昨天你做什么了？
Chapter Overview and Learning Objectives
Unit III ended by checking whether you could combine ability, directions, ongoing action, and health/advice language into one connected performance. Unit IV opens a new communicative area: talking about things that already happened. You already control change-of-state 了 from Chapter 14 — this chapter builds on that same character and introduces its second major job in Mandarin: marking that an action was completed. You will also learn to place events in time relative to each other with 以前 and 以后, and you will practice stringing several completed actions together into a short, connected narration of a day.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:
- Ask and answer what someone did using 你做什么了？ and perfective 了.
- Attach perfective 了 correctly to verb-object expressions such as 看电影, 写信, and 打电话.
- Negate a completed event with 没/没有, distinguishing it from negation with 不.
- Sequence past actions using 以前 and 以后.
- Narrate a short sequence of events from yesterday or last week in connected sentences.
- Distinguish perfective 了 (an action happened) from change-of-state 了 (a situation changed), which you already met in Chapter 14.
Communication Scenario
安娜 is feeling much better after her cold. Her friend 大卫 wants to know how she spent her day off yesterday — what she did before lunch, what she did after, and whether she managed to finish the work report she mentioned in Chapter 15.
- You will hear and read 安娜 describing yesterday using completed-action language.
- You will practice asking and answering about completed events with a partner.
- You will write your own short narration of a recent day, connecting several completed actions in order.
Core Vocabulary
These words and verb-object expressions support narrating a day of completed activities. All measure words, question words, and time words needed to use them have already been introduced in earlier chapters.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Part / Function | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 昨天 | zuótiān | time word | yesterday | 昨天我很忙。 |
| 以前 | yǐqián | time word | before; previously | 吃饭以前，我打了电话。 |
| 以后 | yǐhòu | time word | after; afterward | 下课以后，我去了图书馆。 |
| 先...然后... | xiān...ránhòu... | connector | first...then... | 我先写报告，然后看了电影。 |
| 看电影 | kàn diànyǐng | verb-object | to watch a movie | 我昨天看电影了。 |
| 写信 | xiě xìn | verb-object | to write a letter | 我写了一封信。 |
| 打电话 | dǎ diànhuà | verb-object | to make a phone call | 我给妈妈打了电话。 |
| 寄 | jì | verb | to mail, to send | 我寄了一封信。 |
| 收到 | shōudào | verb (result) | to receive | 我收到了他的信。 |
| 完成 | wánchéng | verb | to finish, to complete | 我完成了工作报告。 |
| 报告 | bàogào | noun | report | 昨天我完成了报告。 |
| 整天 | zhěngtiān | time word | the whole day | 我整天都在工作。 |
All grammar words used in the examples above — 了, 给, 都, measure words, and question words — were introduced in Chapters 1-14 and are reviewed, not retaught, here.
Pronunciation Focus
This chapter introduces no new sounds or tone rules. Use the items below to review tone contrasts that are easy to blur in fast narration.
- The falling tone of 以后 (yǐhòu) compared with the rising-then-falling shape of 以前 (yǐqián) — say both slowly, then at natural speed.
- The neutral-tone second syllable in 昨天 (zuótiān) and 电话 (diànhuà).
- Third-tone sandhi in 我写 (wǒ xiě), where two third tones in a row become rising-plus-third.
- Keeping perfective 了 (le) light and unstressed — it is a neutral-tone grammatical particle, not a heavily pronounced word.
Grammar and Sentence Patterns
Subject + Verb (+ Object) + 了 — perfective 了, marking a completed action
我昨天看电影了。 Wǒ zuótiān kàn diànyǐng le. I watched a movie yesterday.
Perfective 了 tells the listener that an action was completed, not merely that it happened in the past. Mandarin has no past-tense verb form; 了 together with a time word such as 昨天 signals completion within a known time frame.
Verb + 了 + Object — placement with simple verb-object expressions
我写了一封信。 Wǒ xiě le yì fēng xìn. I wrote a letter.
When the object has a number and measure word, 了 normally sits directly after the verb, before the object: 写了一封信, not 写一封信了.
没(有) + Verb (+ Object) — negating a completed action
我昨天没看电影。 Wǒ zuótiān méi kàn diànyǐng. I did not watch a movie yesterday.
了 disappears entirely in the negative. Use 没 or 没有 before the verb; do not add 不 here — 不 negates habitual or general statements, not completed events.
