James Garrison Posted December 1, 2008 at 01:28 PM Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 at 01:28 PM Hi, Does anyone have any recommendations regarding books that help with writing sentences and composing letters? Not necessarily formal letters, but just casual email among friends, colleagues, etc. I am looking for something beyond "I live in America, how about you" simplicity, but I don't want anything geared towards business correspondence. I've been away from China for 3 years but continue to correspond with several former friends, however recently one of them told me my Chinese writing sucked (she put it in a slightly nicer way) and so I want to improve my longer, more complex sentences. Clauses in sentences complex time structure compound sentences I'm not sure if she is nitpicking or if it is really that bad, but it is kind of embarrassing for me to have studied in China and still be pumping out bad emails. Part of the problem is that I have no one to correct my writing, I don't want to ask my friends to do that, but at the same time I actually would enjoy a bit of practice and feedback. How to get feedback though! Thats the $64,000 question. Cheers, James G Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
character Posted December 1, 2008 at 11:49 PM Report Share Posted December 1, 2008 at 11:49 PM Modern Mandarin Chinese Grammar: A Practical Guide, by Claudia Ross and Jing-heng Sheng Ma, ISBN 0-415-700108 It has a grammar overview section and then a much longer section covering many specific topics in Chinese. There is also a workbook available for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedge Posted December 2, 2008 at 12:38 AM Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 at 12:38 AM You could also post your emails (or some version of them) on Lang-8 and native speakers will correct them for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imron Posted December 2, 2008 at 12:56 AM Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 at 12:56 AM See also this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hidden12345 Posted December 2, 2008 at 03:01 AM Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 at 03:01 AM Post English language examples of something you want to say; "complex time structures" sounds like a Micheal J. Fox movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Garrison Posted December 2, 2008 at 06:35 PM Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2008 at 06:35 PM Thanks for the suggestions. I purchased (online) Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar, as the others were a bit too $$$ for me, and Claudia Ross contributed to both Schaum's Outline of Chinese Grammar and Modern Mandarin. Bought it used and paid 10% of the price of Modern Mandarin. Example? I don't have any specific sentences in mind, actually, I just wanted some guidelines for the future... nice Michael J Fox reference, though. Now you make me want to know the word for "DeLorean" in Mandarin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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