Mandarin grammar · AQA GCSE 8673

Every grammar point AQA GCSE Mandarin asks for

AQA's GCSE Mandarin specification (8673) prescribes 96 grammar structures. This is the full list, with the tier each one is examined at and the lesson on this site that teaches it. Where we only partly teach a structure, or do not teach it yet, the list says so rather than leaving it out.

Foundation candidates are assessed on the 61 Foundation structures. Higher candidates need those and the 35 marked Higher.

Practise this in the GCSE course See the journey map

Taught

Partly taught

Not taught yet

Nouns (2)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Noun suffixes 子, 家, 员	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Noun Suffixes 子, 家 and 员: Things, Experts and Members
Noun suffixes 儿, 者	Higher	Partly taught	The Mandarin Suffix 者 (zhě): 作者, 读者, 记者

Classifiers (4)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Measure words 个, 岁, 年, 只, 天, 本, 口	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Measure Words (Classifiers): The Core 12 and 个
Measure word + 每 to mean 'every'	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Measure Words (Classifiers): The Core 12 and 个
Measure words 条, 家, 次, 些, 杯, 张	Higher	Partly taught	Mandarin Measure Words (Classifiers): The Core 12 and 个
Reduplication of measure words	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Measure Words (Classifiers): The Core 12 and 个

Adjectives (8)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Adjective as predicate, positive and negative	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Adjective + modifiers 很, 非常	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Modifying nouns with or without 的	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives Before Nouns: When to Use 的 (de)
Adjective + 了 to imply limits have been passed	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Adjective + 了 to imply a new situation	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Stative verbs as adverbs (好吃, 难学)	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Adjective + 得多 / 极了 / 不得了	Higher	Taught	得多, 极了, 不得了: Intensifying Adjectives in Mandarin
Adjective / stative verb + verb as adjective (好吃, 好听, 好看, 难看)	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷

Particles (2)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Exclamation 太 … 了	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Complements: 得, Direction and Result After a Verb
Intensifier 真	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷

Sentence patterns (8)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Comparison with 比	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Comparison with 比较 + adjective	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Comparison with 最	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Similarity with 跟/和…一样	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Comparative sentences with quantities	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
Reported speech 听说, 妈妈说 …	Higher	Taught	Reported Speech in Mandarin: 听说 and 说
Topic-comment sentence	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Topic-Comment Structure: Fronting the Object
是 + stative verb for emphasis	Higher	Taught	The Mandarin Copula 是 (shì): To Be, and When to Leave It Out

Adverbs (2)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Adverbs 非常, 常常, 一定, 也, 还, 就	Foundation	Partly taught	Mandarin Adjectives: Why 'I Am Cold' Is 我冷, Not 我是冷
Adverbs 经常, 从来, 从来不	Higher	Partly taught	Mandarin 过 (guo): Saying You Have Ever Done Something

Pronouns (5)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
All personal pronouns, singular and plural	Foundation	Partly taught	Chinese Sentence Structure: Mandarin Word Order Rules
Personal pronouns with 的	Foundation	Taught	Possession in Mandarin: 的 (de) for My, Your and His
Demonstrative pronouns 这, 那	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Demonstratives: 这 (zhè) and 那 (nà) With Examples
大家	Foundation	Taught	大家 (Everyone) and Reflexive 自己 (Oneself) in Mandarin
Reflexive 自己	Higher	Taught	大家 (Everyone) and Reflexive 自己 (Oneself) in Mandarin

Verbs (18)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Verb 是 (to be), positive and negative	Foundation	Taught	The Mandarin Copula 是 (shì): To Be, and When to Leave It Out
Verb 有 (to have), positive and negative	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Possession with 有 (yǒu): To Have
Simple sentences (verb + object), positive and negative	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Negation: 不 (bù) vs 没 (méi) and Why 不有 Is Wrong
Verb-object verbs (唱歌, 跳舞 etc.)	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Verb-Object Verbs: Why 'To Eat' Is 吃饭
Verbs of motion, methods of transport, purpose in coming and going	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Serial Verbs: 我去商店买东西 and Verb Order
Modal verbs 会, 想, 要, 应该, 可以	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Modal Verbs: 会, 能, 可以, 想, 要 and 应该
Future intention 打算	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Future Tense: 会, 要, 打算 and 快要...了
Attitude 喜欢, 爱	Foundation	Taught	喜欢 vs 爱: Saying You Like or Love Something in Mandarin
Requests with 请	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Imperatives and Polite Requests: 请, 别, 吧
Complements of direction, degree, manner	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Complements: 得, Direction and Result After a Verb
Modal verbs 得, 必须, 一定, 能	Higher	Partly taught	Mandarin Modal Verbs: 会, 能, 可以, 想, 要 and 应该
Negative of 必须: 不用, 不必	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Modal Verbs: 会, 能, 可以, 想, 要 and 应该
Future intention 准备	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Future Tense: 会, 要, 打算 and 快要...了
得 to describe how an action is carried out	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Complements: 得, Direction and Result After a Verb
Use of 给	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Co-verbs: 从, 到, 在, 用, 给, 离 as Prepositions
Reduplication of verbs	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Verb Reduplication: 看看, 看一看 and 一下
Imperatives (positive and negative)	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Imperatives and Polite Requests: 请, 别, 吧
Resultative verb complements (看见, 看不见)	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Resultative Complements: 看见, 吃完, 找到

