Pivot sentences 2: 表扬 / 批评 + person + …; 选 + person + 当 + …
【四41】特殊句型 / special sentence patterns
Tone colorsā tone 1á tone 2ǎ tone 3à tone 4a neutral
Two more kinds of pivot sentence (兼语句) join 让 / 叫 / 请 (hsk3-g36): the person after the first verb is the object of that verb and, at the same time, the subject of the second one.
1. Praise or blame: 表扬 / 批评 + person + what they did. In 老师表扬他帮助同学, "he" is the object of 表扬 and the subject of 帮助同学. The second verb says what the praise or blame is for. No 的, no 因为.
2. Naming, choosing, regarding as: 称 / 选 / 说 / 收 + person + 为 / 当 / 做 / 是 + role or name. 同学们选他当班长; 大家都说他是热心人; 王教授收我做研究生. The linking verb is required: 选他班长 is incomplete. 称……为…… sounds careful or written, 选……当…… and 说……是…… are everyday speech. With 叫 the nickname follows directly: 大家都叫她小辣椒.
These verbs do not ask anyone to do anything. For an order or a permission, stay with 让 / 叫 / 请.
Examples
老师表扬他帮助同学。
Lǎoshī biǎoyáng tā bāngzhù tóngxué.The teacher praised him for helping his classmates.
妈妈批评我不整理房间。
Māma pīpíng wǒ bù zhěnglǐ fángjiān.Mum scolded me for not tidying my room.
同学们选他当班长。
Tóngxuémen xuǎn tā dāng bānzhǎng.His classmates chose him as class monitor.
大家都说他是个热心人。
Dàjiā dōu shuō tā shì ge rèxīnrén.Everyone says he is a helpful person.
王教授收我做研究生。
Wáng jiàoshòu shōu wǒ zuò yánjiūshēng.Professor Wang took me on as a graduate student.
朋友们都称他为“活地图”，因为他对成都的路特别熟。
Péngyoumen dōu chēng tā wéi “huó dìtú”, yīnwèi tā duì Chéngdū de lù tèbié shú.His friends call him "the walking map" because he knows the streets of Chengdu so well.
Common mistakes
✗ 大家选他班长。 → ✓ 大家选他当班长。(a linking verb is needed: 当, 为 or 做).
✗ 老师表扬他的帮助同学。 → ✓ 老师表扬他帮助同学。(no 的: what follows is a clause, not a possessive).
✗ 妈妈表扬我去洗碗。 → ✓ 妈妈让我去洗碗。(表扬 and 批评 say what the praise or blame is for, they do not give orders: to ask someone, use 让 / 叫 / 请).