dark /l/, and polysyllabic stress issues in 'individuals'.
Full consent	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Collocation. HK learners often use 'agree completely' instead. Pronunciation of 'consent' requires correct syllable stress.
Nature versus nurture	Phrase	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Pronunciation of /v/ in 'versus' is often replaced by /w/. The /tʃə/ ending in 'nature' and 'nurture' is difficult for HK learners.
Because of our environment	Grammar	Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards	Discourse connectors (because of, due to)	B1	High	High	1	HK learners frequently misuse 'because of' by following it with a full clause (e.g., 'because of it is good') instead of a noun phrase. Pronunciation of 'environment' often drops syllables.
Builds on	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. Learners often drop the 3rd person 's' ('build on') or use literal translations like 'add to'.
Parts of the same picture	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Idiomatic expression. HK learners tend to use literal phrasing like 'they are together'.
Settle for	Vocabulary	General Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners typically avoid phrasal verbs, preferring direct translations like 'choose' or 'accept'. Using 'settle for' demonstrates B2 lexical range.
Heart isn't in it	Idiom	The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Idiom avoidance is common. HK learners will typically say 'don't like it' or 'no passion'. Linking sounds in 'isn't in it' (/ɪznt ɪn ɪt/) is difficult for L1 syllable-timed speakers.
Contagious	Vocabulary	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress and the /dʒ/ sound, which HK learners often mispronounce as /s/ or /z/.
Side project	Vocabulary	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	Consonant cluster dropping is common; HK learners often drop the /d/ in 'side' and the /kt/ in 'project', making it sound like 'sigh pro-je'.
What would you do if money wasn't an issue	Grammar	Personal values and ideals The world of work	Second/third conditionals	B2	High	High	1	Second conditional. Cantonese lacks subjunctive mood, so learners frequently say 'What will you do if money isn't a problem', failing the B2 grammar requirement.
Keep waiting	Grammar	General	Giving advice	B1	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after verbs like 'keep', resulting in the fossilized error 'keep wait'.
Fluorescent bulbs	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty with /flʊəˈrɛsnt/ and the dark /l/ plus consonant cluster /lbz/ in 'bulbs'.
Stuck inside	Idiom	Village and city life The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	1	HK learners often drop the /k/ in 'stuck' and struggle with the passive concept, preferring 'cannot go out'.
Physical activity	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Pronunciation of /f/ vs /p/ in 'physical' and /v/ vs /w/ in 'activity'.
Tough on your body	Idiom	Society and living standards The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'bad for your body'. Pronunciation of /tʌf/ is sometimes confused.
Small price to pay	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Idiom avoidance. Learners typically say 'it is worth it'. Consonant clusters /sm/ and /pr/ are challenging.
What makes you feel alive	Grammar	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Medium	1	Dropping the /v/ in 'alive'. L1 interference leads to 'what make you happy' (dropping 's').
Sitting at a desk, staring at...	Grammar	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Cantonese lacks present participles for simultaneous actions. Learners often say 'Sit at desk and stare...'.
Heart of the action	Idiom	Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'the center'.
Urban living	Vocabulary	Village and city life Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'urban' often lacks the /ɜː/ vowel, sounding like 'ah-ban'.
Career-driven	Vocabulary	The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'career' vs 'carrier' is a classic HK error. The '-driven' suffix is also rarely used.
Cultural hubs	Vocabulary	Village and city life Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	'Hubs' is rarely used by HK learners. 'Cultural' has a dark 'l' and /tʃ/ sound which are difficult.
Get around	Idiom	Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	Avoidance of phrasal verbs. Learners usually say 'go to everywhere' instead of 'get around'.
High cost of living	Phrase	Society and living standards Village and city life	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	Dropping 'of' is common. The consonant cluster /st/ in 'cost' is also frequently dropped.
Adds up quickly	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Dropping the 3rd person 's' in 'adds'. Avoidance of phrasal verbs.
Peace and quiet	Phrase	Village and city life Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	1	Dropping 'd' in 'and'. Confusion between 'quiet' and 'quite' (/kwaɪət/ vs /kwaɪt/).
Trade-off	Vocabulary	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	The concept of a trade-off is difficult to express; learners usually say 'need to choose'.
Too fast, too loud, and too stressful	Grammar	Village and city life Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	1	Parallel structure. HK learners often substitute 'too' with 'very' due to L1 interference, missing the negative connotation of excess.
Perfect escape	Vocabulary	Village and city life Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Collocation. HK learners tend to use literal translations like 'good place to run away' instead of this natural B2 phrasing.
Time to breathe	Phrase	General Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty: the voiced /ð/ in 'breathe' is often replaced by /f/ or /d/, or confused with the noun 'breath' (/θ/).
Stunning views	Vocabulary	Village and city life Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'beautiful scenery'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'views' is often replaced by /w/.
Reconnect with yourself	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners often avoid reflexive pronouns in this context, preferring simpler phrases like 'relax my mind'.
Comfort and luxury	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'luxury' (/ˈlʌkʃəri/) is highly challenging, often mispronounced as 'luck-sury' with an /s/ instead of /ʃ/.
Guided tours	Grammar	Village and city life National customs	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Dropping the '-ed' suffix is an extremely common L1 error, resulting in 'guide tour'.
Local specialties	Vocabulary	National and local produce and products National customs	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Polysyllabic stress and the /ʃ/ sound in 'specialties' are difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Recharge	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Metaphorical use is often avoided by L1 speakers who prefer the literal translation 'rest'.
Leave behind	Idiom	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. L1 speakers prefer literal translations like 'go away from'.
Fast-paced world	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the '-ed' suffix in 'paced' is often dropped. L1 speakers tend to use literal translations like 'fast world'.
Taking a toll on	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	C1	High	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'is bad for'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'toll' is often dropped.
Substitute for	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'substitute of' or 'replace to'. Pronunciation of polysyllabic 'substitute' is challenging.
Moderate consumption	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress is difficult for syllable-timed speakers. The /ʃ/ sound in 'consumption' is often mispronounced as /s/.
Pick-me-up	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms and hyphenated noun phrases, preferring literal translations like 'make me awake'. Word linking is difficult.
General public	Phrase	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'normal people'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'general' is often dropped.
Good or bad for health	Phrase	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	A2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse: HK learners almost universally say 'good/bad TO health' due to direct translation from Cantonese '對身體好/唔好'.
Dead language	Vocabulary	Education National customs	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners often use literal translations like 'die language' or drop the final 'd' in 'dead'.
Open doors	Idiom	Education The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'give opportunities'.
Pick up	Idiom	Education General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'learn' and struggle with the /k/ to /ʌ/ word linking.
Logical thinking	Vocabulary	Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe /l/ vs /r/ confusion often results in 'rogical thinking'.
Attention to detail	Phrase	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'to' or incorrectly pluralize 'details'.
Outdated	Vocabulary	General Education Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners frequently drop the final 'd' and over-rely on 'very old'.
Financial literacy	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	Polysyllabic stress and /l/ vs /r/ confusion ('litelacy').
Curriculum	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic word with /r/ and /l/ sounds. HK learners often mispronounce it or avoid it entirely.
Widen the gap	Idiom	Society and living standards Education	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners tend to use literal phrasing like 'make the difference bigger'.
Shortage of	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'not enough' and often drop the preposition 'of'.
Tidal energy	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'tidal' (/taɪdl/) involves a dark /l/ which HK learners often drop or vocalize as /w/ or /oʊ/ ('tie-do').
Predictable	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress /prɪˈdɪktəbl/ and dark /l/. HK learners often struggle with the /kt/ cluster.
Make waves	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Idiom. HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'create a big impact'.
Compared to burning	Grammar	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	Gerund after preposition. HK learners often say 'Compared to burn' due to lack of gerunds in L1.
Find it hard to	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	HK learners often drop the dummy 'it', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'find hard to swim'.
Joining the race	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Idiom. Literal translation avoidance. HK learners prefer 'starting to do it too'.
Take over	Idiom	General The world of work	Speculating	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners typically avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'replace' or 'do our jobs'. Pronunciation of linking 'take over' (/teɪk əʊvə/) is difficult.
Human touch	Phrase	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	Idiomatic expression. HK learners often use literal, clunky translations like 'human feeling' or 'real people interaction'.
Empathy	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound is frequently replaced by /f/ or /d/ by HK learners. The concept is often simplified to 'sympathy' or 'pity', which is inaccurate.
Function properly	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'function' and the /pr/ cluster in 'properly' is challenging. Learners often just say 'work good'.
Work alongside	Phrase	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners often use 'work with' or 'work together'. 'Alongside' demonstrates a higher B2 lexical range. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ is often dropped.
Interact with	Grammar	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Preposition misuse is highly common; HK learners often say 'interact to' or drop the preposition entirely.
Are becoming	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks continuous aspect for changing states. Learners frequently use the simple present ('They become') instead of the present continuous.
Has become	Grammar	General	Present perfect continuous	B1	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks the present perfect tense. Learners frequently use the simple present ('is become') or add 'already' ('become already').
Online shopping	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	1	Direct translation from L1 often results in the fossilized error 'buy things in internet' or 'internet shopping'.
Fake products	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation challenge: dropping the final /k/ in 'fake' and the /kts/ consonant cluster in 'products'.
Scam websites	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of the /sk/ consonant cluster and final /m/ in 'scam' is often dropped or altered by HK learners.
Identity theft	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	The /θ/ sound in 'theft' is almost always pronounced as /f/ ('theff'). Polysyllabic stress in 'identity' is also challenging.
Cyber criminals	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation confusion between /s/ and /k/ in 'cyber', and /r/ vs /l/ in 'criminals'.
Hidden charges	Vocabulary	Society and living standards General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners frequently drop the '-en' suffix in 'hidden' and the plural '-es' in 'charges'.
Get a refund	Phrase	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	HK learners often use 'refund' incorrectly as a transitive verb ('refund me the money') or drop the article ('get refund').
Secure payment	Vocabulary	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of 'secure' (/sɪˈkjʊə/) is difficult, often mispronounced as 'se-cure' with incorrect stress.
Customer reviews	Vocabulary	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of /v/ in 'reviews' is often replaced by /w/, and the plural 's' is frequently dropped.
Wire transfers	Vocabulary	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of /w/ and /r/ in 'wire', and the /tr/ consonant cluster in 'transfers' is challenging.
Keep records of	Phrase	The world of work General	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	1	Preposition misuse is common (often 'keep record for') and dropping the plural 's' in 'records'.
In case	Grammar	General	Giving advice	B1	High	Medium	1	HK learners often confuse 'in case' with 'if', failing to grasp the preventative action meaning due to L1 direct translation.
Adrenaline rush	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress and /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'rush' make this difficult to pronounce.
Test their limits	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners frequently drop the final 't' in 'test' and the plural 's' in 'limits'.
Go viral	Idiom	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Confusion between /v/ and /w/ often results in 'go wiral', and the dark /l/ is frequently dropped.
Safety equipment	Vocabulary	The world of work General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	HK learners frequently treat 'equipment' as a countable noun, resulting in the fossilized error 'equipments'.
Strict rules	Vocabulary	Education The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	The /str/ and /kt/ consonant clusters in 'strict' are extremely difficult, often resulting in 's-tick lules'.
Face their fears	Idiom	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners tend to avoid idiomatic usage of 'face', preferring literal translations like 'overcome scared'.
Completely present	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Consonant clusters /mpl/ and /pr/ are challenging for syllable-timed speakers.
Critical thinking	Vocabulary	Education The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the /kr/ cluster and dark /l/ in 'critical' is difficult. Often mispronounced as 'cli-ti-co'.
Think for themselves	Phrase	Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners typically say 'think by themselves' due to L1 interference.
Social skills	Vocabulary	Education The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/ (so-so). Dropping the plural 's' in 'skills' is also common.
Higher income	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'more salary' (多啲人工). 'Income' elevates the vocabulary to B2.
Practical work	Vocabulary	Education The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the /pr/ and /kt/ clusters in 'practical' is challenging. Often mispronounced as 'pa-ti-co'.
Online courses	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	HK learners often use 'internet class'. Dropping the plural '-es' in 'courses' is a very common L1 error.
Avoid burnout	Vocabulary	The world of work Education Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners avoid compound nouns and idioms, preferring 'very tired'. Dropping the /t/ in 'burnout' is also common.
Gain life experience	Phrase	Education Personal values and ideals The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	Collocation error due to L1 interference; HK learners often say 'learn experience' or 'get experience'.
Develop independence	Phrase	Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress issues, /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'develop', and dropping the /ns/ ending in 'independence'.
Get back into a routine	Idiom	General The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'routine' often results in 'loutine'.
Delay career progress	Phrase	The world of work Education	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	/r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'career' ('carrier' error). Dropping the final /s/ in 'progress'.
Unmotivated	Vocabulary	Education The world of work Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Dropping the '-ed' suffix (/ɪd/) is extremely common. Polysyllabic stress is also challenging.
Personal growth	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	The /θ/ sound in 'growth' is frequently pronounced as /f/ by Cantonese speakers.
Universal Basic Income	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress and /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'universal'.
Solution to poverty	Phrase	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'solution of' due to L1 interference.
Start a business	Phrase	The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	Medium	1	Direct translation from L1 often results in the fossilized error 'open a company' (開公司).
Welfare system	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty: /w/ vs /f/ confusion in 'welfare', and dropping the final /m/ in 'system'.
Worse off	Idiom	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	Idiomatic phrase. L1 speakers prefer literal translations like 'more bad' or 'worse'.
Admit a mistake	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	L1 translation 'recognize wrong' (認錯) leads to avoidance. Dropping the 't' in 'admit' is also common.
Put at risk	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	L1 translation 'give them danger' is often used instead. Dropping the /t/ in 'put' and /sk/ in 'risk'.
Are taught	Grammar	Education	Simple passive	B1	High	High	1	Passive voice. L1 speakers frequently drop the 'are' and use the base form 'teach' (e.g., 'people teach to').
Reasons for and against	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often say 'why support and why not support'. This phrase is excellent for structuring arguments.
Second-hand smoke	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often drop the final 'd' in 'second' and struggle with the compound noun structure, sometimes translating literally as 'other people smoke'.
Deal with stress	Phrase	Personal values and ideals The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	HK learners often drop the preposition 'with' or struggle with the /str/ consonant cluster in 'stress', pronouncing it as 's-tress'.
Fit in with	Idiom	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'suit the group' or 'join them'. Word linking 'fit in with' is difficult.
Have the right to	Phrase	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often drop the article 'the' and confuse the /r/ and /l/ sounds, pronouncing 'right' as 'light'.
Completely banned	Grammar	Society and living standards General	Simple passive	B2	High	High	1	Passive voice. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix and struggle with the /mpl/ consonant cluster in 'completely'.
Food crops	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	The /kr/ consonant cluster and plural /ps/ ending are extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in 'foo cop'.
Have been harvesting	Grammar	National and local produce and products The world of work	Present perfect continuous	B2	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks perfect continuous aspect. Learners frequently use the simple present ('human harvest it for thousands of years') instead of the present perfect continuous.
Are in danger	Phrase	Natural environmental concerns General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	HK learners often use direct translations like 'have danger' or drop the 'in' preposition.
Harmful chemicals	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation challenge: dropping the /h/ in 'harmful', and mispronouncing the 'ch' in 'chemicals' as /tʃ/ instead of /k/.
Homesick	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	Medium	Low	1	Often translated literally from Cantonese as 'miss home disease' or just 'miss home'.
Adapt	Vocabulary	General Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Dropping the final /pt/ consonant cluster is common. Often confused with 'adopt'.
Scholarships	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'sch' as /sk/ instead of /ʃ/ is difficult, and dropping the plural 's' is frequent.
Reduce prejudice	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'prejudice' (/ˈpredʒədɪs/) is extremely difficult due to the /dʒ/ sound and short vowels. L1 speakers often avoid it.
Face discrimination	Phrase	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Collocation error: L1 speakers often say 'have discrimination' due to direct translation. Pronunciation of /skr/ cluster is also difficult.
Find common ground	Idiom	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Establishing common ground	B2	High	Low	1	Idiom avoidance. L1 speakers prefer literal translations like 'find same thinking'. Dropping the /d/ in 'ground' is common.
Although there can be challenges	Grammar	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	High	1	Strong L1 interference leads to double conjunctions like 'Although there can be challenges, but...'.
Billions of dollars	Phrase	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' on both 'billions' and 'dollars' due to L1 lacking plural markers.
Player transfers	Vocabulary	Society and living standards General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of the /tr/ consonant cluster and dropping the plural 's' in 'transfers' is common.
Television rights	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation confusion between /v/ and /w/ in 'television', and dropping the plural 's' in 'rights'.
Youth academies	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	The /θ/ sound in 'youth' is often replaced by /f/. Polysyllabic stress in 'academies' is challenging.
Matchday revenue	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of /v/ vs /w/ in 'revenue'. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'ticket money'.
Behind the scenes	Idiom	General The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Idiomatic phrase. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'at the back'. Dropping the plural 's' in 'scenes' is common.
Run smoothly	Phrase	General The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion ('lun'). The /sm/ cluster and voiced /ð/ in 'smoothly' are highly challenging.
Bankruptcy	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	The /pt/ consonant cluster in 'bankruptcy' is frequently dropped, making it sound like 'bank-ru-cy'.
Growing gap	Phrase	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation of /g/ vs /k/ in 'gap'. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'bigger difference'.
Struggle to compete	Phrase	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	The /str/ and /gl/ consonant clusters in 'struggle' are extremely difficult, often resulting in 's-tug-go'.
Financial inequality	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress and the /kw/ cluster in 'inequality' are challenging for syllable-timed speakers.
Rising costs	Phrase	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	The /sts/ consonant cluster in 'costs' is notoriously difficult for HK learners, often resulting in 'cos'.
Online bullying	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the dark /l/ and dropping the '-ing' suffix in 'bullying' is common. Essential vocabulary for technology and society topics.
Stay in touch	Idiom	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	B1	High	Medium	1	Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'keep contact'. Linking sounds in 'stay in' is also challenging.
Screen time	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the /skr/ consonant cluster is extremely difficult, often resulting in 's-creen'. Essential modern vocabulary.
