Lesson 16

Video and text
Listening and speaking
Vocabulary
Grammar exercises

Question: You are giving directions to your friend on the phone. Describe the sign by the front door of your institute, which says 'The Department of Chinese Literature'.

Hint 1   Use 着
Hint 2   First describe the position of the sign, and then say what is written on it
Answer  我 们 学 院 门 外 挂 着 的 牌 子 上 写 着 [中 国 文 学 系] 。 Listen
Comments  Alternatively:在 我 们 学 院 门 外 的 牌 子 上 写 着 [中 国 文 学 系] zài wǒmen xuéyuàn mén wài de páizi shang xiězhe [Zhōngguó wénxué xì]. The verbs in V+着 V+zhe construction describe how objects are situated in certain states or positions. For instance, 门 开 着 mén kāizhe the door is open. In the above alternative sentence the 在...上 zài…shang clause indicates the place or position. This is placed before V+着 V+zhe, which is followed by the description of what is written on the plate. 在 zài can sometimes be omitted. For instance, 桌 上 放 着 一 本 书 zhuō shang fàngzhe yì běn shū a book has been left on the table.
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