Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar : A Practical Guide

by Ross; Claudia

• ISBN13: 9780415700108
• ISBN10: 0415700108
• Edition: Bilingual
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2006-08-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook is a book of exercises and language tasks for all learners of Mandarin Chinese. Divided into two sections, the Workbook initially provides exercises based on essential grammatical structures, and moves on to practise everyday functions such as making introductions, apologizing and expressing needs. With a comprehensive answer key at the back to enable students to check on their progress, main features include: exercises graded according to level of difficulty cross-referencing to the related Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar topical exercises that develop students' vocabulary base. Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar Workbook is ideal for all learners of Mandarin Chinese, from beginner to intermediate and advanced students. It can be used both independently and alongside the Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	xv
Introduction	xvi
How to use this book	xvii
Glossary of grammatical terms	xviii
A note on Chinese characters	xxvi
Part A Structures
1 Overview of pronunciation and Pinyin romanization	3	(3)
1.1 The Mandarin syllable	3	(1)
1.2 Pinyin romanization	4	(2)
2 Syllable, meaning, and word	6	(6)
2.1 The special status of the Mandarin syllable	6	(1)
2.2 Multi-syllable tendency in Mandarin words	7	(1)
2.3 Word-specific tone changes	8	(1)
2.4 Change to neutral tone	9	(1)
2.5 Incorporating foreign words and naming foreign objects	10	(2)
3 The Chinese writing system: an overview	12	(5)
3.1 Traditional and simplified characters	12	(1)
3.2 The structure of Chinese characters: the radical and the phonetic	12	(2)
3.3 The traditional classification of characters	14	(1)
3.4 Character stroke order: bishùn	15	(2)
4 Phrase order in the Mandarin sentence	17	(5)
4.1 Basic phrase order	17	(1)
4.2 The position of direct and indirect objects	17	(1)
4.3 The position of prepositional phrases	18	(1)
4.4 The position of location phrases	18	(1)
4.5 The position of 'time when' phrases	18	(1)
4.6 The relative order of the 'time when' phrase and the location phrase	19	(1)
4.7 The position of adverbs	19	(1)
4.8 The position of negation	20	(1)
4.9 The position of duration phrases	20	(1)
4.10 Order within the noun phrase	20	(1)
4.11 Phrase order in questions	20	(2)
5 Nouns	22	(6)
5.1 Common nouns	22	(1)
5.2 Pronouns	23	(3)
5.3 Proper nouns	26	(2)
6 Numbers	28	(11)
6.1 Mandarin numbers 0-99	28	(1)
6.2 Number 100 and higher	29	(2)
6.3 Formal characters for numbers	31	(1)
6.4 Ordinal numbers	32	(1)
6.5 Estimates and approximations	32	(1)
6.6 Fractions, percentages, decimals, half, and multiples	33	(3)
6.7 Lucky and unlucky numbers	36	(1)
6.8 Numbers used in phrases and expressions	37	(1)
6.9 yi as a marker of sequence	37	(1)
6.10 Numbers that are used as words	38	(1)
7 Specifiers and demonstratives	39	(4)
7.1 zhè 'this' and nà 'that' as demonstratives	39	(1)
7.2 zhè, zhèi 'this/these' and nà 'that/those' as specifiers	40	(1)
7.3 zhèr and zhèli 'here,' nàr and nàli 'there'	40	(1)
7.4 Question words that correspond to specifiers	41	(2)
8 Classifiers	43	(6)
8.1 The structure of phrases involving classifiers	43	(1)
8.2 Choosing the classifier	43	(3)
8.3 Omission of the head noun	46	(1)
8.4 Classifiers that occur without a noun	47	(1)
8.5 Money and prices	47	(2)
9 Noun phrases	49	(7)
9.1 Modifying a noun with a specifier and/or number	49	(1)