Suggest waiting	Grammar	General	Giving advice	B2	High	High	1	Verb + gerund rule. HK learners almost universally say 'suggest to wait' due to L1 lacking gerunds.
Suitable for	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'suitable to' due to direct translation.
On the go	Idiom	Society and living standards Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'when they are busy' or 'walking'.
Risk of developing	Grammar	Society and living standards General	Speculating	B2	High	High	1	Preposition + gerund rule. HK learners frequently say 'risk to develop' due to L1 lacking gerunds.
Insomnia	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Polysyllabic word. HK learners often avoid it, preferring the literal translation 'cannot sleep'.
Followed by a crash	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Passive construction and idiomatic use of 'crash'. HK learners often drop the '-ed' in 'followed' and use 'crash' only for cars.
Impaired judgment	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	C1	Medium	Low	1	Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'impaired'. The /dʒ/ sound in 'judgment' is often mispronounced as /z/ or /j/.
Mindful of	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'mindful about' or 'careful to'.
On a deadline	Phrase	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners typically say 'have a deadline' or 'in a deadline'.
Feasible	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	Pronunciation difficulty with /f/ vs /v/ and /z/ vs /s/. HK learners over-rely on 'possible'.
Verbal abuse	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe /v/ vs /w/ confusion ('werbal'). HK learners often use literal translations like 'use words to attack' or 'scold'.
Stand up to	Idiom	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'fight against' or 'resist'. Word linking /stænd ʌp tuː/ is challenging for syllable-timed speakers.
Speak out against	Idiom	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing agreement and disagreement	B2	Medium	Low	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer 'say no to' or 'disagree'. Linking sounds /spiːk aʊt/ is difficult.
Take proactive steps	Phrase	Personal values and ideals General	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	1	Collocation. HK learners often say 'do actions' instead of 'take steps'. The /pr/ cluster in 'proactive' is also difficult.
Domestic violence	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe /v/ vs /w/ confusion ('wiolence'). Polysyllabic stress is also challenging.
Liver disease	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Severe /r/ vs /l/ and /v/ vs /w/ confusion, often resulting in 'river disease' or 'li-wa'.
Readily available	Phrase	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	Adverb-adjective collocations are rarely used by HK learners, who prefer 'very easy to buy'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'available' is often replaced by /w/.
Address the problem	Phrase	General Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'solve the problem'. 'Address' is a key B2 vocabulary word for discussing societal issues.
Alcohol addiction	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'alcohol' is often dropped ('al-co-ho'). HK learners often use 'cannot stop drinking' instead of the noun phrase.
Tertiary education	Vocabulary	Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Pronunciation of 'tertiary' (/ˈtɜːʃəri/) is highly challenging due to the /ʃ/ sound and shifting stress. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'university'.
Deciding factor	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Collocation error. HK learners often use literal translations like 'the decide reason' or 'the most important point'.
Without further training	Grammar	Education The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after prepositions, resulting in the fossilized error 'without train'.
To be considered for	Grammar	The world of work Education	Simple passive	B2	High	High	1	Passive infinitive construction. HK learners frequently drop the 'be' and '-ed', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'impossible to consider for'.
Carbon emissions	Vocabulary	Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' in 'emissions' and struggle with the /ʃ/ sound, pronouncing it as /s/.
Run errands	Idiom	Village and city life Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners avoid this natural collocation, preferring literal translations like 'do things' or 'buy things'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'run' and dropping plural 's' in 'errands' is common.
Demand for housing	Phrase	Village and city life Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'demand of housing' or drop the preposition entirely due to L1 interference.
Low-income families	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'poor families'. Pronunciation of the hyphenated compound and dropping the plural 's' in 'families' is a frequent error.
Benefit from	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'benefit by' or drop the preposition entirely due to L1 interference.
Expectations are not met	Grammar	General Personal values and ideals	Simple passive	B2	High	High	1	Passive voice and collocation. HK learners typically use the active voice 'cannot meet expectation' and drop the plural 's'.
Critics argue that	Phrase	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Some people say'. This phrase elevates the discourse for B2 level argumentation.
Undergo surgery	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Collocation error. HK learners almost universally say 'do surgery' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '做手術'.
Weigh the benefits and risks	Idiom	General Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Idiomatic collocation. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'think about the good and bad points'.
Body image	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'image' (/ˈɪmɪdʒ/) is frequently mispronounced as /ɪmeɪdʒ/ (rhyming with page) by HK learners.
Quick fixes	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'fast solutions'. The /ks/ consonant cluster in 'fixes' is often dropped.
Fatigue	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe pronunciation difficulty. HK learners frequently mispronounce /fəˈtiːɡ/ as 'fa-ti-gyu' due to phonetic spelling reliance.
Requires patience	Phrase	Personal values and ideals General	Giving advice	B1	High	High	1	HK learners frequently confuse the noun and adjective forms, resulting in the highly common fossilized error 'need patient'.
There are no shortcuts	Idiom	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners tend to avoid idiomatic expressions, preferring literal translations like 'there is no fast way'.
Root causes	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Collocation. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'main reasons'. Pronunciation of the plural 's' in 'causes' is often dropped.
Come at a significant cost	Idiom	General Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners typically use literal phrasing like 'have a big price'. Using this demonstrates a higher B2 lexical range.
Nutritional deficiencies	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress and the /ʃ/ sound in 'nutritional' and 'deficiencies' are highly challenging for syllable-timed speakers.
Shedding pounds	Idiom	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'lose weight' or 'cut meat'. The /ʃ/ sound in 'shedding' is often mispronounced as /s/.
Financial pressure	Vocabulary	Society and living standards The world of work	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often use literal translations like 'money pressure'. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'pressure' is frequently mispronounced as /s/.
Irrelevant to	Vocabulary	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	B2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'irrelevant with'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'irrelevant' is also challenging.
Make it easier for	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	1	HK learners frequently drop the dummy 'it', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'make easier for them' due to L1 topic-prominent structure.
Without having to	Grammar	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after prepositions, resulting in the fossilized error 'without have to'.
Future prospects	Vocabulary	The world of work Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	The /pr/ and /spts/ consonant clusters in 'prospects' are extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in dropped sounds. Plural 's' is also frequently omitted.
Can be taken	Grammar	General	Simple passive	B1	High	High	1	Passive voice with modals. HK learners frequently drop the 'be' verb or the past participle '-en', saying 'can take' instead of 'can be taken'.
The further... the more...	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Cantonese lacks this comparative correlative structure. HK learners typically use 'If... then...' (e.g., 'If it travel far, it lose more').
As you might have guessed	Grammar	General	Modals for possibility/uncertainty (may, might, I'm not sure)	B2	High	Medium	1	Modals of deduction in the past are rarely used by HK learners, who default to the simpler 'As you can guess' or 'Maybe you guess'.
In order for [noun] to	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	HK learners frequently drop 'for' and just say 'In order business to survive' or use the literal translation 'For survive'.
Put simply	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Simply speaking' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '簡單嚟講'.
None of this is to say that	Phrase	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	C1	Medium	Low	1	Complex discourse marker. HK learners usually rely on basic conjunctions like 'But I don't mean...'. Using this elevates the discourse significantly.
Are usually cared for	Grammar	Society and living standards General	Simple passive	B1	High	High	1	Passive voice is a major weakness. Cantonese uses active structures or 'bei' (被). Learners frequently drop the 'are' or the '-ed' suffix (e.g., 'The plants usually care for by hand').
It takes [time] for [noun] to [verb]	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Cantonese structure is 'Need [time] to...'. Learners often drop the dummy subject 'It' and the preposition 'for', resulting in the fossilized error 'Take three years the plant to start'.
Look elsewhere	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners usually rely on literal translations like 'find other places'. Using 'elsewhere' demonstrates a wider and more natural B2 vocabulary range.
Unwilling to	Vocabulary	General Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'don't want to'. Using 'unwilling to' elevates the vocabulary and improves the formality of the discourse.
It looks as if	Grammar	General	Speculating	B2	High	Medium	1	Used for speculating. HK learners often just say 'Maybe' or 'I think' due to a lack of complex speculative structures in their active vocabulary.
Laborious process	Vocabulary	The world of work General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	C1	Medium	Low	1	Polysyllabic stress /ləˈbɔːriəs/ and /r/ vs /l/ confusion make this highly challenging. HK learners typically over-rely on 'very hard work'.
High in cholesterol	Vocabulary	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'cholesterol' (/kəˈlestərɒl/) is extremely difficult for HK learners due to polysyllabic stress and consonant clusters. They often avoid the word entirely despite it being highly relevant to their age group.
Linked to	Grammar	General	Simple passive	B2	High	High	1	Passive voice and preposition misuse. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix and say 'link with' instead of 'linked to' due to direct translation from Cantonese.
Battery farms	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns National and local produce and products	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Specific vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic. HK learners often use literal, clunky translations like 'chicken factories' or 'small cages'.
Free-range	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns National and local produce and products	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the /fr/ consonant cluster and the /dʒ/ sound in 'range' is challenging. HK learners often mispronounce it as 'fee-rain'.
Bad for the environment	Phrase	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	A2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'bad TO the environment' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '對環境唔好'.
Limit our intake	Phrase	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on the basic phrase 'eat less'. 'Intake' is an excellent B2 noun, but learners often struggle with the word linking and pronunciation of the /t/ and /k/ sounds.
Crack open the mystery	Idiom	General	Initiating and maintaining the conversation	B2	Medium	Low	1	Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'find the answer'. Linking sounds /kræk oʊpən/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Highly controversial	Vocabulary	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress is very difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'many people argue about it'.
Price tag	Idiom	Society and living standards National and local produce and products	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	Medium	Low	1	Idiomatic phrase. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'price' or 'cost'. Dropping the final /g/ in 'tag' is a common pronunciation error.
Day-to-day lives	Phrase	Society and living standards Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	Medium	1	HK learners often say 'daily lives' but struggle with the plural 's' and /v/ sound in 'lives'. 'Day-to-day' is a natural B2 alternative.
A better way to improve... would be to...	Grammar	General	Giving advice	B2	High	High	1	Second conditional structure for giving advice. HK learners often drop the 'to' infinitive marker or use 'will be' instead of 'would be' due to L1 lacking subjunctive mood.
Working from home	Phrase	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	Medium	1	Direct translation from L1 often leads to the preposition error 'work at home'. Dropping the '-ing' suffix is also a frequent fossilized error.
Take off the roads	Idiom	Pollution and recycling Village and city life	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	Phrasal verb/idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'reduce cars'. Linking sounds in 'off the' is difficult for L1 speakers.
Stimulate the economy	Phrase	Society and living standards The world of work	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress in 'stimulate' and 'economy' is challenging. HK learners often use basic phrasing like 'make economy good'.
Financially beneficial	Vocabulary	The world of work Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Adverb-adjective collocations are rarely used by HK learners. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'beneficial' is often mispronounced as /s/.
Do away with	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners typically prefer literal translations like 'remove' or 'cancel'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.
Carbon footprint	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Pronunciation of the /f/ sound and /pr/ consonant cluster in 'footprint' is challenging. Essential vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic.
Positive effect on	Phrase	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	High	1	Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'positive effect to' due to direct translation from Cantonese.
At the expense of	Idiom	General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Low	1	Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'but bad for'. Using this phrase elevates the discourse significantly.
Means of income	Phrase	The world of work Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	HK learners often use literal translations like 'way to find money' and frequently drop the plural 's' on 'means'.
Mass-produced	Vocabulary	National and local produce and products Pollution and recycling	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'mass-produce food'.
Based on a misconception	Phrase	General	Expressing agreement and disagreement	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress in 'misconception' is difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners often say 'based on wrong thinking'.
Do more research	Phrase	Education General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'make research' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '做研究'.
Where your food comes from	Grammar	National and local produce and products Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Embedded question word order. HK learners often incorrectly use question inversion in the middle of a sentence, saying 'where does your food come from'.
That said	Phrase	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B2	High	Medium	1	Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'But' or 'However'. This phrase provides a natural B2 alternative for contrasting ideas.
Suffer disastrous consequences	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling General	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic stress in 'disastrous' and 'consequences' is highly challenging. HK learners often drop the plural 's' and prefer simpler phrases like 'have a bad result'.
Leave to chance	Idiom	Personal values and ideals General	Speculating	B2	High	Low	1	Idiomatic expression. HK learners typically avoid this, preferring literal translations like 'let luck decide'. Preposition misuse ('leave for chance') is also common.
Result in	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse is extremely common. HK learners almost universally say 'result to' or 'result of' instead of 'result in'.
Based on instinct	Phrase	Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' in 'based' and misuse the preposition, saying 'base in instinct'. Pronunciation of the /st/ and /ŋkt/ clusters is also difficult.
Life-altering	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners, who prefer relative clauses like 'decision that changes life'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ and /t/ in 'altering' is challenging.
Have something stolen	Grammar	Village and city life Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Causative structure. HK learners frequently misuse the passive voice due to L1 interference, resulting in the fossilized error 'I was stolen my phone' instead of 'I had my phone stolen'.
Language barriers	Vocabulary	Education Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty with /r/ vs /l/ in 'language' and 'barriers'. HK learners also frequently drop the plural 's'.
Crowded places	Vocabulary	Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	High	1	Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'crowd place'.
Leave unattended	Phrase	Village and city life General	Giving advice	B2	High	Medium	1	Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'unattended' is common. HK learners typically avoid this formal phrasing, preferring literal translations like 'don't look at your bag'.
Ideal solution	Phrase	General	Giving advice	B2	Medium	Low	1	The dark /l/ in 'ideal' is often dropped by Cantonese speakers, making it sound like 'i-deo'.
Hand over	Idiom	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	Medium	Low	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on the simple verb 'give'. Using 'hand over' demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.
Bear in mind	Idiom	General	Giving advice	B2	High	Low	1	Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer the literal translation 'remember'. Word linking /beər ɪn maɪnd/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
Wary of	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals General	Giving advice	C1	Medium	Low	1	Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'wary about'. Pronunciation confusion between /w/ and /v/ is also frequent.
Recreational sports	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Education	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion ('lecreational'). HK learners also frequently drop the plural 's' in 'sports'.
Getting changed	Grammar	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B1	High	High	1	Passive/participle construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'getting change'.
Allergic reactions	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation difficulty: /l/ vs /r/ confusion in 'allergic' and dropping the plural 's' in 'reactions'.
Give up	Idiom	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	A2	High	Medium	1	Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on literal translations like 'stop doing' or 'quit'.
Full-body workout	Vocabulary	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often use literal translations like 'whole body exercise'. Dropping the /k/ and /t/ sounds in 'workout' is a frequent pronunciation error.
Burns calories	Phrase	Society and living standards	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	High	1	Dropping the 3rd person 's' in 'burns' and the plural 's' in 'calories' are classic L1 errors. /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'calories' is also common.
Recovering from injuries	Grammar	Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	High	1	Preposition misuse is highly common; HK learners often say 'recover of' or drop the preposition entirely. Dropping the plural 's' in 'injuries' is also frequent.
Essential life skill	Phrase	Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'essential' and 'skill' is frequently dropped by Cantonese speakers, making it sound like 'essen-sio life ski-o'.
Stay in shape	Idiom	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B1	High	Medium	1	Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on literal translations like 'keep body healthy'. Linking sounds /steɪ ɪn/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.
As long as	Grammar	General	Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)	B1	High	High	1	Conditional connector. HK learners frequently misuse this, substituting it with 'Only if' or just 'If' due to direct translation from Cantonese '只要'.
Burned to the ground	Idiom	Natural environmental concerns Village and city life	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners tend to avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'burned completely'. Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'burned' is also a highly common L1 error.
It is estimated that	Grammar	General	Simple passive	B2	High	High	1	HK learners frequently drop the dummy 'it' and the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'is estimate that' or 'people estimate' due to L1 topic-prominent structures.
Prolonged drought	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	High	Medium	1	Pronunciation of 'drought' (/draʊt/) is highly challenging, often mispronounced as 'draw-t'. L1 speakers heavily over-rely on the basic phrase 'very dry'.
Reluctant to	Vocabulary	Personal values and ideals General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'don't want to'. Pronunciation of the /l/ and /r/ sounds in 'reluctant' is also challenging for Cantonese speakers.
By the time	Grammar	General	Discourse connectors (because of, due to)	B2	High	High	1	L1 interference leads to the overuse of 'When'. 'By the time' requires complex tense coordination (often past perfect) which HK learners frequently fail to produce.
Catastrophic event	Vocabulary	Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	C1	Medium	Low	1	Polysyllabic stress in 'catastrophic' is extremely difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners prefer basic phrasing like 'very bad thing'.
Unsanitary housing	Vocabulary	Society and living standards Village and city life	Highlighting advantages and disadvantages	B2	High	Medium	1	Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'dirty houses' and frequently drop the plural 's' or use 'housing' incorrectly as a countable noun.
Was rebuilt	Grammar	Village and city life Society and living standards	Simple passive	B1	High	High	1	Passive voice. HK learners frequently drop the 'was' and use the base form 'rebuild', resulting in the fossilized error 'the city rebuild'.
First and foremost	Phrase	General	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Low	1	HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Firstly' or 'First of all'. Pronunciation of the /st/ consonant clusters in both words is frequently dropped.
Wealth of experience	Phrase	The world of work Education Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners often treat 'experience' as countable ('many experiences') or use literal translations like 'rich experience'. The /θ/ sound in 'wealth' is often mispronounced as /f/.
Maintain social ties	Phrase	Society and living standards Personal values and ideals	Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions	B2	High	Medium	1	HK learners typically use literal translations like 'keep relationship'. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Wind turbines

