Paired connectives fill BOTH clauses
Chinese pairs a connective in the FIRST clause with a matching one in the SECOND; the second half cannot stand alone as English "because" can. Four key pairs: 因为...所以 (yīnwèi...suǒyǐ, because...so), 虽然...但是 (suīrán...dànshì, although...but), 不但...而且 (búdàn...érqiě, not only...but also), 如果...就 (rúguǒ...jiù, if...then). Example: 因为今天下雨，所以我们不去公园了。(Yīnwèi jīntiān xiàyǔ, suǒyǐ wǒmen bú qù gōngyuán le.) — Because it is raining, we are not going.
Four question forms: 吗 / 呢 / 吧 / A-not-A
吗 (ma) makes any statement a yes/no question with NO change to word order: 你喜欢中文吗？(Nǐ xǐhuan Zhōngwén ma?) — Do you like Chinese? 呢 (ne) means "what about...?", a follow-up: 我很好，你呢？(Wǒ hěn hǎo, nǐ ne?) 吧 (ba) softens to a suggestion or "right?" guess: 我们走吧。(Wǒmen zǒu ba.) — Let us go. A-not-A uses no particle, repeating the verb around 不: 你去不去？(Nǐ qù bu qù?) — going or not? The four are not interchangeable.
不 vs 没(有): the negation timeline split
不 (bù) negates habits, opinions, future plans and willingness -- not a completed past event: 我不喜欢咖啡。(Wǒ bù xǐhuan kāfēi.) — I do not like coffee. 没(有) (méi(yǒu)) negates a specific past non-event, or non-existence/possession: 我昨天没去学校。(Wǒ zuótiān méi qù xuéxiào.) — I did not go to school yesterday. Test: past non-event or not having → 没(有); habit, opinion or plan → 不. Crucially, 了 and 没(有) never share a clause.
Six adverbs 就/才/都/也/还/再 sit before the verb
These adverbs sit BEFORE the verb. 就 (jiù) = earlier/sooner than expected: 他六点就到了。(Tā liù diǎn jiù dào le.) — arrived as early as six. 才 (cái) = later than expected, "only then": 他九点才到。(Tā jiǔ diǎn cái dào.) — not until nine. 都 (dōu) = all/both, sitting AFTER its noun; 也 (yě) = also; 还 (hái) = still/in addition; 再 (zài) = again for a FUTURE repeat: 请再说一次。(Qǐng zài shuō yí cì.) — Please say it again.
Drawn from real examiner reports.
没(有) never keeps 了
了 marks a completed action; 没(有) already says the action did NOT happen, so the two contradict and never share a clause. ✗ 我没有看了那部电影。(了 and 没有 clash.) ✓ 我没看那部电影。(Wǒ méi kàn nà bù diànyǐng.) — I did not watch that film. When you choose 没(有), delete any 了 in the same clause.
(general FL trap)
Lone connective half = incomplete sentence
Opening a complex sentence with 虽然 or 如果 but never supplying the matching 但是/就 leaves it incomplete. ✗ 虽然他很忙。他还是来了。(two sentences, missing 但是 -- the contrast is unclear.) ✓ 虽然他很忙，但是他还是来了。(Suīrán tā hěn máng, dànshì tā háishi lái le.) — Although he is very busy, he still came. Confirm every opening connective has its pair.
Digest cross-cutting: answers judged not a grammatically accurate sentence, with incomplete meaning, were refused credit (s22 Q10; s23 Q10).
不 cannot negate a specific past event
Learners default to 不, the first negation word they meet, forgetting that a SPECIFIC PAST event that did not happen needs 没(有). ✗ 我不去昨天的比赛。(不 cannot negate a past event; word order is wrong too.) ✓ 我昨天没去比赛。(Wǒ zuótiān méi qù bǐsài.) — I did not go to the match yesterday. Ask: a specific past non-event? Use 没(有), never 不.
(general FL trap)
吗 stacked on a question word
吗 is only needed when a statement has NO other question word; adding it on top of 谁/什么/哪儿/怎么/为什么 is redundant and ungrammatical. ✗ 你叫什么名字吗？(什么 already makes it a question.) ✓ 你叫什么名字？(Nǐ jiào shénme míngzi?) — What is your name? Use 吗 OR a question word, never both together.