9.2 Modifying a noun with all other modifiers: modification with de	50	(3)
9.3 Omission of the particle In de	53	(1)
9.4 Noun modifiers in a series	53	(1)
9.5 Omission of the head noun	54	(1)
9.6 Modification with 7:1 zhi	55	(1)
10 Adjectival verbs	56	(5)
10.1 Negation of adjectival verbs	56	(1)
10.2 Yes-no questions with adjectival verbs	57	(1)
10.3 Modification by intensifiers	57	(1)
10.4 Two syllable preference	58	(1)
10.5 Comparative meaning	58	(1)
10.6 Superlative meaning	59	(1)
10.7 Adjectival verbs and comparison structures	59	(1)
10.8 Linking adjectival verbs	59	(1)
10.9 Adjectival verbs and expressions that indicate change over time	60	(1)
10.10 Adjectival verbs and sentence final le	60	(1)
11 Stative verbs	61	(8)
11.1 Negation of stative verbs	61	(1)
11.2 Modification by intensifiers	62	(1)
11.3 Indicating completion, past time, and change of state	62	(1)
11.4 The equational verb shi 'to be'	63	(2)
11.5 The equational verb xing 'to be family named'	65	(1)
11.6 The verb of possession and existence: you 'to have,' 'to exist'	66	(1)
11.7 The location verb zài 'to be located at'	67	(2)
12 Modal verbs	69	(7)
12.1 Expressing possibility: hui	69	(1)
12.2 Expressing ability	69	(1)
12.3 Expressing permission: kèyi	70	(1)
12.4 Expressing obligations	71	(1)
12.5 Expressing prohibitions	72	(1)
12.6 Grammatical properties of modal verbs	73	(3)
13 Action verbs	76	(6)
13.1 Indicating that an action is completed or past	76	(1)
13.2 Indicating that an action has been experienced in the past	76	(1)
13.3 Negating actions	77	(1)
13.4 Open-ended action verbs	78	(2)
13.5 Change-of-state action verbs	80	(2)
14 Prepositions and prepositional phrases	82	(7)
14.1 The grammar of the prepositional phrase in the Mandarin sentence	82	(1)
14.2 Basic functions of prepositions	83	(4)
14.3 Prepositions that also function as verbs	87	(2)
15 Adverbs	89	(8)
15.1 General properties of adverbs	89	(1)
15.2 Adverbs with logical function: ye, dou, hái, jiù, zhi, and cái	90	(7)
16 Conjunctions	97	(3)
16.1 Conjunctions that indicate an 'additive' or 'and' relationship	97	(1)
16.2 Conjunctions that indicate a disjunctive or 'or' relationship	98	(2)
17 The passive	100	(7)
17.1 The structure of the Mandarin passive	100	(1)
17.2 The passive and negation	101	(1)
17.3 Conditions for using the passive in Mandarin	102	(1)
17.4 Differences between the passive markers bèi, jiào, and ràng	103	(1)
17.5 Additional functions of ràng, jiào, and gei	103	(1)
17.6 English passives and their Mandarin equivalents	103	(4)
Part B Situations and functions
18 Names, kinship terms, titles, and terms of address	107	(14)
18.1 Names: xingming	107	(1)
18.2 Kinship terms	108	(1)
18.3 Titles	109	(2)
18.4 Addressing others	111	(1)
18.5 Addressing new acquaintances and negotiating terms of address	112	(2)
18.6 Name cards and business cards	114	(2)
18.7 Addressing letters and envelopes	116	(5)
19 Introductions	121	(4)
19.1 The general format of introductions	121	(1)
19.2 Sample introductions	122	(1)
19.3 Common occupations and fields of study	123	(2)
20 Greetings and goodbyes	125	(9)
20.1 Greetings in conversations	125	(3)
20.2 Saying goodbye in conversations	128	(1)
20.3 Greetings and goodbyes in letters	129	(5)
21 Basic strategies for communication	134	(7)
21.1 Attracting someone's attention	134	(1)
21.2 Responding to a call for attention	135	(1)
21.3 Checking whether people have understood you	135	(1)
21.4 Indicating understanding or lack of understanding	135	(1)
21.5 Requesting repetition or clarification of spoken language	136	(1)
21.6 Asking for assistance in identifying a Chinese character	136	(1)
