Complex Sentence Patterns

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21 Complex Sentence Patterns
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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.

no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé (no wonder)

That explains it
- Your classmate speaks perfect English, and today you learn she grew up in London.
- no wonder!怪不得guài bù déshe / her她tāEnglish (language)英语yīng yǔvariant of 说说shuō(degree marker)得deso much这么zhè megood好hǎo，original原来yuán láishe / her她tāat / in在zàiLondon, capital of United…伦敦lún dūnto grow up长大zhǎng dà。 — "No wonder her English is so good — she grew up in London."
no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé + surprising fact (，original原来yuán lái + reason)
- no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé = "no wonder": something that seemed strange now makes sense.
- The reason often follows with original原来yuán lái, or comes before: original原来yuán láito snow下雪xià xuě(completed / change)了le，no wonder!怪不得guài bù déso much这么zhè mecold冷lěng.
so it turns out原来yuán láiit snowed下雪xià xuě了le，no wonder怪不得guài bu deso这么zhè mecold冷lěng。

Either order
- Fact first: no wonder!怪不得guài bù déhe / him他tānot / haven't没méito come来lái，he / him他tāto fall ill生病shēng bìng(completed / change)了le。 — "No wonder he didn't come — he's ill."
- Reason first: he / him他tāyesterday昨天zuó tiānto stay up late or all night熬夜áo yè(completed / change)了le，no wonder!怪不得guài bù détoday今天jīn tiānso much这么zhè merope累lèi。 — "He stayed up late last night; no wonder he's so tired today."
he他tāyesterday昨天zuó tiānstayed up熬夜áo yè了le，no wonder怪不得guài bu detoday今天jīn tiānso这么zhè metired累lèi。

It needs a reason
- no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé only makes sense when the reason is known or given; without it, the listener is left puzzled.
- It goes at the start of its clause: no wonder!怪不得guài bù déhe / him他tā…, not he / him他tāno wonder!怪不得guài bù dé….
no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé versus (it's) no wonder (that...)难怪nán guài
- (it's) no wonder (that...)难怪nán guài means the same and is very common: (it's) no wonder (that...)难怪nán guàiso much这么zhè mecold冷lěng.
- no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé can also mean "can't blame": 这件zhè jiànmatter事shìno wonder!怪不得guài bù déhe / him他tā — "You can't blame him for this."
this这件事zhè jiàn shìcan't blame怪不得guài bu dehim他tā。

Recap
- no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé + fact，(original原来yuán lái) + reason = no wonder …; same as (it's) no wonder (that...)难怪nán guài.
- Needs the reason; no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé + person = can't blame them.
Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé (no wonder)

2101.1 Complete: “So it snowed – no wonder it's so cold.” original原来yuán láito snow下雪xià xuě(completed / change)了le，…………so much这么zhè mecold冷lěng。

2101.2 What does 这件zhè jiànmatter事shìno wonder!怪不得guài bù déhe / him他tā mean?
- A. No wonder he did this.
- B. You can't blame him for this.
- C. He is strange.
- D. He doesn't understand.
2101.3 Build: “He stayed up late; no wonder he's tired.”

Arrange all chunks: ， / today今天jīn tiānso much这么zhè merope累lèi。 / no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé / he / him他tāyesterday昨天zuó tiānto stay up late or all night熬夜áo yè(completed / change)了le

2101.4 (it's) no wonder (that...)难怪nán guài and no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé can both mean “no wonder”.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

2101.5 Your classmate speaks perfect English, and today you learn she grew up in London. 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

no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé (no wonder)

2101.1 no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé

no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé + the fact that now makes sense.

2101.2 B. You can't blame him for this.

no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé + person = can't blame.

2101.3 he / him他tāyesterday昨天zuó tiānto stay up late or all night熬夜áo yè(completed / change)了le，no wonder!怪不得guài bù détoday今天jīn tiānso much这么zhè merope累lèi。

Reason, then no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé + fact.

2101.4 True.

They are synonyms in this sense.

2101.5 One possible response: no wonder!怪不得guài bù déshe / her她tāEnglish (language)英语yīng yǔvariant of 说说shuō(degree marker)得deso much这么zhè megood好hǎo，original原来yuán láishe / her她tāat / in在zàiLondon, capital of United…伦敦lún dūnto grow up长大zhǎng dà。

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.
- no wonder!怪不得guài bù dé only makes sense when the reason is known or given; without it, the listener is left puzzled.
- It goes at the start of its clause: no wonder!怪不得guài bù déhe / him他tā…, not he / him他tāno wonder!怪不得guài bù dé….
- 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.