Other Complements
Result Complements
Direction Complements
Potential Complements
Basic Word Order
Advanced Word Order
100

: explain what a "descriptive complement" or "degree complement" is, including its structure.

Descriptive complements are used to describe the action of a verb. This would be done with an adverb in English.

"Verb / Adj. + 得 + Description"

100

RULE (in English): Explain what a "result complement" is. Describe its specific structure and when it should be used.

A "result complement" is a complement that's used to describe or clarify the result of a verb's action.

> SUB + VERB + RESULT COMPLEMENT (+ OBJECT)

The use of result complements is an essential feature of the Chinese language. Generally speaking, result complements are necessary as long as an action produces a certain result.

100

RULE: Explain what a direction complement is, including its structure.

A "direction complement" is a complement that's used to describe the direction of a verb.

> VERB + DIRECTION COMPLEMENT

Remember: a complement is a word or phrase following a verb (or sometimes an adjective) that provides additional meaning to the verb phrase. There are many different types of complements. Complements can describe duration, quantity, state, degree, result, direction, or possibility.

We will learn two basic direction complements: "来" (signifying movement toward the speaker) and "去" (signifying movement away from the speaker).

100

explain what a "potential complement" is, including its structure.


A "potential complement" is a complement that's used to express the possibility of achieving an expected action.

> VERB + 得/不 + COMPLEMENT

100

make a sentence with a subject, verb, and object

basic Chinese sentence word order: 

subject + verb + object

100

What's the difference between 还是 vs. 或者?

(hái shi) or> used in an A or B question. A还是B?

你喜欢中国菜还是美国菜?

(huò zhě) or > used in a STATEMENT (not question)

我们平常玩游戏,或者看电影。

200

TRANSLATE: How did you do on last week's exam? [Descriptive Complement]

你上个星期考试考得怎么样?


A: 我考试考得很好。

B: 我考试考得很不好。

200

TRANSLATE: I saw it.

我看到了。OR 我看见了。

The result complements "到" or "见" are grammatically necessary in this sentence.

What 到 (dào) does is indicate that the outcome of the verb is achieved - what its result is. Without a result complement, the sentence would describe only the action itself.

200

Explain the differences between the direction complement "来" and the direction complement "去"

We will learn two basic direction complements: "来" (signifying movement toward the speaker) and "去" (signifying movement away from the speaker).

200

TRANSLATE: I'm sorry. I can't recall. [Potential Complement]


对不起,我想不起来。

200

Describe where adverbs go in basic Chinese sentence word order.


subject + adverb + verb/adj

200

TRANSLATE: He gave me a call.

他给我打(了)一个电话。

给 = preposition = target

300

DETECTIVE (find and fix mistakes): 她跑步跑很快。

她跑步跑得很快。

verb+obj+verb+得+adj = descriptive complement structure used to describe verb+objects

300

TRANSLATE: I didn't see him.

我没有看到他。OR 我没有看见他。

The negative form of a result complement is usually formed with "没有" [because it's negating a completed result]. Do NOT use "不."

300

MAKE A SENTENCE: Direction Complement with 把

sub + 把 + obj + verb + dc

300

Explain the connection between a potential and a result complement.

Putting 得 or 不 between an action verb and a result complement or direction complement changes them to potential complements.

300

explain when to use "是" and when not to

Nouns are linked to other nouns with 是 (shì). Nouns are linked to adjectives with 很 (hěn).

sub + 是 + noun = 我是中国人

sub + 很 + adj = 我很好

300

Explain how to talk about past actions in Chinese. Give examples both actions that happened, AND that didn't happen.

verb+了 = describes an action that has happened, usually at a specific time

没有 + verb = describes an action did not happen in the past. DO NOT use "不" or "了."

400

explain what a "quantity" complement is, including its structure

verb + object + verb + # + MW(i.e. 次) + object


我昨天去了两次学校。

400

DETECTIVE (find and fix the mistakes): 我不看了。(I didn't see it.) 

There are 3 mistakes.

我没有看见 / 我没有看到。

400

MAKE A SENTENCE: Compound Direction Complement

sub + direction verb + dc1 + (obj) + dc2

400

MAKE A SENTENCE: For the following answer with a result complement, create the associated question with a potential complement.

Answer:我买到电影票了。

What is the question for this answer?

Question:你买得到电影票吗?

400

Explain when to use "和" and when to use "也".

和 = conjunction used to link two things together in a list
> A和B和C
> don't overuse, please

也 = adverb "also", used to link two sentences or clauses
> Much more common than 和

400

RULE (in English): Explain the meaning of the "change of state" 了, and its structure in a sentence. Give examples.

[New Situation] + 了

了 has many uses. You probably first learned 了 as a particle that tells you an action is completed, which is also known as "了1." However, this is not about that use of 了; instead, it is about indicating a change of state.

In other words, there is now a new situation, or there is about to be a new situation. This whole "change of state" idea can take numerous forms. Here are some helpful examples.

爸爸今年50岁了。= Dad is 50 years old this year.
(Seems like just a year ago he was only 49! The new situation is that he's older now.)

500

What kind of complement is this?

我平常每晚上睡觉睡八个小时。


Duration complement

500

PUZZLE: list at least six different "verb +result complements" patterns using "到"

看到,听到,说到,找到,想到,做到,买到,学到,用到,走到, etc...

500

MAKE A SENTENCE: Abstract Compound Direction Complement

起来,出来,下来,etc


想起来

500

TRANSLATE: I hear that many people are going to see that film. Will we be able to get tickets? [Potential Complement]

听说看电影的人很多,买得到票吗?

500

TRANSLATE: Little Yin, where do you work?

小音,你在哪儿工作?

500

RULE (in English): Explain what a "topic-comment sentence" is, and give examples.


Examples:
A: 我昨天买了一枝笔。
B: 那枝笔你用了吗?[那枝笔=topic, 你用了吗?=comment]
A: 你知道我的衬衫在哪儿吗?
B: 你的衬衫我给你妈妈了。[你的衬衫=topic, 我给你妈妈了=comment]

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