21.7 Providing information about the identification of Chinese characters	136	(1)
21.8 Signaling that you are following the speaker	137	(1)
21.9 Interrupting a speaker	137	(1)
21.10 Using fillers	137	(1)
21.11 Formal development of a topic	138	(3)
22 Telecommunications and e-communications: telephones, the internet, beepers, and faxes	141	(5)
22.1 Sending and receiving phone calls, faxes, email, and beeper messages	141	(2)
22.2 Dialing a number and entering a number	143	(1)
22.3 Using the internet	143	(1)
22.4 Telephone etiquette	143	(2)
22.5 Writing and reciting phone numbers, fax numbers, and beeper numbers	145	(1)
23 Negating information	146	(6)
23.1 Negation of verbs and verb phrases	146	(2)
23.2 The relative order of negation and adverbs	148	(1)
23.3 Words that occur with negation	149	(1)
23.4 bù in resultative verb structures	149	(1)
23.5 Literary markers of negation: wú and fei	150	(2)
24 Asking questions and replying to questions	152	(13)
24.1 Yes—no questions	152	(4)
24.2 Asking for agreement	156	(1)
24.3 Choosing between alternatives with either—or questions	157	(1)
24.4 Rhetorical questions	158	(1)
24.5 Follow-up questions with ne	159	(1)
24.6 Content questions	159	(6)
25 Expressing identification, possession, and existence	165	(6)
25.1 Expressing identification	165	(1)
25.2 Expressing possession	166	(2)
25.3 Expressing existence	168	(3)
26 Describing people, places, and things	171	(10)
26.1 Equational sentences: identifying or describing the subject with a noun phrase in the predicate	171	(1)
26.2 Describing the subject with a predicate that is an adjectival verb	171	(1)
26.3 Identifying or describing a noun with a modifying phrase	172	(1)
26.4 Asking questions about the attributes of a person, place, or thing	172	(1)
26.5 Describing an item in terms of the material that it is made of	173	(1)
26.6 Describing nouns in terms of attributes that imply comparison	174	(1)
26.7 Describing people in terms of age	175	(1)
26.8 Describing the weather	176	(3)
26.9 Talking about illness and other medical conditions	179	(2)
27 Describing how actions are performed	181	(5)
27.1 Describing the general or past performance of an action with a manner adverbial phrase	181	(2)
27.2 Asking about the performance of an action	183	(1)
27.3 Describing the performance of an entire action with an adverbial modifier	184	(2)
28 Indicating result, conclusion, potential, and extent	186	(12)
28.1 Indicating the result or conclusion of an action with resultative verbs	186	(5)
28.2 Indicating the ability to reach a conclusion or result: the potential infixes de and bu	191	(1)
28.3 Summary of the functions of resultative verbs	192	(1)
28.4 Indicating the ability to perform the verb: the potential suffixes deliao and buliao	192	(4)
28.5 Indicating the extent or result of a situation	196	(2)
29 Making comparisons	198	(17)
29.1 Similarity	198	(5)
29.2 Difference	203	(1)
29.3 More than	204	(6)
29.4 Less than	210	(3)
29.5 Comparative degree	213	(1)
29.6 Superlative degree	213	(1)
29.7 Relative degree	214	(1)
30 Talking about the present	215	(5)
30.1 Time expressions that indicate present time	215	(1)
30.2 Using zài and zhèngzài to indicate ongoing actions in present time	216	(1)
30.3 Using the final particle ne to indicate ongoing situations in present time	216	(1)
30.4 Using zhe to emphasize ongoing duration or an ongoing state in the present time	217	(1)
30.5 Indicating present time by context	218	(1)
30.6 Negation in present time situations	218	(1)
30.7 Talking about actions that begin in the past and continue to the present	218	(1)
