State a destination and departure time

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.

State a destination and departure time

Say where you are going, when, and how.

Before you start: Recall tomorrow明天míng tiān, time expressions with point点diǎn, and common place names. Distinguish at / in在zài for a location from to go去qù for a destination; use the glosses supplied with unfamiliar travel words.

Build the meaning

Put time before the main action in this simple pattern: I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān八点bā diǎnto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi. Mandarin does not add an English-style future verb ending here.

坐火车zuò huǒ chē describes transport; to go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi gives the destination. Asking to go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ needs a place; asking how / why怎么zěn meto go去qù needs a method.

Work through a decision

For the plan I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān八点bā diǎn坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi, separate tomorrow (tomorrow明天míng tiān), eight o’clock (八点bā diǎn), travel by train (坐火车zuò huǒ chē) and go to Shanghai (to go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi). To answer how / why怎么zěn meto go去qù, select 坐火车zuò huǒ chē. To answer to go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ, select Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi. This departure plan gives no arrival time or journey duration.

Compare: I / me我wǒ八点bā diǎnto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi says I go to Shanghai at eight; I / me我wǒ八点bā diǎnto / arrive到dàoShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi says I arrive in Shanghai at eight. to / arrive到dào means arrive here. Do not use the same time as both departure and arrival unless the situation independently establishes that claim.

Useful words in context

to go去qù qù – go. I / me我wǒto go去qùschool学校xué xiào。
train火车huǒ chē huǒchē – train. I / me我wǒ坐火车zuò huǒ chē。
to sit坐zuò zuò – travel by / sit. I / me我wǒ坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。
Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi Shànghǎi – Shanghai. I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiānto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。
八点bā diǎn bā diǎn – eight o’clock. I / me我wǒ八点bā diǎnto go去qù。

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

Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìtomorrow明天míng tiān八点bā diǎn坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。林安lín āntomorrow明天míng tiān九点jiǔ diǎn坐车去zuò chē qùschool学校xué xiào。Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìtoday今天jīn tiānat / in在zàischool学校xué xiào。

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

Speak with a partner

Ask where a partner is going tomorrow and how. Give your own fictional departure plan.

Check the distinction: at / in在zàiShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi gives a location; to go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi gives a destination. Do not answer to go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ with only 坐火车zuò huǒ chē.

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.

State a destination and departure time

0601.1 Listening. What is the departure time?

A. Eight
B. Nine
C. Tomorrow afternoon

0601.2 Reading. Where is Wang Li today?

A. Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi
B. school学校xué xiào
C. On the train

0601.3 Complete “Where are you going?”: you你nǐto go去qù…………？

0601.4 Match each word with its meaning in this unit.

1. to go去qù
1. train火车huǒ chē
1. to sit坐zuò
1. Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi
1. 八点bā diǎn
A. go
B. Shanghai
C. travel by / sit
D. eight o’clock
E. train

0601.5 Write a travel plan with a time, method, and destination. Change the time from the reading.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

0601.6 you你nǐto go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？to go去qù means go and where哪里nǎ lǐ means where. Which reply supplies the requested kind of information?

A. Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi – Shanghai
B. 八点bā diǎn – eight o’clock
C. 坐火车zuò huǒ chē – by train

0601.7 The plan is 林安lín āntomorrow明天míng tiān七点qī diǎn坐车去zuò chē qùhospital医院yī yuàn – tomorrow Lin An goes to the hospital by vehicle at seven. Someone asks how / why怎么zěn meto go去qù – how will she travel? First identify whether the question requests time, method or destination.

A. hospital医院yī yuàn – the hospital
B. tomorrow明天míng tiān七点qī diǎn – seven tomorrow
C. to take the car, bus, train…坐车zuò chē – by vehicle

0601.8 Read: Wang Li (1900-1986), one of…王力wáng lìtoday今天jīn tiānat / in在zàiBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīng。tomorrow明天míng tiān十点shí diǎn坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。Which account preserves the places and times?

A. He is in Shanghai today and goes to Beijing tomorrow.
B. He arrives in Shanghai by train at ten tomorrow.
C. He plans to go to Shanghai by train at ten tomorrow.

