Arrange a time to meet

Printable paper with separate answer pages Step-by-step lessons

Original teaching practice. Read one pattern, cover its model and try the questions before checking the separate answer section. Examples adapted from Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning, CC BY-NC-SA) retain the course-reference provenance.

Arrange a time to meet

Ask the day and time, then agree when to meet.

Before you start: Recall numbers one to ten, week星期xīng qī for weekdays and point点diǎn for clock time. Use the glosses for half hours and afternoon; no calendar calculation is needed.

Build the meaning

Numbers combine: eleven十一shí yī is 11, twenty二十èr shí is 20, and 二十三èr shí sān is 23. For clock time, 三点sān diǎn is 3 o’clock and 三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn is 3:30.

week星期xīng qīhow many / a few几jǐ asks the weekday; what time?几点jǐ diǎn asks the clock time. A simple time phrase can come before the verb: I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān三点sān diǎnto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。

Time comes before the verb: day, part of day, clock

Work through a decision

For we / us我们wǒ menFriday星期五xīng qī wǔafternoon下午xià wǔ三点sān diǎn半在bàn zàischool学校xué xiàoto appear见jiàn – we meet at school on Friday at half past three in the afternoon – first separate weekday (Friday星期五xīng qī wǔ), part of day (afternoon下午xià wǔ), clock time (三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn) and place (school学校xué xiào). Asked what time?几点jǐ diǎnto appear见jiàn, answer afternoon下午xià wǔ三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn, retaining the afternoon information. half半bàn adds half an hour; it is not a weekday.

Compare: Wednesday星期三xīng qī sān means Wednesday, while 三点sān diǎn means three o’clock. I / me我wǒafternoon下午xià wǔ三点sān diǎnto go去qùschool学校xué xiào says I go to school at three in the afternoon; without afternoon下午xià wǔ, the phrase 三点sān diǎn does not itself choose morning or afternoon. Keep a detail unknown when the message leaves it unstated.

Useful words in context

tomorrow明天míng tiān míngtiān – tomorrow. I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiānto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。
Wednesday星期三xīng qī sān xīngqīsān – Wednesday. tomorrow明天míng tiānto be / is是shìWednesday星期三xīng qī sān。
what time?几点jǐ diǎn jǐ diǎn – what time. you你nǐwhat time?几点jǐ diǎnto go去qù？
half半bàn bàn – half. 三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn。
school学校xué xiào xuéxiào – school. I / me我wǒto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。

Listen before reading the script

Ask a partner to read the listening script from the answer section while you keep it covered. Then attempt the listening question. If you work alone without audio, use the script for reading practice; it is not a listening test.

Read a different account

tomorrow明天míng tiānto be / is是shìWednesday星期三xīng qī sān。Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lì三点sān diǎnto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。林安lín ān三点sān diǎn半去bàn qùschool学校xué xiào。

Try the reading question before checking the English meaning in the answer section.

Speak with a partner

Ask a partner the day and time of a fictional meeting. They suggest Wednesday at four; confirm it.

Check the distinction: Wednesday星期三xīng qī sān is a weekday; 三点sān diǎn is a clock time. Do not answer one question with the other.

Learn step by step · Practise and review.

Practice without the models

Choose a pattern, cover its teaching examples, and attempt its questions. Use the labels to find feedback in the separate key.

Arrange a time to meet

0201.1 Listening. When is the meeting?

A. Wednesday at 4 p.m.
B. Thursday at 4 p.m.
C. Wednesday at 3:30

0201.2 Reading. Who goes to school later?

A. 林安lín ān
B. Both at the same time
C. Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lì

0201.3 Complete “What time are you going?”: you你nǐ…………to go去qù？

0201.4 Match each word with its meaning in this unit.

1. tomorrow明天míng tiān
1. Wednesday星期三xīng qī sān
1. what time?几点jǐ diǎn
1. half半bàn
1. school学校xué xiào
A. school
B. half
C. what time
D. tomorrow
E. Wednesday

0201.5 Write a two-line meeting note: the weekday and time, then the place. Change at least one detail from the reading.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

0201.6 Someone asks week星期xīng qīhow many / a few几jǐ？week星期xīng qī means week and how many / a few几jǐ asks which number here. Which kind of reply answers this question?

A. 五个wǔ gèperson人rén – five people
B. Friday星期五xīng qī wǔ – Friday
C. 五点wǔ diǎn – five o’clock

0201.7 A message says Saturday星期六xīng qī liùafternoon下午xià wǔ两点liǎng diǎn半在bàn zàipark (for public recreation)公园gōng yuánto appear见jiàn – meet in the park on Saturday at 2:30 in the afternoon. First separate weekday from clock time. Which reply answers what time?几点jǐ diǎnto appear见jiàn – at what time shall we meet?

A. afternoon下午xià wǔ两点liǎng diǎnhalf半bàn – 2:30 in the afternoon
B. park (for public recreation)公园gōng yuán – the park
C. Saturday星期六xīng qī liù – Saturday

0201.8 Read: 林安lín ānTuesday星期二xīng qī èrmorning上午shàng wǔ八点bā diǎnto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìTuesday星期二xīng qī èrmorning上午shàng wǔ八点半bā diǎn bànto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。Which statement follows?

A. Both go at eight on Tuesday morning.
B. Wang Li goes half an hour after Lin An.
C. Lin An goes half an hour after Wang Li.

