Mandarin grammar
Every grammar point AQA GCSE Mandarin asks for
The 96 grammar structures prescribed by the AQA GCSE Mandarin specification (8673), and the page on this site that teaches each one. Checked structure by structure against the articles themselves, not matched by keyword.
Foundation candidates are assessed on the 61 structures marked F; Higher candidates need those and the 35 marked H.
77
taught
10
thin
9
not yet
Nouns (2)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Noun suffixes 子, 家, 员not yetxing-hua-suffixes.md only covers 性/化; grepped all articles for 子/家/员 as suffixes, found none | F+H | - |
| Noun suffixes 儿, 者thin者 fully taught ('者 (zhě) attaches to the end of a verb...'); 儿 as noun suffix never taught, only in 哪儿/那儿/这儿 | H | zhe-nominaliser |
Classifiers (4)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Measure words 个, 岁, 年, 只, 天, 本, 口"The core dozen" table lists 个/岁/天/年/只/本/口 each with use and example | F+H | classifiers |
| Measure word + 每 to mean 'every'"每 (měi) + classifier = 'every'" section: 每个人, 每本书, with the rule spelled out | F+H | classifiers |
| Measure words 条, 家, 次, 些, 杯, 张thin条/家/杯/张 in the core-dozen table, 些 taught in demonstrative-forms.md; 次 never taught as a measure word anywhere, only used in examples | H | classifiers |
| Reduplication of measure words"Reduplication of classifiers: 个个 (every single one)... Adds an 'each and every' emphasis" | H | classifiers |
Adjectives (8)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective as predicate, positive and negative"Mandarin adjectives behave like verbs. They can be the predicate...with no copula"; negation section with 不冷/不好 | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Adjective + modifiers 很, 非常"The 很 (hěn) filler" section plus "Real intensifiers" table row for 非常 (fēi cháng) | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Modifying nouns with or without 的"monosyllabic + common = no 的; two-syllable or modified = 的" under 'Modifying nouns' heading | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Adjective + 了 to imply limits have been passed"Adding 了 (le)...signals a NEW state or that a limit has been passed": 太贵了 | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Adjective + 了 to imply a new situationSame 了 section: "他大了 - He's grown up / He's bigger now" (new-state reading) | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Stative verbs as adverbs (好吃, 难学)"Stative verbs as adverbs" heading: 好吃, 好看, 好听, 难学, 难看 all listed with the compound rule | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Adjective + 得多 / 极了 / 不得了not yetcomplements.md only forward-references it ("gets its own treatment when you get there"); no article ever gives that treatment | H | - |
| Adjective / stative verb + verb as adjective (好吃, 好听, 好看, 难看)Same "Stative verbs as adverbs" section lists exactly this set: 好吃, 好看, 好听, 难学, 难看 | H | adjective-as-predicate |
Particles (2)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Exclamation 太 … 了"太…了 frames an excessive degree. 太贵了, 太累了" under the degree-complement heading | F+H | complements |
| Intensifier 真Intensifiers table: "真 | zhēn | truly, genuinely | 真好 - genuinely good" | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
Sentence patterns (8)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Comparison with 比"Pattern 1: 比 (bǐ) for 'more than'. Pattern: A + 比 (bǐ) + B + adjective" | F+H | comparatives |
| Comparison with 比较 + adjective"Pattern 2: 比较 (bǐ jiào) for 'relatively'... use 比较 (bǐ jiào) in front" | F+H | comparatives |
| Comparison with 最"Pattern 3: 最 (zuì) for the superlative 'most'. Pattern: 最 + adjective" | F+H | comparatives |
| Similarity with 跟/和…一样"Pattern 4: 跟 (gēn)/和 (hé)…一样 (yí yàng) for 'same as'" | F+H | comparatives |
| Comparative sentences with quantities"Quantities go AFTER the adjective": 我比他高一点, 我比他高多了, 贵五块钱 | H | comparatives |
