Sentence patterns and function words

 

Time phrase and place phrase (1)

Time phrases and place phrases are placed before the main verb in a sentence. For instance:

我 们	中 午	在 老 师       家	开 会
we	midday	at teacher’s  home	hold       meeting

We will hold a meeting at the teacher’s home at midday.

                                                

zuì最 MOST (2)

This is placed before stative verbs or adverbs such as

最	好
most	good

Best.                                

最	好 吃
most	good     eat

Most delicious.

 

zài…xià 在 …下 clause UNDER… (2/12/13)

This clause is often placed before the main verb of a sentence. For instance,

小   学 生	在 老 师   和 家 长   的 帮 助 下	都 考 上 了 中 学
primary schoolchildren	at    teachers    and   parents    de      help  under	all   passed   le secondary

                 (entrance exams)

All the primary schoolchildren passed their secondary school entrance exams.

 

le 了 particle used for completed action (2)

When the particle了 is placed after a verb, it implies that the action is complete. A verb before the particle 了 is usually the main verb of a sentence. For instance,

今 天	我 老 师	在 会       上	作       了  讲 话
today	my teacher	at meeting	make   LE    speech

My teacher made a speech at the meeting.

 

 

le 了particle for completed action is not used (2)

When direct or indirect speech is used, 了 is not used after the verb “to speak”. For instance,

负 责       人	宣 布	立 刻                逮 捕      16名        罪 犯
responsible person	announce	immediately           arrest      16 MING criminals

The person in charge announced that 16 criminals would be arrested immediately.

Particle 了 for completed action is not used after the verb 宣 布, to announce

 

Measure words (2)

Measure words are needed in the following situations.

1. When a quantity is involved, for instance, if you use a number in front of a noun.

三	名	学 生
three	ming	students

Three students.

2. When you want to specify a noun, in other words if you use 这 this, 那 that, 每 every. For instance,

这	个	老 师
this	ge	teacher

This teacher.

3. When the question words 哪 which and 几 how many are used. For example,

你	有	几	个	老 师 ？
you	have	how many	ge	teachers

How many teachers do you have?

 

The following two measures words are used in the text:

míng 名is used for members of an institution or major organisation, such as party members and university teachers: 两名大学老师 two university teachers.

gè 个  units of something. It is a common measure word for both abstract and physical objects such as people, schools, and ideas, as in 五个人 five people.

 

Form phrases

Anti…

反	noun
反	政 府
反	毒 品
反	领 导
反	群 众

Pro…

亲	noun
亲	政 府
亲	中(China)
亲	日(Japan)

Head of…

noun	长
家	长
部	长
校	长

…Dept./ …ministry

noun	部
公 安	部

Return…

回	noun
回	学 校
回	家
回	中 国

        

Directional verbs

	上 up	回 back	进 in	出 out
来 come	上 来   come up up  come	回    来   come back back come	进 来    come in in   come	出 来 come out out come
去 go	上 去   go up up  go	回     去     go back back go	进 去    go in  in  go	出 去 go out out go