Time word + 以前/以后，Subject + Verb Phrase (+ 了) — sequencing events
吃饭以前，我打了电话。吃饭以后，我写了报告。 Chīfàn yǐqián, wǒ dǎ le diànhuà. Chīfàn yǐhòu, wǒ xiě le bàogào. Before eating, I made a phone call. After eating, I wrote the report.
以前 and 以后 follow the event they refer to, not precede it as English "before" and "after" do.
先...然后... — narrating a sequence
我先写了报告，然后看了电影。 Wǒ xiān xiě le bàogào, ránhòu kàn le diànyǐng. I first wrote the report, and then watched a movie.
In Chapter 14, you learned change-of-state 了, which appears at the end of a sentence to show a new situation: 我病了 (I've gotten sick). This chapter's perfective 了 shows that an action was completed, and it often sits right after the verb: 我写了信 (I wrote a letter). The two functions can combine in one sentence, but for now, focus on recognizing which job 了 is doing based on its position and the surrounding context.
Model Dialogue
大卫和安娜 — David and Anna:
大卫：安娜，你好点儿了吗？昨天你做什么了？
安娜：好多了，谢谢！昨天我整天都在家。吃饭以前，我先给妈妈打了电话，然后写了一封信给我的老师。
大卫：你完成报告了吗？
安娜：完成了！吃饭以后，我写了报告，也看了一个电影。
大卫：太好了。你今天想做什么？
安娜：今天我想去图书馆还书，昨天没去，因为我在家休息。
Notice how 安娜 moves from 以前 to 以后 to organize her day, and how she uses 没 (not 不) to say what she did not do yesterday.
Guided Practice
练习一 — Exercise 1: Add perfective 了 in the correct position.
- 我＿写＿一封信。 (I wrote a letter.)
- 她＿看＿电影。 (She watched a movie.)
- 我们＿打＿电话给老师。 (We made a phone call to the teacher.)
练习二 — Exercise 2: Rewrite each sentence in the negative, using 没/没有.
- 我昨天看电影了。 → ______
- 他写了报告。 → ______
- 我们吃饭了。 → ______
练习三 — Exercise 3: Combine each pair of sentences using 以前 or 以后.
- 我吃饭。我打电话。 (打电话 happened first.)
- 她下课。她去图书馆。 (下课 happened first.)
Listening Practice
Ask a partner, instructor, or fluent speaker to read the passage below aloud twice at a natural pace before answering.
If no speaker is available, this is a Listening Script for Independent Use. Read it aloud yourself, slowly at first, then at a natural pace. Any spoken model should be verified by a fluent Mandarin speaker before being treated as a pronunciation standard.
安娜的昨天 — Anna's Yesterday:
安娜昨天没有去公司，因为她还在休息。上午，她先给妈妈打了电话，然后写了一封信给她以前的老师。中午吃饭以后，她完成了工作报告。晚上，她看了一个电影，也收到了朋友寄来的信。她说：「昨天很忙，可是也很开心。」
听力任务 — Listening task:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| 安娜昨天去公司了吗？为什么？ (Did Anna go to the company yesterday? Why or why not?) | ______ |
| 吃饭以前，她做了什么？ (What did she do before eating?) | ______ |
| 晚上她做了什么？ (What did she do in the evening?) | ______ |
Speaking Practice
控制性练习 — Controlled practice: guided interview
With a partner, take turns asking and answering: 你昨天做什么了？吃饭以前你做了什么？吃饭以后呢？你昨天打电话了吗？
交际任务 — Communicative task: yesterday interview
Interview a partner about their day yesterday. Ask about at least three completed actions, and use 以前, 以后, or 先...然后... at least once each while retelling what you learned to the class or to another partner.
独立练习 — Solo alternative
Record yourself narrating your own day yesterday in four to six connected sentences, using perfective 了, at least one negative completed-action sentence with 没, and 以前 or 以后.
Reading Practice
Read the short message below and answer the comprehension questions.
理解问题 — Comprehension questions:
- 这个学生昨天为什么没有写作业？ (Why didn't this student do homework yesterday?)
- 今天早上，他先做了什么，然后做了什么？ (What did he do first this morning, and what did he do next?)
- 他给同学打电话问了什么？ (What did he call a classmate to ask about?)
Writing Workshop
Write a short narration of five to seven sentences describing a day you remember — yesterday, last weekend, or any recent day. Use only vocabulary and grammar from Chapters 1-16.
写作任务 — Writing task: Type your sentences with Pinyin input if possible, or copy/handwrite the characters you have already been assigned for handwriting. Your narration must include:
- At least three completed actions using perfective 了.
- At least one negative completed-action sentence using 没/没有.
