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.
ordinarily平时 vs ordinary平常 (usually / ordinary)
Usually, but not today
- Your grandfather normally goes to bed at nine, but tonight is New Year's Eve.
- (coll.) father's father爷爷ordinarily平时九点then / just就to sleep睡(completed / change)了，today今天but却all along一直to wait until等到十二点。 — "Grandpa usually goes to bed at nine, but today he waited up until midnight."
ordinarily平时 = usually, in ordinary times (a time word)
- ordinarily平时 contrasts ordinary days with a special time: ordinarily平时degree / adjective linker很busy忙，weekend周末only then / not until才to have time (to do sth)有空.
- It can be a noun: with / and跟ordinarily平时same一样 — "the same as usual".
he他usually平时very很busy忙，at weekends周末only then才is free有空。
ordinary平常 = usual, ordinary (adjective and time word)
- ordinary平常 can mean "usually" like ordinarily平时: I / me我ordinary平常七点to get out of bed起床.
- It can also be an adjective: "ordinary, common": this这to be / is是degree / adjective linker很ordinary平常(modifier / structural particle)的matter事 — "This is a very ordinary thing."
this这is是very很ordinary平常的thing事。
Only ordinary平常 is an adjective
- "Ordinary" takes ordinary平常: degree / adjective linker很ordinary平常, ordinary平常(modifier / structural particle)的to live生活. Not degree / adjective linker很ordinarily平时.
- Both can mean "usually"; ordinarily平时 contrasts more clearly with a special occasion.
Versus regular通常
- regular通常 = generally, as a rule, a little more formal: bank银行regular通常九点to open a door (lit. and…开门.
- ordinarily平时 / ordinary平常 are more about personal routine.
banks银行generally通常at nine九点open开门。
Recap
- ordinarily平时 = usually, ordinary times (time word / noun); ordinary平常 = usually, or "ordinary" (adjective).
- "Ordinary" = ordinary平常 only; regular通常 = as a rule.
Practise this pattern step by step.
after以后 vs after之后 (after / afterwards)
In a formal report
- You are writing up what happened after a company meeting.
- meeting会议termination结束after之后，manager经理to declare宣布(completed / change)了new新(modifier / structural particle)的plan计划。 — "After the meeting ended, the manager announced the new plan."
after以后 and after之后 = after
- X + after以后 / after之后 both mean "after X": to finish class下课after以后 / to finish class下课after之后.
- after之后 sounds a little more formal and written.
graduation毕业after之后，he他went to去了Shanghai上海。
Alone at the start
- after之后 can start a sentence meaning "afterwards": we / us我们early先to go去(completed / change)了museum博物馆。after之后，we / us我们to go去to have a meal吃饭。
- after以后 alone at the start usually means "in the future, from now on": after以后我会to take note of注意.
afterwards之后，we我们went去to eat吃饭。
Past "afterwards" versus future "from now on"
- "Afterwards" in a past story: after之后 (or afterwards后来), not a bare after以后.
- "From now on": after以后, not after之后: after以后don't别to arrive late迟到(completed / change)了.
With a time span
- Both follow a duration: 三天after以后 / 三天after之后 = three days later.
- after之后 also pairs with not long (after)不久: not long (after)不久after之后 — "not long after".
not long不久after之后，he他then就returned home回国了。
Recap
- X after以后 / X after之后 = after X; after之后 is more formal.
- Alone: after之后 = afterwards (past); after以后 = in the future, from now on.
Practise this pattern step by step.
Practice without the models
ordinarily平时 vs ordinary平常 (usually / ordinary)
2801.1 Complete: “This is a very ordinary thing.” this这to be / is是degree / adjective linker很…………(modifier / structural particle)的matter事。
2801.2 Which is wrong?
- A. with / and跟ordinarily平时same一样。
- B. this这to be / is是degree / adjective linker很ordinarily平时(modifier / structural particle)的matter事。
- C. he / him他ordinarily平时degree / adjective linker很busy忙。
- D. he / him他ordinary平常degree / adjective linker很busy忙。
2801.3 Build: “He's usually busy; only at weekends is he free.”
Arrange all chunks: only then / not until才to have time (to do sth)有空。 / he / him他ordinarily平时degree / adjective linker很busy忙 / ， / weekend周末
2801.4 regular通常 is a little more formal than ordinarily平时.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
2801.5 Your grandfather normally goes to bed at nine, but tonight is New Year's Eve. 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.
after以后 vs after之后 (after / afterwards)
2802.1 Past story: “We went to the museum. Afterwards, we ate.” we / us我们to go去(completed / change)了museum博物馆。…………，we / us我们to go去to have a meal吃饭。
2802.2 “From now on, please don't be late.” Which fits? ____请别to arrive late迟到(completed / change)了。
- A. afterwards后来
- B. then / after然后
- C. after之后
- D. after以后
2802.3 Build: “Not long after, he returned home.”
Arrange all chunks: ，he / him他 / then / just就 / not long (after)不久after之后 / to return to one's home…回国(completed / change)了。
2802.4 to finish class下课after以后 and to finish class下课after之后 mean the same.
True or false? Explain or repair the statement.
2802.5 You are writing up what happened after a company meeting. 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
ordinarily平时 vs ordinary平常 (usually / ordinary)
2801.1 ordinary平常
Only ordinary平常 is an adjective meaning “ordinary”.
2801.2 B. this这to be / is是degree / adjective linker很ordinarily平时(modifier / structural particle)的matter事。
ordinarily平时 is a time noun (“usually, ordinary times”), not an adjective, so degree / adjective linker很ordinarily平时(modifier / structural particle)的matter事 is wrong. The adjective “ordinary” is ordinary平常: degree / adjective linker很ordinary平常(modifier / structural particle)的matter事.
2801.3 he / him他ordinarily平时degree / adjective linker很busy忙，weekend周末only then / not until才to have time (to do sth)有空。
ordinarily平时 contrasts with the weekend.
2801.4 True.
True. regular通常 (“as a rule, normally”) is slightly more formal than ordinarily平时 and often states general patterns.
2801.5 One possible response: (coll.) father's father爷爷ordinarily平时九点then / just就to sleep睡(completed / change)了，today今天but却all along一直to wait until等到十二点。
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.
- "Ordinary" takes ordinary平常: degree / adjective linker很ordinary平常, ordinary平常(modifier / structural particle)的to live生活. Not degree / adjective linker很ordinarily平时.
- Both can mean "usually"; ordinarily平时 contrasts more clearly with a special occasion.
- 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.
after以后 vs after之后 (after / afterwards)
2802.1 after之后
Afterwards in a past story: after之后.
2802.2 D. after以后
after以后 alone means “from now on, in future”: after以后请别to arrive late迟到(completed / change)了. after之后 needs a reference event (to finish class下课after之后), afterwards后来 is only for the past, and then / after然后 means “and then”.
2802.3 not long (after)不久after之后，he / him他then / just就to return to one's home…回国(completed / change)了。
not long (after)不久after之后 + clause.
2802.4 True.
After a clause, both mean “after”.
2802.5 One possible response: meeting会议termination结束after之后，manager经理to declare宣布(completed / change)了new新(modifier / structural particle)的plan计划。
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.
- "Afterwards" in a past story: after之后 (or afterwards后来), not a bare after以后.
- "From now on": after以后, not after之后: after以后don't别to arrive late迟到(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.