This document discusses grammar and fixed expressions in Chinese, including: 1. The impending aspect, which uses adverbs like 要,快,就要,快要 before the main verb or adjective to indicate an action that will happen soon, along with the particle 了 at the end of the sentence. 2. Imperative sentences, which are used to express suggestions, advice, or commands, and can be made negative by adding 别 or 不要 before the verb. Adding 了 softens the tone. 3. The expression 怎么行, which is often used rhetorically and translates to "Would it be OK?" or "Would it work?". It questions whether

1. Lesson 2Grammar and Fixed Expressions

2. 1.The Impending Aspect

3. In Chinese, when indicating an action is going to happen very soon, you can (1) put any of the adverbs 要, 快, 就要, 快要before the main verb or the predicative adjective; and (2) put the particle 了at the end of the sentence. For example: The Impending Aspect

4. Example 1: 飞机就要起飞了。 The airplaneis about to take off. (subject) (verb)

5. Example 2: 电影快开始了。 The movie is going to beginsoon. (subject) (verb)

6. Example 3: The dinneris going to be coldsoon. (subject) (pred. adj.) 晚饭要凉了。

7. To form a question, one can add 吗 or 吧 to the end of the sentence. For example: Are you about to go back to China? 你就要回中国了吗/吧？ Note 1

8. The affirmative answer to the question is 对 or 是. The negative answer will be 没 (有) or 还没(有)呢.

10. If there is a time phrase such as 明天, 五点, in the sentence to indicate the specific time when the action is going to take place, only 就要...了can be used. For example: Note 2

11. My younger brother is having dinner at 5:30. 我弟弟五点半就要吃饭了。 He said that his mom is coming tomorrow. 他说他妈妈明天就要来了。

12. 2.The Imperative Sentence

13. The Imperative Sentence We always use sentences like these in our conversations: Have some tea, please! Let’s go. 请喝茶！ 我们走吧。

14. Sentences like those are known asImperative Sentence. An imperative sentence is used to express a suggestion, advice, or to make a command.

15. To form a negative imperative sentence, one can put either 别 or 不要 before the main verb or the predicative adjective. For example:

16. Don’t eat! Let’s not go. 不要吃饭！ 我们别走吧！

17. To soften the tone of an imperative sentence, one can add the particle 了to the end of the sentence. For example: On borad (the plane)! 上飞机了！ Note

18. 3.The expression 怎么行

19. The expression 怎么行is often used as a rhetorical question. It translates into English roughly as “Would it be OK?” For example:

20. 学汉语不作作业，怎么行？ Study Chinese, and won’t do the homework. Would it work?