Reference:Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar

Grammar Points by Chapter

1. Introduction
   • Never Translate Literally, WORD-FOR-WORD! Translate the Gist of What's Being Said
2. Chapter One Word Order
   • (1) Basic word order
   • (2) Action and location: someone does something somewhere
   • (3) Action and time: when somebody does something
   • (4) Word order for expressing WHEN something happened
   • (5) Word order for duration of time: how long someone did something
   • (6) Placement of "why" in a question
3. Chapter Two Time Expressions
   • (1) Expressing simultaneous actions
   • (2) To say "again": zài 再 vs. yòu 又
   • (3) "After"/"Later": yǐhòu 以后 vs. ránhòu 然后
   • (4) " Last week, this week, next week" and " last month, this month, next month" follow the same pattern, with shàng 上 indicating "last ... , " zhè/zhèi 这 indicating "this ... , " and xià 下 indicating " next ... "
4. Chapter Three Nouns
   • (1) Plurals in Chinese
   • (2) When counting things, measure words must always be used between the number and the noun
   • (3) This and that
   • (4) Nouns for nationalities and languages
   • (5) All (of some noun): dōu 都 vs. suǒyǒu de 所有的
   • (6) How to express the indefinites
   • (7) How to express not even one bit of something
   • (8) Location words
5. Chapter Four Verbs
   • (1) Past tense
   • (2) Present tense
   • (3) Future tense
   • (4) The word "it" is usually implied by the verb
   • (5) Helping verbs (prepositions in English)
   • (6) Going, coming, returning
   • (7) The bǎ 把 pattern with verbs
   • (8) The shì... de 是…的 pattern for past tense actions
   • (9) The different ways to express passive voice (" was... by... ")
6. Chapter Five Adjectives
   • (1) Adjectives: general rules
   • (2) How to translate "bad" depends on the meaning of "bad"
   • (3) Use bùcuò 不错，"not bad," when you mean "quite good"
   • (4) Different ways to say "nice"
   • (5) Different ways to say "pretty" or "beautiful," depending on the subject
   • (6) Comparisons: A bǐ 比 B
   • (7) Negative comparisons: A is not as [adjective] as B
7. Chapter Six Various Uses of the Particle le 了
   • Le 了 is used after action verbs in the past tense
   • Le 了 is used after adjectives to express "change of status," i.e.,"become... "
   • Le 了 is used after verbs to express "imminent action," i.e., something just about to happen
   • Le 了 is used with verbs or adjectives in the negative to express "not any more"
8. Chapter Seven Various Uses of the Particle de: de 的 vs. de 得 vs. de 地
   • The uses of de 的
   • The uses of de 得
   • The uses of de 地
9. Chapter Eight Conjunctions: and, or
   • (1) Different ways to say "and" depend on usage
   • (2) How to say "or" in Chinese
10. Chapter Nine Subordinate Clauses
    • (1) Connecting sentences with "who"/"that"
    • (2) In Chinese, "if... then..." is expressed in three levels of formality
    • (3) "As soon as... (then)..." = yī... jiù 一…就…
    • (4) "Even... (also)...." =lián...,yě/dōu 连…，也/都…
    • (5) “Because..., so..." =yīnwèi...,suǒyǐ... 因为…，所以…
    • (6) "It doesn't matter..." =wúlùn...dōu... 无论…都…
    • (7) "Besides..." =chúle...yǐwài 除了…以外
11. Chapter Ten How to Express the Verb "Can" in Chinese ( A Huge Can of Worms!)
12. Chapter Eleven Word-Chioce Issues with Certain Important Verbs
    • (1) "To be a ...(profession, friend, etc.)": differences between shì 是，dāng 当， zuò 做
    • (2) "To know": zhīdao 知道 vs. rènshi 认识 vs. huì 会
    • (3) The difference between "to like" xǐhuan 喜欢 and "would like to" xiǎng 想
    • (4) The difference between "to think that...," xiǎng 想 and "to feel...," juéde 觉得
    • (5) "To want/would like (to do something)": xiǎng 想 vs. yào要 vs. xiǎngyào想要
    • (6) Rude vs. refined: yào要 vs. xiǎngyào想要
    • (7) "I don't think that...": don't even THINK about using bùxiǎng 不想！
    • (8) "To want someone to be...": xiǎngyào 想要 vs. xīwàng 希望 vs. bìxū 必须
    • (9) How to translate "to ask" depends on the meaning of "ask": wèn 问 vs. qǐng 请 vs. jiào 叫
    • (10) How to translate "to tell" depends on the meaning of "tell": shuō 说 vs. jiǎng 讲 vs. jiào 叫 vs. gàosu 告诉 vs. ràng 让
    • (11) "To look like" and "to seem like": xiàng 像 vs. hǎoxiàng 好像
    • (12) "Receive": know the difference between the two characters pronounced shou in Chinese (shōu 收，shòu受), both of which mean "receive"
    • (13) "Afraid": know the difference between "to be afraid," hàipà 害怕，”to be afraid of...," pà 怕，and "to be afraid that...," kǒngpà 恐怕
    • (14) "Worry": the subtle differences between dānxīn 担心，cāoxīn 操心，fāchóu 发愁，zháojí 着急
    • (15) "To help": bāng 帮，bāngzhù 帮助，bāngmáng 帮忙
    • (16) "To take": ná 拿 vs. dài 带 vs. zuò 坐 vs. xuǎn 选 vs. pāizhào 拍照
    • (17) "To lose": diū 丢 vs. shīqù 失去 vs. shū 输 vs. mílù 迷路
    • (18) "Produce": the difference between shēngchǎn 生产，"to produce something concrete like coal, manufactured goods, etc.," and chǎnshēng 产生，"to produce something abstract, some phenomenon, like dissatisfaction, unrest, etc."
    • (19) "To leave": zǒu 走 vs. líkāi 离开 vs. liú 留
    • (20) "To see": kàn 看 vs. kànjian/kàndào 看见/看到 vs. kànchūlai 看出来 vs. jiàn 见 vs. jiànmiàn 见面 vs. jiàndào 见到 vs. guānguāng 观光 vs. míngbai 明白
13. Chapter Twelve Word-Choice Issues with Adverbs
    • (1) "From": cóng 从... dào 到 vs. lí 离
    • (2) The difference between the two ways to say "first": xiān 先 and shǒuxiān 首先
    • (3) How to translate "actually" depends on usage
    • (4) "Although": suīrán... , kěshì... 虽然…，可是… means "although...,but..."
    • (5) "Almost"= chàbuduō 差不多 vs. chāyīdiǎn 差一点
    • (6) Cái 才: three ways to say "unless...";"only if..."
    • (7) "Every time": měicì... deshíhou 每次…的时候 měidāng/měiféng... shíhou 每当/每逢…时候
14. Chapter Thirteen Letter Writing: Greetings, Salutations, and Forms of Address
15. Index of Headings