Connecting sentences

[StormerJack]

Removed

[陳德聰]

I am relatively certain you can just say all the things you're being asked to say and it makes a coherent paragraph. So for now, just do that.

 

Hello Mr. Li, how are you today? My name is __ ___. Last name ___, first name __. I'm 23 years old. I come from _____. I am a _____. I live in _____. I like this place. The climate is good. This is my friend. They are named ____. They are my colleague, but they are not _____. They are from _____. We both live in _____. Today is the __th of ___. It's ____'s birthday today. Happy birthday, _____.

There is only one "linking" word in that paragraph, and it is "but" (可是).

[Shelley]

I agree that you can say what you need to say in the form of a list as it were. But I also understand how having some connecting words make it flow a bit better. So here are three "connecting" words that I learnt fairly early on in my studies.

 

也 ye3 = also

和 he2 = and

还 hai2 =still (as in ongoing), yet

 

I would look these words up as the meaning i have given is the simple, basic meaning and it might help you to know the complete meanings and uses of these words.

 

Good luck

[StormerJack]

thanks for the help both of you

[roddy]

Shelley, I appreciate you're trying to help, but how would you use 也 or 还 to join those sentences together. You could stick them in inside the sentences maybe, but joining them? 和 you could perhaps use, but unnecessarily. 

[Shelley]

Well, one of the sentences the OP was suppose to use was "Indicate that your friend /spouse has the same profession as you." You could use  "also " to say "I am a doctor.My friend is also a doctor" .

I agreed that he didn't need to use any connecting words but I thought he might like to know some in case he was feeling adventuress and wanted to try and "plump" up his statements.

I also didn't say he had to use all or any of them just that here were three "connecting" words I learnt early on in my studies and therefore maybe the right sort of level for him to incorporate in his work if he wanted to not that he had to.

I also said he should look up these words to understand fully how to use them, he may discover he couldn't or didn't need to use them.

I suppose it depends on whether you consider these words connecting, IMHO in some cases they are.

If you think its a rubbish answer then i am sorry.

I will stop trying.

[Shelley]

Sorry about the rant, feeling sorry for myself. Was sulking, feel better now   

[Demonic_Duck]

I agree that you don't really need connecting words here. Once you get more in depth, you may want to look at using words such as 另外 or 此外 (in addition), 不过 (however) and 反正 (anyway). Don't try to use 和, 还 or 也 to link sentences together. 和 is used for connecting nouns and adjectives, but not clauses. 还 is used for "still" or as a softener on an adjective, similar to "quite". 也 is "also", but again not used for linking clauses.

[roddy]

Jack, why not post up what you've got so far and we can take a look...

[StormerJack]

Removed

[StormerJack]

if i wanted to greet Mr Li by name would it be "Nǐ hǎo Lǐ. Nǐ hǎo ma?" i tried to google it but all the example greeting conversations dont cover greeting somebody by name

[Demonic_Duck]

李老师，您好。 Lǐ lǎoshī, nín hǎo.

[StormerJack]

removed

[kanqian]

Hi Jack (suppose this is your real name),

I am the module chair for The Open University's Beginners's Chinese module. What you have put here is part of our first assignment, which should be completed independently. I'd advise you not to seek help in this manner as it beaches the student Code of Conduct. A group email has sent out to all the students on the module quoting the relevant section of the Code of Conduct. I also explained in the letter why it is not to your benefit to ask for help on a public forum.

I hope you will delete the above post.

Yours sincerely,

KAN Qian

[skylee]

It seems ok, but what is qínghǎo?  And where does zhège dìfāng mean? London? You like the weather in London? Then you will need to use 的. There are so many Wǒ that it sounds repetitive.

 

Plus, do people really say yīnggélán? AFAIK it is only used on football teams and when it is necessary to make it clear that Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are not included.  Otherwise usually people just use 英國.

[StormerJack]

@kanqian sorry about that i have now removed it, this is the first test/assignment i have not been able to revise for online so your post come as abit of a shock to me.

Unfortunately the module books dont cover some of the things i asked here thats why i was seeking help but i guess i will just have to guess from now on and hope its correct.

[kanqian]

Jack,

Thank you for deleting the post. The assignment is not due until 28th of November. You should learn session by session, do all the online practices (grammar, reading, listening, and especially speaking) that are associated to each session. All the things you are asked to say in the assignment are covered by the module materials (sessions 1-6). You can also make use of the transcripts of the CD at the end of the module book. You can always email your tutor for help. It is also a good idea to attend the online or face-to-face tutorials by your own tutor and you can ask questions there. Besides, I will give an extra online drop-in tutorial on Sunday 17th November (9:30 - 11am) to revise for the first assignment. Go to the News area of the module website to find out the details and where to join the meeting. If you have further questions, please raise them using the Student forum on the module website and I will respond there.

[anonymoose]

Pw3nd!

[johnk]

Best of luck with the OU course.

I have an OU degree. I did consider the OU Chinese course, but as there is only one beginner level course, I decided not to pursue it.

 

The question about connecting sentences in Chinese is of interest to me though. I spent ages struggling with this.

I found the Schaum's Chinese Grammar book by Claudia Ross (ISBN 978-0-07-163526-4) to be useful. It has a whole chapter devoted to 'Phrase and Clause Connection'.

Although at beginner's level, you should probably concentrate on using simple sentences as suggested above.

[Demonic_Duck]

it is not to your benefit to ask for help on a public forum

If that forum is this one, I'd say it is to your benefit, as long as you're asking the right questions and not breaking any academic regulations. Many members here have an excellent level of Chinese, and the answers you receive here will generally be very good, at least judging from my own experience of asking questions here. That said, I'm not familiar with the exact brief of your assignment, or the student code of conduct mentioned. All I'm sayin' is, don't be put off attempting to improve your knowledge through all means at your disposal, as long as they're... y'know... ethical n' stuff.