Aspect markers (4)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Actions in progress 在, 正在	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Aspect Markers: 了, 过, 在 and 着 Instead of Tense
Completed actions 了	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Aspect Markers: 了, 过, 在 and 着 Instead of Tense
Experiential 过	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin 过 (guo): Saying You Have Ever Done Something
Imminent action 了	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Future Tense: 会, 要, 打算 and 快要...了

Prepositions (2)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Co-verbs 从, 到, 在, 用, 坐	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Co-verbs: 从, 到, 在, 用, 给, 离 as Prepositions
离 to state proximity / remoteness between two locations	Higher	Taught	How Tall, How Far in Mandarin: 多高, 多远, 多大 With 多

Interrogatives (10)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Questions with 吗	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Choice-type questions	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Questions with 还是	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Wh-questions: 什么, 谁, 哪儿, 为什么, 怎么, 几	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Wh-questions: 哪个, 什么时候, 怎么样, 多少, 多大, 几岁	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Tag questions with 呢, 吧	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Wh-questions: 多远, 多长时间, 多久	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Question Words: 什么, 谁, 哪儿 and the Full List
Indirect questions	Higher	Partly taught	How Tall, How Far in Mandarin: 多高, 多远, 多大 With 多
Interrogatives expressing inclusiveness / exclusiveness	Higher	Taught	No Matter What in Mandarin: 无论 and 不管...都
Interrogatives used indefinitely	Higher	Taught	Mandarin Interrogative Pronouns: 谁, 什么, 哪 and 'Anyone'

Location (3)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Location with 在	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin 在 vs 有: Location, Existence and 上/下/里
Location with 是	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin 在 vs 有: Location, Existence and 上/下/里
Positional phrases with 的 (墙上的画)	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin 在 vs 有: Location, Existence and 上/下/里

Conjunctions (21)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
Joining nouns with 和	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
'With' 和, 跟	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
Parallel subjects 都	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin 也 (yě) and 都 (dōu): Also, All, and Where They Go
虽然 … 但是 …	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
因为 … 所以 …	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
也 … 也 …	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
又 … 又 …	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
先 … 然后/再 …	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
如果/要是 … 就 …	Foundation	Taught	If in Mandarin: 如果, 要是, 的话 and 就 (Conditionals)
一边 … 一边 …	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
… 的时候	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Conjunctions: 虽然…但是, 因为…所以 and More
Or in statements 或, 或者	Higher	Taught	The Mandarin Suffix 者 (zhě): 作者, 读者, 记者
一 … 就 …	Higher	Taught	一…就 (yī…jiù) in Mandarin: As Soon As and Whenever
不但 … 而且 …	Higher	Taught	Not Only... But Also in Mandarin: 不但...而且
除了 … 以外 …	Higher	Taught	Mandarin 除了...以外: Except, or Besides?
越 … 越 …	Higher	Taught	越来越 and 越…越 in Mandarin: More and More, the More the More
而且	Higher	Taught	Not Only... But Also in Mandarin: 不但...而且
不过	Higher	Taught	Although in Mandarin: 虽然…还是, 不过 and 还是
那么	Higher	Partly taught	Mandarin Comparatives: 比, 最 and 跟…一样 With Examples
因此	Higher	Taught	Formal Mandarin Connectives: 然而, 因此, 于是 and 尽管
为了	Higher	Taught	为了 (In Order To) in Mandarin: Purpose Clauses

Numbers and time (7)

Structure	Tier	Status	Taught in
All numbers up to 1 million	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Numbers: How Chinese Counting Works, 0 to 亿
Ordinal numbers with 第	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Numbers: How Chinese Counting Works, 0 to 亿
Stating quantities	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Measure Words (Classifiers): The Core 12 and 个
Giving the time and date	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Time, Dates and Money: 点, 年月日 and 块
Currencies and prices	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Time, Dates and Money: 点, 年月日 and 块
Length of time	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Time, Dates and Money: 点, 年月日 and 块
Word order with time expressions	Foundation	Taught	Mandarin Time, Dates and Money: 点, 年月日 and 块

Learn it in the order the specification sets it

The GCSE Mandarin course teaches the specification's words and this grammar, Foundation before Higher, with short drills that remember what you already know.

Practise this in the GCSE course Journey map

Prescribed structures taken from the AQA GCSE Mandarin (8673) specification. Coverage checked against each lesson by hand, last on 2026-09-21. "Partly taught" means a structure appears in a lesson but is not taught there as a rule of its own. Kilo Lingo is not affiliated with or endorsed by AQA.