0201.9 Use Mandarin for the new sentences or dialogue. You may explain your reasoning in English. Write a fictional invitation giving a weekday, morning or afternoon, a clock time and a meeting place. Write a reply confirming the time and asking one different detail. Read the invitation and reply aloud or exchange them with a partner. Make your time different from the examples.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A meeting is Thursday星期四xīng qī sìafternoon下午xià wǔ三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn. Someone answers Thursday星期四xīng qī sì when asked what time?几点jǐ diǎnto appear见jiàn. What information is missing?

R2. Use it yourself. Arrange a meeting on Friday at four in the afternoon at school.

Write your responses before opening the key. Compare meaning as well as form; a different valid answer need not copy the model.

Open the answers after your attempt

Answers and explanations

Check after your attempt. For open tasks, compare the message and the stated criteria, then revise one detail.

Arrange a time to meet

0201.1 A. Wednesday at 4 p.m.

四点sì diǎn is four o’clock; afternoon下午xià wǔ makes it afternoon.

0201.2 A. 林安lín ān

三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn is later than 三点sān diǎn.

0201.3 what time?几点jǐ diǎn

what time?几点jǐ diǎn asks for clock time.

0201.4 1–D: tomorrow明天míng tiān = tomorrow; 2–E: Wednesday星期三xīng qī sān = Wednesday; 3–C: what time?几点jǐ diǎn = what time; 4–B: half半bàn = half; 5–A: school学校xué xiào = school

Use the example sentences to check each word’s meaning in context.

0201.5 One possible response: Thursday星期四xīng qī sìafternoon下午xià wǔ三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn。we / us我们wǒ menat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoto appear见jiàn。

Check meaning and form:

The weekday and clock time are identifiable.
The place is stated.
The time differs from the reading.

Compare the meaning and structure with the checklist. Your own response may differ from the model.

0201.6 B. Friday星期五xīng qī wǔ – Friday

week星期xīng qīhow many / a few几jǐ asks the weekday. 五点wǔ diǎn supplies a clock time and 五个wǔ gèperson人rén a number of people. The shared number five does not make these details interchangeable.

0201.7 A. afternoon下午xià wǔ两点liǎng diǎnhalf半bàn – 2:30 in the afternoon

what time?几点jǐ diǎn asks clock time, so afternoon下午xià wǔ两点liǎng diǎnhalf半bàn answers it. Saturday and the park are true details but answer which day and where. Preserve afternoon下午xià wǔ instead of dropping the part of day.

0201.8 B. Wang Li goes half an hour after Lin An.

八点半bā diǎn bàn is half an hour after 八点bā diǎn on the same stated Tuesday morning. Wang Li goes later, not Lin An. The account gives going times; it does not supply arrival times or travel duration.

0201.9 One possible response: Possible invitation: we / us我们wǒ menMonday星期一xīng qī yīmorning上午shàng wǔ九点jiǔ diǎnat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoto appear见jiàn。Reply: morning上午shàng wǔ九点jiǔ diǎn，to / towards / correct对duì(yes/no ?)吗ma？at / in在zàischool学校xué xiàowhere哪里nǎ lǐto appear见jiàn？We meet at school on Monday at nine in the morning. Nine in the morning, right? Where in the school? The reply confirms the stated time and asks for a more precise place. Other coherent invitations and questions are valid.

How to revise: If you answered a time question with a weekday, separate the two phrases and try again. Check half半bàn if you chose a half hour. Compare your own invitation with the reply; do not replace its time with the model’s time.

Check meaning and form:

Include a weekday and a clock time as separate details.
Specify morning or afternoon instead of relying on a guess.
Make the reply confirm the invitation’s actual time.
Ask a relevant follow-up rather than inventing an unstated detail.
Write or speak the requested sentences, questions or dialogue in Mandarin; optional English reasoning does not replace them.

If you answered a time question with a weekday, separate the two phrases and try again. Check half半bàn if you chose a half hour. Compare your own invitation with the reply; do not replace its time with the model’s time.

Listening script and meaning

tomorrow明天míng tiānWednesday星期三xīng qī sān，we / us我们wǒ menafternoon下午xià wǔ四点sì diǎnat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoto appear见jiàn。

Tomorrow, Wednesday, we will meet at school at four in the afternoon.

Reading meaning

Tomorrow is Wednesday. Wang Li goes to school at three. Lin An goes at half past three.

Speaking model

A: week星期xīng qīhow many / a few几jǐ？what time?几点jǐ diǎn？ B: Wednesday星期三xīng qī sānafternoon下午xià wǔ四点sì diǎn。 A: good好hǎo，afternoon下午xià wǔ四点sì diǎnto appear见jiàn。

Compare the intended message first. Ask a listener to comment on intelligibility and pronunciation; matching the written model does not establish speaking accuracy.

Fresh-situation answers

R1. The reply supplies Thursday, the weekday, but omits the time. Answer afternoon下午xià wǔ三点sān diǎnhalf半bàn to what time?几点jǐ diǎnto appear见jiàn; retain afternoon下午xià wǔ so 3:30 is unambiguous.

R2. One possible response. we / us我们wǒ menFriday星期五xīng qī wǔafternoon下午xià wǔ四点sì diǎnat / in在zàischool学校xué xiàoto appear见jiàn。This states weekday, part of day, clock time and place. Ask week星期xīng qīhow many / a few几jǐ or what time?几点jǐ diǎn if one detail is unclear.