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

20

Pronunciation challenge: 'wind' often mispronounced with a long /i:/ (weend), and 'turbines' has an unfamiliar vowel /ɜː/ and consonant cluster.

Renewable [noun]

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

19

Severe /r/ and /l/ confusion. HK learners frequently pronounce this as 'lenewable lesources'.

Binge drinking

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

15

Pronunciation of the /dʒ/ sound in 'binge' is often mispronounced as /z/ or /s/. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'drink a lot of wine'.

Gap year

Vocabulary

Education The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

14

Pronunciation of /gæp/ vs /gɛp/ and dropping the final /p/ is common. The concept is crucial for the Education topic.

Energy drinks

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Medium

14

Dropping the plural 's' and the /ks/ consonant cluster at the end of 'drinks'.

Drawback

Vocabulary

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

12

A key B2 vocabulary word for discussing disadvantages. HK learners tend to over-rely on the literal translation 'bad point' or 'disadvantage'.

Compulsory

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

10

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress and a dark /l/. HK learners often avoid it entirely, substituting it with the grammatically incorrect 'must to do'.

Extreme sports

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

10

Consonant cluster /kstr/ and dropping plural 's' are common L1 errors.

In conclusion

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

10

Pronunciation of the /ʒ/ sound in 'conclusion' is often mispronounced as /s/ or /ʃ/. Essential discourse marker.

Plastic surgery

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

10

Pronunciation difficulty: dropping the /k/ in 'plastic' and confusing /r/ and /l/ in 'surgery', alongside mispronouncing the /dʒ/ sound as /z/.

Generate electricity

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

9

Syllable-timed L1 speakers struggle with the shifting stress in 'electric' vs 'electricity' (/ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/), often stressing the wrong syllables.

Study abroad

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

8

HK learners often say 'study in overseas' or 'go to foreign country to study' due to L1 translation. Dropping the 'd' in 'abroad' is also common.

Depend(s) on

Grammar

General

Speculating

B1

High

8

L1 interference leads to dropping 'on' or adding an unnecessary 'is' (e.g., 'is depend').

Rely on

Grammar

General Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

7

Pronunciation confusion between /r/ and /l/ ('lely on'). Preposition misuse is also common (often 'rely to').

Tell the truth

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

7

HK learners often say 'speak the truth' or 'say real' due to L1 translation (講真). Confusion between 'tell', 'say', and 'speak' is common.

Crash diets

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

7

HK learners often use literal translations like 'fast diet' or 'eat very little'. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'crash' is frequently mispronounced as /s/.

Boost [noun]

Phrase

General The world of work Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

7

The consonant cluster /sts/ in 'boosts' is extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in dropped sounds ('boo mood').

Role model

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Public figures past and present

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Low

6

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /r/ and /l/, and dropping the dark /l/ in 'model' (pronouncing it as 'mo-do').

Earn money

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Medium

6

Direct translation of the Cantonese phrase '搵錢' (find money) often leads to the fossilized error 'find money' instead of the correct English collocation 'earn money' or 'make money'.

Run out

Idiom

Natural environmental concerns General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

6

Direct translation of the Cantonese phrase '用完' (yung yun) leads to the common fossilized error 'use finish'. 'Run out' is essential for discussing resources.

Conservation

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

6

Pronunciation challenge: HK learners often confuse /v/ with /w/ or /f/ (con-ser-way-shun) and struggle with polysyllabic stress.

Space exploration

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

6

Pronunciation of /sp/ and /ks/ clusters is difficult. HK learners often insert a schwa ('s-pace') or drop the final consonants.

On the other hand

Phrase

General Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

6

A critical discourse connector. HK learners frequently misuse the preposition, saying 'In the other hand'.

Climate change

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

6

The /tʃ/ sound in 'change' is often devoiced or mispronounced. Essential vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic.

Multicultural society

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National customs

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

6

Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'multi' and polysyllabic stress in 'society' are challenging. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'many culture society'.

Play a/an [adjective] role

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

6

HK learners often use literal translations like 'is very important' or 'play an important part'. Pronunciation of 'crucial' (/kruːʃəl/) is also difficult.

Despite [noun phrase]

Grammar

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

6

Strong L1 interference leads to double conjunctions like 'Despite these challenges, but...'. Also, learners often incorrectly add 'of' ('Despite of').

Feel [adjective/past participle]

Grammar

Personal values and ideals General

Simple passive

B2

High

6

Passive construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'feel pressure to'.

Compared with

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

5

HK learners often drop the '-ed' due to the lack of past participles in Cantonese, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'compare with traditional football'.

Animal welfare

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

5

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /w/ and /f/ or /v/ in 'welfare', plus the dark /l/ which is often dropped.

Due to

Grammar

General

Discourse connectors (because of, due to)

B1

High

5

A required ISE II discourse connector. HK learners frequently misuse it by combining it with 'because' or 'so' (e.g., 'Because due to...').

Job market

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

5

Learners frequently drop the final /b/ in 'job' and /t/ in 'market', making it sound like 'jo marke'. Essential vocabulary for 'The world of work'.

Animal testing

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

5

Dropping the 'ing' suffix is common ('animal test'). Essential topic vocabulary.

Homeschooling

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

5

Pronunciation challenge: dropping the /h/ sound or the dark /l/ in 'school'. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'study at home'.

Soft skills

Vocabulary

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

5

HK learners frequently drop the final 't' in 'soft' and the plural 's' in 'skills', resulting in 'sof skill'. Essential vocabulary for 'The world of work'.

Sense of [noun]

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

5

Dropping the preposition 'of' is common. Pronunciation of polysyllabic 'accomplishment' often loses the final consonant cluster /mnt/.

Landfill sites

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

5

Compound noun. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'landfill' is often dropped, and the plural 's' in 'sites' is frequently omitted.

Avoid using

Grammar

General Pollution and recycling

Giving advice

B1

High

Medium

4

Strong L1 interference leads to the fossilized error 'avoid to use' or 'avoid to eat' because Cantonese does not distinguish between gerunds and infinitives.

Put people off

Idiom

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

4

HK learners generally avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'make people don't like'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

Habitat

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

4

HK learners frequently drop the initial /h/ sound or the final /t/ consonant, leading to communication breakdowns.

Ecosystem

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

4

Crucial for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic. Pronunciation confusion between /i:/ and /e/ (echo-system).

Ethical considerations

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

4

The /θ/ sound in 'ethical' is often pronounced as /f/ or /d/ by HK learners. Polysyllabic stress on 'considerations' is also challenging.

Instead of asking / worrying

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

4

Similar to 'without learning', HK learners frequently fail to use the gerund after 'instead of', saying 'instead of ask'.

Mental health

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

4

Dropping the dark /l/ in 'mental' (men-toe) and replacing the /θ/ in 'health' with /f/ (healf).

Less likely to

Grammar

General

Speculating

B2

High

4

HK learners often use 'less chance to' due to L1 interference. 'Likely' is frequently mispronounced with dropped /l/ sounds.

Limited by

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B1

High

4

Passive construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in 'limit by'.

Environmentally friendly

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

4

HK learners frequently drop the '-ally' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'environment friendly'.

Drop out

Idiom

Education

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Low

4

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners typically use literal translations like 'quit school' or 'stop studying'.

Local produce

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

4

Noun vs verb stress confusion. HK learners often mispronounce 'produce' (/ˈprɒdjuːs/ vs /prəˈdjuːs/) or substitute it with 'local products'.

If I were [pronoun], I would(n't)...

Grammar

General

Second/third conditionals

B2

High

4

Cantonese lacks verb conjugation for tense and mood. Learners often use 'If I am him, I don't...' failing to produce the second conditional required for ISE II.

Are subsidized by

Grammar

Society and living standards Education

Simple passive

B2

High

3

Simple passive is frequently malformed. Learners drop the 'be' verb and the '-ed' suffix (e.g., 'turbines subsidize by government').

Commute

Vocabulary

The world of work Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

3

Often confused with 'communicate' or pronounced with incorrect stress on the first syllable (/kɒmjuːt/ instead of /kəˈmjuːt/) due to syllable-timed L1 habits.

Solar panels

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

3

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /l/ and /r/, and dropping the dark /l/ in 'panels' (pronouncing it as 'pa-no').

Subject of debate

Phrase

General

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

B2

High

Low

3

HK learners often rely on simpler phrasing like 'people always argue'. This phrase elevates the discourse for the conversation task.

Technological advancements

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

3

Polysyllabic stress and /tʃ/ vs /k/ confusion in 'technological'. Learners often drop the plural 's' in 'advancements'.

Work-life balance

Vocabulary

The world of work Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

3

Pronunciation errors: 'work' (/wɜːk/ vs /wɔːk/), dropping the final /f/ in 'life', and missing the /s/ sound in 'balance'.

Social norms

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National customs

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

3

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' and struggle with the /r/ consonant in 'norms'.

Alternative to

Grammar

General Village and city life

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

3

Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'alternative of' or 'other choice of'. Pronunciation of /l/ and /r/ in 'alternative' is also difficult.

Without learning

Grammar

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

3

Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after prepositions, resulting in the fossilized error 'without learn'.

Begs the question

Idiom

General

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

C1

High

Low

3

HK learners avoid idioms and would typically say 'This makes me ask'. Using this elevates the discourse significantly.

Whether it's [noun] or [noun]

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

3

HK learners often use 'No matter A or B' due to direct translation of '無論'. 'Whether' is the correct B2 structure.

Make new friends

Phrase

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

3

Direct translation from Cantonese '識朋友' leads to the highly common fossilized error 'know new friends' or 'recognize new friends'.

Struggle with

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

3

HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'with' or use 'very hard to' instead.

Fossil fuels

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

3

Pronunciation of /f/ vs /v/ and the dark /l/ in 'fossil' and 'fuels'. Plural 's' is often dropped.

Manage their time

Phrase

Education The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

3

Direct translation from L1 '控制時間' leads to the fossilized error 'control time'.

Aware of

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

3

Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'aware about' or drop the preposition entirely.

Pollination

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

3

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. HK learners often confuse /l/ and /n/ ('po-ni-na-tion') and drop the final /n/.

Health benefits

Phrase

Society and living standards General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

3

Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound in 'health' is often replaced by /f/ ('healf'). Dropping the plural 's' in 'benefits' is also a common L1 error.

Make a decision

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

3

Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'do a decision' due to direct translation from Cantonese '做決定'.

Weight gain

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

3

HK learners often use literal translations like 'become fat' or 'add weight'.

Reliable

Vocabulary

General Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

3

Severe /r/ and /l/ confusion. HK learners frequently pronounce this as 'leliable'.

Harmful to

Grammar

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

3

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'harmful for' due to L1 interference.

Cyberbullying

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

3

Pronunciation of the /saɪ/ syllable and dark /l/ in 'bullying'. HK learners often default to the literal translation 'internet bullying'.

Not only... but also

Grammar

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

3

Correlative conjunctions are frequently malformed by HK learners due to L1 interference, often resulting in errors like 'not only... and also'.

Traffic congestion

Vocabulary

Village and city life Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

3

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'traffic jam'. The /dʒ/ sound in 'congestion' is often mispronounced as /s/ or /z/.

