Mastering Advanced Question Words: Extended Usage, Correlations, and Alternative Questions

Welcome to this high-yield grammar guide for Pearson Edexcel A Level Chinese (9CN0). In basic Chinese, you learned interrogative pronouns (question words) like shénme (什么 / 什麼), shéi (谁 / 誰), and nǎr (哪儿 / 哪兒) simply to ask questions. However, at A Level, mastering their non-interrogative, extended, and correlative uses is essential for scoring top marks in Paper 1 translation, Paper 2 essay writing, and Paper 3 speaking.

Don't worry if these advanced structures feel intimidating at first. We will break them down into bite-sized, logical rules with parallel Simplified and Traditional characters so you can use them with confidence in your exams.


1. Extended Usage: Universal Quantification and Indefinite Reference

A. Total Inclusion and Exclusion (Universal Quantification)

In Chinese, you can turn any question word into an all-inclusive expression ("everyone", "everything", "everywhere", "anytime") or an all-exclusive expression ("no one", "nothing", "nowhere", "never") by pairing it with the adverbs 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě).

Core Formula:
Question Word + 都 (dōu) / 也 (yě) + Verb / Adjective

1. Total Inclusion (Positive / Universal):

• Person (谁 / 誰):
Simplified: 谁都可以参加。
Traditional: 誰都可以參加。
Pinyin: Shéi dōu kěyǐ cānjiā.
English: Anyone can participate / Everyone can join.

• Thing (什么 / 什麼):
Simplified: 什么都好。
Traditional: 什麼都好。
Pinyin: Shénme dōu hǎo.
English: Anything is fine / Everything is good.

• Place (哪儿 / 哪兒 / 哪里 / 哪裡):
Simplified: 哪儿都想去。
Traditional: 哪兒都想去。
Pinyin: Nǎr dōu xiǎng qù.
English: I want to go everywhere / anywhere.

2. Total Exclusion (Negative / Complete Denial):

• Place (哪儿 / 哪兒):
Simplified: 他周末哪儿都不去。
Traditional: 他週末哪兒都不去。
Pinyin: Tā zhōumò nǎr dōu bù qù.
English: He goes nowhere on the weekend / He doesn't go anywhere.

• Thing (什么 / 什麼):
Simplified: 房间里什么都（没）有。
Traditional: 房間裡什麼都（沒）有。
Pinyin: Fángjiān lǐ shénme dōu (méi) yǒu.
English: There is nothing in the room at all.

• Person (谁 / 誰):
Simplified: 谁都不认识他。
Traditional: 誰都不認識他。
Pinyin: Shéi dōu bù rènshí tā.
English: Nobody knows him.

B. The Object Topicalisation Rule (Crucial Word Order!)

Important Exam Rule: When the question word acts as the direct object of the verb, English places it after the verb ("I eat everything"). In Chinese, however, the object must move before 都 (dōu) or 也 (yě)!

Object Formula:
Subject + Object (Question Word) + 都 / 也 + Verb

• Simplified: 我什么都吃。
Traditional: 我什麼都吃。
Pinyin: Wǒ shénme dōu chī.
English: I eat everything. (Literally: "I, anything, all eat.")

• Simplified: 他谁也不认识。
Traditional: 他誰也不認識。
Pinyin: Tā shéi yě bù rènshí.
English: He doesn't know anyone.

C. Indefinite Reference (Existential / Non-Specific Meaning)

Sometimes question words are used without 都 / 也 to refer to an unspecified, vague person, thing, or degree ("something", "someone", "somewhere", or "not particularly").

Formula:
Subject + Verb + Question Word

• Simplified: 我不买什么。
Traditional: 我不買什麼。
Pinyin: Wǒ bù mǎi shénme.
English: I am not buying anything in particular.

• Simplified: 这个说法不怎么清楚。
Traditional: 這個說法不怎麼清楚。
Pinyin: Zhè ge shuōfǎ bù zěnme qīngchǔ.
English: This explanation is not particularly clear.

Key Takeaway for Section 1: To say "every-" or "no-", use Question Word + 都/也 + Verb. Remember to pull the object forward before 都/也!


2. Correlations and Parallels (Paired Question Words)

In advanced writing and formal discourse, Chinese links two clauses together using identical paired question words. This is equivalent to English relative-conditional structures like "whoever...", "whatever...", "wherever...", or "however...".

A. The Matching Principle

Formula:
Clause 1 (Question Word A) + Clause 2 (Question Word A / 就 + Verb)

The adverb 就 (jiù) is frequently placed before the verb in the second clause to emphasize the direct connection and consequence.

B. Core Exam Patterns and Examples

1. Person: 谁……谁…… / 誰……誰…… ("Whoever... that person...")
• Simplified: 谁想去谁去。
Traditional: 誰想去誰去。
Pinyin: Shéi xiǎng qù shéi qù.
English: Whoever wants to go can go.

2. Thing: 什么……什么…… / 什麼……什麼…… ("Whatever... that thing...")
• Simplified: 你想买什么，就买什么。
Traditional: 你想買什麼，就買什麼。
Pinyin: Nǐ xiǎng mǎi shénme, jiù mǎi shénme.
English: Buy whatever you want to buy.

