Adjective = stative verb (no 是)
A Chinese adjective behaves like a verb, so it takes NO 是. A plain positive uses 很 (hěn) as a neutral linker (not a strong "very"): 这个房间很干净。(Zhège fángjiān hěn gānjìng.) — This room is clean; without 很 it sounds incomplete. Negate with 不 before the adjective, dropping 很: 这个房间不干净 (not clean). Ask with 吗 (这个房间干净吗？) or A-not-A (干不干净？). Never 这个房间是干净 ✗ -- 是 only returns before a NOUN (她是老师 — she is a teacher).
Adjective + noun: when to add 的
An adjective before a noun usually joins with 的: 漂亮的衣服 (piàoliang de yīfu — pretty clothes), 一个聪明的学生 (a clever student). If it is modified by 很 or 非常, 的 is REQUIRED: 很贵的手机 (hěn guì de shǒujī — a very expensive phone). But a single-syllable adjective in a fixed pairing drops 的: 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou — good friend), 大城市 (big city), 新书 (new book). So 好朋友 (no 的) but 很好的朋友 (with 的, 好 now modified). Do not drop 的 from a two-syllable or modified description -- 漂亮衣服 ✗, it must be 漂亮的衣服.
Comparison: 比 / 更 / 最 / 跟…一样 / 没有
Core comparison is A 比 B + adjective, with NO 很/非常: 今天比昨天冷。(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng.) — Today is colder than yesterday. "Even more" = 更, "the most" = 最: 这件更贵，那件最贵. Equal = A 跟 B 一样 + adjective: 我的手机跟你的一样贵 (as expensive as yours). "Not as … as" = A 没有 B (那么) + adjective: 今天没有昨天那么冷. HIGHER tier: add the amount of difference AFTER the adjective -- 哥哥比我大两岁 (dà liǎng suì — two years older), 这件比那件贵一点／贵得多 (a bit / much dearer).
Drawn from real examiner reports.
很 inside a 比 comparison (比…很冷 ✗)
In an A比B comparison the adjective stands alone -- do NOT add a plain-degree adverb like 很 or 非常. ✗ 今天比昨天很冷 ✓ 今天比昨天冷。(Jīntiān bǐ zuótiān lěng.) — Today is colder than yesterday. To strengthen it, put a degree word AFTER the adjective: 冷一点 (a bit colder), 冷得多 / 冷多了 (much colder). The linker 很 belongs only in a plain, non-comparative statement (今天很冷), never inside 比.
Dropping the comparison degree word
Examiners dock answers that lose the DEGREE of a comparison. ✗ 我有信心 (I am confident) where the text says 我比以前更有信心 ✓ 我比以前更有信心。— I am MORE confident than before. Likewise "more homework" is 更多作业 / 作业比以前多, not just 很多作业. When a comparison is present, keep the marker -- 更 (even more), 比……多 (more than), 最 (most) -- or the meaning changes and the mark is lost.
Mixing up 的 / 地 / 得
All three sound "de" but do different jobs -- mixing them up is a frequent 错别字 slip. 的 links an adjective to a NOUN: 干净的房间 (a clean room). 地 makes an ADVERB before a verb: 他高兴地说 (said happily), 慢慢地走 (walk slowly). 得 introduces a COMPLEMENT after a verb: 他跑得很快 (runs fast). ✗ 他跑的很快 / 他高兴的说 ✓ 他跑得很快 / 他高兴地说. Test: noun after → 的; verb after → 地; verb before → 得.
不 vs 没有 for negative comparison
To say "not as … as", use A 没有 B (那么) + adjective, never 不. ✓ 这家没有那家干净。(Zhè jiā méiyǒu nà jiā gānjìng.) — This one is not as clean as that one. ✗ 这家不干净 means "this one is dirty" -- a different claim, not a comparison. 不 negates a plain adjective (不干净 — not clean); 没有 builds the comparison "less … than". Swapping in 不 drops the comparison and loses the mark.
(Higher) Quantity after the adjective
At Higher tier the amount of difference follows the adjective, never before it. ✗ 哥哥比我两岁大 / 十五厘米高 ✓ 哥哥比我大两岁 (dà liǎng suì — two years older), 高十五厘米 (taller by 15 cm). Pattern: A 比 B + adjective + amount. The same slot takes 一点 (a bit) or 得多／多了 (much): 这件比那件贵一点／贵得多. English word order tempts learners to front the amount -- resist it, and use 两 not 二.
