The Secret Garden:《秘密花园》

The Secret Garden:《秘密花园》 by Frances Hodgson Burnett is a graded reader designed for high-elementary learners of Chinese.

Publisher's description:

Li Ye grew up never knowing the love and affection of her parents. After an epidemic leaves her an orphan, Li Ye is sent off to live with her reclusive Uncle in his sprawling estate in Nanjing. She learns of a secret garden where no one has set foot in ten years. Li Ye finds the garden and slowly discovers the secrets of the manor. With the help of new friends, she brings the garden back to life, a decision that forever changes several lives.

This page lists out the grammar points used in the story, chapter by chapter. For each grammar point, only its earliest appearance is listed.

Chapter 1

• Modifying nouns with phrase + "de"
• Measure words for counting
• "Not very" with "bu tai"
• Modifying nouns with adjective + "de"
• "Zai" following verbs
• The "zui" superlative
• Pronoun "mei" for "every"
• Expressing "every" with "mei" and "dou"
• Expressing "and" with "he"
• Expressing "together" with "yiqi"
• The "all" adverb
• Expressing "in addition" with "haiyou"
• "It seems" with "haoxiang"
• "Not at all"
• "If…, then…" with "ruguo…, jiu…"
• Causative verbs
• Result complements "dao" and "jian"
• Measure words to differentiate
• Expressing ability or possibility
• "Both A and B" with "you"
• Expressing "and also" with "hai"
• "Always" with "zongshi"
• At the time when
• Auxiliary verb "hui" for "will"
• Special verbs with "hen"
• Referring to "all" using "suoyou"
• "Never" with "conglai"
• Expressing experiences with "guo"
• Comparing specifically with "xiang"
• Explaining results with "suoyi"
• Expressing purpose with "weile"
• Expressing "as one likes" with "jiu"
• Continuation with "hai"
• Again in the past with "you"
• Explaining causes with "yinwei"
• "Would like to" with "xiang"
• Wanting to do something with "yao"
• "Before" in general
• "Even more" with "geng"
• Expressing "with" with "gen"
• Change of state with "le"
• Expressing lateness with "cai"
• Emphasizing quantity with "dou"
• Expressing earliness with "jiu"
• Expressing completion with "le"
• Complement with "dao"
• Expressing duration with "le"
• Sequencing past events with "houlai"
• Using "ji" to mean "several"

Chapter 2

• After a specific time
• Two words for "but"
• "Yinggai" for should
• Adjectives with "name" and "zheme"
• Yes-no questions with "ma"
• Modifying nouns with phrase + "de"
• "Already" with "yijing"
• Aspect particle "zhe"
• Expressing permission
• Basic comparisons with "yiyang"
• Before a specific time
• Negative commands with "bie"

Chapter 3

• Positive and negative potential complements
• Expressing "a little too" with "you dian"
• Using "dui"
• Using "zai" with verbs
• Ordinal numbers with "di"
• "Just" with "gang"
• Expressing "a bit too"
• Verbing briefly
• "Some" using "yixie"
• Verbs with "gei"
• Expressing a learned skill
• Simultaneous tasks with "yibian"
• Suggestions with "ba"
• Expressing location with "zai...shang/xia/li"
• "Shi... de" construction
• Turning adjectives into adverbs
• Measure words for verbs
• "-wan" result complement
• Verb reduplication with "yi"
• Comparing "chao" "xiang" and "wang"

Chapter 4

• Expressing actions in progress
• Reduplication of adjectives
• Softening speech with "ba"
• "Not very" with "bu zenme"
• Adding emphasis with "jiushi"
• Indicating a number in excess
• Appearance with "kanqilai"
• Basic comparisons with "bi"
• Negative commands with "bu yao"
• Direction complement
• Questions with "le ma"
• Result complement "-cuo"

Chapter 5

• Expressing "excessively" with "tai"
• "De" (modal particle)
• Expressing "otherwise" with "yaobu"

Chapter 6

• Verbs with "gei"

Chapter 7

• About to happen with "kuai... le"
• Intensifying with "duo"

Chapter 8

• "As long as" with "zhiyao"
• Expressing duration (ongoing)
• "Never again" with "zai ye bu"

Chapter 9

• Expressing purpose with "weile"
• Mistakenly think that
• Expressing duration of inaction

Chapter 10

• Asking why with "zenme"

Chapter 12

• Softening the tone of questions with "ne"