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plCommon errors
The pattern 越来越/越來越…… expresses a gradual change in degree over time and therefore implies comparison. It is usually followed by an adjective or a verb phrase, meaning ‘more and more…’.
1. Incorrect position
In sentences where a verb is followed by a degree complement through the structure “verb + de 得”, learners may incorrectly place 越来越/越來越 before the verb, instead of placing it before the complement, after the structural particle 得.
*他们越来越唱得好。
他们唱得越来越好。
他們越來越唱得好。
他們唱得越來越好。
*我越来越忙得没时间来上课了。
我忙得越来越没时间来上课了。
*我越來越忙得沒時間來上課了。
我忙得越來越沒時間來上課了。
The above sentence can also be rephrased to express the same meaning:
我越来越忙，几乎没有时间来上课了。
我越來越忙，幾乎沒有時間來上課了。
Learners may mistakenly place 越来越/越來越 in comparative sentences with 比.
*他越来越比我高。
他比我越来越高了。
他越來越比我高。
他比我越來越高了。
2. Addition
The learners sometimes add adverbs of degree such as 很 or 非常 before adjectives or verbs in this pattern. This is incorrect because 越来越/越來越 already expresses an increasing degree, making further intensifiers redundant. The instructor should remind learners that no degree adverbs are allowed in this pattern.
*中国人越来越很多 。
中国人越来越多 。
*我越来越非常爱他 。
我越来越爱他 。
*中國人越來越很多。
中國人越來越多。
*我越來越非常愛他。
我越來越愛他。
3. Inappropriate verbs
The pattern 越来越/越來越 can only modify adjectives, verbs expressing feelings and emotions, or a verb phrase composed by “modal verb + verb”. It cannot be used with verbs describing an action, in this case a modal verb before it is needed.
English sentences like “He is eating more and more dumplings” cannot be directly translated with 越来越/越來越 before the verb.
*他越来越吃饺子。
他吃饺子吃得越来越多了。
*他越來越吃餃子。
他吃餃子吃得越來越多了。
L1 Interference Errors
When ‘more and more’ appears in an English sentence such as “He studies Chinese more and more”, it is usually translated in Chinese as 越来越多/越來越多, but the learners may forget to use the adjective 多 and mistakenly place the pattern right before the verb describing an action.
*他越来越学习中文。
他学习中文学习得越来越多。
*他越來越學習中文。
他學習中文學習得越來越多。
Classroom activity: Describe the changes.
Students in pairs.
15 min.
Five images depicting changes (such as in population, temperature, run speed, grades, and number of students).
- The teacher shows the images to the whole class, one at a time.
- Students are divided into pairs.
- For each image, the teacher asks one guiding question to a pair (e.g. 今年中国人口怎么样？/今年中國人口怎麼樣？).
- The pair looks at the image and discusses briefly.
- The students describe the changes shown in the image using the structure 越来越/越來越 + adjective.
- Each pair produces one or two simple sentences orally.
- The teacher listens, provides feedback if necessary, and then moves on to the next image.