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plCommon Errors
The pattern 又……又…… expresses the accumulation of two simultaneous properties or actions meaning ‘both… and…’ related to the same subject. It forms a coordinate compound sentence composed of two parallel clauses, each carrying information of equal importance.
1. Incorrect position
The learners may incorrectly place modal verbs, such as 想, before the pattern 又……又……. The correct form requires repeating modal verbs after each 又.
*他想又买手机又买手表。
他又想买手机又想买手表。
*他想又買手機又買手錶。
他又想買手機又想買手錶。
2. Addition error
The learners may incorrectly add the degree adverbs, such as 很 or 非常, before adjectives in the pattern. In this structure, the adverbs of degree must not be inserted.
*他女朋友又很年轻又很漂亮。
他女朋友又年轻又漂亮。
*他女朋友又很年輕又很漂亮。
他女朋友又年輕又漂亮。
3. Confusion between 又……又…… and 一边/一邊……一边/一邊……
Both patterns 又……又…… ‘both… and…’ and 一边/一邊……一边/一邊…… ‘… while… at the same time’ describe two actions performed by the same subject, but their meanings differ.
又……又…… indicates that the subject performs two actions within the same general time frame, either simultaneously or simply both during a certain period; 一边/一邊……一边/一邊…… emphasizes strict simultaneity, highlighting that both actions occur at the same time.
In some contexts, both structures are possible but with a different emphasis: 一边/一邊……一边/一邊…… stresses that two actions occur at the same time, while 又……又…… simply indicates that both actions having been done altogether, regardless of whether they happened simultaneously or not.
在中国时，我姐姐又学习又打工。
在中國時，我姐姐又學習又打工。
在中国时，我姐姐一边学习一边打工。
在中國時，我姐姐一邊學習一邊打工。
The pattern 一边/一邊……一边/一邊…… cannot be used with verbs describing a state, a will or an ability.
*她一边会唱歌一边会跳舞。
她又会唱歌又会跳舞。
*她一邊會唱歌一邊會跳舞。
她又會唱歌又會跳舞。
*他喜欢一边在房间一边听音乐。
他喜欢在房间里听音乐。
*他喜歡一邊在房間一邊聽音樂。
他喜歡在房間裡聽音樂。
*我一边想休息，一边想学习。
我又想休息，又想學習。
*我一邊想休息，一邊想學習。
我又想休息，又想學習。
*大学老师常常一边站一边讲课。
大学老师常常站着讲课。
*大學老師常常一邊站一邊講課。
大學老師常常站著講課。
It also cannot be used with adjectives or with verb phrases describing the subject’s identity or state, such as the verbs 是, 有 or 当.
*这双鞋一边舒服一边便宜。
这双鞋又舒服又便宜。
*這雙鞋一邊舒服一邊便宜。
這雙鞋又舒服又便宜。
*他一边是英国人一边是意大利人。
他又是英国人又是意大利人。
*他一邊是英国人一邊是意大利人。
他又是英国人又是意大利人。
4. Pragmatic errors or inappropriate usage
The learners may forget that when 又……又…… is used to express two simultaneous qualities or properties of the subject, the two adjectives must both be either positive or negative in meaning.
*昨天的作业又少又难。
昨天的作业又多又难。
*昨天的 作業又少又難。
昨天的作業又多又難。
When expressing two concurrent actions, the verbs must denote compatible or potentially simultaneous actions, not mutually exclusive.
*他又跑又走。
他又跑又跳。
*他又跑又走。
他又跑又跳。
L1 Interferences Errors
Because 又……又…… is frequently translated as ‘both… and…’, the learners may incorrectly use it to connect nouns instead of verbs or adjectives.
*又老师又学生在图书馆看书。
老师和学生都在图书馆看书。
*又老師又學生在圖書館看書。
老師和學生都在圖書館看書。
Classroom activity: Describe the pictures.
whole class.
10 min.
Five images showing subjects with two qualities (such as a fast and convenient train, a big and delicious apple, a tall and beautiful girl, a good-looking and cheap dress, a big and bright room).
- The teacher shows one image to the whole class.
- The teacher asks students to describe the image and identify possible adjectives.
- Students produce simple sentences using the structure subject + 很 + adjective (e.g. 这个东西很小/這個東西很小).
- The teacher guides the class to find two appropriate adjectives for the same subject.
- Once the two adjectives are identified, the teacher asks students to combine them into one sentence.
- Students produce a single sentence using the structure 又……又…… to describe the two qualities together (e.g. 这个东西又小又贵/這個東西又小又貴).