li3wei1 Posted July 25, 2014 at 06:51 PM Report Posted July 25, 2014 at 06:51 PM Review of Practicing HSK Grammar HSK语法精讲精练 ISBN 978-7-80200-451-1 set price: 58元 21cm x 28.5cm, 252 pages I got this through the second round of the Sinolingua giveaway, complete with big 邓小平 postage stamps. I haven't had a thorough read of it yet, so I'll add comments as I get through it. First, the structure. There are 11 chapters, each concentrating on one area, such as 'prepositions' or 'particles', each with some explanation and examples, then exercises, then the answers with very detailed explanations of each answer. To pick a random example, chapter 6, 'Optative Verb', has four pages of explanation (Chinese and English, translated after each paragraph), 30 multiple-choice exercises (a page and a bit), and four pages of answers to the exercises (with explanations), again in Chinese and English. There are no vocabulary lists, and the only pinyin is in the English translations. The back of the book says this is for HSK Elementary and Intermediate, but what this means is not entirely clear. The book was first printed in 2008 (when the old system was in place, and Elementary/Intermediate referred to HSK 3-, but this copy was printed in 2012, under the new system. Old HSK 8 may be roughly equivalent to New HSK 6 (feel free to disagree, I haven't taken any HSKs). However, sometimes the New HSK levels are described in such a way that 5 and 6 are 'advanced'. At some point I'll try to compare the 'grammar points' in this book with those on the Chinese Grammar Wiki, which are labelled by level. Within each chapter, the explanations are basically about individual words, phrases, or structures. So, for instance, in the Preposition chapter, we get paragraphs on 按照，朝，趁，从，etc. with very little on prepositions in general. Some of the chapters take a more general approach, for instance Reduplication, Complement, and Relative Phrases and Complex Sentences. While much of this information is no doubt useful (and a quick look at the section on 的 has revealed information I haven't found elsewhere), this arrangement does not make it easy to find. A Student Handbook for Chinese Function Words (Jiaying Howard, Chinese University Press, 2002) has similar information, but it's arranged alphabetically and has three indexes, while this book has none. I find the layout a bit confusing, as well. Each word or phrase is numbered, but different usages or factoids are introduced with indented circled numbers, and points below this level use bold capital letters. This system is interrupted frequently by “Special Tips”. Finding your way around the page is not easy. While we're being negative, I should mention that the translation isn't ideal. I haven't found anything inaccurate yet, and it's generally easy to see what is meant, but some of the sentences are awkward or ungrammatical. What this book has that others don't is the exercises, and the detailed explanations of the answers. So a student aiming for one of the HSK tests could use it as a self-tester, and brush up on those areas where he/she makes mistakes. A teacher could presumably use it as a source for test or quizzes, but the material isn't matched to a particular syllabus. So, if it is intended for self-testers only, why is it bilingual? Who's going to read all the Chinese? There is some unusual grammatical vocabulary here. Measure words are called 'quantifiers', and optative verbs (能源动词) are what Ross/Ma and Yip/Rimmington both call 'modal verbs'. I'm not saying one's right and one's wrong, just be aware that English terms for Chinese grammatical concepts have yet to be universally agreed on. 4 Quote
Popular Post edelweis Posted July 27, 2014 at 11:20 AM Popular Post Report Posted July 27, 2014 at 11:20 AM I too received a copy of this book Practising HSK Grammar HSK语法精讲精练 edited by Sinolingua, through the 2014 "Free Chinese Books (Second Round)". Many thanks to Sinolingua, Elina and Roddy. Here are my first impressions as I just received the book yesterday. Summary: mostly useful for the many exercises with answer key and explanation, related to the old 初、中HSK grammar section. I'd recommend it for students around new HSK level 5, possibly useful if you're around new HSK6 already and want some review. There are some explanations for the grammatical concepts and word usage but you had better have a reference grammar book too. This book was clearly intended for preparing students to the "grammar" section of the old 初、中HSK.The first edition was