文法a

句子︱文法b︱文法c

他在樓上看書，不是吃飯。

He is studying upstairs, not eating. Note 1: The construction 在Ａindicates the location at which an activity is taking place. Note 2: The base pattern appears to be ＡＢ，不是Ｃ, where Ａ is the subject of the sentence and Ｂ and Ｃ are verbs. Note 3: This construction differs markedly from the patterns ＡＢ，不Ｃ and Ａ是Ｂ，不是Ｃ. In the first pattern Ｂ is an attribute of Ａand Ｃ is not an attribute of Ａ. Both are predicate adjectives. In the second pattern Ｂis a kind of Ａ, and Ｃ is not a kind of Ａ. Both are predicate nominatives.

這個表很好看，是不是在美國買的﹖

This is a very nice looking watch. Is it the one you purchased while in the United States? Note 1: The phrase 在美國 is of the form 在Ａ, where Ａis the place where an activity may have been performed -- in this case the purchase of a watch in the United States. Note 2: The base pattern is ＡＢ，是不是Ｃ的﹖where Ａ is the subject, Ｂis a predicate adjective that describes the subject, and Ｃ is a relative clause that describes Ａ. Ａ is understood in the second clause.

我的朋友下個月去英國教書。

My friend will go to England next month and teach. / My friend is going to England next month to teach. Note 1: An important base pattern is Ａ下個月Ｂ, where Ａ is the subject and Ｂis the verb. Important to note is the placement of the temporal adverb 下個月. It appears after the subject and before the verb. Note 2: Also important to note is the verb sequence 去ＡＢ, which can be translated as "go to Ａ and do Ｂ" or in many cases probably "go to Ａto do Ｂ". Note 3: Though it is proper to say 我太太, is it improper to say 我朋友? This is what suggested.

文先生明日坐船去美國做買賣。

Mr. Man will travel to the United States tomorrow by ship. There he will do business. / Tomorrow Mr. Man will board a boat for the United States on business. Note 1: Once again the temporal adverb is placed before the verb phrase 坐船去美國 and after the subject 文先生. Note 2: The means of travel is also placed before the verb and is indicated by the word 坐 which means to ride. The basic pattern is Ａ坐Ｂ去Ｃ, where Ａ is the traveler. Ｂcan be just about any mode of transport that one rides -- for example, 坐車 (a car), 坐巴士 (a bus), 坐的士 (a taxi).Ｃ is the destination of travel. Note 3: We also observe the pattern Ａ去ＢＣ, where Ｃ is a verb describing what Ａ will do after he has arrived at Ｂ. In this case Mr. Man will go to the United States and work. The sequence of the verbs is important.

我們明日是不是可以坐船去日本﹖

Will we able to take the boat to Japan tomorrow? / Will we be able to go to Japan tomorrow by boat? Note 1: The base pattern of this question is Ａ是不是可以Ｂ﹖The question indicator is placed before the verb phrase 可以Ｂ, not at the end of the sentence, as is so often the case. Note 2: Is there any difference in meaning between this question and one of the form Ａ可不可以Ｂ﹖Could one not write 我們明日可不可以坐船去日本﹖and still mean the same?

英國車很 好看，可是太貴，是不是﹖

English cars look good, but are too expensive. Don't you agree? Note 1: The base pattern is ＡＢ，可是Ｃ，是不是﹖, where Ｂ and Ｃ are attributes of Ａ. Ｂ is a positive attribute and Ｃ is a negative attribute that is offered in contrast to Ｂ. The subject 英國車 is not repeated.

你有四個兒子，八個女兒；他有三個女兒，沒有兒子。

You have four sons and eight daughters; he has three daughters and no sons. Note 1: As we have seen many times before the comma is used in lieu of a conjunction in the phrase Ａ有Ｃ，Ｄ. Note 2: What is new is the pattern Ｂ有Ｃ，沒有Ｄ。Once again the two direct objects Ｃ and Ｄ are separated by a comma, rather than a conjunction. Also, the verb 有 is repeated in order to express negative form.

中國書不貴，外國書貴不貴﹖

Chinese books are not expensive. Are foreign books expensive? Note 1: The basic pattern is given by Ａ不Ｃ，ＢＣ不Ｃ﹖where Ｃ is a potential attribute of both Ａ and Ｂ. The speaker wishes to confirm whether Ｃ is an attribute of both. The question is formed simply by adding the negation of the attribute after first mention of it in the second clause, and thereby casting doubt on its relevance with regard to Ｂ. Note 2: 外國 means foreign, literally "outside the country". Grammatically speaking 外國 is treated just like a country. The possesive pronoun 的 is not required between 外國 and the noun that it describes.

