IS YOUR ENGLISH GOOD?

This text was contributed via email by FX Kabrini Y. Suryanita to show that it is wrong to think that English is just a matter of words. English should be used with the combination of vocabulary, context and meaning. Otherwise, people will laugh at you or misunderstand you.

SUM’S LOVE LETTER
Sum, an Indonesian woman who married an American man named Robbie, wrote this letter to Robbie as she did not want to meet him anymore. She thought her English was quite all right as she had ever learned it at school for years. With the help from thick English books, Indonesian-English and English-Indonesian dictionaries and the most updated thesaurus and the latest encyclopedia, she wrote the following sentences.

Hi Robbie, with this letter I want to give know you. I WANT TO CUT CONNECTION US. I have think this very cook cook.I know my love only clap half hand. Correctly, I have see you go with a woman entertainment at town with my eyes and head myself. You always ask apology back back times.Your eyes drop tears crocodile. You correct correct a man crocodile land. My Friend speak you play fire. Now I know you correct correct play fire. So, I break connection and pull body from love triangle this.

I know result I pick this very correct, because you love she very big from me. But I still will not go far far from here. I don't want you play play with my liver. I have been crying night night until no more eye water thinking about your body. I don't want to sick my liver for two times. Safe walk, Robbie.
Girl friend of your liver.

Note:This river I forgive you, next river I kill you !

Read the text above once again and find out what actually Sum wants to say. Help her to revise the letter so that Robbie understands Sum’s letter.

(I would like to thank FX Kabrini Y. Suryanita for sending the “story” above. She is a smart and humorous girl who really wants to improve her English. I hope her English will be better and better).

Thomas A. Sutadi