A-not-A already asks -- drop the 吗
The A-not-A pattern (verb + 不 + verb) already forms the question, so no 吗 is added on top. ✗ 你去不去吗？(double question marker.) ✓ 你去不去？(Nǐ qù bu qù?) — Are you going or not? Likewise 呢 needs a preceding statement to follow up on -- it cannot launch a plain yes/no question out of nowhere.
Adverbs go before the verb, 都 after its noun
Adverbs like 就/才/也/还/再 sit immediately BEFORE the verb, and 都 sits AFTER the noun it covers but still before the verb -- misplacing them is a frequent slip. ✗ 都我们喜欢打篮球。 ✓ 我们都喜欢打篮球。(Wǒmen dōu xǐhuan dǎ lánqiú.) — We all like playing basketball. Fix the adverb slot before reaching for more complex language.
不 and 没(有) are freely interchangeable
Learners treat 不 and 没(有) as two spellings of one English "not", picking whichever comes first to mind. WRONG: they split the timeline. 没(有) negates a specific past non-event or non-existence/possession and never appears with 了; 不 negates habits, opinions, plans and willingness. ✗ 我不去了学校 (mixing 不 with 了). ✓ 我没去学校。(Wǒ méi qù xuéxiào) — I did not go to school, with NO 了.
Only the second half of a pair is needed
English speakers often drop 但是 after 虽然, assuming the second half is optional decoration the way English "although" stands alone. WRONG for Chinese: the pair works together, and omitting one half weakens the link, which writing rewards. ✗ 虽然他很累，他还是来了。 ✓ 虽然他很累，但是他还是来了。(Suīrán tā hěn lèi, dànshì tā háishi lái le.) — Although he was very tired, he still came.
Proofread: pair every opening connective
Scan your draft for every 虽然, 如果, 不但, 因为 and confirm each has its PAIR (但是, 就, 而且, 所以) later in the sentence. A lone opener is a red flag: 虽然他很累 with no 但是 leaves the contrast unfinished. Fix pairs before adding new ideas.
Proofread: is the negation 不 or 没(有)?
For every negation, ask: a specific past event that did NOT happen, or not having/existing? If yes, use 没(有) and delete any 了 in that clause. A habit, opinion, future plan or willingness takes 不. Contrast 我昨天没去 (past non-event) with 我不喜欢咖啡 (an opinion).
Proofread: exactly one question marker
Check every question has exactly ONE marker: 吗, OR a question word (谁/什么/哪儿/怎么/为什么), OR the A-not-A pattern -- never two. 你叫什么名字吗？and 你去不去吗？are both double-marked. Keep 呢 only for a follow-up to a previous statement.
This topic covers three connected areas of basic sentence-building: paired connectives for complex sentences, the four question forms, and the negation split between 不 and 没(有), plus the small adverbs (就/才/都/也/还/再) that carry logical meaning. Getting these exactly right turns simple sentences into accurate, coherent writing and speech -- exactly what AO2 (Writing) and AO4 (Speaking) reward.
Give the paired connective for "because...so..." and an example sentence.
填空，选择正确的字/词： （1）你喜欢喝咖啡（ ）？(吗／呢) （2）（ ）今天很冷，所以我穿了很多衣服。(因为／虽然) （3）我昨天（ ）去学校，因为我生病了。(不／没)
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
请写几句话（约60-80字），描述你和朋友上个周末的一次安排。要求：至少正确使用一个配对连词（如虽然...但是／如果...就／因为...所以）、一次「不」或「没（有）」，以及一个问句（吗／呢／吧／A-not-A）。请用中文（汉字）书写，不要用拼音。（8分）
请写几句话（约60-80字），说明你最近一次没有完成某件事（比如没去成一个活动，或没做完某项作业）的原因，并说明如果情况不同，你会怎么做。要求正确使用「因为...所以」或「如果...就」，以及「不」或「没（有）」。请用中文（汉字）书写。（8分）