0601.9 Use Mandarin for the new sentences or dialogue. You may explain your reasoning in English. Make a new fictional plan: choose a destination, departure time and method. Write the plan and two different questions that a partner can answer from it. Then name one journey detail your plan does not establish. Speak the questions and replies if working with a partner.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A travel note says I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān三点sān diǎnto go去qùschool学校xué xiào. Does this say the person arrives at three? Explain.

R2. Use it yourself. Write a message saying you leave home at eight and arrive at school at half past eight.

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.

State a destination and departure time

0601.1 B. Nine

九点jiǔ diǎn gives nine o’clock; no afternoon is stated.

0601.2 B. school学校xué xiào

today今天jīn tiānat / in在zàischool学校xué xiào refers to today, while the trip is tomorrow.

0601.3 where哪里nǎ lǐ

to go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ asks the destination.

0601.4 1–A: to go去qù = go; 2–E: train火车huǒ chē = train; 3–C: to sit坐zuò = travel by / sit; 4–B: Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi = Shanghai; 5–D: 八点bā diǎn = eight o’clock

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

0601.5 One possible response: I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān十点shí diǎn坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。

Check meaning and form:

Include a time before the action.
Include to sit坐zuò plus transport.
Include to go去qù plus a place.

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

0601.6 A. Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi – Shanghai

to go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ requests a destination. Eight o’clock answers when; by train answers how. Identify the question word before choosing a detail.

0601.7 C. to take the car, bus, train…坐车zuò chē – by vehicle

how / why怎么zěn meto go去qù asks how she travels, so to take the car, bus, train…坐车zuò chē supplies the method. The other details are true within the plan but answer different questions. A true detail is not automatically a relevant reply.

0601.8 C. He plans to go to Shanghai by train at ten tomorrow.

today今天jīn tiānat / in在zàiBeijing, capital of the…北京běi jīng gives today’s location; tomorrow明天míng tiān十点shí diǎn坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi gives tomorrow’s going time, method and destination. to go去qù does not supply an arrival time. The last choice reverses the cities’ roles.

0601.9 One possible response: Possible plan: I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān七点qī diǎn坐车去zuò chē qùschool学校xué xiào。Questions: you你nǐtomorrow明天míng tiānto go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？you你nǐwhat time?几点jǐ diǎnto go去qù？Replies: school学校xué xiào。七点qī diǎn。The plan does not identify an arrival time or the specific vehicle. Other destinations, times and travel methods can work.

How to revise: Check each question against the exact phrase that answers it. If you supplied an arrival time from a departure plan, mark it as unknown and revise. Compare meanings rather than copying the model’s itinerary; self-review does not assess pronunciation.

Check meaning and form:

Include time, method and destination in the plan.
Use to go去qù for the destination and distinguish it from a current at / in在zài location.
Make both questions answerable from your own plan.
Identify an unstated detail without inventing it as fact.
Write or speak the requested sentences, questions or dialogue in Mandarin; optional English reasoning does not replace them.

Check each question against the exact phrase that answers it. If you supplied an arrival time from a departure plan, mark it as unknown and revise. Compare meanings rather than copying the model’s itinerary; self-review does not assess pronunciation.

Listening script and meaning

I / me我wǒtomorrow明天míng tiān九点jiǔ diǎn坐火车zuò huǒ chēto go去qùShanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。

Tomorrow I take a train to Shanghai at nine.

Reading meaning

Tomorrow Wang Li takes a train to Shanghai at eight. Lin An goes to school by vehicle at nine. Wang Li is at school today.

Speaking model

A: you你nǐtomorrow明天míng tiānto go去qùwhere哪里nǎ lǐ？ B: Shanghai municipality…上海shàng hǎi。 A: how / why怎么zěn meto go去qù？ B: 坐火车zuò huǒ chē。

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. It says the person goes to school at three tomorrow; it does not explicitly give the arrival time. to / arrive到dàoschool学校xué xiào gives arrival. Do not silently turn departure into arrival.

R2. One possible response. I / me我wǒ八点bā diǎn从家cóng jiāto set off出发chū fā，八点半bā diǎn bànto / arrive到dàoschool学校xué xiào。to set off出发chū fā marks departure and to / arrive到dào marks arrival. The two times describe different events.