這些書都很貴，那些書貴不貴呢﹖

These books are all very expensive. Are those expensive? / These books are all very expensive. What about those? Are they expensive? Note 1: The base pattern is 這些Ａ都Ｂ，那些ＡＢ不Ｂ呢﹖The speaker compares two kinds of Ａ. Those that are close 這些 and those that are far 那些. He wants to know, whether those that are far have the same quality as those that are near. Note 2: Once again, no counter is necessary with the word 些. Note 3: The post-sentence particle 呢 indicates expectation on the part of the speaker with regard to the listener's answer. It is freqently used at the end of questions. In this case the speaker expects that the books are expensive. Note 4: The placement of 都 just before the predicate adjective 很貴 indicates that all of the mentioned books are the same. Note 5: It is important to note that the subject was repeated. Was this for the purpose of making a clear contrast? Could the speaker not also have said 這些書都很貴，那些貴不貴呢﹖Would this have been incorrect?

我的朋友有兩個兒子，他們都在外國教書。

1) My friend has two sons; both teach abroad. / My friend has two sons; both are abroad teaching. 2) My friend has two sons. My friend and his sons teach abroad. Note 1: Once again, the phrase 我的朋友 rather than 我朋友. Note 2: The pattern Ａ有兩個Ｂdoes not appear to be exceptional. Someone has two of something. In this case the speaker's friends has two sons. Note 3: The place of the adverb 都 is noteworthy insofar as it appears before the adverbial phrase 在外國 rather than before the verb 教書. Would the meaning of the sentence have changed had the second clause been written 他們在外國都教書? Would it have been improper syntax? Note 4: It is unclear, whether 他們 refers to the speaker's friend's two sons or to both his friend and his two sons. Even if the friend were a woman, it would still be unclear, as 他們 is likely the plural pronoun used with when both male and female people are the nouns to which it refers.

我們明日一塊兒坐船去，不坐車去。

We will go together by boat tomorrow, not by car. Note 1: The base pattern is Ａ坐Ｂ去，不坐Ｃ去。 The speaker indicates two modes of travel 坐Ｂ and 坐Ｃ -- only the first of which will be used. Is the general pattern 坐Ａ去 so fixed that 去 must be repeated for a second time? As we will observe later, verb repetition is quite common. Note 2: The symantic order is 我們 (subject) + 明日 (temporal adverb) + 一塊兒 (adverb) + 坐船去 (verb phrase). Note 3: 一塊兒 means together.

他的女兒下個月來我們的學校教書。

His daughter is coming next month to teach at our school. Note 1: The temporal adverb 下個月 is place before the verb. Note 2: The base pattern of the sentence is Ａ來ＢＣ where B is the place to where Ａ is coming and Ｃ is what Ａ will do after having arrived. Note 3: It is 他的女兒 and 我們的學校. This construction differs from that of 我太太 meaning"my wife". Is it likely that 的 is dropped when the relationship between the claimant and the claimed is exceptionally close?

他的太太後日坐船去英國做事。

His wife will take a boat to England on business the day after tomorrow. Note 1: Here we see 我的太太, rather than 我太太. Thus, it appears that the use of 的 with 太太is flexible. Note 2: The base pattern is Ａ坐Ｂ去ＣＤ。Where Ａ is the traveler, Ｂis the mode of transporation, Ｃ is the destination, and Ｄ is the activity in which the traveler engages once having arrived. Note 3: The temporal adverb 後日 is placed before the entire verb phrase 坐Ｂ去ＣＤ.

英先生，文小姐兩個是很好的朋友，他們都在樓下吃飯。

Mr. Ying and Miss Man are very good friends, they are both eating downstairs. Note 1: The base pattern for the first clause is Ａ，Ｂ兩個是Ｃ and means both Ａ and Ｂare Ｃ. Note 2: A comma is used in place of a conjuction between 英先生and 文小姐. Commas are often used in this manner. Note 3: In the second clause is it not likely that 都 could be replaced by 兩個with no change in meaning? Or alternatively, what would happen if 兩個 were replaced with 都 in the first clause? Would there be a significant change in meaning? Perhaps the word 兩個 indicates that the close friendship is between 英先生 and 文小姐 and not the speaker and the two friends. Note 4: Once again we observe the construction Ａ在ＢＣ, where Ａis the subject and 在Ｂ is the place where Ａ carries out some activity Ｃ.

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