Language Structure and Usage
What this domain tests
This section checks the mechanics behind the language: pinyin spelling, tone marks, syllable boundaries, character strokes and radicals, word order and punctuation. These are easy marks if the rules are automatic.
Rules
- Tone mark placement: mark a or e if present; in ou mark o; otherwise mark the last vowel. In iu and ui the mark goes on the second vowel (liù, guì).
- After j, q, x and y, write u as ü: ju, qu, xu, yu.
- Use an apostrophe to separate syllables when needed: Xī’ān.
- Basic word order: subject + time + place + verb + object. 我明天在学校看书。
- Chinese punctuation: 。，、？！
- Stroke order: left to right, top to bottom, outside before inside, then close.
Worked example
Where does the tone mark go in “xiong”? Reasoning: The syllable contains o, and the rule says mark o when it is present. The tone mark goes over o: xiōng. Do not mark i just because it is first.
Traps that cost marks
- Writing “lu” for lü when ü is required (e.g., 女 nǚ).
- Placing the tone mark on the wrong vowel in iu/ui.
- Using English commas and periods in Chinese writing.
- Reversing the order of time and place in a sentence.