Topic-comment sentences

In a topic-comment sentence, the usual word order is rearranged a bit in order to emphasize a certain part of a sentence. The part that is to be emphasized becomes the topic, and moves to the beginning of the sentence, with the comment on the topic coming after the topic has been stated.

Examples

• 这 台 电视 ，价格 不太 贵。
• 上海 的 夏天 ，我 听说 每天 下 雨，也 很 潮湿。
• 日语 ，我 怎么 说 也 说 得 不 好。

Sources and further reading

Books

• Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition (pp. 149-50) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 1, Part 1 (3rd ed) (pp. 260)　→buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 83-4) →buy
• Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide (pp. 353-4) →buy