30.8 Describing situations that are generally true	219	(1)
31 Talking about habitual actions	220	(3)
31.1 Expressing habitual time with the word mei 'every/each'	220	(1)
31.2 Expressing habitual time with tiantian and niánnián	221	(1)
31.3 Adverbs that describe habitual action	221	(2)
32 Talking about the future	223	(3)
32.1 Time words that refer to future time	223	(1)
32.2 Adverbs that refer to future time	223	(1)
32.3 Indicating future time with the modal verb hui	224	(1)
32.4 Verbs that refer to the future	225	(1)
33 Indicating completion and talking about the past	226	(10)
33.1 Completion: V le	226	(1)
33.2 Talking about sequence in the past	227	(1)
33.3 Indicating that an action did not occur in the past	228	(1)
33.4 Asking whether an action has occurred	228	(1)
33.5 Indicating that an action occurred again in the past: yòu verb le	229	(1)
33.6 Talking about past experience: verb suffix guo	230	(1)
33.7 Comparing the verb suffixes guo and le	231	(1)
33.8 Adverbs that indicate past time	232	(1)
33.9 Focusing on a detail of a past event with shi....de	233	(3)
34 Talking about change, new situations, and changing situations	236	(7)
34.1 Indicating that a situation represents a change	236	(2)
34.2 Comparing sentences with and without sentence final le	238	(1)
34.3 Indicating change over time	238	(2)
34.4 Nouns and verbs that express change	240	(3)
35 Talking about duration and frequency	243	(8)
35.1 Specifying the length of an action with a duration phrase	243	(3)
35.2 Emphasizing ongoing duration	246	(2)
35.3 Indicating the ongoing duration of a background event	248	(1)
35.4 Indicating frequency	249	(2)
36 Expressing additional information	251	(5)
36.1 ye 'also'	251	(1)
36.2 hài 'in addition, also'	251	(1)
36.3 hài you 'in addition'	252	(1)
36.4 bingqie 'moreover'	252	(1)
36.5 zài shuo 'besides, moreover, to put it another way'	252	(1)
36.6 er 'and, but'	253	(1)
36.7 hé and gen 'and'	253	(1)
36.8 ...bùdàn...érqie...'not only...but also...'	253	(1)
36.9 yòu...yòu...'both...and...'	254	(1)
36.10 chúle...yiwài 'besides...'	254	(1)
36.11 lingwài 'in addition," (an)other'	255	(1)
37 Expressing contrast	256	(4)
37.1 Expressing contrast with paired connecting words	256	(2)
37.2 Adverbs that indicate contrast	258	(1)
37.3 Qualifying a statement with an adjectival verb or stative verb	259	(1)
38 Expressing sequence	260	(8)
38.1 Expressing the relationship 'before'	260	(1)
38.2 Expressing the relationship 'after' in a single sentence	261	(4)
38.3 Indicating that one event happens first and another event happens afterwards	265	(1)
38.4 Indicating 'afterwards' in a separate sentence	266	(1)
38.5 Comparing yiqiàn 'before' with yihòu 'after'	267	(1)
39 Expressing simultaneous situations	268	(4)
39.1 Indicating that one situation is the background for another situation	268	(1)
39.2 Indicating that two actions occur at the same time	269	(1)
39.3 Indicating that two actions occur in the same time frame	269	(1)
39.4 Describing a subject in terms of two qualities that exist at the same time	270	(1)
39.5 Indicating that a situation is reached at a specific point in time	270	(1)
39.6 Presenting simultaneous situations	271	(1)
40 Expressing cause and effect or reason and result	272	(6)
40.1 Expressing cause and effect or reason and result in a single sentence	272	(1)
40.2 Introducing the cause or reason	273	(2)
40.3 Introducing the effect or result	275	(1)
40.4 Inquiring about cause or reason	275	(3)
41 Expressing conditions	278	(4)
41.1 'If...then' conditional sentences	278	(2)
41.2 'even if'	280	(1)
41.3 'as long as'	280	(1)
41.4 'only if', 'unless'	280	(1)
41.5 'otherwise'	281	(1)