3. Place: 哪儿……哪儿…… / 哪兒……哪兒…… ("Wherever... there...")
• Simplified: 想去哪儿就去哪儿。
Traditional: 想去哪兒就去哪兒。
Pinyin: Xiǎng qù nǎr jiù qù nǎr.
English: Go wherever you want to go.

4. Manner / Method: 怎么……怎么…… / 怎麼……怎麼…… ("Whichever way / However...")
• Simplified: 怎么方便就怎么做。
Traditional: 怎麼方便就怎麼做。
Pinyin: Zěnme fāngbiàn jiù zěnme zuò.
English: Do it whichever way is most convenient.

Key Takeaway for Section 2: The question words in both clauses must match identically. Think of it as a mirror: the pronoun introduced in Clause 1 is reflected exactly in Clause 2, often reinforced by 就 (jiù).


3. Alternative Questions (选择疑问句)

In Chinese, the way you say "or" depends strictly on whether the sentence is a question/uncertain choice or a factual statement.

A. Direct Alternative Questions: 还是 / 還是 (háishì)

When presenting a choice in a question where the listener must select one option, use 还是 / 還是 (háishì).

Direct Question Formula:
Option A + 还是 (háishì / 還是) + Option B?

• Simplified: 你喝茶还是咖啡？
Traditional: 你喝茶還是咖啡？
Pinyin: Nǐ hē chá háishì kāfēi?
English: Do you drink tea or coffee?

• Simplified: 我们今天去还是明天去？
Traditional: 我們今天去還是明天去？
Pinyin: Wǒmen jīntiān qù háishì míngtiān qù?
English: Are we going today or tomorrow?

B. Embedded Alternative Clauses (Expressing Uncertainty)

还是 / 還是 (háishì) is also used in declarative-looking sentences that contain an indirect question or a clause expressing doubt, uncertainty, or decision-making (e.g., after verbs like 知道 / 知道, 决定 / 決定, 想 / 想).

Embedded Formula:
Subject + 知道 / 决定 / 想 + (是) Option A + 还是 + Option B

• Simplified: 我不知道他是中国人还是英国人。
Traditional: 我不知道他是中國人還是英國人。
Pinyin: Wǒ bù zhīdào tā shì zhōngguó rén háishì yīngguó rén.
English: I don't know whether he is Chinese or British.

• Simplified: 他们还没决定去北京还是去上海。
Traditional: 他們還沒決定去北京還是去上海。
Pinyin: Tāmen hái méi juédìng qù Běijīng háishì qù Shànghǎi.
English: They haven't decided yet whether to go to Beijing or Shanghai.

C. Contrast: 还是 (háishì) vs. 或者 (huòzhě)

• 还是 / 還是 (háishì): Used for interrogative choices and embedded uncertainty ("A or B?").
• 或者 / 或者 (huòzhě) / 或 (huò): Used exclusively in non-interrogative, declarative statements ("You can have tea or coffee, both are fine").

Key Takeaway for Section 3: If there is any question, decision, or doubt involved, choose 还是 / 還是. Reserve 或者 purely for plain statements of possibility.


4. Common Pitfalls and Examiner Traps to Avoid

Pitfall 1: Confusing 还是 (háishì) with 或者 (huòzhě)
• Incorrect: *你喜欢中国菜或者英国菜？ (Using 或者 in an alternative question)
• Correct: 你喜欢中国菜还是英国菜？ / 你喜歡中國菜還是英國菜？

Pitfall 2: Forgetting 都 (dōu) / 也 (yě) in Universal Quantification
• Incorrect: *谁想去。(Attempting to say "Everyone wants to go")
• Correct: 谁都想去。 / 誰都想去。
Examiner Note: Without 都/也, this sentence is an incomplete direct question ("Who wants to go?"), not a statement of universal inclusion.

Pitfall 3: Incorrect Object Placement (English Word Order Interference)
• Incorrect: *我看什么都。(Trying to translate "I watch everything" word-for-word)
• Correct: 我什么都看。 / 我什麼都看。
Memory Trick: The question word object must "jump over" the adverb 都/也 and land right before it.

Pitfall 4: Mixing Different Question Words in Correlative Pairs
• Incorrect: *谁想买什么就去哪儿。(Mixing 谁, 什么, and 哪儿 across the link)
• Correct: 什么便宜就买什么。 / 什麼便宜就買什麼。 (Identical pairing: "Buy whatever is cheap.")


5. Synoptic Application Across A Level Components

• Paper 1 (Listening, Reading, and Translation into English):
When reading long texts, be ready for 谁/什麼/哪儿 appearing in the middle of standard sentences. Recognize immediately that they signal "whatever", "whoever", or "any-", rather than indicating a direct interrogative question.

• Paper 2 (Translation into Chinese and Literary/Film Essays):
Demonstrating sophisticated syntactic range earns high marks in grammatical accuracy. Replacing basic sentences like 每个人都知道 with 谁都知道 (Shéi dōu zhīdào), or using parallel correlatives (e.g. 怎么……就怎么……) showcases true A-grade mastery.

• Paper 3 (Speaking):
Using embedded alternative questions (例如: "我不确定这个政策是好还是坏……" / "我不確定這個政策是好還是壞……") allows you to express nuance and balanced evaluation spontaneously during your discussion.