Offset the benefits

Idiom

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

3

HK learners avoid this phrasing, preferring literal translations like 'cancel the good points'. Dropping the plural 's' in 'benefits' or the '-ed' in passive forms ('can be offset') is a common L1 error.

Quality of life

Phrase

Society and living standards Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

3

Direct translation from Cantonese '生活質素' often leads to the incorrect word order 'life quality'.

Contributes to

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

3

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'contribute for' or drop the 'to' entirely. Dropping the 3rd person 's' is also common.

Hydroelectric

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

3

Severe pronunciation difficulty due to polysyllabic structure and shifting stress (/haɪdrəʊɪˈlɛktrɪk/). HK learners often avoid it entirely.

Valuable items

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

3

Pronunciation of /v/ vs /w/ in 'valuable' is challenging. Dropping the plural 's' in 'items' is also a frequent L1 error.

In the long [term/run]

Idiom

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

3

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'after a long time'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'run' vs 'long' often results in 'in the rong lun'.

Apply for [noun]

Phrase

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

3

Preposition dropping ('apply visa') and plural 's' dropping are extremely common L1 errors.

Source of [noun]

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

3

HK learners often use literal translations like 'money source' or 'where to find money'. Pronunciation of 'source' /sɔːs/ is sometimes confused with 'sauce' or lacks the proper vowel length.

[Modal] have been

Grammar

General

Modals for possibility/uncertainty (may, might, I'm not sure)

B2

High

3

Past modals for speculation or unreal past situations are rarely used by HK learners, as Cantonese lacks this grammatical structure. They often default to 'can be' or 'was', failing to demonstrate B2 range.

Are likely to

Grammar

General

Speculating

B1

High

3

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'have high chance to' due to direct translation from Cantonese. 'Likely to' is essential for B2 speculation.

Greenhouse gases

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

3

Pronunciation of the plural /ɪz/ in 'gases' is frequently dropped. Essential vocabulary for environmental topics.

You'd better

Grammar

General

Modals for advice/suggestions (should/ought to, could, you'd better)

B1

High

Medium

2

HK learners often drop the contracted 'had' ('You better') or misuse it as a standard modal ('You are better to').

Part-time job

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

Medium

Low

2

Pronunciation issues: dropping the final 't' in 'part', and devoicing the 'j' to 'ch' in 'job' (/pɑːt taɪm tʃɒp/).

Chronic conditions

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

The word 'chronic' contains a /kr/ consonant cluster and a /k/ sound for 'ch', which is often mispronounced as /tʃrɒnɪk/ by Cantonese speakers.

Used to work

Grammar

The world of work Early memories

Used to

B1

High

2

Cantonese uses '以前' (before) + verb. HK learners frequently say 'He before work...' instead of using the 'used to' structure for past habits.

Superficial

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress and the /ʃ/ sound, which HK learners often mispronounce as /s/ (soo-per-fi-so).

Endangered species

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

Plurality confusion (species is both singular and plural). Pronunciation of the /dʒ/ sound in 'endangered' and /ʃ/ in 'species' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Even though

Grammar

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

2

HK learners frequently use double conjunctions like 'Even though... but...' due to direct translation from Cantonese '雖然...但係...'. This is a critical error for ISE II linking expressions.

Artificial intelligence

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation challenge: polysyllabic stress, /l/ vs /r/ confusion in 'artificial', and the /dʒ/ sound in 'intelligence'.

Temporary contracts

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of consonant clusters /mpr/ and /kts/ is highly challenging. Learners often drop the plural 's' or final 't'.

Youth unemployment

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound in 'youth' is often replaced by /f/ or /s/. The polysyllabic 'unemployment' often suffers from incorrect stress.

Tend to be

Grammar

General

Speculating

B1

High

Medium

2

L1 interference leads to using 'always are' or dropping the 'to' ('tend be').

At risk from

Phrase

General Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

2

Preposition misuse. Learners often say 'in risk of' or 'have risk'.

Pressing issues

Vocabulary

General Society and living standards Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

HK learners over-rely on 'urgent problems'. Using 'pressing issues' demonstrates a wider B2 vocabulary range.

Economic growth

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound in 'growth' is frequently replaced by /f/ by Cantonese speakers.

Values and ideals

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of 'values' (/v/ vs /w/) and 'ideals' (dark /l/ dropped).

Nuclear family

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

Severe /n/ vs /l/ confusion ('luclear') and difficulty with the /kl/ consonant cluster.

Gig economy

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

Voicing confusion between /g/ and /k/ often results in 'kik economy'.

Gender equality

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

The /dʒ/ sound in 'gender' is frequently mispronounced as /z/ or /g/ by Cantonese speakers.

Over the past [time]

Grammar

General

Present perfect continuous

B1

High

2

Cantonese lacks perfect aspect. Learners frequently pair this phrase with the past simple instead of the required present perfect.

Social interaction

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/ (so-so). Dropping the dark /l/ is also common.

Financial burden

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of 'burden' (/bɜːdn/) often lacks the correct vowel sound, and learners frequently drop the article 'a' before it.

What if

Grammar

General

Speculating

B1

High

2

Used for speculating. L1 interference causes HK learners to use direct translations like 'If incorrect then how?' instead of 'What if...'.

May be born

Grammar

General

Modals for possibility/uncertainty (may, might, I'm not sure)

B1

High

2

Passive voice combined with a modal. HK learners often drop the 'be' verb, saying 'may born that way'.

Most experts agree that

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

Low

2

A strong phrase for introducing opinions. HK learners often just say 'Many people think'. Pronunciation of the /ks/ and /pts/ clusters in 'experts' is challenging.

Natural talents

Vocabulary

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation difficulty with the /l/ and /r/ distinction in 'natural', and dropping the plural 's' in 'talents'.

True calling

Vocabulary

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

HK learners often struggle with the concept of 'calling' as a noun, defaulting to 'dream job'. The dark /l/ in 'calling' is also frequently dropped.

Reduces stress

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

2

Dropping the 3rd person /ɪz/ ending in 'reduces' and the /str/ cluster in 'stress' (s-tress).

Pros and cons

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

2

HK learners over-rely on 'good points and bad points'. This phrase is essential for discussing advantages and disadvantages.

Major downside

Vocabulary

General Public figures past and present

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

2

An excellent B2 alternative to the overused 'big disadvantage'.

Take precautions

Phrase

General

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

2

'Take' vs 'make' collocation confusion. Polysyllabic stress on 'precautions' is challenging.

Daily routine

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

2

Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion often results in 'daily loutine'. Essential vocabulary for discussing habits and lifestyle.

Complex issue

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

HK learners over-rely on 'complicated problem'. The /ks/ cluster in 'complex' is often dropped.

Invest in

Grammar

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'invest on' or 'invest to' due to L1 interference.

Convenience

Vocabulary

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /v/ and /w/ ('con-ween-ience') and dropping the final /s/ sound.

Problem-solving

Vocabulary

Education The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of the /pr/ cluster and /v/ sound. HK learners often drop the '-ing' suffix.

Make a big difference

Phrase

General Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

2

Collocation error. HK learners often say 'have a big difference' due to direct translation from Cantonese '有很大分別'.

Whether or not to

Grammar

General

Speculating

B2

High

2

HK learners often use 'No matter' due to direct translation of '無論'. 'Whether or not to' is the correct B2 infinitive structure.

Unemployed

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

2

Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a very common L1 error, making it sound like 'unemploy'.

Raise taxes

Phrase

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

2

HK learners often say 'add tax' (加稅) due to direct translation and drop the plural '-es'.

In a nutshell

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

2

Idiom. L1 speakers heavily over-rely on 'in conclusion' or 'shortly speaking'.

Build trust

Phrase

Personal values and ideals The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Dropping final consonants /d/ in 'build' and /st/ in 'trust'. L1 speakers often prefer 'make trust'.

Misunderstandings

Vocabulary

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Polysyllabic stress is difficult, and HK learners frequently drop the plural 's'.

Hurt someone's feelings

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

2

Dropping the possessive 's' and the plural 's' in 'feelings' is a very common L1 error.

Addicted to

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

Preposition misuse is highly common; HK learners often say 'addicted in' or 'addicted on'. Dropping the '-ed' suffix is also frequent.

Take into account

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'think about' or 'consider'. Word linking is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Open-minded

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in 'open-mind'.

Stand out

Idiom

The world of work Education Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

2

Phrasal verb avoidance. Linking the /d/ to /aʊ/ is difficult for L1 speakers.

Sponsorship

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Polysyllabic word. HK learners often drop the /p/ or /s/ sounds, or avoid the word entirely.

Create jobs

Phrase

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

2

Dropping the plural 's' in 'jobs' and the /kr/ cluster in 'create' are common L1 errors.

As a result

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

2

Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'So'. Linking sounds /æz ə rɪˈzʌlt/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

High blood pressure

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Dropping the final /d/ in 'blood' and struggling with the /pr/ consonant cluster and /ʃ/ sound in 'pressure'.

Balanced diet

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Giving advice

B1

High

2

Dropping the '-ed' suffix (/t/ sound) in 'balanced' is a very common L1 error, resulting in 'balance diet'.

Switch over to

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

2

HK learners generally avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'change to'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

Store up

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

2

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners often drop the 'up' and just use 'store'.

On a large scale

Phrase

General Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Preposition and adjective misuse. HK learners often say 'in a big scale'.

Overcome obstacles

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Collocation. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'solve problems'. Pronunciation of 'obstacles' is also challenging.

Sustainable

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. Essential vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic.

Is not tolerated

Grammar

Society and living standards Education The world of work

Simple passive

B2

High

2

Simple passive. HK learners frequently drop the 'is' and the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'not tolerate'.

Academic performance

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Polysyllabic stress shifting between 'academy' and 'academic'. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'school results'.

Social isolation

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

2

The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/. Polysyllabic stress in 'isolation' is challenging for L1 speakers.

Associated with

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B2

High

2

Passive voice and preposition misuse. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' and use 'to' instead of 'with' ('associate to').

In contrast

Phrase

General Natural environmental concerns

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

Medium

2

A key B2 discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'But' or 'However', and sometimes misuse it as 'In the contrast'.

Sustainable urban living

Vocabulary

Village and city life Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of 'urban' often lacks the /ɜː/ vowel, sounding like 'ah-ban'. 'Sustainable' has polysyllabic stress issues that challenge syllable-timed speakers.

Urban sprawl

Vocabulary

Village and city life Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

C1

Medium

Low

2

The /spr/ consonant cluster and dark /l/ in 'sprawl' are extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in 's-prow'.

Opting for

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

2

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on the literal translation 'choose' and struggle with the preposition 'for'.

Cosmetic procedures

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of the /z/ sound in 'cosmetic' and the /dʒ/ sound in 'procedures' is challenging. HK learners frequently drop the plural 's'.

Self-esteem

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

HK learners often use literal translations like 'confidence' but struggle with the concept and pronunciation of 'esteem' (adding an intrusive /s/ or dropping the final /m/).

Suffered from

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

2

Preposition dropping is extremely common. HK learners often say 'he suffer cancer' instead of 'suffered from', and drop the '-ed' past tense marker.

Metabolism

Vocabulary

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. Syllable-timed L1 speakers often struggle to pronounce it clearly, leading to communication breakdown.

Have no choice but to

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

HK learners frequently omit 'but' and say 'have no choice need to' due to direct translation from Cantonese '無辦法唯有'.

Look after

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Low

2

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'take care of' and struggle with linking the /k/ to /æ/ in 'look after'.

Overwhelming

Vocabulary

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

2

Severe pronunciation difficulty with /v/ vs /w/ confusion and polysyllabic stress. HK learners often avoid it, preferring 'too much'.

Real-world experience

Vocabulary

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'real' and 'world' is frequently dropped, making it sound like 're-wow'. HK learners often just say 'working experience'.

Global demand

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'global' is often dropped ('glo-bo'). This is a strong B2 collocation that replaces the overused 'many people want'.

Public transport

Vocabulary

Village and city life Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

2

HK learners often drop the /k/ in 'public' and the /t/ in 'transport'. They also sometimes pluralize it incorrectly as 'public transports'.

Ask for advice

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Giving advice

A2

High

2

Preposition dropping is a critical L1 error. HK learners frequently say 'ask advice' or 'find advice' due to direct translation.

Intuition

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. Syllable-timed L1 speakers often struggle to pronounce it clearly, leading to communication breakdown.

Time spent [verb-ing]

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

2

Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently use the infinitive, resulting in the highly common fossilized error 'time spent to swim'.

Weight-bearing exercise

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

2

Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Dropping the final /t/ in 'weight' and /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'bearing' are common.

Knocking down

Idiom

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

2

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer single verbs like 'destroy' or 'break'. Dropping the final /k/ sound in 'knock' is also common.

In fact

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

2

Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Actually' due to direct translation. 'In fact' provides a natural alternative for expanding ideas.

Become [adjective]

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

2

Pronunciation of the /fl/ cluster and /uə/ vowel is challenging. L1 speakers often use the grammatically incorrect 'speak very good'.

By [verb-ing]

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

2

Preposition + gerund rule. HK learners frequently drop the '-ing' and say 'by plant trees' due to L1 lacking gerunds.

Steady [noun]

Vocabulary

The world of work General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of 'schedules' (/ˈʃɛdjuːlz/ or /ˈskɛdʒuːlz/) is highly problematic, often resulting in 'se-du'.

Set [a time] limit(s)

Vocabulary

The world of work Education Personal values and ideals

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

2

Collocation. HK learners often say 'give limits' or drop the plural 's' ('set limit').

Lead to [noun]

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

2

HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'to' or misuse the noun form, saying 'lead addict' or 'make you addiction'.

Take time off

Idiom

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

2

Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'take leave' or 'rest'. Linking sounds /taɪm ɒf/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Career change

Vocabulary

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

2

HK learners often use the verb phrase 'change job' instead of the noun phrase 'career change'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'career' ('carrier' error) is common.

Waste management

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Pronunciation of 'management' often drops syllables or mispronounces the /dʒ/ sound as /z/. Essential vocabulary for environmental topics.

Waste-free society

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Pronunciation of the /fr/ cluster in 'free' is sometimes confused with /fl/.

Smells and fumes

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Village and city life

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

2

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' on both nouns. The /f/ vs /v/ confusion in 'fumes' is also a common L1 error.

Make decisions

Phrase

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

2

Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'do decisions' due to direct translation from Cantonese '做決定'.

Play a part in

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Collocation error. HK learners often say 'play a role of' or 'have a part of' due to preposition confusion.

Carry out

Vocabulary

General The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

2

HK learners heavily avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal single-word translations like 'do' or 'complete'.

Short-term memory

Vocabulary

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

Compound noun. HK learners often drop the hyphen and struggle with the /tɜːm/ vowel sound, mispronouncing it as 'tom'.

Food miles

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

2

Topic-specific compound noun. HK learners may not know this term and use clunky descriptions like 'the distance food travels'.

Do without

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

2

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'live without' or 'don't have'.

Small-scale farming

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

2

Compound adjective. HK learners often drop the hyphen and say 'small farm'. Pronunciation of the /sk/ cluster in 'scale' is challenging.

I'm not sure I agree with him.

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

A2

High

1

HK learners often use direct, grammatically incorrect translations like 'I very disagree' or 'I not agree'. This phrase provides a polite, grammatically accurate alternative essential for the collaborative task.

The best way to [verb] is to [verb]

Grammar

General

Giving advice

B1

High

Medium

1

Cantonese speakers frequently drop the second 'to' infinitive, resulting in 'The best way to learn is speak', due to the lack of infinitive markers in L1.

