Level 2 - Lesson 10
This lesson follows Xiaoxue preparing for an exam while her mother reminds her to review words, notes, and wrong answers.
Contains 4 words
word
notebook
wrong; mistake
question; problem
Contains 3 words
to help
Contains 2 words
door
Contains 3 words
exam; to take an exam
明天考试，我在读书呢。
Míngtiān kǎoshì, wǒ zài dúshū ne.
The exam is tomorrow, so I'm reading.
这些词要好好看看。
Zhèxiē cí yào hǎohāo kànkan.
You need to review these words carefully.
本子上做错的题也要看一看。
Běnzi shàng zuò cuò de tí yě yào kàn yi kàn.
You should also look over the questions you got wrong in your notebook.
是您准备考试还是我准备考试？
Shì nín zhǔnbèi kǎoshì háishi wǒ zhǔnbèi kǎoshì?
Are you preparing for the exam, or am I preparing for the exam?
Situation: At home, Wang Yixue checks whether Xiaoxue is preparing for her exam.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
小雪，你在做什么呢？
Xiaoxue, what are you doing?
Subject-Predicate Predicate Sentences
Use topic + person or thing + predicate when the whole person–predicate clause is the comment about the opening topic.
A clause comments on the topic
Start with the thing under discussion, then say who does what with it.
school starts; start of school
about to; soon will
behind; back side
or
to laugh; to smile
Kuàiyào kāixué le.
School is about to start.
爸爸帮弟弟准备书包和本子。
Bàba bāng dìdi zhǔnbèi shūbāo hé běnzi.
Dad helps my younger brother get his schoolbag and notebook ready.
我就要考试了。
Wǒ jiùyào kǎoshì le.
I am about to take an exam.
是我和弟弟上学还是你们上学？
Shì wǒ hé dìdi shàngxué háishi nǐmen shàngxué?
Are my younger brother and I going to school, or are you going to school?
他们都笑了。
Tāmen dōu xiào le.
They all laughed.
本子在门后面。
Běnzi zài mén hòumiàn.
The notebook is behind the door.
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
我就要考试了，在看词。
I am about to take an exam, so I am reviewing words.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
本子上做错的题也要看看。
You should also look at the questions you got wrong in your notebook.
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
我知道，词和题我都看过了。
I know. I have reviewed the words and the questions.
Situation: Before school starts, Liu Ming helps prepare Xiaoxue's younger brother's school things.
刘明
Liu Ming
快要开学了，我帮弟弟准备本子。
School is about to start, so I am helping your younger brother prepare notebooks.
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
他的书包呢？
Where is his schoolbag?
刘明
Liu Ming
在门后面。
It is behind the door.
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
好，我帮您拿过来。
Okay, I'll help you bring it over.
Situation: At home before an exam, Wang Yixue gives Xiaoxue a genuine choice between another short review and a break.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
这些词你看完了吗？
Have you finished reviewing these words?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
看完了，错的题也看完了。
I finished reviewing them, and I finished reviewing the wrong questions too.
王一雪
Wang Yixue
那你想再看看本子，还是休息一下？
Then do you want to look over your notebook again or take a break?
刘小雪
Liu Xiaoxue
我还是再看看本子吧。
I'd better look over my notebook again.
The opening topic is not followed by 的 (de) or 是 (shì). The relationship is understood from the complete comment that follows.
这些词 (zhèxiē cí) sets the topic. The complete clause 你看完了吗 (nǐ kàn wán le ma) comments on it.
这些词你看完了吗？
Have you finished reviewing these words?
词和题 (cí hé tí) are placed first as the overall topic; 我都看过了 (wǒ dōu kàn guo le) is the clause that comments on them.
词和题我都看过了。
I have reviewed both the words and the questions.
这个男孩儿 (zhège nánháir) is the overall topic. Inside the comment, 个子 (gèzi) is the inner subject and 很高 (hěn gāo) is its predicate, showing that this construction is not limited to fronted objects.
这个男孩儿个子很高。
This boy is very tall.
This neutral question keeps 你 (nǐ) as the sentence subject and 这些词 (zhèxiē cí) after the verb. Use 这些词你看完了吗 (zhèxiē cí nǐ kàn wán le ma) when the words are already the discussion topic and you want to comment on the listener's progress with them.
你看完这些词了吗？
Have you finished reviewing these words?
这些词你看完了吗？
Have you finished reviewing these words?
词和题我都看过了。
I have reviewed both the words and the questions.
这个男孩儿个子很高。
This boy is very tall.
你看完这些词了吗？
Have you finished reviewing these words?
Dialogue 03: Choosing What to Review, Turn 1
Make the words the topic
这些词你看完了吗？
Have you finished reviewing these words?
Dialogue 01: The Exam Is Soon, Turn 4
Make both study items the topic
我知道，词和题我都看过了。
I know. I have reviewed the words and the questions.
