Conjunctions

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4 Conjunctions
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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.

want / will / need要yàonot不bù … (suggestion)吧ba (how about …)

Too crowded here
- You and a friend walk into a café, and every table is taken.
- here这儿zhè ér人太多rén tài duō(completed / change)了le，want / will / need要yàonot不bùwe / us我们wǒ mento go去qù(sitting) opposite对面duì miànthat那nàhome家jiā(suggestion)吧ba。 — "It's too crowded here; how about we go to the one across the road?"
want / will / need要yàonot不bù + suggestion + (suggestion)吧ba
- want / will / need要yàonot不bù at the start of a clause offers an alternative: "how about …, or else …".
- (suggestion)吧ba at the end keeps it a soft suggestion: want / will / need要yàonot不bùtomorrow明天míng tiānto say again再说zài shuō(suggestion)吧ba.
how about要不yào bùwe我们wǒ mentomorrow明天míng tiānthen再zàitalk about it说shuō吧ba。

After a problem
- afternoon下午xià wǔmaybe / possible可能kě néngto rain下雨xià yǔ，want / will / need要yàonot不bùwe / us我们wǒ men(把: marks the object)把bǎpicnic野餐yě cānto change改gǎito / arrive到dàoindoor室内shì nèi(suggestion)吧ba。 — "It might rain this afternoon; how about moving the picnic indoors?"
- want / will / need要yàonot不bù often follows a reason why the original plan doesn't work.
how about要不yào bùwe我们wǒ men把bǎthe picnic野餐yě cānmove to改到gǎi dàoindoors室内shì nèi吧ba。

want / will / need要yàonot不bù versus if it were not for要不是yào bú shì
- if it were not for要不是yào bú shì = "if it weren't for": if it were not for要不是yào bú shìyou你nǐto remind提醒tí xǐngI / me我wǒ，I / me我wǒthen / just就jiùto forget忘wàng(completed / change)了le — "If you hadn't reminded me, I'd have forgotten."
- otherwise要不然yào bù rán = "otherwise": rapid快kuàito walk走zǒu，otherwise要不然yào bù ránthen / just就jiùto arrive late迟到chí dào(completed / change)了le. Different from the suggestion want / will / need要yàonot不bù.
want / will / need要yàonot不bù versus or / still还是hái shì…(suggestion)吧ba
- or / still还是hái shì…(suggestion)吧ba recommends after weighing options: or / still还是hái shì坐地铁zuò dì tiě(suggestion)吧ba.
- want / will / need要yàonot不bù…(suggestion)吧ba tentatively offers a new idea: want / will / need要yàonot不bùwe / us我们wǒ men坐地铁zuò dì tiě(suggestion)吧ba？
we我们wǒ menhad better还是hái shitake坐zuòthe subway地铁dì tiě吧ba。

Recap
- want / will / need要yàonot不bù + suggestion + (suggestion)吧ba = how about …? (a soft new idea).
- if it were not for要不是yào bú shì = if it weren't for; otherwise要不然yào bù rán = otherwise.
Practise this pattern step by step.

Practice without the models

want / will / need要yàonot不bù … (suggestion)吧ba (how about …)

0401.1 Suggest: “How about we take a taxi?” …………we / us我们wǒ mento take a taxi (in town)打车dǎ chē(suggestion)吧ba。

0401.2 What does if it were not for要不是yào bú shìyou你nǐto help帮bāngI / me我wǒ，I / me我wǒthen / just就jiùto finish完wán(completed / change)了le mean?
- A. I didn't need your help.
- B. If you hadn't helped me, I'd have been done for.
- C. Help me, or else.
- D. How about you help me?
0401.3 Build: “It might rain; how about moving the picnic indoors?”

Arrange all chunks: we / us我们wǒ men(把: marks the object)把bǎpicnic野餐yě cān / to change改gǎito / arrive到dàoindoor室内shì nèi(suggestion)吧ba。 / maybe / possible可能kě néngto rain下雨xià yǔ / ，want / will / need要yàonot不bù

0401.4 otherwise要不然yào bù rán means “otherwise”.

True or false? Explain or repair the statement.

0401.5 You and a friend walk into a café, and every table is taken. 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

want / will / need要yàonot不bù … (suggestion)吧ba (how about …)

0401.1 want / will / need要yàonot不bù

want / will / need要yàonot不bù + suggestion + (suggestion)吧ba.

0401.2 B. If you hadn't helped me, I'd have been done for.

if it were not for要不是yào bú shì means “if it weren't for”: it introduces a condition contrary to fact. if it were not for要不是yào bú shìyou你nǐto help帮bāngI / me我wǒ，I / me我wǒthen / just就jiùto finish完wán(completed / change)了le “If you hadn't helped me, I'd have been done for.”

0401.3 maybe / possible可能kě néngto rain下雨xià yǔ，want / will / need要yàonot不bùwe / us我们wǒ men(把: marks the object)把bǎpicnic野餐yě cānto change改gǎito / arrive到dàoindoor室内shì nèi(suggestion)吧ba。

Reason, then want / will / need要yàonot不bù + suggestion.

0401.4 True.

True. otherwise要不然yào bù rán (also want / will / need要yàonot不bù) means “otherwise”: rapid快kuàito walk走zǒu，otherwise要不然yào bù ránthen / just就jiùto arrive late迟到chí dào(completed / change)了le “Hurry up, otherwise we'll be late.”

0401.5 One possible response: here这儿zhè ér人太多rén tài duō(completed / change)了le，want / will / need要yàonot不bùwe / us我们wǒ mento go去qù(sitting) opposite对面duì miànthat那nàhome家jiā(suggestion)吧ba。

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.
- if it were not for要不是yào bú shì = "if it weren't for": if it were not for要不是yào bú shìyou你nǐto remind提醒tí xǐngI / me我wǒ，I / me我wǒthen / just就jiùto forget忘wàng(completed / change)了le – "If you hadn't reminded me, I'd have forgotten."
- otherwise要不然yào bù rán = "otherwise": rapid快kuàito walk走zǒu，otherwise要不然yào bù ránthen / just就jiùto arrive late迟到chí dào(completed / change)了le. Different from the suggestion want / will / need要yàonot不bù.
- 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.