A subject-predicate sentence usually relates an event and is therefore used for narrative purposes. It has the following features:
(1) The subject is often a noun or pronoun representing the initiator or recipient of the action (or non-action) expressed by the verb:
147
! DàjiA ddu Everybody carried an
5 dàile yoskn. umbrella with them.
!" TAmen shdu dàole They received quite a lot of
!5 bù shko lmwù. presents.
!5 Dìdi bù chc yú. My younger brother doesn]t eat ysh.
() TA méi(ynu) He has never been to India.
5 qùguo Yìndù.
(2) The subject must be of deYnite reference:
!5 TA zài xm wkn. She is washing the dishes.
! LKoshC znu jìn The teacher came into the
5 le jiàoshì. classroom.
! Háizimen zài The children are playing
!"5 mklù shang tc qiú. football on the road.
! MAma die diào Mother has lost her purse.
!5 le tade qiánbao.
A noun at the beginning of such a sentence, even if unqualiyed by a demonstrative (this, that), will have deynite reference (e.g.
lkoshc [the teacher] in the above). A personal pronoun is naturally of deynite reference, and a pronoun like dàjia refers to [everybody of a deynite group]. A noun of indeynite reference cannot normally be the subject of a subject-predicate construction, and it would therefore be unusual to say:
* ! *YC gè xuésheng (lit. A student stood up.)
!5 zhànle qmlái.
However, it is possible to begin the sentence with the verb ynu so that the noun of indeynite reference comes after a verb:
!" YNu yC gè xuésheng A student stood up.
!5 zhànle qmlái.
This accounts for the fact that many narrative sentences begin with a time or location expression followed by ynu:
! Zhèi shíhou (lit. this time there-was (one) () yNu (yc) liàng mw car drive asp
across- !5 chb kaile guòlái. come) At this moment a car approached.
148 III Sentences
! JCntiAn wKnshang (lit. today evening there-will-be
() yNu (yc) gè (one) mw friend come my
péngyou lái home sit) A friend is coming
5 wn jia zuò. round to my place this evening.
! Wàimiàn yNu (lit. outside there-is person
5 rén zhko nm. look-for you) There is someone outside looking for you.
(3) The predicate verb is an action verb. Aspect markers are there-fore almost always present in subject-predicate sentences (see Chapter 8).
Wn hBle I drank/had a glass of milk.
!5 yc bbi niúnki.
!"5 Ta kànguo zájì. He has seen acrobatics.
! Tamen zhèngzài They are negotiating right now.
5 tánpàn.
D Ta dàizhe yc She is wearing a white hat.
5 dmng bái màozi.
Note: Some action verbs can be followed by zhe to indicate a persistent state that results from the action of the verb. See the last example above and 8.3.4.
(4) It may be a sentence with a passive marker (e.g. bèi, =ràng,
jiào, etc.) or with bk (implying intentional manipulation or unintentional intervention; see also Chapter 20):
! Xìnfbng bèi (lit. envelope by handle p very
5 nòng de dirty) The envelope has been hln zang. made very dirty.
!" Tamen bK (lit. they grasp car stop at
!5 qìchb tíng road-side) They parked their zài lù bian. car by the side of the road.
(5) The predicate verb may be causative or dative (see 8.5 and 21.5).
!"5 Ta qMng wn She invited me to a meal.
chc fàn. (causative)
!" Wn sòng ta I gave him a present. (dative)
5 yc gè lmwù.
149 18.3 Topic-comment sentences
A topic-comment sentence, while usually following a structure with a noun phrase followed by a verb phrase similar to that of a subject and predicate, provides a description or offers an opinion, rather than narrating an action or event. It is therefore a construction designed for descriptive, explanatory or argumentative purposes. The following features differentiate it from the subject-predicate sentence:
(1) The topic may be of any word class or any structure (e.g. a phrase or even a clause):
Z ìdiKn hln ynuyòng. (lit. dictionary very useful)
5 (noun: [dictionaries]) Dictionaries are useful.
LKnduò shì bù duì (lit. lazy is not right p)
5 de. (adjective: [lazy]) Being lazy is wrong.
! Zuò shì ycnggai (lit. do things should
5 rènzhbn. conscientious) One should (verbal phrase: be conscientious when [doing anything]) doing anything.
TA bù lái bù (lit. he not come not
5 yàojmn. (clause: urgent) It does not matter [he does not come]) if he does not turn up.
(2) The topic may be of deynite or indeynite reference:
! GDngjù ycnggai (lit. tool should put at here)
!5 fàng zài zhèr. The tools should be placed here.
YC gè rén (lit. one mw person not
bù néng bù able not talk reason) A
5 jikng lm. person must be reasonable.
(3) The comment can be an adjectival predicate, or it can contain the verbs shì or ynu:
! Zhèi gè háizi This child is (very)
5 hLn cDngmíng. intelligent.
Jcntian shì Today is my birthday.
!5 wnde shbngrì.
150 III Sentences
18.3.1 Further ways to form topic-comment sentences
In addition, topic-comments can be created in the following circumstances:
(1) When a modal verb is present, since a modal verb naturally signals a comment:
Ta huì shud She can speak Chinese.
5 Zhdngwén.
! Shéi ddu yCnggAi Everybody should
!5 zenshnu jìlv. observe discipline.
Xuésheng yl Students may also take
!5 kLyM canjia. part.
(2) By the addition of the sentence particle le. This can convert most subject-predicates into topic-comments since by deynition it expresses a comment on the action, updating, indicating change, etc. (see 16.1):
Dìdi chc (lit. younger-brother eat ysh p)
5 yú le. My younger brother eats ysh now.
Bìngrén xmng (lit. patient wake across-come p)
5 guòlái le. The patient has regained consciousness.
Biérén ddu (lit. others all depart p)
5 líkai le. The others have all left.