- At least one sequencing expression using 以前, 以后, or 先...然后....
- A closing sentence giving your overall reaction to the day (for example, using 很 plus an adjective from an earlier chapter).
修改清单 — Editing checklist:
- Perfective 了 is placed directly after the verb, before any measure-word object.
- Negative sentences use 没/没有 with no 了, not 不.
- 以前/以后 follow the event they refer to, matching the pattern practiced in this chapter.
- The narration reads as one connected account of a day, in a sensible order.
- A Chinese period (。) ends each sentence.
Culture and Communication
In many Mandarin-speaking contexts, asking a friend, classmate, or colleague 你昨天做什么了？ is a common way to open or continue a casual conversation, similar to asking "how was your day" in English. Responses often move through the day roughly in order, which is part of why 以前, 以后, and 先...然后... are so useful. As always, how much detail people share, and how directly, varies by relationship and setting, so treat this as a common pattern rather than a fixed rule.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Confusing perfective 了 with change-of-state 了: 我写了信 (I wrote a letter — action completed) is different from 我病了 (I've gotten sick — new situation). Check the position and the meaning, not just the presence of 了.
- Using 不 instead of 没/没有: completed-event negation always uses 没 or 没有, and 了 disappears — 我没看电影, not 我不看电影了 unless you specifically mean a change of plan.
- Placing 了 after a measure-word object: 写了一封信 is correct; 写一封信了 sounds unnatural in this context.
- Reversing 以前/以后: remember that these words follow the event they describe: 吃饭以前 (before eating), not 以前吃饭.
Chapter Summary
This chapter introduced perfective 了 for completed actions, distinguished it from the change-of-state 了 you already knew from Chapter 14, and added 以前/以后 and 先...然后... for sequencing events. You practiced narrating a short, connected account of a day using verb-object expressions such as 看电影, 写信, and 打电话.
Chapter Review
部分 A — 语法 (Grammar)
1. Choose the correct sentence:
- 我写一封信了。 / 我写了一封信。
- 我昨天不看电影。 / 我昨天没看电影。
2. Fill in the blank with 以前 or 以后:
- 吃饭___，我打了电话。 (Before eating, I made a phone call.)
- 下课___，她去了图书馆。 (After class, she went to the library.)
部分 B — 阅读 (Reading)
1. Return to the message above and answer:
- 这个学生什么时候会把作业带来？ (When will this student bring the homework?)
部分 C — 写作 (Writing)
1. Write your five-to-seven-sentence narration, following the Writing Workshop steps above.
部分 D — 口语 (Speaking)
1. Complete the guided interview and the yesterday-interview task with a partner or recording.
Recognition Check
Say each of the following aloud and confirm accurate tones and 了-placement: 我写了一封信, 我昨天没看电影, 吃饭以前，我打了电话, 我先写了报告，然后看了电影. If any of these feel uncertain, review this chapter before continuing.
Practical Performance Task
Chapter 16 Performance Task
昨天你做什么了？ — What Did You Do Yesterday?
Complete the following four connected tasks in order.
- Listen to the passage about Anna's yesterday and complete the listening table above.
- Read the message to the teacher and answer the comprehension questions.
- Write your own connected narration, following the Writing Workshop steps and editing checklist.
- Speak through the guided interview and the yesterday-interview task with a partner, recording, or instructor.
Answer Key
Guided Practice — Exercise 1
- 我写了一封信。
- 她看了电影。
- 我们打了电话给老师。
Guided Practice — Exercise 2
- 我昨天没看电影。
- 他没写报告。
- 我们没吃饭。
Guided Practice — Exercise 3
- 吃饭以前，我打了电话。
- 下课以前，她去了图书馆。 (or: 下课以后，她去了图书馆，depending on which action came first — check your own sequencing.)
Listening
- Anna did not go to the company yesterday because she was still resting.
- Before eating, she called her mother and wrote a letter to her former teacher.
- In the evening, she watched a movie and received a letter from a friend.
Reading — Comprehension
- He didn't do his homework yesterday because he was sick.
- He first read the book, and then did his homework.
- He asked about today's assignment.
Chapter Review — 部分 A
- (a) 我写了一封信。 (b) 我昨天没看电影。
- (a) 以前 (b) 以后
Chapter Review — 部分 B
He will bring the homework tomorrow.
Looking Ahead
现在你会做什么 — What you can do now
You can now narrate a short sequence of completed events, negate what did not happen, and place actions in time relative to each other with 以前 and 以后. You can also distinguish perfective 了 from the change-of-state 了 you learned earlier.