Self-Study Chinese Curriculum

Module 2: Three Sentence Patterns

Welcome to Module 2 of your Self-Study Chinese journey! Module 2 works closely with Module 1, and builds upon the knowledge you gained through Module 1. After Module 1, you learned how to say any Chinese sentence when it is technically a statement. Module 2 will instruct you how to ask Chinese questions appropriately.

Module 2 will also provide cultural reasons why Chinese language only includes "statement order" even when people are asking questions. If you want to stay in China for more than a short trip and you already have some basic Chinese knowledge, Module 2 will help you to achieve that goal. Please be ready to have at least 4 weeks to finish this module. Each module includes three parts: Grammar, Pronunciation and Vocabulary. Module 2 will cover the following concepts:

1. What do three sentence patterns mean (Statement, General Question and Complicated Question)?

2. What are the differences between Auxiliary and Notional Verbs?

3. How do you ask "general questions" (yes or no questions) in Chinese?

4. Is an incomplete sentence considered grammatically correct?

5. What is "statement order" and how do you understand that Chinese language only applies statement order?

6. How do you ask "complicated questions" (a question involves complicated answers, such as what, how, why, when, and etc.) in Chinese?

7. How do you transfer from a statement to a general question, and a general question to a complicated question, or from a statement directly to a complicated question?

8. What do you need to know about Chinese pronunciation, vowels, consonants and tones? (Every module shares the same instructive readings, practices and teaching videos about Chinese pronunciation)

9. What are the commonly-used and advanced Chinese noun phrases that you need to know? Module 2 includes a separately 10-day study of commonly-used and advanced Chinese noun phrases, and most of these phrase are formed by two words/characters.