To detect if someone is lying

Grammar

Personal values and ideals General

Reported speech

B1

High

1

Embedded questions often suffer from incorrect subject-verb inversion in HK English (e.g., 'detect if is someone lying').

He comes from a humble background

Vocabulary

Public figures past and present Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of 'humble' often includes an intrusive vowel or dropped 'l'. The collocation 'humble background' is less commonly used than literal translations like 'poor family'.

Chronologically

Vocabulary

General Early memories

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty due to the /kr/ consonant cluster, polysyllabic stress, and /l/ vs /r/ distinction, often resulting in unintelligible speech.

As opposed to

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

Complex prepositional phrase. Cantonese speakers usually default to the simpler 'and not' or 'but not'. Using this improves discourse cohesion.

He should at least...

Grammar

General

Modals for advice/suggestions (should/ought to, could, you'd better)

A2

High

1

HK learners often drop the modal or use 'He need to' incorrectly. 'Should' is critical for the Collaborative Task to give advice.

Chasing debtors

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

The silent 'b' in 'debtor' (/ˈdetə/) is almost always pronounced by HK learners due to phonetic spelling reliance.

I didn't know

Grammar

General

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

A2

High

1

Cantonese lacks past tense inflection. HK learners often double-mark the past tense (e.g., 'didn't knew') or drop the auxiliary entirely.

I have been working since...

Grammar

The world of work

Present perfect continuous

B2

High

1

Cantonese uses aspect markers rather than distinct tenses. Learners frequently use the present simple ('I work since 2004') instead of the present perfect continuous.

Rural

Vocabulary

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty due to the double /r/ and dark /l/. Often mispronounced as 'loo-low', causing complete breakdown in communication.

Make my job easier

Grammar

The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

Medium

Low

1

Topic-prominent L1 interference leads to incorrect word order, such as 'make easier my job' or 'make my job is easier'.

Visual pollution

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

The word 'visual' contains a difficult /ʒ/ sound and a dark /l/, often mispronounced by Cantonese speakers as 'wee-so'.

Pricey

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'very expensive'. 'Pricey' is a natural B2 alternative, but learners may struggle with the /s/ vs /z/ sound and the consonant cluster.

Oversubscribed

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Complex prefix and suffix. Cantonese speakers frequently drop the final '-ed' consonant cluster, making it sound like 'oversubscribe'.

Out of control

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often use literal translations like 'cannot control'. Linking the sounds in 'out of' (/aʊt əv/) is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Break the ice

Idiom

General Personal values and ideals

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

B2

High

Medium

1

Idiomatic expression. Cantonese speakers tend to avoid idioms, preferring literal phrases like 'make them not shy'. Using idioms is key for B2.

When it comes to

Phrase

General

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

B2

High

Medium

1

Topic-prominent L1 speakers often just state the topic ('About the wind turbines...'). This phrase is an excellent B2 discourse marker to introduce a topic naturally.

Fall short

Idiom

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

C1

Medium

Low

1

HK learners typically avoid phrasal verbs and idioms, preferring literal translations like 'not good enough'. Using this demonstrates a higher range of vocabulary.

Look forward to

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Cantonese lacks gerunds, leading to the highly common fossilized error 'look forward to see you' instead of 'seeing'.

Diagnose illnesses

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'diagnose' (/daɪəɡˈnəʊz/) is difficult, and HK learners frequently drop the plural /ɪz/ ending in 'illnesses'.

Keep track of

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners tend to avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal single-word translations like 'record'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

Wearable devices

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /w/ and /v/ in 'wearable' and 'devices', plus dropping the plural /ɪz/ ending.

Bridge gaps

Idiom

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiomatic expression. HK learners usually prefer literal phrases like 'connect places'. Pronunciation of the /dʒ/ ending in 'bridge' is often devoiced to /tʃ/.

Have access to

Phrase

Society and living standards Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

1

Noun vs verb confusion. HK learners often misuse 'access' as a verb without the preposition (e.g., 'can access the internet') instead of the noun phrase 'have access to'.

Reap the rewards

Idiom

General The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'get good things'. Pronunciation challenge with /r/ vs /l/ ('leap the lewards').

Therapeutic

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty with the /θ/ sound (often replaced by /f/ or /d/) and polysyllabic stress.

Low-maintenance

Vocabulary

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often use literal, clunky phrases like 'easy to take care'. Pronunciation of 'maintenance' often drops syllables.

Novice

Vocabulary

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Confusion between /v/ and /w/ or /f/ ('no-wice'). Learners over-rely on 'beginner'.

Layoffs

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners tend to avoid phrasal nouns, preferring literal translations like 'fire people' or 'lose job'.

Obsessed with

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse is common (often 'obsessed to' or 'obsessed on'). Dropping the final '-ed' /t/ sound is also frequent.

Vast majority

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Pronunciation of /v/ is often replaced by /w/ ('wast'). Polysyllabic stress on 'majority' is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Showing off

Idiom

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Low

1

HK learners avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'displaying' or 'acting proud'.

As was expected

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B2

Medium

1

Passive voice construction. HK learners often drop the 'was' or the '-ed' ('As expect').

Turn into

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Low

1

Avoidance of phrasal verbs. Learners often use 'become to' instead.

Well spent

Phrase

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Passive concept. L1 interference leads to direct translations like 'spend good' (用得好) instead of the correct English collocation.

Vast sums of money

Phrase

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of /v/ is often replaced by /w/ ('wast'). The consonant cluster /st/ is also frequently dropped.

Natural disasters

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Plural 's' dropping is common. The /z/ sound in 'disasters' is often pronounced as /s/.

Worthwhile investment

Phrase

Society and living standards Education The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty with /w/ and /θ/ sounds in 'worthwhile', plus the /v/ in 'investment'.

Biological differences

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Dropping the plural 's' in 'differences'. Polysyllabic stress in 'biological' is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Pave the way for

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'make it possible'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

Medical breakthroughs

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

The /θr/ consonant cluster in 'breakthroughs' is extremely difficult, often resulting in 'break-fools'.

Climb the corporate ladder

Idiom

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners avoid idioms. Pronunciation of 'corporate' suffers from /r/ vs /l/ confusion ('colpolate').

Unexplained phenomena

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Plurality confusion (phenomenon vs phenomena) is common. Pronunciation of the 'ph' as /f/ and polysyllabic stress is challenging.

Take for instance

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'for example'. Using this phrase demonstrates a wider range of B2 discourse markers.

What's fascinating is

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Cantonese lacks cleft sentences. Learners typically use simple SVO structures like 'It is very fascinating'. This structure elevates grammatical range.

Neither he nor

Grammar

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

1

Correlative conjunctions are frequently mixed up by HK learners, resulting in errors like 'Neither he or' or double negatives.

Hard to deny

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

Medium

1

A natural phrase for agreement/disagreement. HK learners often use direct, clunky translations like 'I cannot say no'.

Caught up to

Idiom

General

Speculating

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners generally avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal single words. Pronunciation of 'caught' often lacks the /ɔː/ vowel.

Whether one believes or not

Grammar

General Personal values and ideals

Speculating

B2

High

1

HK learners frequently misuse 'if' in place of 'whether' due to direct translation from Cantonese '如果'.

Peer pressure

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /p/ and /b/ ('beer pressure') and dropping the /r/ sound. Essential vocabulary for education/society topics.

Tailored to fit

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' in 'tailored' due to L1 lacking past participles. They also tend to over-rely on simple words like 'made for'.

Dive deeper into

Idiom

General Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners avoid phrasal verbs and idioms, preferring literal translations like 'study more'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'dive' is often replaced by /f/.

Extracurricular activities

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty due to polysyllabic stress, the /ks/ consonant cluster, and /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'activities'.

Daunting

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of the /ɔː/ vowel is difficult, often replaced by /aʊ/ or /ɒ/. Learners over-rely on 'very difficult' or 'scary'.

Euthanasia

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Pronunciation is highly challenging for HK learners (/juːθəˈneɪziə/), often mispronouncing the /θ/ as /f/ and /z/ as /s/.

Terminal illness

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the dark /l/ in 'terminal' and omit the plural /ɪz/ ending in 'illnesses'.

Right to die with dignity

Phrase

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

The abstract noun 'dignity' is difficult to pronounce (/ˈdɪɡnəti/) and often avoided in favor of simpler, less accurate phrasing.

Vulnerable individuals

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty: /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'vulnerable', dropping the dark /l/, and polysyllabic stress issues in 'individuals'.

Full consent

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Collocation. HK learners often use 'agree completely' instead. Pronunciation of 'consent' requires correct syllable stress.

Nature versus nurture

Phrase

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Pronunciation of /v/ in 'versus' is often replaced by /w/. The /tʃə/ ending in 'nature' and 'nurture' is difficult for HK learners.

Because of our environment

Grammar

Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards

Discourse connectors (because of, due to)

B1

High

1

HK learners frequently misuse 'because of' by following it with a full clause (e.g., 'because of it is good') instead of a noun phrase. Pronunciation of 'environment' often drops syllables.

Builds on

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. Learners often drop the 3rd person 's' ('build on') or use literal translations like 'add to'.

Parts of the same picture

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiomatic expression. HK learners tend to use literal phrasing like 'they are together'.

Settle for

Vocabulary

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners typically avoid phrasal verbs, preferring direct translations like 'choose' or 'accept'. Using 'settle for' demonstrates B2 lexical range.

Heart isn't in it

Idiom

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance is common. HK learners will typically say 'don't like it' or 'no passion'. Linking sounds in 'isn't in it' (/ɪznt ɪn ɪt/) is difficult for L1 syllable-timed speakers.

Contagious

Vocabulary

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress and the /dʒ/ sound, which HK learners often mispronounce as /s/ or /z/.

Side project

Vocabulary

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Consonant cluster dropping is common; HK learners often drop the /d/ in 'side' and the /kt/ in 'project', making it sound like 'sigh pro-je'.

What would you do if money wasn't an issue

Grammar

Personal values and ideals The world of work

Second/third conditionals

B2

High

1

Second conditional. Cantonese lacks subjunctive mood, so learners frequently say 'What will you do if money isn't a problem', failing the B2 grammar requirement.

Keep waiting

Grammar

General

Giving advice

B1

High

1

Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after verbs like 'keep', resulting in the fossilized error 'keep wait'.

Fluorescent bulbs

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty with /flʊəˈrɛsnt/ and the dark /l/ plus consonant cluster /lbz/ in 'bulbs'.

Stuck inside

Idiom

Village and city life The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners often drop the /k/ in 'stuck' and struggle with the passive concept, preferring 'cannot go out'.

Physical activity

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Pronunciation of /f/ vs /p/ in 'physical' and /v/ vs /w/ in 'activity'.

Tough on your body

Idiom

Society and living standards The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'bad for your body'. Pronunciation of /tʌf/ is sometimes confused.

Small price to pay

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. Learners typically say 'it is worth it'. Consonant clusters /sm/ and /pr/ are challenging.

What makes you feel alive

Grammar

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

1

Dropping the /v/ in 'alive'. L1 interference leads to 'what make you happy' (dropping 's').

Sitting at a desk, staring at...

Grammar

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Cantonese lacks present participles for simultaneous actions. Learners often say 'Sit at desk and stare...'.

Heart of the action

Idiom

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'the center'.

Urban living

Vocabulary

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'urban' often lacks the /ɜː/ vowel, sounding like 'ah-ban'.

Career-driven

Vocabulary

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'career' vs 'carrier' is a classic HK error. The '-driven' suffix is also rarely used.

Cultural hubs

Vocabulary

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

'Hubs' is rarely used by HK learners. 'Cultural' has a dark 'l' and /tʃ/ sound which are difficult.

Get around

Idiom

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Avoidance of phrasal verbs. Learners usually say 'go to everywhere' instead of 'get around'.

High cost of living

Phrase

Society and living standards Village and city life

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Dropping 'of' is common. The consonant cluster /st/ in 'cost' is also frequently dropped.

Adds up quickly

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Dropping the 3rd person 's' in 'adds'. Avoidance of phrasal verbs.

Peace and quiet

Phrase

Village and city life Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

1

Dropping 'd' in 'and'. Confusion between 'quiet' and 'quite' (/kwaɪət/ vs /kwaɪt/).

Trade-off

Vocabulary

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

The concept of a trade-off is difficult to express; learners usually say 'need to choose'.

Too fast, too loud, and too stressful

Grammar

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

Parallel structure. HK learners often substitute 'too' with 'very' due to L1 interference, missing the negative connotation of excess.

Perfect escape

Vocabulary

Village and city life Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Collocation. HK learners tend to use literal translations like 'good place to run away' instead of this natural B2 phrasing.

Time to breathe

Phrase

General Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty: the voiced /ð/ in 'breathe' is often replaced by /f/ or /d/, or confused with the noun 'breath' (/θ/).

Stunning views

Vocabulary

Village and city life Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'beautiful scenery'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'views' is often replaced by /w/.

Reconnect with yourself

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often avoid reflexive pronouns in this context, preferring simpler phrases like 'relax my mind'.

Comfort and luxury

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'luxury' (/ˈlʌkʃəri/) is highly challenging, often mispronounced as 'luck-sury' with an /s/ instead of /ʃ/.

Guided tours

Grammar

Village and city life National customs

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix is an extremely common L1 error, resulting in 'guide tour'.

Local specialties

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products National customs

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Polysyllabic stress and the /ʃ/ sound in 'specialties' are difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Recharge

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Metaphorical use is often avoided by L1 speakers who prefer the literal translation 'rest'.

Leave behind

Idiom

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. L1 speakers prefer literal translations like 'go away from'.

Fast-paced world

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the '-ed' suffix in 'paced' is often dropped. L1 speakers tend to use literal translations like 'fast world'.

Taking a toll on

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

C1

High

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'is bad for'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'toll' is often dropped.

Substitute for

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'substitute of' or 'replace to'. Pronunciation of polysyllabic 'substitute' is challenging.

Moderate consumption

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress is difficult for syllable-timed speakers. The /ʃ/ sound in 'consumption' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Pick-me-up

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms and hyphenated noun phrases, preferring literal translations like 'make me awake'. Word linking is difficult.

General public

Phrase

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'normal people'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'general' is often dropped.

Good or bad for health

Phrase

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

A2

High

1

Preposition misuse: HK learners almost universally say 'good/bad TO health' due to direct translation from Cantonese '對身體好/唔好'.

Dead language

Vocabulary

Education National customs

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often use literal translations like 'die language' or drop the final 'd' in 'dead'.

Open doors

Idiom

Education The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'give opportunities'.

Pick up

Idiom

Education General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'learn' and struggle with the /k/ to /ʌ/ word linking.

Logical thinking

Vocabulary

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe /l/ vs /r/ confusion often results in 'rogical thinking'.

Attention to detail

Phrase

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'to' or incorrectly pluralize 'details'.

Outdated

Vocabulary

General Education Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners frequently drop the final 'd' and over-rely on 'very old'.

Financial literacy

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Polysyllabic stress and /l/ vs /r/ confusion ('litelacy').

Curriculum

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic word with /r/ and /l/ sounds. HK learners often mispronounce it or avoid it entirely.

Widen the gap

Idiom

Society and living standards Education

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners tend to use literal phrasing like 'make the difference bigger'.

Shortage of

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'not enough' and often drop the preposition 'of'.

Tidal energy

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'tidal' (/taɪdl/) involves a dark /l/ which HK learners often drop or vocalize as /w/ or /oʊ/ ('tie-do').

Predictable

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress /prɪˈdɪktəbl/ and dark /l/. HK learners often struggle with the /kt/ cluster.