| Reported speech 听说, 妈妈说 …not yet听说 does not appear anywhere in the corpus; no reported-speech article or section exists | H | - |
| Topic-comment sentence"The structure is simply: topic + comment, where the comment is...a complete subject-predicate clause" | H | topic-comment-fronting |
| 是 + stative verb for emphasisnot yetcopula-shi.md and adjective-as-predicate.md both teach the opposite rule (no 是 before adjective) with no emphatic exception noted anywhere | H | - |
Adverbs (2)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Adverbs 非常, 常常, 一定, 也, 还, 就thin非常/还/就/也 each taught in dedicated sections elsewhere; 常常 only a passing aside in three-de.md, 一定 never taught as an adverb | F+H | adjective-as-predicate |
| Adverbs 经常, 从来, 从来不thin"You can stiffen the 'never' with 从来 (cóng lái)" covers 从来没; 经常 never appears anywhere, 从来不 never appears | H | guo-experiential |
Pronouns (5)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| All personal pronouns, singular and pluralthin"们 (men) plural suffix attaches to...pronouns: 我们...他们" teaches pluralisation only; no article lists or teaches the singular set | F+H | word-order |
| Personal pronouns with 的"这是我的书...This book is mine" and the close-relations 的-dropping rule for pronoun possessives | F+H | possession-with-de |
| Demonstrative pronouns 这, 那"这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) are the entire inventory" with full 这个/那个/这些/那些 paradigm | F+H | demonstrative-forms |
| 大家not yetused in example sentences across a dozen articles (chule-yiwai.md, causatives-shi-ling.md, etc.) but never itself explained | F+H | - |
| Reflexive 自己not yetappears only inside unrelated exercises/examples in 4 articles (conditionals-ruguo-yaoshi.md, lian-dou-emphasis.md, etc.); never taught | H | - |
Verbs (18)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Verb 是 (to be), positive and negative'是 (shì) links a noun to a noun' heading; 'Negation: 不是 (bú shì)' with full worked examples | F+H | copula-shi |
| Verb 有 (to have), positive and negative'有 (yǒu) is 'to have'' heading; 'The hard rule: 没有 (méi yǒu), never 不有 (bù yǒu)' | F+H | possession-you |
| Simple sentences (verb + object), positive and negative'不 (bù) negates the present... 没 (méi) negates completed past actions' with S+V+O positive/negative table | F+H | negation-bu-mei |
| Verb-object verbs (唱歌, 跳舞 etc.)'Many verbs come with a built-in object' - table of 吃饭/说话/唱歌/看书/睡觉 plus the separable-verb split rule | F+H | verb-object-verbs |
| Verbs of motion, methods of transport, purpose in coming and going'Job 2: purpose (go in order to do X)' - 我去商店买东西; means-of-transport SVCs cross-linked to co-verbs page | F+H | serial-verb-constructions |
| Modal verbs 会, 想, 要, 应该, 可以'The five-modal core' table: 会/想/要/应该/可以 with sense and example for each | F+H | modals-and-intent |
| Future intention 打算'打算 (dǎ suàn): plan to' - dedicated subsection with three worked examples | F+H | modals-and-intent |
| Attitude 喜欢, 爱not yet喜欢 appears only as an incidental S+V+O or negation example (negation-bu-mei, word-order, comparatives); no article explains the 喜欢/爱 liking pattern or the difference between them | F+H | - |
| Requests with 请'Polite request: 请 (qǐng) + verb' - 请 is the most-reached-for politeness marker in everyday Mandarin | F+H | requests-and-imperatives |
| Complements of direction, degree, mannerThree headed sections: 'Complement type 1: manner with 得', 'type 2: direction', 'type 3: degree' | F+H | complements |
| Modal verbs 得, 必须, 一定, 能thin得/必须/能 each get worked sections, but 一定 (certainty modal) is never taught; its only other appearance (formal-connectives) uses 一定 as 'a certain [effect]', a different sense | H | modals-and-intent |
| Negative of 必须: 不用, 不必'The trap: do NOT negate 必须 with 不必须... The negative of 必须 is 不用 (bú yòng)... or 不必 (bú bì)' | H | modals-and-intent |
| Future intention 准备'准备 (zhǔn bèi): preparing to / about to' - dedicated subsection with three examples | H | modals-and-intent |
