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.
all全 + Noun (the whole / all of)
One word that gathers the whole group
- The photo from your class trip arrives. Everyone is in it: the whole class全班all / both都at / in在photograph照片li, ancient measure of…里。 — the whole class is in the photo. all全 gathers every member of the group into one word.
- Today you will say the whole ___ about families, classes, companies and years — and you will learn where all全 stops, because it does not mean "every".
the whole class全班all都be in/at在photo照片inside里。
Build the form
- The pattern is all全 + noun, usually followed by all / both都 + verb: the whole class全班 + all / both都 + at / in在photograph照片li, ancient measure of…里. The all / both都 marks that the verb covers the whole gathered group.
- More groups: whole family全家 the whole family, whole nation全国 the whole country, the whole year全年 the whole year, 全校 the whole school. The noun after all全 names the container; all全 fills it.
the whole year全年we我们all都at在do internships实习。
Read it in real situations
- whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了。 — the whole family came (the family we are talking about).
- 这家company公司the whole year全年all / both都to be infectious招人。 — this company hires all year round.
- the whole class全班all / both都to pass through通过(completed / change)了to take an exam考试。 — the whole class passed the exam. to pass through通过 to pass; to take an exam考试 exam.
the whole class全班all都pass通过了exam考试。
all全 is not each每, and not every
- all全 + noun gathers one bounded group: whole family全家 = the whole of this family. each每 + noun distributes over individuals: 每个family家庭all / both都to love爱to take a picture拍照 — every family loves taking photos (each one, separately). A bounded whole and a universal "every" are different claims.
- The classic mistake: whole family全家all / both都to like喜欢this这个dining hall餐厅。 does not mean "all families like this restaurant" — it says our/the family does. For a universal claim you want all所有 or 每个: all所有family家庭…
- Near-correct check: the whole year全年 vs every year每年. the whole year全年all / both都at / in在to work工作 = working the whole year through; every year每年all / both都to come来 = comes every year. Pick the one that matches your meaning.
Use it yourself
- Say it about your life: your family, your class, your city. 我家…, we / us我们the whole class全班…, whole city全城… — one true sentence each, out loud or written down.
- Compare whole family全家to come来(completed / change)了 and whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了: both can be grammatical. Adding all / both都 explicitly emphasises that every family member came; it is common in this pattern, but not compulsory.
New context, same decision
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A shop sign: everyone present全场half price半价 — the whole store at half price (variant of 场场 here is the venue). A weather report: whole city全市有雨 — rain across the whole city. Same all全, new containers; check each group is one bounded whole.
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Tomorrow, before you reopen this page: say "my whole family came" and "every family" aloud. If the two come out identical, redo the contrast step — that difference is the lesson.
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all全 + noun gathers one bounded group (whole family全家, the whole class全班, whole nation全国); all / both都 commonly emphasises that every member is included; it is not compulsory. For "every", use each每/all所有 — whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了 is about this family, not all families.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Adj + to die死(completed / change)了 (extremely …)
Melting in July
- You come into the classroom after cycling across town in 38 degrees.
- today今天热死(completed / change)了！ — "It's boiling today!" to die死(completed / change)了 exaggerates a feeling to the extreme.
Adjective + to die死(completed / change)了
- Adj + to die死(completed / change)了 = "extremely, to death" in casual speech: 累死(completed / change)了, to starve to death饿死(completed / change)了, busy忙to die死(completed / change)了.
- It ends the clause, and the adjective stands alone: 冷死(completed / change)了, not degree / adjective linker很cold冷to die死(completed / change)了.
I我hungry饿to death死了，quickly快eat吃饭吧！
Mostly complaints, sometimes joy
- Complaints are typical: this这个school assignment作业难死(completed / change)了。 — "This homework is impossibly hard."
- Strong positive feelings work too: to hear听到this这个news消息，I / me我happy高兴to die死(completed / change)了！ — "I was over the moon when I heard!"
this这个homework作业hard难to death死了。
Casual only
- Use it with friends and family; in an essay or a formal email, write very非常rope累 or very十分to be hungry饿 instead.
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front, and nothing between the adjective and to die死(completed / change)了: 累死(completed / change)了, not degree / adjective linker很累死(completed / change)了.
to die死(completed / change)了 versus extremely极了 and (degree marker)得to cause sb's death要命
- 好极了 sounds enthusiastic and fits praise; good好to die死(completed / change)了 is rare, because to die死(completed / change)了 leans to complaints.
- (degree marker)得to cause sb's death要命 is equally colloquial: rope累(degree marker)得to cause sb's death要命 — "dead tired". With verbs of missing: want / think / miss想to die死you你(completed / change)了 — "I miss you like crazy."
I我miss想to death死you你了！
Recap
- Adj + to die死(completed / change)了 = extremely (colloquial, often a complaint): 热死(completed / change)了, 累死(completed / change)了, 难死(completed / change)了.
