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plCommon errors
The possible mistakes learners might make when using the adverb 都 can be categorized as follows.
1. Syntactic error
1.1. Wrong position relating to the subject
*都我们喜欢吃水果。
我们都喜欢吃水果。
*都我們喜歡吃水果。
我們都喜歡吃水果。
1.2. Wrong position relating to the prepositional phrase
*大家给他都送了礼物。
大家都给他送了礼物。
*大家給他都送了禮物。
大家都給他送了禮物。
1.3. Wrong position when co-occurring with adverbs such as 也, 又, or 就
Learners may have difficulty placing 都 in the right position when other adverbs such as 也, 又, or 就 coexist in the sentence. The instructor should remind learners that these adverbs should precede 都.
*我们都去了，他们都也去了。
我们都去了，他们也都去了。
*老师再给我们解释一遍，我们都就懂了。
老师再给我们解释一遍，我们就都懂了。
*我們都去了，他們都也去了。
我們都去了，他們也都去了。
*老師再給我們解釋一遍，我們都就懂了。
老師再給我們解釋一遍，我們就都懂了。
2. Semantic error (or possible issues)
2.1. 都 with 没/沒 or 不
The mutual position of 都 and negation adverbs 没/沒 or 不 influences the scope of negation, the meaning changes depending on the order of the two adverbs. The negation adverb placed before 都 negates only the meaning of 都 ‘not all’; when placed after 都, the meaning of the verb is negated. The instructor should be careful when designing practice for learners.
学生都没来。
= 没有学生来。
All the students didn’t come.
学生没都来。
= 有的学生来了，有的没来。
Not all the students came.
这儿的人都不爱开车。
= 没有人爱开车。
All the local people don’t like driving.
这儿的人不都爱开车。
= 有的人爱开车，有的人不爱开车。
Not all the local people like driving.
學生都沒來。
＝ 沒有學生來。
All the students didn’t come.
學生沒都來。
＝ 有的學生來了，有的沒來。
Not all the students came.
這兒的人都不愛開車。
＝ 沒有人愛開車。
All the local people don’t like driving.
這兒的人不都愛開車。
＝ 有的人愛開車，有的人不愛開車。
Not all the local people like driving.
2.2. 都 with 每, 整, 全部, 一切, 所有 or 任何
When the sentence expresses ‘inclusiveness’ and contains words such as 每, 整, 全部, 一切, 所有, or 任何, then 都 should be added before the predicate.
*每个房间有电话。
每个房间都有电话。
*他整天在复习功课。
他整天都在复习功课。
*全部的作业写好了。
全部的作业都写好了。
*每個房間有電話。
每個房間都有電話。
*他整天在複習功課。
他整天都在複習功課。
*全部的作業寫好了。
全部的作業都寫好了。
Note: However, if the ‘inclusiveness’ is not the semantic focus of the sentence, 都 is not necessary.
整天看电视，对眼睛不好。
整天看電視，對眼睛不好。
Errors caused by native transfer
The errors involving the use of 都 among English learners are mostly related to the equation of 都 with “all” and “both”, which is a common translation in textbooks. In English, “all” and “both” are more flexible when it comes to the position in the sentence. Yet the adverb 都 in Chinese appears in a fixed preverbal position.
All the students have left.
The students have all left.
*都学生走了。
学生都走了。
*都學生走了。
學生都走了。
Classroom activity: "我们都一样吗/我們都一樣嗎？ Are we all the same?"
Whole class
10-15 minutes
Word cards or picture cards
- The teacher asks all the students to stand up.
- The teacher demonstrates by saying a sentence with 都 (all), but it does not apply to the entire class (e.g., “我们都是女生/我們都是女生。” when the class includes both boys and girls).
- The teacher uses gestures to ask a student, “我们都是女生吗/我們都是女生嗎？” The student should reply, “我们不都是女生/我們不都是女生。”
- The teacher confirms, “对，我们不都是女生/對，我們不都是女生。” and asks the boys to sit down.
- The teacher can provide word cards or ask students to come up with their own sentences using 都. These sentences can either apply to the entire class or not.
- Students take turns saying sentences using 都, and their neighbour must respond. After each answer, any students not fitting the description sit down. The last person standing is the winner.