Make waves

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiom. HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'create a big impact'.

Compared to burning

Grammar

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Gerund after preposition. HK learners often say 'Compared to burn' due to lack of gerunds in L1.

Find it hard to

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

HK learners often drop the dummy 'it', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'find hard to swim'.

Joining the race

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiom. Literal translation avoidance. HK learners prefer 'starting to do it too'.

Take over

Idiom

General The world of work

Speculating

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners typically avoid phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'replace' or 'do our jobs'. Pronunciation of linking 'take over' (/teɪk əʊvə/) is difficult.

Human touch

Phrase

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

Idiomatic expression. HK learners often use literal, clunky translations like 'human feeling' or 'real people interaction'.

Empathy

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /θ/ sound is frequently replaced by /f/ or /d/ by HK learners. The concept is often simplified to 'sympathy' or 'pity', which is inaccurate.

Function properly

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'function' and the /pr/ cluster in 'properly' is challenging. Learners often just say 'work good'.

Work alongside

Phrase

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often use 'work with' or 'work together'. 'Alongside' demonstrates a higher B2 lexical range. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ is often dropped.

Interact with

Grammar

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse is highly common; HK learners often say 'interact to' or drop the preposition entirely.

Are becoming

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Cantonese lacks continuous aspect for changing states. Learners frequently use the simple present ('They become') instead of the present continuous.

Has become

Grammar

General

Present perfect continuous

B1

High

1

Cantonese lacks the present perfect tense. Learners frequently use the simple present ('is become') or add 'already' ('become already').

Online shopping

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

Direct translation from L1 often results in the fossilized error 'buy things in internet' or 'internet shopping'.

Fake products

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation challenge: dropping the final /k/ in 'fake' and the /kts/ consonant cluster in 'products'.

Scam websites

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of the /sk/ consonant cluster and final /m/ in 'scam' is often dropped or altered by HK learners.

Identity theft

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

The /θ/ sound in 'theft' is almost always pronounced as /f/ ('theff'). Polysyllabic stress in 'identity' is also challenging.

Cyber criminals

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation confusion between /s/ and /k/ in 'cyber', and /r/ vs /l/ in 'criminals'.

Hidden charges

Vocabulary

Society and living standards General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners frequently drop the '-en' suffix in 'hidden' and the plural '-es' in 'charges'.

Get a refund

Phrase

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners often use 'refund' incorrectly as a transitive verb ('refund me the money') or drop the article ('get refund').

Secure payment

Vocabulary

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of 'secure' (/sɪˈkjʊə/) is difficult, often mispronounced as 'se-cure' with incorrect stress.

Customer reviews

Vocabulary

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of /v/ in 'reviews' is often replaced by /w/, and the plural 's' is frequently dropped.

Wire transfers

Vocabulary

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of /w/ and /r/ in 'wire', and the /tr/ consonant cluster in 'transfers' is challenging.

Keep records of

Phrase

The world of work General

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse is common (often 'keep record for') and dropping the plural 's' in 'records'.

In case

Grammar

General

Giving advice

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners often confuse 'in case' with 'if', failing to grasp the preventative action meaning due to L1 direct translation.

Adrenaline rush

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress and /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'rush' make this difficult to pronounce.

Test their limits

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners frequently drop the final 't' in 'test' and the plural 's' in 'limits'.

Go viral

Idiom

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Confusion between /v/ and /w/ often results in 'go wiral', and the dark /l/ is frequently dropped.

Safety equipment

Vocabulary

The world of work General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

HK learners frequently treat 'equipment' as a countable noun, resulting in the fossilized error 'equipments'.

Strict rules

Vocabulary

Education The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

The /str/ and /kt/ consonant clusters in 'strict' are extremely difficult, often resulting in 's-tick lules'.

Face their fears

Idiom

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners tend to avoid idiomatic usage of 'face', preferring literal translations like 'overcome scared'.

Completely present

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Consonant clusters /mpl/ and /pr/ are challenging for syllable-timed speakers.

Critical thinking

Vocabulary

Education The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /kr/ cluster and dark /l/ in 'critical' is difficult. Often mispronounced as 'cli-ti-co'.

Think for themselves

Phrase

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners typically say 'think by themselves' due to L1 interference.

Social skills

Vocabulary

Education The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/ (so-so). Dropping the plural 's' in 'skills' is also common.

Higher income

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'more salary' (多啲人工). 'Income' elevates the vocabulary to B2.

Practical work

Vocabulary

Education The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /pr/ and /kt/ clusters in 'practical' is challenging. Often mispronounced as 'pa-ti-co'.

Online courses

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

HK learners often use 'internet class'. Dropping the plural '-es' in 'courses' is a very common L1 error.

Avoid burnout

Vocabulary

The world of work Education Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners avoid compound nouns and idioms, preferring 'very tired'. Dropping the /t/ in 'burnout' is also common.

Gain life experience

Phrase

Education Personal values and ideals The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Collocation error due to L1 interference; HK learners often say 'learn experience' or 'get experience'.

Develop independence

Phrase

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress issues, /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'develop', and dropping the /ns/ ending in 'independence'.

Get back into a routine

Idiom

General The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'routine' often results in 'loutine'.

Delay career progress

Phrase

The world of work Education

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

/r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'career' ('carrier' error). Dropping the final /s/ in 'progress'.

Unmotivated

Vocabulary

Education The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix (/ɪd/) is extremely common. Polysyllabic stress is also challenging.

Personal growth

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

The /θ/ sound in 'growth' is frequently pronounced as /f/ by Cantonese speakers.

Universal Basic Income

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress and /v/ vs /w/ confusion in 'universal'.

Solution to poverty

Phrase

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'solution of' due to L1 interference.

Start a business

Phrase

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Medium

1

Direct translation from L1 often results in the fossilized error 'open a company' (開公司).

Welfare system

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty: /w/ vs /f/ confusion in 'welfare', and dropping the final /m/ in 'system'.

Worse off

Idiom

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

Idiomatic phrase. L1 speakers prefer literal translations like 'more bad' or 'worse'.

Admit a mistake

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

L1 translation 'recognize wrong' (認錯) leads to avoidance. Dropping the 't' in 'admit' is also common.

Put at risk

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

L1 translation 'give them danger' is often used instead. Dropping the /t/ in 'put' and /sk/ in 'risk'.

Are taught

Grammar

Education

Simple passive

B1

High

1

Passive voice. L1 speakers frequently drop the 'are' and use the base form 'teach' (e.g., 'people teach to').

Reasons for and against

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often say 'why support and why not support'. This phrase is excellent for structuring arguments.

Second-hand smoke

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often drop the final 'd' in 'second' and struggle with the compound noun structure, sometimes translating literally as 'other people smoke'.

Deal with stress

Phrase

Personal values and ideals The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners often drop the preposition 'with' or struggle with the /str/ consonant cluster in 'stress', pronouncing it as 's-tress'.

Fit in with

Idiom

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'suit the group' or 'join them'. Word linking 'fit in with' is difficult.

Have the right to

Phrase

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often drop the article 'the' and confuse the /r/ and /l/ sounds, pronouncing 'right' as 'light'.

Completely banned

Grammar

Society and living standards General

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive voice. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix and struggle with the /mpl/ consonant cluster in 'completely'.

Food crops

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

The /kr/ consonant cluster and plural /ps/ ending are extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in 'foo cop'.

Have been harvesting

Grammar

National and local produce and products The world of work

Present perfect continuous

B2

High

1

Cantonese lacks perfect continuous aspect. Learners frequently use the simple present ('human harvest it for thousands of years') instead of the present perfect continuous.

Are in danger

Phrase

Natural environmental concerns General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

HK learners often use direct translations like 'have danger' or drop the 'in' preposition.

Harmful chemicals

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation challenge: dropping the /h/ in 'harmful', and mispronouncing the 'ch' in 'chemicals' as /tʃ/ instead of /k/.

Homesick

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

Often translated literally from Cantonese as 'miss home disease' or just 'miss home'.

Adapt

Vocabulary

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Dropping the final /pt/ consonant cluster is common. Often confused with 'adopt'.

Scholarships

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'sch' as /sk/ instead of /ʃ/ is difficult, and dropping the plural 's' is frequent.

Reduce prejudice

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'prejudice' (/ˈpredʒədɪs/) is extremely difficult due to the /dʒ/ sound and short vowels. L1 speakers often avoid it.

Face discrimination

Phrase

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Collocation error: L1 speakers often say 'have discrimination' due to direct translation. Pronunciation of /skr/ cluster is also difficult.

Find common ground

Idiom

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Establishing common ground

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. L1 speakers prefer literal translations like 'find same thinking'. Dropping the /d/ in 'ground' is common.

Although there can be challenges

Grammar

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

1

Strong L1 interference leads to double conjunctions like 'Although there can be challenges, but...'.

Billions of dollars

Phrase

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' on both 'billions' and 'dollars' due to L1 lacking plural markers.

Player transfers

Vocabulary

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of the /tr/ consonant cluster and dropping the plural 's' in 'transfers' is common.

Television rights

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation confusion between /v/ and /w/ in 'television', and dropping the plural 's' in 'rights'.

Youth academies

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

The /θ/ sound in 'youth' is often replaced by /f/. Polysyllabic stress in 'academies' is challenging.

Matchday revenue

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of /v/ vs /w/ in 'revenue'. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'ticket money'.

Behind the scenes

Idiom

General The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiomatic phrase. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'at the back'. Dropping the plural 's' in 'scenes' is common.

Run smoothly

Phrase

General The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion ('lun'). The /sm/ cluster and voiced /ð/ in 'smoothly' are highly challenging.

Bankruptcy

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

The /pt/ consonant cluster in 'bankruptcy' is frequently dropped, making it sound like 'bank-ru-cy'.

Growing gap

Phrase

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of /g/ vs /k/ in 'gap'. L1 speakers often use literal translations like 'bigger difference'.

Struggle to compete

Phrase

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

The /str/ and /gl/ consonant clusters in 'struggle' are extremely difficult, often resulting in 's-tug-go'.

Financial inequality

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress and the /kw/ cluster in 'inequality' are challenging for syllable-timed speakers.

Rising costs

Phrase

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

The /sts/ consonant cluster in 'costs' is notoriously difficult for HK learners, often resulting in 'cos'.

Online bullying

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the dark /l/ and dropping the '-ing' suffix in 'bullying' is common. Essential vocabulary for technology and society topics.

Stay in touch

Idiom

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

B1

High

Medium

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'keep contact'. Linking sounds in 'stay in' is also challenging.

Screen time

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /skr/ consonant cluster is extremely difficult, often resulting in 's-creen'. Essential modern vocabulary.

Suggest waiting

Grammar

General

Giving advice

B2

High

1

Verb + gerund rule. HK learners almost universally say 'suggest to wait' due to L1 lacking gerunds.

Suitable for

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'suitable to' due to direct translation.

On the go

Idiom

Society and living standards Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'when they are busy' or 'walking'.

Risk of developing

Grammar

Society and living standards General

Speculating

B2

High

1

Preposition + gerund rule. HK learners frequently say 'risk to develop' due to L1 lacking gerunds.

Insomnia

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Polysyllabic word. HK learners often avoid it, preferring the literal translation 'cannot sleep'.

Followed by a crash

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Passive construction and idiomatic use of 'crash'. HK learners often drop the '-ed' in 'followed' and use 'crash' only for cars.

Impaired judgment

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

C1

Medium

Low

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'impaired'. The /dʒ/ sound in 'judgment' is often mispronounced as /z/ or /j/.

Mindful of

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'mindful about' or 'careful to'.

On a deadline

Phrase

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners typically say 'have a deadline' or 'in a deadline'.

Feasible

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation difficulty with /f/ vs /v/ and /z/ vs /s/. HK learners over-rely on 'possible'.

Verbal abuse

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe /v/ vs /w/ confusion ('werbal'). HK learners often use literal translations like 'use words to attack' or 'scold'.

Stand up to

Idiom

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'fight against' or 'resist'. Word linking /stænd ʌp tuː/ is challenging for syllable-timed speakers.

Speak out against

Idiom

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

Medium

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer 'say no to' or 'disagree'. Linking sounds /spiːk aʊt/ is difficult.

Take proactive steps

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation. HK learners often say 'do actions' instead of 'take steps'. The /pr/ cluster in 'proactive' is also difficult.

Domestic violence

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe /v/ vs /w/ confusion ('wiolence'). Polysyllabic stress is also challenging.

Liver disease

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Severe /r/ vs /l/ and /v/ vs /w/ confusion, often resulting in 'river disease' or 'li-wa'.

Readily available

Phrase

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

Adverb-adjective collocations are rarely used by HK learners, who prefer 'very easy to buy'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'available' is often replaced by /w/.

Address the problem

Phrase

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'solve the problem'. 'Address' is a key B2 vocabulary word for discussing societal issues.

Alcohol addiction

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'alcohol' is often dropped ('al-co-ho'). HK learners often use 'cannot stop drinking' instead of the noun phrase.

Tertiary education

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Pronunciation of 'tertiary' (/ˈtɜːʃəri/) is highly challenging due to the /ʃ/ sound and shifting stress. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'university'.

Deciding factor

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation error. HK learners often use literal translations like 'the decide reason' or 'the most important point'.

Without further training

Grammar

Education The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after prepositions, resulting in the fossilized error 'without train'.

To be considered for

Grammar

The world of work Education

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive infinitive construction. HK learners frequently drop the 'be' and '-ed', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'impossible to consider for'.

Carbon emissions

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' in 'emissions' and struggle with the /ʃ/ sound, pronouncing it as /s/.

Run errands

Idiom

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners avoid this natural collocation, preferring literal translations like 'do things' or 'buy things'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'run' and dropping plural 's' in 'errands' is common.

Demand for housing

Phrase

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'demand of housing' or drop the preposition entirely due to L1 interference.

Low-income families

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'poor families'. Pronunciation of the hyphenated compound and dropping the plural 's' in 'families' is a frequent error.

Benefit from

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'benefit by' or drop the preposition entirely due to L1 interference.

Expectations are not met

Grammar

General Personal values and ideals

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive voice and collocation. HK learners typically use the active voice 'cannot meet expectation' and drop the plural 's'.

Critics argue that

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Some people say'. This phrase elevates the discourse for B2 level argumentation.

Undergo surgery

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Collocation error. HK learners almost universally say 'do surgery' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '做手術'.

Weigh the benefits and risks

Idiom

General Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Idiomatic collocation. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'think about the good and bad points'.

Body image

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'image' (/ˈɪmɪdʒ/) is frequently mispronounced as /ɪmeɪdʒ/ (rhyming with page) by HK learners.

Quick fixes

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'fast solutions'. The /ks/ consonant cluster in 'fixes' is often dropped.

Fatigue

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty. HK learners frequently mispronounce /fəˈtiːɡ/ as 'fa-ti-gyu' due to phonetic spelling reliance.

Requires patience

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Giving advice

B1

High

1

HK learners frequently confuse the noun and adjective forms, resulting in the highly common fossilized error 'need patient'.

There are no shortcuts

Idiom

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners tend to avoid idiomatic expressions, preferring literal translations like 'there is no fast way'.

Root causes

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'main reasons'. Pronunciation of the plural 's' in 'causes' is often dropped.

Come at a significant cost

Idiom

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners typically use literal phrasing like 'have a big price'. Using this demonstrates a higher B2 lexical range.

Nutritional deficiencies

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress and the /ʃ/ sound in 'nutritional' and 'deficiencies' are highly challenging for syllable-timed speakers.

