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HSK 7

偏正关系：条件句群、因果句群、目的句群、转折句群、假设句群、让步句群

piān zhèng guān xì ： tiáo jiàn jù qún 、 yīn guǒ jù qún 、 mù dì jù qún 、 zhuǎn zhé jù qún 、 jiǎ shè jù qún 、 ràng bù jù qún

Types of subordinate (偏正) compound sentence groups in Chinese

Explanation

These are compound-sentence groups (句群 jùqún – a cluster of several coherent sentences about one idea) having a modifier-head relationship (偏正 piānzhèng), i.e. having a main part and a subordinate part; the subordinate part supplies condition, cause, purpose, transition... to the main part. The names of the groups: 条件句群 (condition), 因果句群 (cause-effect), 目的句群 (purpose), 转折句群 (transition), 假设句群 (hypothesis), 让步句群 (concession).

Structure

several sentences combine into a cluster; the relationships between the sentences are marked by conjunctions such as 但是 (dànshì – but), 却 (què – yet), 原来 (yuánlái – it turns out), 因此 (yīncǐ – therefore), 虽然……但…… (although... but...).

When to use

when analyzing a long passage to grasp the meaning relationships between sentences (especially in argumentative and narrative texts). For example, a 转折句群 describes a contrast (usually with 但是/却), a 因果句群 states cause and effect (usually with 原来/因此).

Note

a 句群 is larger than a sentence; it examines relationships among several sentences, not within a single sentence; you must read the whole cluster to correctly identify the modifier-head relationship.

Common mistakes

looking at only a single isolated sentence and misclassifying the group type; you must base the classification on the linking conjunctions (但是/却/原来/因此...) and the overall flow of the whole cluster.

Examples

他们俩正是这样有思想的一对青年。在当时新思想的影响下，他们走上了革命之路。不少人热情地歌颂了他们的反抗和爱情，但是鲁迅先生以敏锐的目光看到了这种反抗和爱情中所包含的悲剧因素。（转折句群）
tāmenliǎzhèngshìzhèyàngyǒusīxiǎngdeyíduìqīngnián。zàidāngshíxīnsīxiǎngdeyǐngxiǎngxià，tāmenzǒushànglegémìngzhīlù。bùshǎorénrèqíngdegēsòngletāmendefǎnkànghéàiqíng，dànshìlǔxùnxiānshēngyǐmǐnruìdemùguāngkàndàolezhèzhǒngfǎnkànghéàiqíngzhōngsuǒbāohándebēijùyīnsù。（zhuǎnzhéjùqún）

The two of them are indeed just such a pair of thoughtful young people. Under the influence of the new thinking of the time, they set out on the road of revolution. Not a few people warmly extolled their rebellion and their love, but Mr. Lu Xun, with his keen eye, saw the tragic elements contained within that rebellion and love. (transition sentence group)

单位楼下的路口，新开了两家卖早餐的店，早餐的主要顾客，是在附近写字楼上班的人。虽然卖着同样的早餐，味道差不多，价格也一样，而且每天早上每家店前都排满了顾客，但月底一计算，东边胖大姐的利润却是西边瘦大姐的两倍多。仔细观察一番才发现，原来差别竟出在经营策略上——瘦大姐坚持自己十几年卖早餐的传统方式，每收一个顾客的钱，就卷一个饼，然后收下一个顾客的钱，再卷一个饼。而胖大姐则截然不同，她事先把做好的饼摆整齐，自己只管收钱和找钱，前面并排放着五双筷子，让交完钱的顾客自己动手卷菜。（因果句群）
dānwèilóuxiàdelùkǒu，xīnkāileliǎngjiāmàizǎocāndediàn，zǎocāndezhǔyàogùkè，shìzàifùjìnxiězìlóushàngbānderén。suīránmàizhetóngyàngdezǎocān，wèidàochàbùduō，jiàgéyěyíyàng，érqiěměitiānzǎoshàngměijiādiànqiándōupáimǎnlegùkè，dànyuèdǐyíjìsuàn，dōngbiānpàngdàjiědelìrùnquèshìxībiānshòudàjiědeliǎngbèiduō。zǐxìguāncháyìfāncáifāxiàn，yuánláichābiéjìngchūzàijīngyíngcèlüèshàng——shòudàjiějiānchízìjǐshíjǐniánmàizǎocāndechuántǒngfāngshì，měishōuyígègùkèdeqián，jiùjuànyígèbǐng，ránhòushōuxiàyígègùkèdeqián，zàijuànyígèbǐng。érpàngdàjiězéjiéránbùtóng，tāshìxiānbǎzuòhǎodebǐngbǎizhěngqí，zìjǐzhǐguǎnshōuqiánhézhǎoqián，qiánmiànbìngpáifàngzhewǔshuāngkuàizi，ràngjiāowánqiándegùkèzìjǐdòngshǒujuàncài。（yīnguǒjùqún）

At the intersection below the workplace, two breakfast shops newly opened, whose main customers were people working in the nearby office buildings. Although they sold the same breakfast, the flavor was about the same, the prices were also the same, and moreover every morning both shops were packed with customers, yet when the month-end accounts were tallied, the profit of the plump older sister on the east side was more than double that of the thin older sister on the west side. Only after observing carefully for a while did one discover that the difference actually lay in the business strategy — the thin sister stuck to her traditional way of selling breakfast for over a decade: she would collect one customer's money and then roll one pancake, then collect the next customer's money and roll another pancake. The plump sister, however, was entirely different: she arranged the ready-made pancakes neatly in advance, concerning herself only with taking money and giving change, and set out five pairs of chopsticks side by side in front so that customers who had paid could roll in the vegetables themselves. (cause-effect sentence group)

Practice

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Learn “偏正关系：条件句群、因果句群、目的句群、转折句群、假设句群、让步句群” effectively

The grammar point “偏正关系：条件句群、因果句群、目的句群、转折句群、假设句群、让步句群” (Types of subordinate (偏正) compound sentence groups in Chinese) is one of the key structures at HSK 7. To use it fluently, you need to understand the contexts where it's used and practice regularly.

Study tip: read the examples aloud many times to build a natural reflex. Then try making your own sentences for your own situations. Use the audio button to hear and practice accurate pronunciation.

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