Answer to HSK Level 3 Sample Question: Verbs of Motion in a Sentence

Answer: A

Analysis:

a. 下 (Xià) is the “趋向补语 (qūxiàng bǔyǔ) directional complement” here.

Structure:

Subject + Verb + Directional Complement + Object.
他 (Tā) + 放 (fàng) + 下 (xià) + 电话 (diànhuà)。
b. 住 (Zhù) = to live. In Chinese, 放 (fàng) + 住(zhù) is an incorrect expression. We never use this phrase.
c. 了 (Le) makes a verb past tense. Usually, we use “放了 (fàng le) + somebody” to express “set somebody free”; For example: 放了他 (Fàng le tā) = “Let him go.”
d. 在 (Zài) = at; in; exist; be.
When used to indicate the locations of actions, 在 (zài) is placed after “放 (fàng)”, which implies movement or location. Structure: Subject + Verb + 在 (zài) + Location. In this case, 电话 (diànhuà) is an object, not a position. So we can not use “在 (zài)” in this sentence.
So A is the correct answer in this question. The completed sentence should be:
Tā fàng xià diànhuà, ná qǐ tíbāo jiù chūqù le.
他   放  下   电话,  拿 起  提包 就   出去 了。
He put down the phone, took the bag and went out.

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