Let alone…

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.

to link连lián … all / both都dōu … ，let alone何况hé kuàng … (even …, let alone …)

Even adults struggle

• Your little cousin wants to read a university textbook.
• this这zhè本书běn shūto link连liánadult大人dà rénall / both都dōuunable to make sense of…看不懂kàn bù dǒng，let alone何况hé kuàngchild小孩子xiǎo hái zi(and …? / softener)呢ne？ – "Even adults can't understand this book, let alone a small child."

to link连lián A all / both都dōu …，let alone何况hé kuàng B ((and …? / softener)呢ne)？

• to link连lián A all / both都dōu …，let alone何况hé kuàng B = even A …, let alone B: if it holds (or fails) for A, it is even more so for B.
• let alone何况hé kuàng often ends with (and …? / softener)呢ne as a rhetorical question.

even连liánexperts专家zhuān jiā(even)都dōudon't不bùknow知道zhī dào，let alone何况hé kuàngus我们wǒ men呢ne？

Positive too

• he / him他tāto link连liánmost最zuìdifficult / hard难nán(modifier / structural particle)的detopic题tíall / both都dōucan / will会huìto make做zuò，let alone何况hé kuàngso much这么zhè mesimple简单jiǎn dān(modifier / structural particle)的de？ – "He can do even the hardest questions, let alone such an easy one."
• The logic runs from the harder case to the easier one.

he他tāeven连liánthe hardest最难zuì nán的dequestions题tí(even)都dōucan会huìdo做zuò，let alone何况hé kuàngsuch这么zhè meeasy简单jiǎn dānones的de？

Get the direction right

• The to link连lián item is the stronger test; the let alone何况hé kuàng item follows more obviously.
• let alone何况hé kuàng can also add a reason: "besides": 太远tài yuǎn(completed / change)了le，let alone何况hé kuàngday天tiānalso也yěevening晚wǎn(completed / change)了le – "It's too far; besides, it's late."

let alone何况hé kuàng versus more更gèngneedless to say不用说bú yòng shuō

• more更gèngneedless to say不用说bú yòng shuō…(completed / change)了le is a statement: adult大人dà rénall / both都dōuunable to make sense of…看不懂kàn bù dǒng，more更gèngneedless to say不用说bú yòng shuōchild孩子hái zi(completed / change)了le.
• let alone何况hé kuàng…(and …? / softener)呢ne？ is often a rhetorical question and a little more literary.

too太tàifar远yuǎn了le，besides何况hé kuàngit天tiānalso也yělate晚wǎn了le。

Recap

• to link连lián A all / both都dōu …，let alone何况hé kuàng B ((and …? / softener)呢ne)？ = even A …, let alone B.
• let alone何况hé kuàng can also mean "besides"; more更gèngneedless to say不用说bú yòng shuō is the statement form.

Practise this pattern step by step.

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.

to link连lián … all / both都dōu … ，let alone何况hé kuàng … (even …, let alone …)

1301.1 Complete: “Even experts don't know, let alone us.” to link连liánexpert专家zhuān jiāall / both都dōunot不bùto know知道zhī dào，…………we / us我们wǒ men(and …? / softener)呢ne？

1301.2 In 太远tài yuǎn(completed / change)了le，let alone何况hé kuàngday天tiānalso也yěevening晚wǎn(completed / change)了le, what does let alone何况hé kuàng mean?

• A. therefore
• B. besides
• C. although
• D. let alone

1301.3 Build: “He can do even the hardest questions, let alone easy ones.”

Arrange all chunks: let alone何况hé kuàng / he / him他tāto link连liánmost最zuìdifficult / hard难nán(modifier / structural particle)的detopic题tíall / both都dōucan / will会huìto make做zuò / ， / so much这么zhè mesimple简单jiǎn dān(modifier / structural particle)的de？

1301.4 more更gèngneedless to say不用说bú yòng shuō…(completed / change)了le is the statement form of the same idea.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

1301.5 Your little cousin wants to read a university textbook. Close the examples. Say a Mandarin response, then write it in Chinese. Explain briefly in English what the lesson’s pattern adds. Compare with the model, then change one detail and try again.

Write or say your own response before reading the key.

A fresh situation

R1. Interpret and repair. A learner orders a let-alone comparison as even an expert cannot do it, let alone a beginner, then swaps the two roles. Why does that change the reasoning?

R2. Use it yourself. Say a short text is already hard for you, let alone a long technical report.

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