A normal subject–predicate sentence has one subject followed by what you say about it. In a subject-predicate predicate sentence, the sentence opens with an overall topic, and the rest of the sentence is itself a small subject–predicate clause that comments on that topic. In 这些词你看完了吗 (zhèxiē cí nǐ kàn wán le ma), 这些词 (zhèxiē cí) is the overall topic; inside the comment, 你 (nǐ) is the subject and 看完了吗 (kàn wán le ma) is its predicate. The structure is useful when the speaker wants to establish what is being discussed before saying who did what with it. English often puts the same topic after the verb: ‘Have you finished reviewing these words?’ Do not add 是 (shì) between the topic and the inner clause.
Alternative Questions
Put 还是 (háishi) between two choices to ask ‘A or B?’; do not add 吗 (ma).
Offer two choices
Ask which of two alternatives is true or preferred.
End with question intonation or a question mark, but not 吗 (ma). This lesson's 还是 (háishi) pattern asks the listener to choose; it is not the form for joining alternatives inside an ordinary statement.
The two alternatives keep the same person + 考试 (kǎoshì) shape, making the choice explicit.
是您考试还是我考试？
Are you taking the exam, or am I taking it?
Both choices end in 上学 (shàngxué), so 还是 (háishi) contrasts who is going.
是我和弟弟上学还是你们上学？
Are my younger brother and I going to school, or are you going to school?
The shared verb 喝 (hē) comes before the two noun choices; 还是 (háishi) links 咖啡 (kāfēi) and 奶茶 (nǎichá).
你喝咖啡还是奶茶？
是您考试还是我考试？
Are you taking the exam, or am I taking it?
是我和弟弟上学还是你们上学？
Are my younger brother and I going to school, or are you going to school?
你喝咖啡还是奶茶？
Do you drink coffee or milk tea?
你想读书还是睡觉？
Do you want to read or sleep?
Dialogue 03: Choosing What to Review, Turn 4
Ask who is taking the exam
妈妈，是您考试还是我考试？我都想笑了。
Mom, are you taking the exam, or am I taking the exam? I almost want to laugh.
An alternative question offers two possibilities and asks the listener to choose one: choice A + 还是 (háishi) + choice B. The choices can be nouns, actions, or complete clauses, but they should have parallel shapes so the contrast is easy to hear. 是您考试还是我考试 (shì nín kǎoshì háishi wǒ kǎoshì) contrasts two complete clauses: ‘Are you taking the exam, or am I?’ Because 还是 (háishi) already makes the sentence a question with alternatives, do not add 吗 (ma) at the end. This question use of 还是 (háishi) differs from its statement use meaning ‘still’ or ‘had better,’ which the learner met earlier.
Fixed Pattern yao/kuai/kuaiyao/jiuyao...le
Put 要 (yào), 快 (kuài), 快要 (kuàiyào), or 就要 (jiùyào) before an event and 了 (le) at the end to say the event is close to starting.
An imminent change
The speaker sees the event as close to beginning now.
Do not use these frames for any distant future event. The speaker must treat the change as close or as the next expected step.
要 (yào) plus final 了 (le) presents the exam as approaching now.
要考试了。
The exam is about to begin.
快 (kuài) is the compact form and stresses that the rain is very near.
快下雨了。
It is about to rain.
快要 (kuàiyào) explicitly marks school as close to starting.
快要开学了。
School is about to start.
要考试了。
The exam is about to begin.
快下雨了。
It is about to rain.
快要开学了。
School is about to start.
下周就要开学了。
School is about to start next week.
Dialogue 02: Preparing for School, Turn 1
School is about to start
快要开学了，我帮弟弟准备本子。
School is about to start, so I am helping your younger brother prepare notebooks.
Dialogue 01: The Exam Is Soon, Turn 2
The exam is the next expected event
我就要考试了，在看词。
All four frames present an event as imminent, not simply as a future plan: 要……了 (yào...le), 快……了 (kuài...le), 快要……了 (kuàiyào...le), and 就要……了 (jiùyào...le). 要 (yào) is the basic ‘about to’ form; 快 (kuài) is the shortest and stresses that the change is very near; 快要 (kuàiyào) makes the same near-change meaning explicit; 就要 (jiùyào) often presents the event as the next expected step and works especially well when a known time is stated, as in 下周就要开学了 (xià zhōu jiùyào kāixué le). Final 了 (le) belongs to the complete imminent-change frame. Compare plain 我要考试 (wǒ yào kǎoshì), which can state an intention or requirement, with 我要考试了 (wǒ yào kǎoshì le), which says the exam is now approaching.
Do you drink coffee or milk tea?
The shared 想 (xiǎng) comes before two parallel action choices: 读书 (dúshū) and 睡觉 (shuìjiào).
你想读书还是睡觉？
Do you want to read or sleep?
就要 (jiùyào) presents school as the next expected event and fits naturally after the known time 下周 (xià zhōu).
下周就要开学了。
School is about to start next week.
I am about to take an exam, so I am reviewing words.
