Pivotal Sentence (1) – 兼语句 (1)

Pivotal Sentence (1) – 兼语句 (1)

Subject + 叫/派/请/让…… + object 1 + verb + (other elements)

The predicate of a pivotal sentence is made up of two verbal phrases, the object of the first verb being the subject of the second. The first verb is often a causative verb, such as “叫” (to ask), “派” (to assign), “请” (to invite) and “让” (to let).

e.g.

我叫人去看看我的猫。(Wǒ jiào rén qù kànkàn wǒ de māo.) I asked someone to see my cat.

经理叫他介绍一下公司情况。(Jīnglǐ jiào tā jièshào yīxià gōngsī qíngkuàng.) The manager asked him to introduce the company.

 

你能派人去开会吗？(Nǐ néng pài rén qù kāihuì ma?) Can you send someone to the meeting?

公司派我来北京学中文。(Gōngsī pài wǒ lái Běijīng xué Zhōngwén.) The company sent me to Beijing to learn Chinese.

 

我请你吃饭。(Wǒ qǐng nǐ chīfàn.) I invite you to dinner.

我妈请她去我家玩儿。(Wǒ mā qǐng tā qù wǒ jiā wánr.) My mother invited her to visit my house.

 

你让我再想想。(Nǐ ràng wǒ zài xiǎng xiǎng.) You let me think again.

孩子让我别再喝酒了。(Háizi ràng wǒ bié zài hējiǔle.) The child told me to stop drinking.

 

老师通知大家开会。(Lǎoshī tōngzhī dàjiā kāihuì.) The teacher informed everyone of the meeting.

医生建议我们早点休息。(Yīshēng jiànyì wǒmen zǎodiǎn xiūxi.) The doctor advised us to rest early.

他同意我参加这次比赛。(Tā tóngyì wǒ cānjiā zhè cì bǐsài.) He agreed with me to participate in this competition.

The negative form:

Subject + 不/没 + 叫/派/请/让…… + object 1 + verb + (other elements)

e.g.

我没请她去我家。(Wǒ méi qǐng tā qù wǒjiā.) I did not invite her to my house.

 

妈妈不让我来成都。(Māma bù ràng wǒ lái Chéngdū.) My mother wouldn’t let me come to Chengdu.

 

公司没派我来中国。(Gōngsī méi pài wǒ lái Zhōngguó.) The company didn’t send me to China.

 

老板没叫我做报告。(Lǎobǎn méi jiào wǒ zuò bàogào.) The boss didn’t ask me to make a report.