- No degree / adjective linker很 before it; keep it out of formal writing, where very非常 / very十分 fit.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
all全 + Noun (the whole / all of)
0101.1 Using the lesson pattern in this demonstrated example: The whole family came: ………… home家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了。
0101.2 {'en': 'What does all全 mean before a noun?', 'zh': 'all全 to put放noun名词front前to be / is是what什么idea意思?'}
- A. {'en': 'the whole / all of', 'zh': 'whole整个 / all所有'}
- B. {'en': 'only / just', 'zh': 'only只 / barely仅'}
0101.3 {'en': 'all全 often pairs with all / both都 (whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了).', 'zh': 'all全 always常and / with和 all / both都 to pair up搭配(whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了)。'}
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0101.4 {'en': 'Build: “The whole family came.”', 'zh': 'a row排row一排:“whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了。”'}
Arrange all chunks: all / both都 / to come来(completed / change)了 / whole family全家
0101.5 All members of a family arrive at a gathering. What does whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了。 communicate?
- A. whole family全家 means only one family member.
- B. whole family全家 includes the entire family being discussed.
0101.6 In the opening situation: whole family全家 includes the entire family being discussed.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0101.7 Recall the situation: One word that gathers the whole group. Decide what the speaker wanted to communicate. 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.
Adj + to die死(completed / change)了 (extremely …)
0102.1 Complain to a friend: “I'm exhausted!” 我累…………！
0102.2 Which sentence suits a formal report?
- A. this这个local地区(modifier / structural particle)的winter冬天冷死。
- B. this这个local地区(modifier / structural particle)的winter冬天degree / adjective linker很cold冷to die死(completed / change)了。
- C. this这个local地区(modifier / structural particle)的winter冬天冷死(completed / change)了。
- D. this这个local地区(modifier / structural particle)的winter冬天very非常cold冷。
0102.3 Build: “This homework is impossibly hard.”
Arrange all chunks: to die死(completed / change)了。 / difficult / hard难 / this这个school assignment作业
0102.4 want / think / miss想to die死you你(completed / change)了 means “I miss you terribly.”
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
0102.5 You come into the classroom after cycling across town in 38 degrees. 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.
Answers and explanations
all全 + Noun (the whole / all of)
0101.1 {'en': 'all全', 'zh': 'all全'}
{'en': 'all全 + Noun = the whole / all the …: whole family全家 (the whole family).', 'zh': 'all全 + noun名词 = whole整个 / all所有:whole family全家。'}
0101.2 A. {'en': 'the whole / all of', 'zh': 'whole整个 / all所有'}
{'en': 'all全 = whole / entire: the whole class全班, whole nation全国, worldwide全世界.', 'zh': 'all全 = whole整个:the whole class全班、whole nation全国、worldwide全世界。'}
0101.3 True.
{'en': 'Yes – all全 + Noun + all / both都 is very common: whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了.', 'zh': 'to / towards / correct对 –– all全 + noun名词 + all / both都 degree / adjective linker很commonly seen常见:whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了。'}
0101.4 whole family全家all / both都to come来(completed / change)了
{'en': 'all全 + Noun + all / both都 + Verb: whole family全家 + all / both都 + to come来(completed / change)了.', 'zh': 'all全 + noun名词 + all / both都 + verb动词:whole family全家 + all / both都 + to come来(completed / change)了。'}
0101.5 B. whole family全家 includes the entire family being discussed.
whole family全家 includes the entire family being discussed. The group is defined by context. whole family全家 does not refer to every family in the world.
0101.6 True.
The group is defined by context. whole family全家 does not refer to every family in the world. whole family全家 includes the entire family being discussed.
0101.7 One possible response: the whole class全班all / both都at / in在photograph照片li, ancient measure of…里。
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- all全 + noun gathers one bounded group: whole family全家 = the whole of this family. each每 + noun distributes over individuals: 每个family家庭all / both都to love爱to take a picture拍照 – every family loves taking photos (each one, separately). A bounded whole and a universal "every" are different claims.
- The classic mistake: whole family全家all / both都to like喜欢this这个dining hall餐厅。 does not mean "all families like this restaurant" – it says our/the family does. For a universal claim you want all所有 or 每个: all所有family家庭…
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.
Adj + to die死(completed / change)了 (extremely …)
0102.1 to die死(completed / change)了
Adj + to die死(completed / change)了 exaggerates the feeling.
0102.2 D. this这个local地区(modifier / structural particle)的winter冬天very非常cold冷。
to die死(completed / change)了 is casual; a report uses very非常 or very十分.
0102.3 this这个school assignment作业难死(completed / change)了。
Subject + Adj + to die死(completed / change)了.
0102.4 True.
With want / think / miss想 (miss), to die死 exaggerates the longing.
0102.5 One possible response: today今天热死(completed / change)了！
Check meaning and form:
- My response conveys a message that fits the opening situation.
- I can explain the meaning of the pattern, rather than only naming it.
- Use it with friends and family; in an essay or a formal email, write very非常rope累 or very十分to be hungry饿 instead.
- No degree / adjective linker很 or very非常 in front, and nothing between the adjective and to die死(completed / change)了: 累死(completed / change)了, not degree / adjective linker很累死(completed / change)了.
- I tried a second response with a name, time, place, or description changed.
This is supported productive practice. Compare meaning and structure; your answer need not copy the model. A partner or teacher must hear the spoken response to comment on pronunciation.