Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar: A Student's Guide to Correct Structures and Common Errors

I have taken the slowest possible way to learning spoken and written Chinese language, i.e. the self-study approach. In doing this, I have needed the best possible tools to help me organize a program and to keep on track with a steady sense of progress. One of the tools that I have found most helpful is this short 120-page book written by a husband-and-wife team, Qin Xue Herzberg and Larry Herzberg, both of whom teach college level Chinese language courses at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.What does one want from a grammar book for self-study? For me, it's a combination of clarity and challenge. I want to be able to understand the principles that are being laid out without needing to enroll in a time-consuming and expensive course at the same time that I want to have the sense that nothing is being given to me in too simple a way. I want a challenge; I want to feel that I have to work for what I am getting. Not because I am a masochist, but because in my experience the effort reinforces the learning. I want to feel that I am confronting new but useful structures all the time, and I want as much Chinese language as possible included in the lessons so that I am not getting everything second hand through English instruction. In this way, I can work on important language structures and also pick up important vocabulary along the way.The Herzbergs have produced just the right book for someone who is taking my approach. In thirteen compact chapters they lay out important principles relating to word order, parts of speech, special particles, special word choice issues, and even some letter-writing formalities (though I think one would be hard-pressed to find real letter writers anymore). Each chapter covers basic issues and refinements of those issues in ways that will produce not mere parrots of the usual textbook dialogues but sophisticated users of the language tuned in to the distinctions between the various shades of meaning of the word "can," for example, or between various words and structures for expressing the concept "to be."The whole book is laid out clearly, is written in a plain and straight-forward style, and includes at times a sense of humor. The chapter covering the word "can," for instance, is sub-titled "A Huge Can of Worms." The lessons include correct Chinese structures and word choices, as one would expect, but the authors have also drawn on their combined teaching experience to provide us with what are probably the most common mistakes that English-language students make by trying to translate native expressions verbatim into Chinese. This is a valuable addition to the text because it helps one understand important differences in conceptual patterns between second-language learners and native speakers.All-in-all this is a very useful book, whether you are learning on your own or in a classroom setting. I do wish the book might have a second part (keyed somehow to the first) that contained short readings (maybe a half-page in length) drawing on the patterns and vocabulary presented in the book. And it might be time to convert that last chapter on letter-writing into a chapter on emailing and blogging!

OK, my fellow students, please make note and get out your credit card. THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! Larry Herzberg and his wife Qin Xue Herzberg have done the impossible! They have actually created a guide to Chinese grammar that is FUN. Not only is it fun, it's also simple, humorous, and most importantly EFFECTIVE. I bought this book after promising myself I would never, ever, ever, ever buy another book on Chinese grammar or Chinese language, period. I had already bought the Schaum's, Ross, and every other noted (and rightfully so) Chinese grammar breakdowns books and all the books angled to supposedly "demystify" Mandarin. Perhaps it was the number of pages in the Herzberg book, or the price, I don't know. But, something made me just exhale and buy the book. What the heck, one more won't hurt. It's small. I can jam in onto one of the grammar book shelves. When the book arrived I was immediately curious as it is so simply laid out. Despite the fact that I rarely, if ever, read introductions (or program the clocks on my digital recording devices) I was inspired immediately by Herzberg's. The first sentence that caught my eye was "Never translate literally word for word" which after much grief and suffering speaking BC (Butchered Chinese) in China, I knew to be very true. Then, as I continued to read, I read all the things I wish had learned EARLY in all the other million Mandarin books I had bought, studied and then attempted suicide as a result of. Now, it has actually happened. Someone has written a COMPREHENSIVE Chinese grammar book that is a total pleasure to engage in! And, there are no ponderous explanations page after page. No dreaded pattern drills or, God forbid, a workbook. The Herzbergs have simply broken grammar lessons down to ONE brilliant example of BAD grammar and one brilliant example of how you are supposed to say it! I found immediately, and continue to find with this book, that if taken in simple, easy doses, this grammar stuff can be pretty fun and interesting. THE BEST result is the virtually instant improvement in spoken Chinese, and the fact that this simple book has somehow taken the mystery and struggle out of "yibian....yibian', "ruguo..jiu" and the usual suspects. Their approach is minimalism at it's finest and it works deliciously. I am praying for more of the same and HIGHLY recommend this book to any serious student of Mandarin at beginner or intermediate level (Since I am not at an advanced level I cannot state the benefits of the book but I suspect it is even more helpful at advanced levels when the inner thinking patterns to translate are more complex). Goodbye Ross (your book is good, just not this good), goodbye Schaum (great stuff for reference while in country) goodbye tedium. There is a reason this book has only five-star ratings and I have my grammar book! Thanks Herzbergs.

I wouldn’t recommend buying this book as: - the structure of the book is somewhat convoluted - most of examples are not very clear - most rule definitions are hard to digestI was looking for a brief language reference book and it’s definitely not the one that I would recommend to anyone

This book has lots of good examples of Chinese sentence structure, grammar and how to use key words in the correct way. The examples are brief but I found that made it very accessible. To study Chinese in depth you'll need a much more comprehensive book, but this is really useful for getting your learning going, and for seeing how the basic rules of Chinese work.

valuable introduction to grammatical patterns

Se trata de una guía sobre patrones gramaticales del chino, donde se recogen algunos de los errores más comunes que cometemos los estudiantes de dicho idioma. Está escrito por dos profesores, expertos en el tema, basándose en su propia y vasta experiencia impartiendo clases. Está en inglés y en chino y expone ejemplos muy recurrentes en los que caen (caemos) muchos estudiantes del idioma. ¡Y, a todo esto, tengo que decir, que no tiene nada de aburrido!Está escrito de forma clara, concisa y divertida (¡básicamente porque, los errores en los que caemos dan lugar a frases y situaciones de lo más bochornoso, en muchos casos).Me ha encantado y se me ha hecho breve. Ojalá los mismos autores se animaran a hacer otro libro con errores relativos a niveles más avanzados.Este, en concreto, va dirigido a estudiantes de nivel intermedio.¡Totalmente recomendable!

Ce petit livre est un livre de grammaire mais pas tout à fait. Ce n'est en aucun cas une présentation de la grammaire chinoise mais le fruit des erreurs communes des apprenants de chinois compilé par deux enseignants de chinois au fil de leur pratique professionnelle.Il est très bien agencé ce qui permet de retrouver les informations. En lisant un livre, je voulais traduire un passage et j'ai repéré une structure qui me semblait fixe. J'ai mis 5 minutes à la trouver dans le livre.En fait on retrouve ici les erreurs classiques et c'est vraiment pratique et par cette entrée on apprend à utiliser correctement certaines structures et des nuances de la langue.Pas bien gros mais bien utile.