| 得 to describe how an action is carried out'Complement type 1: manner with 得 (de). Pattern: verb + 得 (de) + adjective. Describes HOW the action is done' | H | complements |
| Use of 给'给 (gěi): to, for (benefactive)' - covers both co-verb and main-verb 'give' uses with worked examples | H | co-verbs |
| Reduplication of verbsWhole article: 'The three shapes for a one-syllable verb' (AA / A一A / A了A) and 'ABAB, never AABB' for two-syllable verbs | H | verb-reduplication |
| Imperatives (positive and negative)'Plain imperatives' section plus 'Negative imperatives: 别 (bié) and 不要 (bú yào)' | H | requests-and-imperatives |
| Resultative verb complements (看见, 看不见)'The principle: the verb plus its outcome' - 看见/听懂/找到 etc., plus 看不见/听不懂 negative-potential contrast section | H | resultative-complements |
Aspect markers (4)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Actions in progress 在, 正在'在 (zài) / 正在 (zhèng zài): ongoing action. Pattern: subject + 在 (or 正在) + verb' | F+H | aspect-markers |
| Completed actions 了'了 (le): completion and new situation... Job 1: completion (post-verb 了 (le))' with worked examples | F+H | aspect-markers |
| Experiential 过Whole article dedicated to 过: 'the particle that lets you say you have ever done something', negation with 没...过 | F+H | guo-experiential |
| Imminent action 了thinOnly one sentence touches it: 'Sentence-final 要 (yào)…了 (le) marks imminent action: 要下雨了' - no dedicated explanation of 快要/就要...了 | H | modals-and-intent |
Prepositions (2)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Co-verbs 从, 到, 在, 用, 坐Whole article: 'Subject + co-verb + co-verb's object + main verb' with a dedicated section per co-verb | F+H | co-verbs |
| 离 to state proximity / remoteness between two locationsthin离 only used as a vehicle for the 多远/多近 degree-question pattern (你家离这儿多远); 离's own function is never explained and positive statements (很近/很远) aren't shown | H | degree-questions-duo |
Interrogatives (10)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Questions with 吗Type 1: 吗 (ma) for yes/no questions - 'Take any statement, append 吗 to the end, you have a yes/no question.' | F+H | question-words |
| Choice-type questionsHeading 'Type 2: V-not-V (choice questions)' - full paragraph on 是不是/吃不吃/喜不喜欢 forms. | F+H | question-words |
| Questions with 还是Heading 'Type 3: 还是 (hái shì) for A or B alternatives', with worked examples and contrast vs 或者. | F+H | question-words |
| Wh-questions: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 为什么, 怎么, 几Heading 'Type 4: wh-questions (in-situ)' plus wh-word inventory table covering all six words. | F+H | question-words |
| Wh-questions: 哪个, 什么时候, 怎么样, 多少, 多大, 几岁Wh-word inventory table lists 哪个/什么时候/怎么样/多少/多大/几岁 each with pinyin and example. | F+H | question-words |
| Tag questions with 呢, 吧Heading 'Tag particles: 呢 (ne) and 吧 (ba)' with worked examples of both. | F+H | question-words |
| Wh-questions: 多远, 多长时间, 多久Inventory table rows for 多远 'how far', 多长时间 'how long (duration)', 多久 'how long (informal)'. | H | question-words |
| Indirect questionsthinOnly degree words embed: '你不知道这件事有多难' under 知道/看/想. No article teaches embedding 谁/什么/哪儿 under a matrix verb. | H | degree-questions-duo |
| Interrogatives expressing inclusiveness / exclusiveness'无论/不管 + an OPEN element (question word) + 都/也' - 谁 becomes 'whoever', 什么 becomes 'whatever'. | H | wulun-buguan |
| Interrogatives used indefinitelynot yetSearched all 69 articles for bare indefinite use of 什么/谁/哪儿 (e.g. 想喝点什么). Only the 无论/不管...都 frame (inclusiveness) is taught. | H | - |
Location (3)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Location with 在Heading 'Pattern 1: Subject + 在 (zài) + Place (location)' with 我在家/他在学校 examples. | F+H | location-and-existence |
| Location with 是Heading 'Pattern 3: Place + 是 (shì) + Thing (descriptive location)' - 桌子上是一本书, 山上是雪. | F+H | location-and-existence |
