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plCommon errors
Syntactic errors
1. Errors in the structure of the duration expressions serving as a time-measure complement
a. using a measure word in duration expressions with the words 天 and 年.
*一个天
一天
*一個天
一天
*一个年
一年
*一個年
一年
2. Errors in the structure of the sentence with a time-measure complement
a. incorrect position of the phrase expressing the duration of an action or state
- placement of the duration expression in the preverbal position
*他每天晚上一个小时看书。
他每天晚上看一个小时书。
*他每天晚上一個小時看書。
他每天晚上看一個小時書。
- placement of the duration expression after the object denoted by a common noun or an abstract noun
*他学了汉语两年。
他学了两年汉语。/ 他学汉语学了两年。
*他學了漢語兩年。
他學了兩年漢語。/ 他學漢語學了兩年。
- placement of the duration expression before the object denoted by a personal pronoun, e.g.:
*我等了一个小时她。
我等了她一个小时。
*我等了一個小時她。
我等了她一個小時。
- placement of the duration expression before the object in the sentences expressing the amount of time that has passed since a certain event or action (constructed according to the pattern C), e.g.:
*她来了一年中国。
她来中国一年了。
b. incorrect position of aspectual particles
- placement of an aspectual particle after the first verb in the sentence with the repeated verb.
*他学了汉语学两年了。
他学汉语学了两年了。
*他學了漢語學兩年了。
他學漢語學了兩年了。
- placement of an aspectual particle after the verb in the sentences constructed according to the pattern B.
*他当了医生已经十年了。
他当医生已经十年了。
*他當了醫生已經十年了。
他當醫生已經十年了。
- placement of an aspectual particle after the verb phrase in the sentences constructed according to the pattern B.
*他当医生了已经十年了。
他当医生已经十年了。
*他當醫生了已經十年了。
他當醫生已經十年了。
c. incorrect position of adverbs of scope referring to the duration expression
- placement of an adverb of scope before the time-measure complement (after the verb).
*我休息只一天。
我只休息一天。
*我休息只一天。
我只休息一天。
Interpretive errors
1. Not taking context into account when interpreting a sentence with a time-measure complement
One phrase [e.g. 三天] can mean both the duration of an action or state [1] and the amount of time that has passed since a certain event or action [2]. Correct interpretation of such phrases is possible only after taking context into account.
路很远，他们走了三天才来到这里。
路很遠，他們走了三天才來到這裏。
他们已经走了三天了，我很想念他们。
他們已經走了三天了，我很想念他們。
Negative transfer
1. Using temporal phrases that denote a point in time instead of phrases expressing a period of time.
*我休息三点。
我休息三个小时。
*我休息三點。
我休息三個小時。
The Polish word „godzina ‘hour’” can mean a point in time as well as a period of time.
Tips
1. Make sure that students understand the difference between temporal phrases that denote a point in time and those that denote a period of time (e.g.: 一月， 一个月 / 一個月). Prepare exercises that help students correctly classify various temporal phrases.
2. Students should be aware of the necessity of placing time-measure complements in strictly defined postverbal positions. Make sure that students understand the difference in the interpretation of duration expressions that appear in different positions.
[1] 她一个星期写一篇文章。
[1] 她一個星期寫一篇文章。
[2] 她這篇文章寫了一個星期。
[2] 她这篇文章写了一个星期。
In the first sentence [1] the duration phrase in the preverbal position expresses the scope in which a certain number of repetitions of an action take place, and in the second sentence [2] the same phrase in the postverbal position expresses the duration of the writing activity.