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分科攻略 · By subject · 6 min

Classical Chinese: sentence patterns you must know

Passive constructions, judgment sentences, inverted objects — five patterns cover most of what the exam tests.

The 文言文 section tests a small number of grammatical patterns and a large number of function words. The grammar is the faster win.

Judgment sentences: '……者,……也' and its variants. Recognize the frame and you can translate the noun-is-noun claim without hesitation.

Passive constructions: '为……所……' and '见……于……'. These trip students who default to reading them actively. Slow down every time you see 为 or 见 as the second character in a clause.

Object inversion in interrogative and negative sentences: '何……之有?' means 'what … is there?'. Recognize the shape before you attempt a word-for-word translation.

Omitted subjects are everywhere. When the meaning does not make sense, supply the missing subject before assuming you have misidentified a word.

Practice with the same twenty passages until you can read them cold. It is worth more than reading two hundred once.

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