Core verbs 是 (is) and 有 (have)
是 (shì) links two NOUNS: 我是学生。(Wǒ shì xuésheng.) — I am a student. Before an ADJECTIVE use 很 (hěn), not 是: 我很高。(Wǒ hěn gāo.) — I am tall (NOT 我是高). 有 (yǒu) shows possession or existence: 我有一个哥哥。(Wǒ yǒu yí gè gēge.) — I have an older brother. Negate 有 ONLY with 没有 (méiyǒu), never 不有: 我没有时间。(Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān.) — I do not have time. Negate 是 with 不是 (bú shì): 他不是老师。(Tā bú shì lǎoshī.) — He is not a teacher.
Four aspect particles 了 / 过 / 着 / 在
Chinese verbs never conjugate; an ASPECT particle shows how the action unfolds. 了 (le) = a COMPLETED event or change of state: 我买了新衣服。(Wǒ mǎi le xīn yīfu.) — I bought new clothes. 过 (guo) = a PAST EXPERIENCE (have ever): 我去过中国。(Wǒ qù guo Zhōngguó.) — I have been to China. 着 (zhe) = an ONGOING STATE: 门开着。(Mén kāi zhe.) — The door is open. 在 / 正在 (zài) = IN PROGRESS: 我在做作业。(Wǒ zài zuò zuòyè.) Verb-object verbs (吃饭, 睡觉) split, particle before object: 我吃了饭。(Wǒ chī le fàn.)
Complements: result, direction, manner 得
A complement follows the verb. RESULT — what was achieved: 吃完 (chī wán, finish), 看懂 (kàn dǒng, understand): 我看完了这本书。(Wǒ kàn wán le zhè běn shū.) — I finished this book. DIRECTION: 走进来 (zǒu jìnlái, walk in), 站起来 (zhàn qǐlái, stand up). DEGREE: 好极了 (hǎo jí le, extremely good). MANNER with 得 (de): 他跑得很快。(Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.) — He runs fast. This 得 differs from 的 (我的书) and 地 (慢慢地走).
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Never mark a habit with 了
A precision trap. ✗ 我每天去了学校 (a daily HABIT takes no 了) → ✓ 我每天去学校。(Wǒ měi tiān qù xuéxiào.) — I go to school every day. ✓ 我以前常常去图书馆 (a past habit — still no 了). ✓ 我昨天去了图书馆。(Wǒ zuótiān qù le túshūguǎn.) — I went yesterday (one completed event). Decide first: a single completed action (了), a repeated habit (no 了, with 常常/每天/以前), or an experience (过)?
了 (this event) vs 过 (ever)
Both look back but differ. 过 (guo) = HAVE YOU EVER, an experience at some time: 我吃过北京烤鸭。(Wǒ chī guo Běijīng kǎoyā.) 了 (le) = a SPECIFIC completed event, often with a time: 我昨天吃了烤鸭。(Wǒ zuótiān chī le kǎoyā.) ✗ 你去了中国吗？(if you mean ever) → ✓ 你去过中国吗？(Nǐ qù guo Zhōngguó ma?) — Have you ever been to China? Negatives differ: 没吃过 (never eaten) vs 没吃 (did not eat). Never 没……了.
的 / 地 / 得 all sound the same
All three are pronounced "de" but do different jobs. 的 links a describer to a NOUN: 我的书 (wǒ de shū, my book). 地 makes an ADVERB before a verb: 他认真地学习。(Tā rènzhēn de xuéxí.) — He studies conscientiously. 得 introduces a MANNER complement AFTER a verb: 他跑得很快。(Tā pǎo de hěn kuài.) — He runs very fast. ✗ 他跑的很快 → ✓ 他跑得很快. Test: + noun 的; + verb 地; verb + how-well 得.
没 and 了 never co-occur
A negated action drops 了: 没 (méi) already says the event did NOT happen, so 了 (which marks that it DID complete) cannot sit with it. ✗ 我没吃饭了 → ✓ 我没吃饭。(Wǒ méi chī fàn.) — I have not eaten. ✗ 我昨天没去了 → ✓ 我昨天没去。(Wǒ zuótiān méi qù.) — I did not go yesterday. For a past experience that did NOT happen, use 没……过: 我没去过日本。(Wǒ méi qù guo Rìběn.) — I have never been to Japan.
在 (in progress) vs 着 (a lasting state)
Both describe something continuing, from different angles. 在 / 正在 = the action HAPPENING now: 他在开门。(Tā zài kāi mén.) — He is opening the door. 着 = the STATE left afterwards: 门开着。(Mén kāi zhe.) — The door is (standing) open. Another state: 墙上挂着一张地图。(Qiáng shàng guà zhe yì zhāng dìtú.) — A map is hanging on the wall. Ask: the doing (在) or the result that stays (着)?