42 Expressing 'both,"all,"every,"any,"none,"not any,' and 'no matter how'	282	(9)
42.1 Expressing 'both' and 'all'	282	(2)
42.2 Expressing 'none'	284	(1)
42.3 Expressing 'every'	284	(2)
42.4 Expressing 'every,"any,"not any,' and 'no matter how' with question words	286	(5)
43 Expressing location and distance	291	(11)
43.1 Location	291	(4)
43.2 Indicating that an object exists of does not exist at a location	295	(2)
43.3 Using location as a description	297	(1)
43.4 Talking about distance	298	(2)
43.5 Asking about distance	300	(2)
44 Talking about movement, directions, and means of transportation	302	(8)
44.1 Talking about 'going' and 'coming'	302	(2)
44.2 Talking about turning	304	(1)
44.3 Talking about crossing	304	(1)
44.4 Talking about arriving	304	(1)
44.5 Talking about means of transportation	305	(1)
44.6 Asking about locations and asking for directions	306	(1)
44.7 Asking for and giving directions: sample conversations	307	(1)
44.8 Talking about directional movement	308	(2)
45 Talking about clock time and calendar time	310	(12)
45.1 Clock time	310	(5)
45.2 Calendar time	315	(7)
46 Expressing obligations and prohibitions	322	(6)
46.1 Expressing obligations	322	(3)
46.2 Expressing prohibitions: must not, should not	325	(3)
47 Expressing commands and permission	328	(4)
47.1 Commands	328	(2)
47.2 Permission	330	(2)
48 Expressing ability and possibility	332	(3)
48.1 Expressing ability	332	(1)
48.2 Expressing possibility	333	(2)
49 Expressing desires, needs, preferences, and willingness	335	(3)
49.1 Expressing desires	335	(1)
49.2 Expressing needs	336	(1)
49.3 Expressing preferences	337	(1)
49.4 Expressing willingness	337	(1)
50 Expressing knowledge, advice, and opinions	338	(6)
50.1 Expressing knowledge	338	(2)
50.2 Advice and opinions	340	(4)
51 Expressing fear, worry, and anxiety	344	(4)
51.1 Expressing fear of something	344	(1)
51.2 Expressing nervousness or anxiety	345	(1)
51.3 Indicating that something is scary	346	(1)
51.4 Indicating that something scares someone	347	(1)
52 Expressing speaker attitudes and perspectives	348	(4)
52.1 Interjections	348	(2)
52.2 Sentence final particles	350	(2)
53 Topic, focus, and emphasis	352	(9)
53.1 Introducing a topic	352	(2)
53.2 Focus	354	(5)
53.3 Emphasis	359	(2)
54 Guest and host	361	(3)
54.1 Welcoming the guest	361	(1)
54.2 Offering food and drink	362	(1)
54.3 Inviting the guest to get comfortable	362	(1)
54.4 Saying goodbye and seeing the guest off	362	(1)
54.5 Additional expressions involving guest and host	363	(1)
55 Giving and responding to compliments	364	(2)
55.1 Cultural conventions regarding praise	364	(1)
55.2 Expressions used in deflecting praise	364	(1)
55.3 Compliments and appropriate responses	365	(1)
56 Expressing satisfaction and dissatisfaction	366	(4)
56.1 Expressing satisfaction	366	(2)
56.2 Expressing dissatisfaction	368	(2)
57 Expressing gratitude and responding to expressions of gratitude	370	(2)
57.1 Expressing gratitude	370	(1)
57.2 Replying to expressions of gratitude	371	(1)
58 Invitations, requests, and refusals	372	(8)
58.1 Invitations	373	(3)
58.2 Requests	376	(1)
58.3 Refusals	377	(2)
58.4 Abandoning a request	379	(1)
59 Expressing apologies, regrets, sympathy, and bad news	380	(4)
59.1 Apologies and regrets	380	(2)
59.2 Expressing sympathy	382	(1)
59.3 Conveying bad news	382	(2)
60 Expressing congratulations and good wishes	384	(4)
60.1 General expressions of congratulations and good wishes	384	(1)
60.2 Fixed phrases of congratulations and good wishes for special events	385	(2)
60.3 Replying to expressions of congratulations and good wishes	387	(1)
Index	388