Using objects with complements
The grammar for using an object with a complement is a little bit tricky. There are three different ways to arrange this sentence.
The first puts the object before everything else (a topicalized sentence):
Object + Subject + Verb + 得 / 不 + [complement]
The second structure is to to insert the object right after the subject, followed by everything else:
Subject + Object + Verb + 得 / 不 + [complement]
And the third is to repeat the verb after the object, and follow it with the complement:
Subject + Verb + Object + Verb again + 得 / 不 + [complement]
This can seem very complicated at first. You only need to know about all three structures for listening comprehension, and can just use one when speaking. Also, the complement itself is the same in all three structures, so this is the part to listen out for.
Some examples of sentences in all three structures:
- 中文 他 说 得 很 好。
- 他 中文 说 得 很 好。
- 他 说 中文 说 得 很 好。
- 中国菜 他 做 得 很 好。
- 他 中国菜 做 得 很 好。
- 他 做 中国菜 做 得 很 好。
- 啤酒 她 喝 得 很 快。
- 她 啤酒 喝 得 很 快。
- 她 喝 啤酒 喝 得 很 快。