Dropping 的 from a described noun (漂亮衣服 ✗)
A two-syllable adjective, or one modified by 很/非常, MUST keep 的 before the noun. ✗ 漂亮衣服 / 很贵手机 ✓ 漂亮的衣服 (piàoliang de yīfu — pretty clothes), 很贵的手机 (a very expensive phone). Only a single-syllable adjective in a fixed pairing drops 的: 好朋友 (hǎo péngyou — good friend), 大城市 (big city), 新书 (new book). Rule: once 很/非常 modifies the adjective, 的 is compulsory -- 好朋友 (bare) but 很好的朋友.
Adjectives take no 是 (unlike English to be)
English puts "to be" before an adjective ("she IS beautiful"), so learners wrongly insert 是: ✗ 她是漂亮 / 这个房间是大. In Chinese the adjective IS the predicate (a stative verb), so no 是 -- a plain statement takes 很 as a neutral linker: ✓ 她很漂亮, 这个房间很大. 是 returns only to state an identity with a NOUN: 她是老师, 这是我的房间. Rule: 是 + noun, 很 + adjective -- never 是 + adjective.
Describe: 很/不 + adjective, no 是
In Speaking and Writing, describe with 很/非常 + adjective straight after the noun (我的房间很舒服) and negate with 不 (不大). Add 的 when the adjective modifies a noun (一个很舒服的房间). Re-read for any stray 是 before an adjective -- 是 only precedes a NOUN (她是老师), never an adjective.
Compare: A比B + adjective, delete 很
To compare, use A 比 B + adjective and DELETE any 很: 这家比那家便宜 (never 比那家很便宜). Keep the degree the task or text asks for -- if a comparison is present use 更／最／比……多, do not flatten it to a plain adjective. Vary your structures with 跟……一样 and 没有……那么 rather than repeating one 比.
(Higher) Add the amount of difference
At Higher tier, add the amount of difference AFTER the adjective to lift your range: 大两岁 (two years older), 贵一点 (a bit dearer), 好得多 (much better). Pattern A 比 B + adjective + amount. Pair it with a reason (因为) and a connective (虽然……但是) to develop the comparison.
Route the three "de" correctly
Check every "de" in written work: 的 before a noun (干净的房间), 地 before a verb (高兴地说), 得 after a verb (跑得很快). Writing 跑得很快, not 跑的很快, signals control. Test: noun after → 的, verb after → 地, verb before → 得.
This grammar topic (Section G, G2) covers how Chinese adjectives work. Unlike English, a Chinese adjective is a stative verb — it can be the predicate on its own, with no 是. You need this for every skill: to describe people and places (Speaking, Writing) and to catch comparisons in Listening and Reading. At Higher tier you must also compare precisely, including the amount of difference.
A plain positive statement uses 很 (hěn) as a neutral linker (often not "very"). Negate with 不. Ask with 吗 or the A-not-A form. Never use 是 before an adjective.
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 这个房间很干净。 | Zhège fángjiān hěn gānjìng. | This room is clean. |
| 这个房间不干净。 | Zhège fángjiān bù gānjìng. | This room is not clean. |
| 你的房间大不大？ | Nǐ de fángjiān dà bu dà? | Is your room big? |
| 中文难吗？ | Zhōngwén nán ma? | Is Chinese difficult? |
是 comes back only before a NOUN: 她是老师 (tā shì lǎoshī — she is a teacher), but 她很漂亮 (tā hěn piàoliang — she is pretty).
expensive -- say the adjective in Chinese with pinyin and use it as a predicate
用中文写出四个可以用来形容一个地方的形容词（例如"干净"），并标出拼音。
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
Foundation Paper 4, Q1 (12 marks) — short writing / describe. 你的中国朋友想知道你的房间。请用中文（汉字）写约20–30字，用形容词描写你的房间，并说说你喜不喜欢（一个简单的看法）。可以写：房间大不大、干不干净、里面有什么。register: informal/general (a message to a friend). 请只用现在时（present timeframe）。
Foundation Paper 4, Q3 (20 marks) — extended writing. 请从下面两个题目中选一个（只写一个），用中文（汉字）写约80–110字。register: informal. 请用比较（比 / 没有 / 更 / 跟……一样），并说明你的看法和理由。可以用现在时为主，也可以用简单的过去和将来。
题目一： 比较你现在的中学和你以前的小学，你更喜欢哪一个？为什么？
题目二： 比较在大城市生活和在小城市生活，你觉得哪一个比较好？为什么？
只回答一个题目。
Foundation Paper 2 — topic conversation (36 marks). 这是一段口语话题讨论（Conversation）。老师会用中文问你几个问题，请你用完整的句子回答，多用形容词和比较（比 / 没有 / 更），并说明理由。以现在时为主，也可以用简单的过去和将来。可能的问题：
（1）说说你的房间或你的学校，是什么样子的？
（2）你现在的学校跟你以前的学校比，有什么不一样？
（3）你觉得学中文难不难？为什么？
（4）周末你打算做什么？
