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 say nothing of别说 … ，exactly就是 … also也 … (let alone)
Tired on the stairs
- A friend suggests climbing Mount Huashan. You get tired walking upstairs.
- to say nothing of别说to climb a mountain爬山(completed / change)了，exactly就是to walk走stair楼梯I / me我also也to feel / think觉得rope累。 — "Forget climbing mountains — even walking upstairs tires me."
to say nothing of别说 A，exactly就是 B also也 / all / both都 …
- to say nothing of别说 A，exactly就是 / to link连 B also也 … = "let alone A, even B …": B is the easier case, and even that fails (or succeeds), so A obviously does.
- The harder case A comes first, after to say nothing of别说.
let alone别说a hundred一百yuan块，even就是one yuan一块I我(even)也don't have没有。
Positive too
- 这道题，to say nothing of别说teacher老师，exactly就是primary school student小学生also也can / will会to make做。 — "This question — never mind the teacher, even a primary-school pupil could do it."
- to link连 can replace exactly就是: to say nothing of别说foreigner外国人，to link连China中国person人also也not不definitely一定to know知道.
never mind别说foreigners外国人，even连Chinese people中国人also也not necessarily不一定know知道。
Which item goes where
- The item after to say nothing of别说 is the more extreme one; the item after exactly就是 / to link连 is the easier test.
- Keep also也 / all / both都 in the second clause: exactly就是…also也…, to link连…all / both都….
to say nothing of别说 versus more更needless to say不用说
- to say nothing of别说 A，exactly就是 B also也…: the extreme case A comes first.
- B…，more更needless to say不用说 A (completed / change)了: the easier case first, then the extreme: to walk走stair楼梯all / both都rope累，more更needless to say不用说to climb a mountain爬山(completed / change)了.
walking走stairs楼梯even都tires me累，let alone更不用说climbing mountains爬山了。
Recap
- to say nothing of别说 A，exactly就是 / to link连 B also也 / all / both都 … = let alone A, even B ….
- A (extreme) after to say nothing of别说; more更needless to say不用说 puts the extreme case last.
Practise this pattern step by step.
more更needless to say不用说 (let alone / not to mention)
Not even the basics
- Your nephew is two years old and is learning to talk.
- he / him他连话都说不清楚，more更needless to say不用说to write characters写字(completed / change)了。 — "He can't even speak clearly, let alone write."
B …，more更needless to say不用说 A ((completed / change)了)
- more更needless to say不用说 A = "let alone A, not to mention A": the easier case B comes first; A is even more obviously true or false.
- (completed / change)了 often ends the clause: more更needless to say不用说…(completed / change)了.
I我even连a bike自行车(even)都not不can会ride骑，let alone更不用说drive开车了。
Positive: not to mention
- here这里(modifier / structural particle)的summer夏天degree / adjective linker很to warm up热，more更needless to say不用说August八月(completed / change)了。 — "Summers here are hot, not to mention August."
- 他会variant of 说说English (language)英语、French (language)法语，more更needless to say不用说Chinese language中文(completed / change)了。 — "He speaks English and French, not to mention Chinese."
here这里的summers夏天very很hot热，not to mention更不用说August八月了。
Easier case first
- The clause before more更needless to say不用说 is the easier or more basic case; A after it is the extreme.
- Do not put more更needless to say不用说 at the start of the first clause: B…，more更needless to say不用说 A.
more更needless to say不用说 versus let alone何况
- let alone何况 is similar and more literary: adult大人all / both都to make做not to arrive不到，let alone何况child孩子(and …? / softener)呢？ — "Even adults can't do it, let alone children."
- let alone何况 often ends with (and …? / softener)呢 as a rhetorical question.
adults大人even都can't do it做不到，let alone何况children孩子呢？
Recap
- B …，more更needless to say不用说 A ((completed / change)了) = let alone / not to mention A.
- Easier case first; let alone何况…(and …? / softener)呢 is the literary relative.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
to say nothing of别说 … ，exactly就是 … also也 … (let alone)
2301.1 Complete: “Let alone a hundred yuan, I don't even have one.” to say nothing of别说一百块，…………one block一块I / me我also也not have / haven't没有。
2301.2 In to say nothing of别说 A，exactly就是 B also也improbable不会, which is the more extreme case?
- A. Both equal
- B. A
- C. Neither
- D. B
2301.3 Build: “Never mind foreigners, even Chinese people may not know.”
Arrange all chunks: to link连China中国person人 / also也not不definitely一定to know知道。 / to say nothing of别说foreigner外国人 / ，
2301.4 more更needless to say不用说 puts the extreme case at the end.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
2301.5 A friend suggests climbing Mount Huashan. You get tired walking upstairs. 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.
more更needless to say不用说 (let alone / not to mention)
2302.1 Complete: “I can't even ride a bike, let alone drive.” I / me我to link连bicycle自行车all / both都improbable不会to sit astride骑，…………to drive a car开车(completed / change)了。
2302.2 Which order is correct?
- A. he / him他more更needless to say不用说to run跑步，to link连to walk走路。
- B. to run跑步more更needless to say不用说(completed / change)了，to walk走路he / him他to link连。
- C. he / him他to link连to walk走路all / both都difficult困难，more更needless to say不用说to run跑步(completed / change)了。
- D. more更needless to say不用说to run跑步，he / him他to link连to walk走路all / both都difficult困难。
2302.3 Build: “Summers here are hot, not to mention August.”
Arrange all chunks: more更needless to say不用说 / ， / August八月(completed / change)了。 / here这里(modifier / structural particle)的summer夏天degree / adjective linker很to warm up热
2302.4 let alone何况 is more literary than more更needless to say不用说.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
2302.5 Your nephew is two years old and is learning to talk. 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
to say nothing of别说 … ，exactly就是 … also也 … (let alone)
2301.1 exactly就是
to say nothing of别说 A，exactly就是 B also也….
2301.2 B. A
The extreme case follows to say nothing of别说.
2301.3 to say nothing of别说foreigner外国人，to link连China中国person人also也not不definitely一定to know知道。
to say nothing of别说 A，to link连 B also也….
2301.4 True.
True. more更needless to say不用说 adds the more extreme case at the end: adult大人all / both都to move (i.e. relocate…搬motionless不动，more更needless to say不用说child孩子(completed / change)了 “Even adults can't move it, let alone children.”
2301.5 One possible response: to say nothing of别说to climb a mountain爬山(completed / change)了，exactly就是to walk走stair楼梯I / me我also也to feel / think觉得rope累。
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.
- The item after to say nothing of别说 is the more extreme one; the item after exactly就是 / to link连 is the easier test.
- Keep also也 / all / both都 in the second clause: exactly就是…also也…, to link连…all / both都….
- 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.
more更needless to say不用说 (let alone / not to mention)
2302.1 more更needless to say不用说
B…，more更needless to say不用说 A (completed / change)了.
2302.2 C. he / him他to link连to walk走路all / both都difficult困难，more更needless to say不用说to run跑步(completed / change)了。
The easier case first, then more更needless to say不用说 + the extreme.
2302.3 here这里(modifier / structural particle)的summer夏天degree / adjective linker很to warm up热，more更needless to say不用说August八月(completed / change)了。
B…，more更needless to say不用说 A (completed / change)了.
2302.4 True.
let alone何况…(and …? / softener)呢 often appears in writing.
2302.5 One possible response: he / him他连话都说不清楚，more更needless to say不用说to write characters写字(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.
- The clause before more更needless to say不用说 is the easier or more basic case; A after it is the extreme.
- Do not put more更needless to say不用说 at the start of the first clause: B…，more更needless to say不用说 A.
- 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.