Syntax Quiz (Language Files 5.1) Part A

Syntax Quiz (Language Files 5.1)

1 Word Order (3 sentences are OK. Which one is grammatically wrong?)
A My dog eats steak
B Eats steak my dog
C Steak, my dog eats
D Steak eats my dog

2 Lexical Categories (我很喜歡狗 3 translations are wrong.
Which one is correct? Can you say why?)
A I like dogs
B I very like dogs
C I like dog
D I very like dog

3 Agreement (3 sentences are wrong. Which one is correct? Can you say why?)
A 一匹牛
B 一張椅子
C 一把書
D 一條蛇

4 Q: What is a sentence? A: A sentence is a ~ of words
Fill in ONE correct word

Answers appear below the break

Chinese Syllables

English syllables can start with 1, 2 or 3 consonants:

sit (CVC),

spit (CCVC) and

split (CCCVC). 

English syllables can also end with 1, 2 or 3 consonants: 

sit (CVC),

silt (CVCC) and

silts (CVCCC).

Chinese syllables can only start with one consonant (C) and usually end with a vowel (V): CV. Some Chinese syllables end with a consonant: CVC, and some start with a vowel and end with a consonant: VC. Chinese syllables (Mandarin syllables) are much simpler than English syllables.

The character 蔣 is pronounced 
jeang (Gwoyeu Luomaatzyh)/jiǎng (Hanyu Pinyin)/ㄐㄧㄤˇ(bopomofo)
Traditionally, Chinese syllables are divided into two parts: initials and finals.

ㄐ	ㄧ	ㄤ	ˇ
聲母	韻母
Initial	Final

Init- means the “beginning”

Fin- means “the end”

ㄐ	ㄧ	ㄤ	ˇ
聲母	介音	韻尾	聲調
Initial	Medial	(Coda)	Tone

Chinese syllables usually end with a vowel (= an open syllable). A few syllables end with a consonant, but there are only two choices: -n or –ng.

Summary:

English syllables can start or end with several consonants (CCCVCCC). 

Chinese syllables can only start and end with one consonant (CVC). 

This is why we say that syllables in Mandarin are much simpler than syllables in English.