| Positional phrases with 的 (墙上的画)Heading 'Positional phrases with 的 (de)' - exact example given: 墙上的画 (qiáng shang de huà). | F+H | location-and-existence |
Conjunctions (21)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| Joining nouns with 和"Used to JOIN nouns. Not used to join clauses (that's the paired structures' job)." | F+H | conjunctions |
| 'With' 和, 跟"跟 (gēn) leans 'with' / accompaniment; 和 (hé) leans 'and' / listing." | F+H | conjunctions |
| Parallel subjects 都"### 都 (dōu): 'all' / 'both' ... Goes BEFORE the verb." | F+H | conjunctions |
| 虽然 … 但是 …"## 虽然 (suī rán)…但是 (although…but…): contrast" | F+H | conjunctions |
| 因为 … 所以 …"## 因为 (yīn wèi)…所以 (because…so…): cause and effect" | F+H | conjunctions |
| 也 … 也 …"## 也 (yě)…也 (also…also…): 'both…and…'" | F+H | conjunctions |
| 又 … 又 …"## 又 (yòu)…又 (and…and…): 'both…and…' (slightly stronger)" | F+H | conjunctions |
| 先 … 然后/再 …"## 先 (xiān)…然后 (rán hòu) / 再 (first…then…): sequence" | F+H | conjunctions |
| 如果/要是 … 就 …"## 如果 (rú guǒ) / 要是 (yào shi)…就 (then…): conditional"; also full page conditionals-ruguo-yaoshi.md | F+H | conjunctions |
| 一边 … 一边 …"## 一边 (yì biān)…一边 (one side…one side…): simultaneous" | F+H | conjunctions |
| … 的时候"## …的时候 (when…): time clause ... 的时候 sits at the back of its clause." | F+H | conjunctions |
| Or in statements 或, 或者"或者 (huò zhě) - or. Fully everyday..." Keep 或者 for statements, 还是 for either-or questions. | H | zhe-nominaliser |
| 一 … 就 …"That last one is the 一 (yī) ... 就 (jiù) pattern: as soon as the first thing happens, the second follows." | H | jiu-vs-cai |
| 不但 … 而且 …"不但 (bù dàn) + A, + 而且 (ér qiě) / 还 (hái) / 也 (yě) / 并且 (bìng qiě) + B" - whole page frame | H | budan-erqie |
| 除了 … 以外 …"除了 (chú le) + X + 以外 (yǐ wài), + subject + 都/还/也 + Verb" - whole page frame | H | chule-yiwai |
| 越 … 越 …"### 越 (yuè)... 越 (yuè)...: the more / the more" - 越多越好, 我越想越生气 | H | intermediate |
| 而且"而且 does not depend on anything before it" - table row explains it as a standalone connective too | H | budan-erqie |
| 不过"不过 (bú guò) is the softest of the three: a gentle, conversational 'but / though / mind you'" | H | concession-buguo-haishi |
| 那么thinOnly teaches 那么 inside 没有…那么…(adj) comparison intensifier; never the 'in that case/so' connective sense. | H | comparatives |
| 因此"因此 (yīn cǐ) is a conclusion ... it says: given the fact just stated, the following follows." | H | formal-connectives |
| 为了not yetChecked rhetorical-questions.md, suo-constructions.md, shi-de-construction.md, co-verbs.md, serial-verb-constructions.md - 为了 only appears as incidental vocab inside other topics' examples, never expl | H | - |
Numbers and time (7)
| Structure | Tier | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| All numbers up to 1 million"## The 万 (wàn) problem" table runs 一千 to 一亿, incl. 一百万 (yì bǎi wàn) - 1,000,000 | F+H | numbers-time-dates |
| Ordinal numbers with 第"## Ordinals with 第 (dì). Add 第 (dì) in front of a number to make it ordinal." | F+H | numbers-time-dates |
| Stating quantities"A number cannot sit straight against a noun - a measure word ... has to come between them." | F+H | classifiers |
| Giving the time and date"## Telling the time" and "## Dates: year-month-day order" sections with full worked patterns | F+H | numbers-time-dates |
| Currencies and prices"## Currency: 元 (yuán) / 块 (kuài) / 毛 (máo) / 分 (fēn)" - spoken vs written forms, price format | F+H | numbers-time-dates |
| Length of time"## Durations ... X个小时 (X hours), X天 (X days)" etc, incl. post-verb duration placement | F+H | numbers-time-dates |
| Word order with time expressions"## The time-before-verb word-order rule ... Time expressions go before the verb, after the subject." | F+H | numbers-time-dates |
Prescribed structures taken from the AQA GCSE Mandarin (8673) specification. Coverage last verified 2026-09-21. "Thin" means a structure is touched but not taught as its own rule.