Myth: 了 is a past-tense marker
了 (le) marks COMPLETION or a CHANGE OF STATE — not a past tense. A change in the PRESENT still takes 了: 天气冷了。(Tiānqì lěng le.) — The weather has turned cold. A PAST habit takes NO 了: 我小时候常常去外婆家 (I often went to grandma''s). ✗ 我每天去了公园 → ✓ 我每天去公园. For an experience use 过 (我去过日本); in progress use 在 (我在吃饭). Match the marker to the ASPECT, not the English tense.
Myth: 是 works like English "to be"
是 (shì) links two NOUNS (X is Y); it is NOT used before a plain adjective. English "I am tall" uses "am", but Chinese uses a degree adverb, usually 很 (hěn), and no 是: ✗ 我是高 → ✓ 我很高。(Wǒ hěn gāo.) The 很 is just a link word and need not mean very. Use 是 only with a noun: 我是英国人；今天是星期一。For WHERE something is, use 在 (zài): 我的书在桌子上。(Wǒ de shū zài zhuōzi shàng.)
Anchor 了; keep time and place before the verb
Two fixes for most aspect slips. (a) ANCHOR a completed event — give 了 a time word (昨天, 上个星期) or a result complement (看完了, 找到了) so it reads as one finished action. (b) Keep TIME and PLACE words BEFORE the verb: ✓ 我明天在家学习 (NOT 我学习在家). Re-read: 了 not on every past sentence.
Run the 的 / 地 / 得 check before you submit
On every "de", run a three-way check. Describer + NOUN → 的 (我的书). Describer + VERB → 地 (认真地学习). VERB + how-well → 得 (跑得很快). 得 is often mis-written as 的: 他跑得很快 (NOT 跑的很快).
Three-question aspect routine
Before writing an action, ask three questions. 1) Happening RIGHT NOW? → 在 / 正在 (我在看电视). 2) A completed event or change of state? → 了, anchored by a time or result word (我昨天看完了书). 3) A repeated HABIT (每天 / 常常 / 以前)? → NO marker (我每天看书). For have you EVER done it, use 过.
Chinese verbs never change their form for tense -- there is no -ed, no -s and no irregular past. Instead, small aspect particles (了, 过, 着, 在) and complements show how an action unfolds. This note (Grammar category G3) covers the core verbs 是 and 有, verb-object verbs, the four aspect particles, simple complements, and the key contrast between a habit (no 了) and a completed action (了).
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我是学生。 | Wǒ shì xuésheng. | I am a student. |
| 他不是老师。 | Tā bú shì lǎoshī. | He is not a teacher. |
| 我很高。 | Wǒ hěn gāo. | I am tall. (adjective -- use 很, not 是) |
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我有两个妹妹。 | Wǒ yǒu liǎng gè mèimei. | I have two younger sisters. |
| 桌子上有一本书。 | Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yì běn shū. | There is a book on the table. |
| 我没有时间。 | Wǒ méiyǒu shíjiān. | I do not have time. |
How do you say "I am a student" -- and why can you NOT say 我是高 for "I am tall"?
在下面的横线上填入合适的动态助词（了 / 过 / 着 / 在），每句只填一个： （1）你看，外面下＿＿雨呢。（正在持续的状态） （2）我昨天买＿＿一件新外套。（已经完成） （3）我从来没去＿＿香港。（经历）
Level-of-response questions with model answers and mark scheme rubrics.
写一写你昨天做了哪些事。用「了」表示做完的事，再说一句你自己的看法（喜欢还是不喜欢，为什么）。请用中文（汉字）书写，约20-30字。（12分）
下面有两个题目，请你只选一个来写，约80-110字，用中文书写，语气自然、友好。 题目一： 介绍你上个周末做了什么（用「了」表示做完的事），并说说你喜不喜欢这样过周末，为什么。 题目二： 介绍你平时每天的生活（这是习惯，一般不要加「了」），并说说你以后想尝试做什么新的事。 请只写一个题目，不要两个都写。（20分）
这是一段口语话题对话（Paper 2 Conversation）。话题：日常生活与最近的经历。老师会问你下面这类问题，请你用中文回答。多用一般现在时说习惯，做完的事用「了」，经历用「过」。回答要用完整的句子，不要只说一两个字： （1）说一说你平时的一天是怎么过的？（习惯——一般不加「了」） （2）你昨天或上个周末做了什么？（用「了」表示做完的事） （3）你去过哪些有意思的地方？（用「过」表示经历） （4）以后你想尝试做什么新的事？为什么？ （36分）