Shedding pounds

Idiom

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'lose weight' or 'cut meat'. The /ʃ/ sound in 'shedding' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Financial pressure

Vocabulary

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often use literal translations like 'money pressure'. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'pressure' is frequently mispronounced as /s/.

Irrelevant to

Vocabulary

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'irrelevant with'. Pronunciation of /r/ vs /l/ in 'irrelevant' is also challenging.

Make it easier for

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the dummy 'it', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'make easier for them' due to L1 topic-prominent structure.

Without having to

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Cantonese lacks gerunds. Learners frequently drop the '-ing' after prepositions, resulting in the fossilized error 'without have to'.

Future prospects

Vocabulary

The world of work Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

The /pr/ and /spts/ consonant clusters in 'prospects' are extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in dropped sounds. Plural 's' is also frequently omitted.

Can be taken

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B1

High

1

Passive voice with modals. HK learners frequently drop the 'be' verb or the past participle '-en', saying 'can take' instead of 'can be taken'.

The further... the more...

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Cantonese lacks this comparative correlative structure. HK learners typically use 'If... then...' (e.g., 'If it travel far, it lose more').

As you might have guessed

Grammar

General

Modals for possibility/uncertainty (may, might, I'm not sure)

B2

High

Medium

1

Modals of deduction in the past are rarely used by HK learners, who default to the simpler 'As you can guess' or 'Maybe you guess'.

In order for [noun] to

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop 'for' and just say 'In order business to survive' or use the literal translation 'For survive'.

Put simply

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Simply speaking' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '簡單嚟講'.

None of this is to say that

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

C1

Medium

Low

1

Complex discourse marker. HK learners usually rely on basic conjunctions like 'But I don't mean...'. Using this elevates the discourse significantly.

Are usually cared for

Grammar

Society and living standards General

Simple passive

B1

High

1

Passive voice is a major weakness. Cantonese uses active structures or 'bei' (被). Learners frequently drop the 'are' or the '-ed' suffix (e.g., 'The plants usually care for by hand').

It takes [time] for [noun] to [verb]

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Cantonese structure is 'Need [time] to...'. Learners often drop the dummy subject 'It' and the preposition 'for', resulting in the fossilized error 'Take three years the plant to start'.

Look elsewhere

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners usually rely on literal translations like 'find other places'. Using 'elsewhere' demonstrates a wider and more natural B2 vocabulary range.

Unwilling to

Vocabulary

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'don't want to'. Using 'unwilling to' elevates the vocabulary and improves the formality of the discourse.

It looks as if

Grammar

General

Speculating

B2

High

Medium

1

Used for speculating. HK learners often just say 'Maybe' or 'I think' due to a lack of complex speculative structures in their active vocabulary.

Laborious process

Vocabulary

The world of work General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

C1

Medium

Low

1

Polysyllabic stress /ləˈbɔːriəs/ and /r/ vs /l/ confusion make this highly challenging. HK learners typically over-rely on 'very hard work'.

High in cholesterol

Vocabulary

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'cholesterol' (/kəˈlestərɒl/) is extremely difficult for HK learners due to polysyllabic stress and consonant clusters. They often avoid the word entirely despite it being highly relevant to their age group.

Linked to

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive voice and preposition misuse. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix and say 'link with' instead of 'linked to' due to direct translation from Cantonese.

Battery farms

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Specific vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic. HK learners often use literal, clunky translations like 'chicken factories' or 'small cages'.

Free-range

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns National and local produce and products

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /fr/ consonant cluster and the /dʒ/ sound in 'range' is challenging. HK learners often mispronounce it as 'fee-rain'.

Bad for the environment

Phrase

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

A2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'bad TO the environment' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '對環境唔好'.

Limit our intake

Phrase

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on the basic phrase 'eat less'. 'Intake' is an excellent B2 noun, but learners often struggle with the word linking and pronunciation of the /t/ and /k/ sounds.

Crack open the mystery

Idiom

General

Initiating and maintaining the conversation

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'find the answer'. Linking sounds /kræk oʊpən/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Highly controversial

Vocabulary

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress is very difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'many people argue about it'.

Price tag

Idiom

Society and living standards National and local produce and products

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiomatic phrase. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'price' or 'cost'. Dropping the final /g/ in 'tag' is a common pronunciation error.

Day-to-day lives

Phrase

Society and living standards Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners often say 'daily lives' but struggle with the plural 's' and /v/ sound in 'lives'. 'Day-to-day' is a natural B2 alternative.

A better way to improve... would be to...

Grammar

General

Giving advice

B2

High

1

Second conditional structure for giving advice. HK learners often drop the 'to' infinitive marker or use 'will be' instead of 'would be' due to L1 lacking subjunctive mood.

Working from home

Phrase

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Medium

1

Direct translation from L1 often leads to the preposition error 'work at home'. Dropping the '-ing' suffix is also a frequent fossilized error.

Take off the roads

Idiom

Pollution and recycling Village and city life

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

Phrasal verb/idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'reduce cars'. Linking sounds in 'off the' is difficult for L1 speakers.

Stimulate the economy

Phrase

Society and living standards The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress in 'stimulate' and 'economy' is challenging. HK learners often use basic phrasing like 'make economy good'.

Financially beneficial

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Adverb-adjective collocations are rarely used by HK learners. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'beneficial' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Do away with

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners typically prefer literal translations like 'remove' or 'cancel'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

Carbon footprint

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Pronunciation of the /f/ sound and /pr/ consonant cluster in 'footprint' is challenging. Essential vocabulary for the 'Natural environmental concerns' topic.

Positive effect on

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'positive effect to' due to direct translation from Cantonese.

At the expense of

Idiom

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'but bad for'. Using this phrase elevates the discourse significantly.

Means of income

Phrase

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often use literal translations like 'way to find money' and frequently drop the plural 's' on 'means'.

Mass-produced

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'mass-produce food'.

Based on a misconception

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress in 'misconception' is difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners often say 'based on wrong thinking'.

Do more research

Phrase

Education General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'make research' due to direct translation from the Cantonese phrase '做研究'.

Where your food comes from

Grammar

National and local produce and products Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Embedded question word order. HK learners often incorrectly use question inversion in the middle of a sentence, saying 'where does your food come from'.

That said

Phrase

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

Medium

1

Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'But' or 'However'. This phrase provides a natural B2 alternative for contrasting ideas.

Suffer disastrous consequences

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress in 'disastrous' and 'consequences' is highly challenging. HK learners often drop the plural 's' and prefer simpler phrases like 'have a bad result'.

Leave to chance

Idiom

Personal values and ideals General

Speculating

B2

High

Low

1

Idiomatic expression. HK learners typically avoid this, preferring literal translations like 'let luck decide'. Preposition misuse ('leave for chance') is also common.

Result in

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse is extremely common. HK learners almost universally say 'result to' or 'result of' instead of 'result in'.

Based on instinct

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' in 'based' and misuse the preposition, saying 'base in instinct'. Pronunciation of the /st/ and /ŋkt/ clusters is also difficult.

Life-altering

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners, who prefer relative clauses like 'decision that changes life'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ and /t/ in 'altering' is challenging.

Have something stolen

Grammar

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Causative structure. HK learners frequently misuse the passive voice due to L1 interference, resulting in the fossilized error 'I was stolen my phone' instead of 'I had my phone stolen'.

Language barriers

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty with /r/ vs /l/ in 'language' and 'barriers'. HK learners also frequently drop the plural 's'.

Crowded places

Vocabulary

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'crowd place'.

Leave unattended

Phrase

Village and city life General

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'unattended' is common. HK learners typically avoid this formal phrasing, preferring literal translations like 'don't look at your bag'.

Ideal solution

Phrase

General

Giving advice

B2

Medium

Low

1

The dark /l/ in 'ideal' is often dropped by Cantonese speakers, making it sound like 'i-deo'.

Hand over

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on the simple verb 'give'. Using 'hand over' demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

Bear in mind

Idiom

General

Giving advice

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer the literal translation 'remember'. Word linking /beər ɪn maɪnd/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Wary of

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals General

Giving advice

C1

Medium

Low

1

Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'wary about'. Pronunciation confusion between /w/ and /v/ is also frequent.

Recreational sports

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe /r/ vs /l/ confusion ('lecreational'). HK learners also frequently drop the plural 's' in 'sports'.

Getting changed

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Passive/participle construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'getting change'.

Allergic reactions

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation difficulty: /l/ vs /r/ confusion in 'allergic' and dropping the plural 's' in 'reactions'.

Give up

Idiom

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on literal translations like 'stop doing' or 'quit'.

Full-body workout

Vocabulary

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often use literal translations like 'whole body exercise'. Dropping the /k/ and /t/ sounds in 'workout' is a frequent pronunciation error.

Burns calories

Phrase

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Dropping the 3rd person 's' in 'burns' and the plural 's' in 'calories' are classic L1 errors. /r/ vs /l/ confusion in 'calories' is also common.

Recovering from injuries

Grammar

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse is highly common; HK learners often say 'recover of' or drop the preposition entirely. Dropping the plural 's' in 'injuries' is also frequent.

Essential life skill

Phrase

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'essential' and 'skill' is frequently dropped by Cantonese speakers, making it sound like 'essen-sio life ski-o'.

Stay in shape

Idiom

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on literal translations like 'keep body healthy'. Linking sounds /steɪ ɪn/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

As long as

Grammar

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B1

High

1

Conditional connector. HK learners frequently misuse this, substituting it with 'Only if' or just 'If' due to direct translation from Cantonese '只要'.

Burned to the ground

Idiom

Natural environmental concerns Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners tend to avoid idioms, preferring literal translations like 'burned completely'. Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'burned' is also a highly common L1 error.

It is estimated that

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the dummy 'it' and the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'is estimate that' or 'people estimate' due to L1 topic-prominent structures.

Prolonged drought

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'drought' (/draʊt/) is highly challenging, often mispronounced as 'draw-t'. L1 speakers heavily over-rely on the basic phrase 'very dry'.

Reluctant to

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'don't want to'. Pronunciation of the /l/ and /r/ sounds in 'reluctant' is also challenging for Cantonese speakers.

By the time

Grammar

General

Discourse connectors (because of, due to)

B2

High

1

L1 interference leads to the overuse of 'When'. 'By the time' requires complex tense coordination (often past perfect) which HK learners frequently fail to produce.

Catastrophic event

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Polysyllabic stress in 'catastrophic' is extremely difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners prefer basic phrasing like 'very bad thing'.

Unsanitary housing

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Village and city life

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic word with shifting stress. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'dirty houses' and frequently drop the plural 's' or use 'housing' incorrectly as a countable noun.

Was rebuilt

Grammar

Village and city life Society and living standards

Simple passive

B1

High

1

Passive voice. HK learners frequently drop the 'was' and use the base form 'rebuild', resulting in the fossilized error 'the city rebuild'.

First and foremost

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Firstly' or 'First of all'. Pronunciation of the /st/ consonant clusters in both words is frequently dropped.

Wealth of experience

Phrase

The world of work Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often treat 'experience' as countable ('many experiences') or use literal translations like 'rich experience'. The /θ/ sound in 'wealth' is often mispronounced as /f/.

Maintain social ties

Phrase

Society and living standards Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners typically use literal translations like 'keep relationship'. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Defense against

Grammar

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse is common; HK learners often say 'defense to' or 'protect from' incorrectly. Pronunciation of the /s/ vs /z/ in 'defense' is also challenging.

Make the most of

Idiom

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'use the best of'. Linking sounds /məʊst əv/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Stop working

Grammar

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

Verb + gerund rule. HK learners frequently say 'stop to work' due to L1 lacking gerunds, completely changing the meaning of the sentence.

Hard to meet

Grammar

Society and living standards The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the dummy 'it', resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'is hard to meet' due to L1 topic-prominent structure.

Retirement age

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners frequently drop the '-ment' suffix, resulting in the fossilized error 'retire age'.

Self-financed

Vocabulary

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Dropping the '-ed' suffix (/t/ sound) is a classic L1 error, resulting in 'self-finance'.

Native speaker

Vocabulary

Education Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

Medium

1

Severe /v/ vs /w/ confusion often results in 'na-ti-w speaker'. The /sp/ consonant cluster is also frequently mispronounced with an intrusive schwa.

Nine-to-five job

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

While a direct translation exists in Cantonese (朝九晚五), HK learners often drop the hyphens in writing or misuse it as a noun rather than an adjective phrase.

Freelance

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation difficulty: confusion between /fr/ consonant cluster and /l/ vs /r/ sounds. Often mispronounced as 'fee-lance'.

Job satisfaction

Vocabulary

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Collocation error. HK learners frequently use literal translations like 'work happy' or 'satisfy with job' instead of this standard noun phrase.

Make a considerable investment

Phrase

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Collocation error. HK learners almost universally say 'do an investment' due to direct translation from Cantonese '做投資'.

Take for granted

Idiom

General Natural environmental concerns Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'think it is normal' or 'don't appreciate'. Using this demonstrates B2 idiomatic range.

If I hadn't seen... I wouldn't have...

Grammar

General

Second/third conditionals

B2

High

1

Third conditional. Cantonese lacks subjunctive mood and past perfect tense. Learners frequently say 'If I didn't see... I will not...', failing the B2 grammar requirement.

Ought to be more conscious of

Grammar

General Natural environmental concerns

Modals for advice/suggestions (should/ought to, could, you'd better)

B2

High

1

Modals for advice combined with preposition. HK learners often drop 'to' ('ought be') and misuse the preposition ('conscious about').

In the light of this

Phrase

General

Discourse connectors (because of, due to)

B2

High

Medium

1

Discourse connector. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'Because of this' or 'So'. This phrase elevates the discourse significantly for the writing tasks.

Cutting down on

Idiom

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on the formal word 'reduce' and struggle with the double preposition 'down on'.

Turn the tap on

Phrase

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb separation. HK learners often say 'open the water' due to direct translation from Cantonese '開水'.

Water footprint

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Compound noun. Pronunciation of the /f/ sound and /pr/ consonant cluster in 'footprint' is challenging. Essential vocabulary for environmental topics.

Dumping chemical waste

Phrase

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Collocation. HK learners often use 'throwing' instead of 'dumping'. Pronunciation of the /k/ sound in 'chemical' is sometimes mispronounced as /tʃ/.

Agricultural pollution

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress in 'agricultural' (/ˌæɡrɪˈkʌltʃərəl/) is extremely difficult for syllable-timed speakers, often resulting in unintelligible pronunciation.

Strengths of the course

Phrase

Education

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty. The /str/ cluster and the /ŋθs/ ending in 'strengths' are almost universally mispronounced or simplified by HK learners.

Possible improvements

Phrase

Education The world of work

Giving advice

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' in 'improvements' and struggle with the /v/ sound, replacing it with /w/.

Natural surroundings

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' in 'surroundings' and struggle with the /r/ vs /l/ distinction in 'natural'.

Go about their daily lives

Idiom

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'do their everyday things'.

Vast amounts of time

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of /v/ in 'vast' is often replaced by /w/ ('wast'). HK learners heavily over-rely on 'a lot of time'.

Sense of adventure

Phrase

Personal values and ideals The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Dropping the preposition 'of' is common. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'adventure' is often replaced by /w/.

Endure all kinds of weather

Phrase

The world of work Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often use 'bear' or 'stand' incorrectly. 'Endure' elevates the vocabulary to B2 level.

Sub-zero temperatures

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' in 'temperatures' and struggle with polysyllabic stress.

Get injured

Grammar

General The world of work

Simple passive

B1

High

1

Passive construction with 'get'. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'get injure'.

Professionally recognised

Vocabulary

The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Adverb-adjective collocations are rarely used by HK learners. Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'recognised' is also a classic L1 error.

