Using the word "even"

EVEN

The word "even" in the English language is used very commonly during daily English speaking.   I frequently have Chinese students speak to me using the following grammar in this sample sentence:

"Even I learn how to drive, I still don't have car."

This is very wrong, but I hear this mistake being spoken at least once a day. I believe people are translating Chinese directly to English without using the correct English grammar.   In Chinese, for example, you can correctly say something like "即使我學會開車﹐我還是沒有車"  This sentence can be directly translated as "Even I learn to drive, I still no have car" but that direct translation is not correct English grammar. 

A correct way to say this is:
"Even if I learn how to drive, I still don't have a car."

or another way you can say this is:
"Even when I learn how to drive, I still don't have a car."

You can say this different ways because the context is not clear when translating from Chinese to English. Again, I am not teaching formal English, but here are the basic rules you should follow when using the word EVEN. I only describe the three more common uses below:

1. Even is usually followed by a conjunction like if, though or when.
-"Even when I make more money, my rent will still be the same."
-"Even if I fall down in the race, I have to get back up and finish."
-"Even though you gave me a fish today, I will need one tomorrow to eat again."

2. Even can be used as an adjective to describe levels of things.
-"The road is not even."
-"The game's score was even and finished at 2-2."

3. Even can be used to stress a situation or show stronger feeling.
- "Even you don't know, so I guess I can't find the answer now."
- "I don't even know why you tried to fix this because everyone else has failed before you."