published in 2008, the exercise format is the same as the old HSK grammar part, and there's even an "HSK 真题 语法结构" sample at the end of the book.So most probably the vocabulary and grammar used in this book match the old HSK vocabulary lists A,B,C ?.It's true that there is no index, well I made my own detailed table of contents while having a look at the book for this review, see below.However even with such a TOC, it's not so easy to find the exercise questions that match the word you are interested in. You might want to search this TOC for the word in order to determine which chapter is relevant, then skim the exercises of that chapter until you find the word in the possible answers.Also, it is not so easy to match the explanations and exercises to a given new HSK level. You'll have to refer to the word lists and/or your memory.Considering that I am nearly finished with my study of the new HSK5 wordlist, but mostly by self-study for recognition, I am pretty sure that I haven't mastered word usage in production. So I am pretty excited about this book, I find the explained words a reasonably good match to the words I have already learnt, with many extra words of course but nothing scary, it just promises that the book will be useful to me for quite some time.After looking at a few of the questions, I find that the sentences (not only the possible answers) contain words which I haven't learnt yet. Since there is no translation, I will probably need a dictionary to work my way through the exercises. On the other hand the old HSK tests did contain many words outside of the official vocabulary lists didn't they? And people were supposed to be able to answer those anyway...People who are at a new HSK levels 1,2,3 and even 4 may find this book too difficult to use. Although some chapters, for instance chapter 5, explain some grammar concepts applicable at lower levels, the exercises may contain a lot of higher level vocabulary, without pinyin or translation.The explanations about words usage, and explanation of the answer key, are in simplified characters + English with some pinyin.The examples and exercises are in simplified characters only - no translation, no pinyin.量词 1 quick explanation and table matching about 70 measure words with nouns or verbs 把、杯、本、笔、部、场、册、层、打、滴、顶、堆、队、对、朵、番、封、副、幅、根、股、行、户、架、间、件、届、颗、块、粒、列、辆、面、门、幕、批、匹、篇、片、群、扇、首、双、所、套、条、头、项、页、盏、张、支、枝、只、幢、座 次、回、趟、遍、番、顿、下儿 100 multiple choice questions with answer key and explanations.副词 31 Explanations and examples to help understand when to chose one word rather than another. 本来，原来 31 不，没有 32 不必，未必，何必 33 不免，难免 33 毕竟，到底，究竟 34 才，就 35 差点儿，几乎 35 常常，往往 36 从来，始终 37 倒，反而 38 多亏，幸亏 38 分明，明明 39 赶紧，赶快，赶忙，连忙 39 刚，刚刚，刚才 40 果然，竟然，居然 41 好像，似乎 41 突然，忽然 41 千万，万万，万一 42 太，挺，真 42 特别，尤其 43 偷偷，悄悄 43 一点儿，有点儿 43 一直，总是 44 只好，不得不 44 100 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations.介词 67 Explanations and examples about word usage 按照 67 朝 67 趁 68 从 68 当 69 对 70 对于 71 关于 72 就 73 据 74 靠 74 凭 74 随着 75 往 75 为 76 为了 77 向 77 依照 78 以 78 由 79 自 80 自从 81 在……上 82 在……中 82 在……下 82 50 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations.连词 95 Explanations and examples about word usage 并 95 并且 95 不然 96 从而 97 而 97 而且 98 反之 99 固然 99 还是 100 好 100 何况 100 或者 101 既 101 鉴于 102 可见 102 况且 102 免得 102 难怪 103 宁可 103 任 104 甚至 104 省得 104 要么 104 以 105 以便 105 以免 105 以至 105 以致 106 再说 106 至于 107 50 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations. 助词 121 Explanations and examples about word usage 的 121 地 124 得 125 所 126 了 127 着 130 过 131 罢了 132 35 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations. 能愿动词 141 explanations about classification and grammatical features of "optative verbs" 141 The listed verbs：要，想，愿，愿意，情愿，感，肯，可能，能，能够，可，可以，会，应，应该，应当，得，and the exercises also have questions on 必须 and 需要 能，会 142 能，可以 144 要 144 30 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations.重叠 152 explanation about reduplication of verbs 152 10 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations. explanation about reduplication of adjectives 155 5 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations. explanation about reduplication of adjectives 158 5 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations.常见句式 160 the 把 sentence 160 the 被 sentence 162 Pivotal sentences 164 verbs listed 使，让，叫，派，请，令，逼，命令，强迫，吩咐，打发，促使，要求，发动 Sentences with consecutive verbs 165 V+了/过/着 来/去/到/有 Existential sentence 167 是、有、在、着 Comparative sentence 168 ……比……（更/还）…… ……比…… various forms ……（没）有……（这么/那么）…… ……不如…… ……和/跟/与/同……一样/相同/相似/类似/差不多…… 越来越…… 越……，越…… Rhetorical question 170 难道/岂……吗？ 