Under increasing threat

Phrase

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'in increasing threat' or 'have increasing threat'. The /θr/ cluster in 'threat' is also difficult.

Run off from

Idiom

Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'flow out of'. Linking sounds /rʌn ɒf frɒm/ is difficult.

Traffic jams

Vocabulary

Village and city life Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

A2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the plural 's' or use literal translations like 'traffic busy' (塞車). Essential vocabulary for city life.

Ban motor vehicles

Phrase

Pollution and recycling Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often use basic phrasing like 'don't allow cars'. Pronunciation of /v/ in 'vehicles' is often mispronounced as /w/ or /f/.

Break down social barriers

Idiom

Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'make people closer'. The /ʃ/ sound in 'social' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Outskirts of the city

Phrase

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'outside the city'. The /sk/ consonant cluster and plural 's' in 'outskirts' are frequently dropped.

Everyday form of transport

Phrase

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often drop 'form of' and just say 'daily transport'. Pronunciation of the /tr/ cluster in 'transport' is challenging.

Grew up

Idiom

Early memories General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

Phrasal verb. HK learners frequently fail to use the past tense, saying 'I grow up in HK', or substitute it with 'I born in'.

Can't afford to

Grammar

Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

HK learners often drop the 'to' infinitive or use literal translations like 'no money to buy'.

Mild climate

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Village and city life

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'good weather'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ and final /d/ in 'mild' is often dropped.

Guaranteed to

Grammar

General

Speculating

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often use 'sure will' due to L1 interference. Pronunciation of /gærənˈtiːd/ is highly challenging for syllable-timed speakers.

Is a speciality

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often say 'is very famous' instead. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound and polysyllabic stress in 'speciality' is difficult.

Stunned by

Vocabulary

General Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners over-rely on 'very surprised' or 'very beautiful'. Dropping the '-ed' suffix in this passive structure is a common L1 error.

Community life

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners often drop 'life' or use 'neighbourhood' incorrectly. Essential vocabulary for discussing society.

Think twice about

Idiom

General

Giving advice

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'think carefully'. Preposition misuse ('about') is also common.

Round trip

Vocabulary

Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

HK learners often use literal, clunky translations like 'go and come back'. Dropping the final /d/ in 'round' and /p/ in 'trip' is common.

If you'd seen me..., you'd have been...

Grammar

General

Second/third conditionals

B2

High

1

Third conditional. Cantonese lacks subjunctive mood and past perfect tense. Learners frequently say 'If you saw me, you will be...', failing the B2 grammar requirement.

Has been rising

Grammar

General

Present perfect continuous

B1

High

1

Present perfect continuous. Cantonese lacks perfect continuous aspect. Learners frequently use the present continuous ('is rising') or add 'already' ('rise already').

Had doubled

Grammar

General

Past perfect

B2

High

1

Past perfect. HK learners often use the simple past ('doubled') without the perfect aspect, failing to show the sequence of past events required for B2.

Persuaded [someone] to

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Verb + object + infinitive. HK learners frequently drop the 'to' or use the causative 'make' incorrectly ('make him to agree').

Rent out

Idiom

Society and living standards Village and city life

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb. Cantonese uses the same word (租) for both renting from and renting to someone. HK learners frequently drop 'out', causing confusion in meaning.

Run-down

Vocabulary

Village and city life Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners typically avoid compound adjectives, preferring literal translations like 'very old and broken'. Pronunciation of the final /n/ and /d/ is often dropped.

Converted into

Grammar

Village and city life General

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse and passive voice error. HK learners frequently say 'converted to' and drop the '-ed' suffix due to L1 interference.

Inhabited by

Grammar

Natural environmental concerns Village and city life

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive voice construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'inhabit by'.

Recycled materials

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix is a classic L1 error, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'recycle material'. Plural 's' is also frequently dropped.

Intergenerational

Vocabulary

Society and living standards Early memories

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty due to polysyllabic stress and the /dʒ/ sound. HK learners often avoid it, preferring 'between old and young people'.

Award-winning

Vocabulary

General The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Pronunciation of /w/ vs /v/ in 'award' and dropping the '-ing' suffix are common errors.

Raise awareness

Phrase

General Natural environmental concerns Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation error. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'increase awareness' or 'make people know' due to direct translation from Cantonese.

Solution to this problem

Phrase

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'solution of this problem' due to L1 interference.

Convinced of

Phrase

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'convinced by' or 'convinced about'. Dropping the '-ed' suffix is also common.

Profitable

Vocabulary

The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress and pronunciation of the /f/ sound. HK learners often use literal translations like 'can make money'.

Focused and efficient

Phrase

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'focused' is a highly common L1 error. Pronunciation of the /ʃ/ sound in 'efficient' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Productivity

Vocabulary

The world of work

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Polysyllabic stress is highly challenging for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners often substitute it with 'work faster'.

Get into good habits

Idiom

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Giving advice

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'build good habits'. Dropping the plural 's' in 'habits' is also common.

Accompanied by

Grammar

General Society and living standards

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive voice construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'accompany by'.

Inconvenient

Vocabulary

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe /v/ vs /w/ confusion often results in 'incon-ween-ient'. Polysyllabic stress is also challenging.

Feel pressured to

Grammar

The world of work Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Dropping the '-ed' suffix in 'pressured' is a classic L1 error. HK learners also struggle with the /ʃ/ sound in 'pressured'.

Negative effect on

Phrase

General Society and living standards

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse is highly common. HK learners almost universally say 'negative effect to' due to direct translation from Cantonese '對...有負面影響'.

Restrict the amount of

Phrase

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /str/ and /kt/ consonant clusters in 'restrict' is extremely difficult for Cantonese speakers, often resulting in dropped sounds.

Without being instructed

Grammar

Education The world of work

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive gerund construction. HK learners frequently drop 'being' or the '-ed' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'without instruct'.

Solve problems

Phrase

General The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

Dropping the plural 's' in 'problems' is a classic L1 error. Pronunciation of the /v/ sound in 'solve' is often replaced by /f/ or /w/.

Deal with emotions

Phrase

Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation error. HK learners often say 'solve emotions' or 'control emotions'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'deal' is frequently dropped.

Cope with

Phrase

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition dropping is extremely common. HK learners often say 'cope the problem' instead of 'cope with'.

Minimise waste

Phrase

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Giving advice

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on the basic verb 'reduce'. 'Minimise' elevates the vocabulary to B2 level.

Recycling schemes

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of the /sk/ consonant cluster in 'schemes' is highly challenging, often resulting in an intrusive schwa ('s-chemes').

Digging up

Idiom

Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'take out from the ground'.

Extend the life of

Phrase

General Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiomatic use of 'life' for inanimate objects. HK learners typically use literal translations like 'make it use longer'.

Noisy lorries

Vocabulary

Village and city life Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

1

Severe /n/ vs /l/ confusion often results in the unintelligible 'loisy nollies'. Plural 's' dropping is also common.

Block access to

Phrase

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners often drop the 'to' or use 'block access of'. Pronunciation of the /ks/ cluster in 'access' is challenging.

Packaging

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Uncountable noun confusion. HK learners frequently pluralize this incorrectly as 'packagings'.

Electrical goods

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Dropping the plural 's' in 'goods' changes the meaning entirely. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'electrical' is often dropped.

Fully mature

Vocabulary

Personal values and ideals Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'mature' (/məˈtʃʊə/) is highly problematic, often mispronounced as 'ma-cho'.

As a whole

Phrase

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Idiomatic phrase. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'all of the society'. Pronunciation of the /h/ sound in 'whole' is sometimes dropped.

By themselves

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

Reflexive pronoun misuse. HK learners often say 'by theirself' or 'by themself' due to L1 lacking plural reflexive markers.

At a very early age

Phrase

Early memories Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'in a very early age' due to direct translation.

Value play

Grammar

Education Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Noun vs verb confusion. HK learners typically use 'value' only as a noun, saying 'think play has value' instead of using it as a verb.

In control of

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'under control of' incorrectly or drop the 'of'.

Faced with

Grammar

General

Simple passive

B2

High

1

Passive + preposition construction. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' and say 'face with' or just 'face to'.

Treating them fairly

Phrase

Personal values and ideals Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

Adverb vs adjective confusion. HK learners frequently drop the '-ly' suffix, resulting in the grammatically incorrect 'treat them fair'.

Cause [noun] to [verb]

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Verb pattern error. HK learners frequently drop the 'to' infinitive, saying 'cause the game fail' due to L1 interference.

Throw away

Idiom

Pollution and recycling General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners often just use 'throw' and drop the 'away', which can alter the meaning.

Serious threat to

Phrase

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'serious threat for' or 'threaten to'. Pronunciation of the /θr/ cluster is also difficult.

Peaceful neighbourhood

Vocabulary

Village and city life Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of polysyllabic 'neighbourhood' is challenging. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'quiet place'.

Demand that

Grammar

Society and living standards General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Noun clause structure. HK learners often use the infinitive incorrectly, saying 'demand them to hear' instead of 'demand that our protest is heard'.

Household names

Idiom

Public figures past and present Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'very famous people'. Pronunciation of the /ld/ consonant cluster in 'household' is frequently dropped.

Put up with

Idiom

General Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners generally avoid three-part phrasal verbs, preferring literal translations like 'tolerate' or 'bear'.

Take legal action

Phrase

Society and living standards Public figures past and present

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'do legal action' or 'sue them' (often mispronouncing 'sue' as 'shoo').

Feel sorry for

Phrase

Personal values and ideals Public figures past and present

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'feel sorry to' due to direct translation from Cantonese.

Public property

Vocabulary

Public figures past and present Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of the /pr/ consonant cluster and polysyllabic stress in 'property' is challenging for syllable-timed speakers.

Freeze over

Idiom

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners prefer 'become ice'. Pronunciation of /fr/ and /z/ sounds is also frequently mispronounced.

In search of

Phrase

General Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'in search for' or just use the basic verb 'find'.

Physical geography

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Severe pronunciation difficulty. HK learners struggle with the /f/ vs /p/ in 'physical' and the /dʒ/ vs /g/ in 'geography'.

I know for a fact that

Phrase

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

Low

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'I am sure that'. This phrase provides a natural B2 alternative for expressing strong opinions.

Throughout the day

Phrase

General Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Pronunciation of 'throughout' (/θruːˈaʊt/) is extremely difficult due to the /θr/ cluster and diphthong, often resulting in 'frough-out'.

What it used to be

Grammar

General Public figures past and present

Used to

B1

High

1

HK learners frequently struggle with the 'used to' structure, often substituting it with 'what it is in the past' due to L1 lacking this specific past habit form.

Are strong enough

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Word order error. HK learners frequently place 'enough' before the adjective ('are enough strong') due to direct translation from Cantonese.

Delicate looking

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Compound adjectives are rarely used by HK learners. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'delicate' is often dropped.

In sharp contrast to

Phrase

General

Linking expressions (even though, in spite of, although)

B2

High

Medium

1

A strong B2 discourse connector. HK learners typically rely on basic conjunctions like 'But' or 'Unlike'. The /ʃ/ sound in 'sharp' is often mispronounced as /s/.

Argue against

Grammar

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

B2

High

Medium

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'argue with' even when referring to an idea, or 'disagree to'.

Learn by heart

Idiom

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'memorize' or 'remember hard' (死記).

Waste of time

Phrase

General Education

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

A2

High

1

HK learners frequently drop the preposition 'of' and article 'a', resulting in the fossilized error 'is waste time'.

Take up time

Idiom

General Education

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B1

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners typically say 'use a lot of time' or 'need much time'.

Give it a try

Idiom

General

Giving advice

B1

Medium

Low

1

HK learners tend to avoid this natural phrasing, preferring the direct verb 'try it'.

Capable of

Grammar

General Education The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition + gerund error. HK learners almost universally say 'capable to do' due to L1 lacking gerunds.

Make an effort

Phrase

General Education The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Collocation error. HK learners frequently say 'pay effort' or 'do effort' due to direct translation from Cantonese '付出努力'.

Passed down

Idiom

Society and living standards National customs

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Passive voice and phrasal verb. HK learners frequently drop the '-ed' suffix, resulting in 'is pass down'.

Without knowing

Grammar

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition + gerund. HK learners frequently drop the '-ing' suffix, resulting in 'without know'.

Qualities I admire

Phrase

Public figures past and present Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Relative clause structure. HK learners often struggle with this, saying 'The good things of him I like'.

Have an influence on

Grammar

Public figures past and present Personal values and ideals

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners frequently say 'have influence to' due to direct translation from Cantonese '對...有影響'.

Further from the truth

Idiom

General

Expressing agreement and disagreement

C1

Medium

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners prefer literal translations like 'completely wrong'. Pronunciation of /ð/ in 'further' is often replaced by /d/.

Visualised image

Vocabulary

Education

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

Medium

Low

1

Pronunciation of the /ʒ/ sound in 'visualised' and /ɪmɪdʒ/ in 'image' are highly challenging for HK learners.

End up as

Idiom

Pollution and recycling General

Speculating

B2

High

Medium

1

Phrasal verb avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on the simple verb 'become'. Linking sounds /end ʌp æz/ is difficult for syllable-timed speakers.

Clogged up with

Idiom

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

Medium

Low

1

HK learners prefer literal translations like 'blocked by'. Pronunciation of the /gd/ consonant cluster and linking to 'up' is highly challenging.

Total ban

Phrase

Society and living standards Pollution and recycling

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation. HK learners often use literal phrasing like 'completely not allow'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'total' is frequently dropped.

Single-use

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling Natural environmental concerns

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

1

Compound adjective. HK learners often use clunky translations like 'use one time only'. Essential vocabulary for environmental topics.

Taken aback

Idiom

General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

C1

Medium

Low

1

Idiom avoidance. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'very surprised'. Word linking /teɪkən əbæk/ is difficult.

In short supply

Idiom

General Natural environmental concerns

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

Idiomatic phrase. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'not enough'. Using this demonstrates B2 lexical range.

Prided myself on

Phrase

Personal values and ideals General

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Reflexive pronoun and preposition misuse. HK learners often say 'proud of myself' or drop the 'on'. Dropping the '-ed' in 'prided' is also common.

Ecological impact

Vocabulary

Natural environmental concerns Pollution and recycling

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Polysyllabic stress in 'ecological' is extremely difficult for syllable-timed speakers. HK learners often say 'effect to environment'.

Seasonal produce

Vocabulary

National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Noun vs verb stress confusion on 'produce' (/ˈprɒdjuːs/). HK learners often say 'food of the season'.

Stay in business

Phrase

The world of work Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

Medium

Low

1

Collocation. HK learners often use literal translations like 'keep opening' or 'not close down'.

Minimal packaging

Vocabulary

Pollution and recycling National and local produce and products

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

Medium

1

HK learners often say 'very little package'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'minimal' is frequently dropped.

All year round

Phrase

General National and local produce and products

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B1

High

Medium

1

HK learners heavily over-rely on 'the whole year'. Pronunciation of /r/ in 'round' is often confused with /l/.

In person

Phrase

General The world of work

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

A2

High

1

HK learners often use 'face to face' incorrectly or say 'by myself' due to L1 interference.

Positive impact on

Phrase

General

Highlighting advantages and disadvantages

B2

High

1

Preposition misuse. HK learners almost universally say 'positive impact to' due to direct translation from Cantonese.

Tackle the problem

Phrase

General Society and living standards

Expressing and expanding ideas and opinions

B2

High

Medium

1

Collocation. HK learners heavily over-rely on 'solve the problem'. Pronunciation of the dark /l/ in 'tackle' is often dropped.

Target Language Database