''Also known as: 是⋯⋯的结构 (shì... de jiégòu), 是⋯⋯的 sentence and 是⋯⋯的 pattern.'' The 是⋯⋯的 (shì... de) construction is used to draw attention to certain information in a sentence. It's often used to ask questions that seek specific information, or to explain a situation by emphasizing a particular detail. While not strictly tied to any "tense," the 是⋯⋯的 construction is frequently used when asking or telling details about the past. This use of 是⋯⋯的 (shì... de) is usually emphasized in textbooks over other uses, and therefore is sometimes called the "classic" 是⋯⋯的 construction. == When to use it == Even if you understand that 了 is not used to mark "past tense" in Chinese, it's possible that you incorrectly use it that way sometimes. For example, what if you want to ask a question about something that happened in the past? Would you ever say one of the following sentences? In each of these sentences above, 了 is not the right choice, because you're not asking if an event happened or not. You're asking about details of past events. When you are singling out details for emphasis--in a question or a statement--you need to use the 是⋯⋯的 construction. A 是⋯⋯的 construction can pick out any detail that's related to a past event. Whatever comes immediately after 是 is emphasized. Check out this example: Now let's revisit those other three sentences and ask the questions correctly with 是⋯⋯的: == Affirmative Form == 是⋯⋯的 is not generally used for reporting new information but for adding important details that make the information clearer. You could think of 是⋯⋯的 as being equivalent to saying one of the following in English: * "The situation is that" * "It's that... " * "It was... that... " === Structure === This structure can be used to emphasize any detail, but most commonly it emphasizes '''time''', '''manner''', or '''place'''. Don't worry if this still seems a little confusing; lots of helpful examples are coming up! === Examples === Although this structure is called the 是⋯⋯的 construction, the 是 is nearly always optional. You will often hear this structure with 是 omitted, so be aware. The only time 是 is required in this construction is when it's being negated. Other than that, 是 is commonly omitted. You might be wondering, "can I still say the same thing without the 是 and the 的?" The answer is that in most cases, ''no, not really''. While the 是 can sometimes be dropped, these examples sound weird without the 的. It's just a part of learning to ask questions naturally in Mandarin. You don't have to learn a "past tense," but you do have to learn this way of asking for details about the past sooner or later. == Negative Form == 是⋯⋯的 sentences can only be negated with 不, as 没 can not be used to negate 是. Some examples: Note that negating a 是⋯⋯的 construction creates the implication that the action in the sentence ''was'' carried out, and only the detail emphasized by 是⋯⋯的 is being denied. So, in the second sentence, the implication is that 他 didn't go with 我们, but ''did'' go out with ''someone''. So negative 是⋯⋯的 constructions would work nicely in the final scenes of detective dramas. == Used in a Question == 是⋯⋯的 constructions can be made into questions in the usual three ways to form questions in Chinese: * With a [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Interrogative_Sentences#Question_particles question particle] * Within [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Affirmative-negative_questions affirmative-negative questions] * With a [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Word_order#Using_question_words_in_a_Chinese_sentence question word] Some examples: == Is 是 always optional ? == Generally, 是 can be omitted, and the meaning will not change. However, in a small number of cases, omitting 是 will make it unclear which part of the sentence is being emphasized. In these cases, 是 clearly indicates which words are being emphasized. Take a look at this example: This sentence could emphasize 上周 (time), or 和他 (part of the subject). A simple 是 can make clear which one the speaker is emphasizing. == Position of 的 == Until now we've said that the 的 appears at the end of the sentence in a 是⋯⋯的 construction. This is very often the case. However, it can actually appear in one of two places. Take a look at the examples below: As you can see, when the verb is followed by an object, 的 can go before ''or'' after the object. Both sentences are grammatically correct, but the first the sentence could be referring to either a specific event in the past or habitual actions. Take a look at these two sentences which remove the ambiguity by including a bit more information about the timeframe: For the most part, you should be fine regularly putting 的 at the end of your 是……的 sentences. Just be aware that there is some potential for ambiguity in certain situations. If you don't want to move 的 around, then including a bit of extra information about time can keep things clear. == Completed Action == It's important to note that while the 是⋯⋯的 construction also indicates that an action has been completed, this is not the ''purpose'' of a 是⋯⋯的 construction. The completed action part is more like a ''prerequisite'' for using 是⋯⋯的. This means you shouldn't use 是⋯⋯的 just to indicate that an action is completed. Use the [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Aspect_particle_%E4%BA%86 aspect particle 了] for that. Instead, use 是⋯⋯的 to draw attention to certain details of a completed action. == See also == * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/%E7%9A%84_(modal_particle) 的 (modal particle)] * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Adding_emphasis_with_%22jiushi%22 Adding emphasis with "jiushi"] * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/The_%22shi..._de%22_patterns:_an_overview The "shi... de" patterns: an overview] * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/The_%22shi..._de%22_construction_for_indicating_purpose The "shi... de" construction for indicating purpose] == Sources and Further Reading == === Books === * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/A_Practical_Chinese_Grammar_For_Foreigners_(%E5%A4%96%E5%9B%BD%E4%BA%BA%E5%AE%9E%E7%94%A8%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95) A Practical Chinese Grammar For Foreigners (外国人实用汉语语法)] (pp. 577-9) [http://www.amazon.cn/mn/detailApp?_encoding=UTF8&tag=allset-23&linkCode=as2&asin=B001J0ADWA&camp=536&creative=3132&creativeASIN=B001J0ADWA →buy] * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Basic_Patterns_of_Chinese_Grammar Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar] (pp. 54-5) [http://amzn.to/2ykU1OD →buy] * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Chinese:_An_Essential_Grammar,_Second_Edition Chinese: An Essential Grammar, Second Edition] (pp. 46-7, 173-80) [http://amzn.to/2h67UYa →buy] * [https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Chinese_Grammar_-_Broken_down_into_100_items_-_Basic_and_Intermediate_Levels_(%E6%B1%89%E8%AF%AD%E8%AF%AD%E6%B3%95%E7%99%BE%E9%A1%B9%E8%AE%B2%E7%BB%83_-_%E5%88%9D%E4%B8%AD%E7%BA%A7) Chinese Grammar - 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