Mandarin · Chapter 22 · Lesson 5 · Grammar primer
Topic-comment fronting
这本书我看过 (this book, I have read it): Mandarin lifts a known thing to the front as the topic, then comments on it. Why word order bends this way, how the fronted topic differs from a grammatical subject, and why the slot is one of the language's most basic organising principles.
The lesson is a long-form read rather than a flashcard session. Open the primer below, work through it once, then come back and continue with the next lesson.
Read the primer