The grammar kitchen
85 sentence patterns, Band 1 to 4. One plain explanation, a few real sentences, and the mistakes people make.
The measure words you need for Bands 1 to 3, with the nouns they count
Band 1The frames every first sentence needs.29 patterns
- A is B: the 是 sentence
- 的: the little glue for owner and thing
- 吗: turn any statement into a yes or no question
- 呢: and you? the follow-up question
- 不: saying no to now and always
- 没: no to having and to things that did not happen
- 有: having and there is
- 很: adjectives stand alone with a soft 很
- 也 and 都: also and all, always before the verb
- 个: the counting word between number and noun
- 这 and 那: this one, that one
- 什么 · 谁 · 哪儿: question words sit where the answer sits
- 几 and 多少: asking how many
- 在: being somewhere
- Time and place come before the action
- 想 and 要: wanting to, planning to
- 会: can, because you learned it
- 能 and 可以: can, because it is possible or allowed
- 喜欢: liking things and liking doing
- 了 at the end: something is different now
- 了 after the verb: the action got done
- 吧: let us, or a gentle guess
- 太……了: too much, or just wow
- 怎么样: how is it, how about it
- 多大 · 多少钱: 多 asks how much of a quality
- Dates and clock time: big to small
- 和: and, but only between nouns
- 在 before a verb: doing it right now
- Doubling the verb: give it a quick try
Band 2Time, comparison, and what you have done before.24 patterns
- 从……到……: from here to there, from then to now
- 还是: this or that?
- 请 and 别: please do, please do not
- 过: have you ever
- 正在 and 着: in the middle of, and staying that way
- 比: A is more than B
- 没有……那么: A is not as much as B
- 因为……所以……: because, so
- 虽然……但是……: although, but
- 离: how far from
- 给: to someone, for someone
- 对: toward someone, about something
- 得: how well you do it
- 完 · 到 · 见 · 懂: did the action land?
- 来 and 去 after a verb: toward me or away
- 每……都……: every single one
- 可能 and 会: maybe, and will probably
- 快……了 and 要……了: about to happen
- 是……的: spotlighting when, where, how
- 已经 and 还没: already, and not yet
- How long: duration after the verb
- 次: how many times
- 的 before a noun: any description hooks on with 的
- 有点儿 and 一点儿: a bit too, and a bit more
Band 3Linking ideas and saying exactly how much.27 patterns
- 跟……一样: the same as
- 更 and 最: more, and the most
- 就 and 才: sooner than expected, later than expected
- 又 and 再: again, in the past versus in the future
- 如果……就……: if, then
- 一边……一边……: doing two things at once
- 越来越: more and more
- 除了……以外: apart from, besides
- 为了: in order to
- 向 and 往: heading somewhere
- 先……然后……: first this, then that
- 或者 versus 还是: two kinds of or
- 应该 and 得: should, and have to
- 把: grab the object, then say what you did to it
- 被: it happened to me
- 让 and 叫: making or letting someone do
- 不但……而且……: not only, but also
- 只要……就……: as long as
- 只有……才……: only if
- 一……就……: as soon as
- 看得懂 and 看不懂: can you manage it?
- 着 between two verbs: doing one while the other
- 又……又……: both, and
- 不是……吗: is it not obvious?
- 越……越……: the more, the more
- 起来: starting up, and how it seems
- Topic first: put the thing you are talking about up front
Band 4The patterns that make you sound at home.5 patterns
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