Chinese Grammar (Topic-Comment) VS English Grammar (Subject-Verb)

Chinese grammar does not work like English grammar. Chinese uses Topic-Comment chains 話題鏈, but English uses Subjects and Verb Phrases. Chinese doesn't need subjects, but English sentences almost ALWAYS need subjects.

Chinese: 話題 + 評論

English: NP = Noun Phrase; VP = Verb Phrase 動詞組

{我弟弟        1 他很會游泳             2 經常去游泳池         3 去年得了游泳冠軍}

My brother {is a good swimmer.}

He often {goes to the swimming pool.}

Last year he {won the swimming championship.}

{昨天晚上的節目    1 你看了沒有?     2 很有趣       3 家裡人超喜歡}

Did you {see the TV program} last night. It {was very interesting.}My whole family {liked it very much.}

Some more topic comment sentences from Reading Into a New China Integrated Skills for Advanced Chinese, a Chinese textbook for foreigners). I have sometimes changed the English to make it more natural.

3.   這四家超市，空氣品質都有問題。

      These four supermarkets all {have problems with their air quality.}
4. 重慶火車站旅客流量再上高峰。
      The passenger flow rate in Chongqing Train Station {has hit another peak.}
5.   這個計畫，大家都不喜歡.
      Nobody {likes this plan.}
6.   所有的檢票廳都改成了臨時候車室。
      Somebody {converted all the ticket-checking halls to temporary waiting rooms.}

改成 All the ticket-checking halls {were converted to temporary waiting rooms.}
7.   春節期間坐火車就更是難上加難了。
      It {is even more difficult to travel by train} during the Spring Festival Holidays.
8.   火車上擠滿了人。
      There {were many people crowded onto the train.{}