不是……吗？ 没有……吗？ 还……（吗）？ 为什么/怎么……呢？ 何必……呢？ 哪儿/哪里/怎么…… ……什么？ Emphatic sentence 171 是 （是）……的 连……也/都…… 一点儿也/都 非……不可 50 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations.补语 186 Result complement 186 examples V+见/到/着/完/上/下/住/会/懂/成/走/ Tendency complement 188 V+来/去 V+起来/上来/上去/下来/下去/进来/进去/出来/出去/回来/回去/过来/过去 Possibility complement 192 ……得…… ……不…… ……得了 ……不了 ……得/不得 Modal complement 193 ……得…… 个、得个 Degree complement 194 ……得+很/慌/多/要命/要死/不行/不得了/像……似的 十分、非常、不太 Quantity complement 194 Preposition-object complement 196 ……于/自/在/向/往/到…… 50 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations.关联词语与复句 Relative Phrases and Complex sentences 208 Causative relation 208 因为/由于……，所以…… 因为……，而…… 因为……的关系，…… 由于……，（因此）…… ……，以至于/以致…… 既然……，就…… 之所以……，是因为/是由于…… Progressive relation 208 不但，不只，不仅，而且，还，也，甚至还 不仅不，不但不，反而，甚至还 连……都/也……，何况…… 更不用说 别说……，就是…… Transitional relation 209 虽然……，但是/可是/却…… 尽管……，但（是）/也…… 固然……，也…… 即使……，也…… 哪怕/就是……，也…… Conditional relation 210 只要……，就…… 只有……，才…… 无论/不论/不管/任……，都/也/反正…… 凡是……，都…… 除非……，才/否则/（要）不然…… Hypothetical relation 211 如果/要是/假如/倘若/若……，就/则…… 即使/哪怕/就是/就算……，也…… 没有……，就没有…… （要）不是/幸亏/多亏/亏得/好在/……，否则/（要）不然…… Coordinate relation 211 即，又，也，（一）边，（一）面，一方面 Successive relation 212 先……，再…… 先……，又…… 一……，就…… Alternative relation 212 （是）……，还是…… 不是……，就是…… 要么……，要么…… 或者……，或者…… 不是……，而是…… 与其……，不如…… 宁可/宁愿……，也不…… 宁可不/宁愿不……，也要…… Purposive relation 213 为了……，…… ……，以便/为的是…… ……，以免/免得/省得…… Concession relation 213 即使/哪怕/就是/纵然……，也/还是…… Contraction Complex sentences 214 一/刚……就…… 动词+了/完……就 越……越…… 越是……越是…… 再……也…… 非……不/才…… 不/没有……不/没有…… 100 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations. 语序 Word order 241 Multiple attributes 241 Multiple adverbials 242 20 multiple choice questions, answer key with explanations. 附录 HSK真题 语法结构 249 30 questions with answer key but no explanation. Edited to add link to Elina's website and the giveaway thread at the top of this post. 6 Quote
Hilde-07 Posted September 21, 2014 at 09:16 AM Report Posted September 21, 2014 at 09:16 AM I got this book through the second round of the Singolingua giveaway action, therefore many thanks ! My choice : Practicing HSK Grammar Author : Jing Whqng Press : SINOLINGUA – Beijing ISBN : 9787802004511 My review : I am studying Chinese, therefore I’ll write my review from this point of view and not from the point of view of a teacher. My first impression of this book is that it’s a nice size for reading. It’s length and width (around 11 ¼ inches by 8 ¼ inches) fits with most other study books. The large font makes it easy to read, especially with regards to Chinese characters. A table of contents gives a survey of all 12 chapters. Each chapter handles an area such as : quantifier, adverbs, prepositions, etc. A detailed index is not given, that makes it a little difficult if you want to find a specific word. On the other hand, when studying for an HSK test it is probably the best to learn all the chapters and make all the exercises. It is not mentioned clearly for which HSK level this book is written. I am now studying for the HSK 4 exam, so for me it is a very useful book with new grammar items. Maybe some items are even for the HSK 5 level. Each chapter begins with an explanation of the area that’s been handled. Then you can find an overview of the different examination points. For each explained word there are some examples given but only in Chinese Characters, no pinyin or English translation is given. No translation makes it a little more complicated to understand, because a translation – if done properly – can indicate the subtle difference in meaning between the used sentences. On the other hand, when you reached an HSK level 4 or 5, you can understand most of the given examples without translation is needed. When the writer thinks it is necessary to give a bit of extra information, he put in a “special tip” which is clearly indicated but here also no pinyin or English translation. The different examination points are followed by many exercises, by their answer keys and a most useful, detailed explanation of the correct answer. I think this is what makes this book so interesting for using it at home. My opinion : This is a very useful book to test your knowledge for the HSK exam at home because of the many exercises, their answer keys and a most useful, detailed explanation of the correct answer . I think the book will be a great help to pass my HSK 4 and in the future to help me to succeed HSK 5. 2 Quote
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