# Chinese Grammar: 一则……，二则……，三则…… | HSKReady Canonical: https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9-coordinative-clauses-g099 Language: en Content ID: web-grammar-hsk-7-9-g099 HSK levels: 7-9 Updated: 2026-10-23T04:57:43.648Z Scope: published website educational content; full vocabulary, question bank and mock exams remain in the app. Learn how the formal numbered pattern 一则……，二则……，三则…… organizes parallel reasons, with natural examples, usage guidance, and a contrast with 一来……，二来……，三来……。 Grammar [HSK 7-9 · Sentence types › Single-level complex sentences › Coordinative clauses](https://hskready.app/en/grammar/hsk-7-9#hsk-7-9-g099) # Using 一则……，二则……，三则…… to Present Parallel Reasons 一则……，二则……，三则…… presents three parallel reasons or considerations in a clear, often formal sequence. Learn how to match the numbered markers, keep each point relevant, and choose this pattern for explanations that benefit from explicit organization. 一则 first reason or consideration ，二则 second reason or consideration ，三则 third reason or consideration Example sentence 这份报告值得重写，一则数据已经过时，二则论证缺少关键证据，三则结论没有回应读者最关心的问题。 Zhè fèn bàogào zhídé chóngxiě, yī zé shùjù yǐjīng guòshí, èr zé lùnzhèng quēshǎo guānjiàn zhèngjù, sān zé jiélùn méiyǒu huíyìng dúzhě zuì guānxīn de wèntí. This report deserves to be rewritten: first, the data are out of date; second, the argument lacks key evidence; third, the conclusion does not address what readers care about most. **Read the full explanation and examples** ## Meaning and use The pattern 一则……，二则……，三则…… numbers three related reasons or considerations: “firstly,” “secondly,” and “thirdly.” Each clause contributes a point that supports the same conclusion, recommendation, or evaluation. The points sit side by side; the markers organize them rather than expressing a cause-and-effect chain between one reason and the next. This wording is relatively formal and works well in reports, proposals, reviews, and careful spoken explanations. It is useful when you want to make several grounds explicit. Three points are the pattern shown here; in less formal conversation, speakers may use simpler enumeration. The local outline lists this form under parallel compound sentences for levels 7–9; that scope label does not establish which exam version any centre currently administers. 这份报告值得重写，一则数据已经过时，二则论证缺少关键证据，三则结论没有回应读者最关心的问题。 Zhè fèn bàogào zhídé chóngxiě, yī zé shùjù yǐjīng guòshí, èr zé lùnzhèng quēshǎo guānjiàn zhèngjù, sān zé jiélùn méiyǒu huíyìng dúzhě zuì guānxīn de wèntí. This report deserves to be rewritten: first, the data are out of date; second, the argument lacks key evidence; third, the conclusion does not address what readers care about most. ## How to form the sequence Use the markers in order: 一则 + first reason, 二则 + second reason, 三则 + third reason. Put a complete, relevant clause after each marker. The clauses may explain different aspects of the same position, but they should be comparable in purpose and all help explain the conclusion. In writing, commas commonly separate the points; the final clause can end with a full stop. 一则 first reason or consideration ，二则 second reason or consideration ，三则 third reason or consideration The markers often appear within one sentence, as in the examples. They can also introduce an explanation after a preceding claim. A statement is the natural default because the speaker is giving reasons. The pattern itself does not make a question: a question mark or question wording would come from the surrounding communicative purpose, not from 一则、二则、三则. 我们暂缓启动这个项目，一则预算尚未落实，二则核心成员还没有到位，三则合作方需要更多时间评估风险。 Wǒmen zànhuǎn qǐdòng zhège xiàngmù, yī zé yùsuàn shàngwèi luòshí, èr zé héxīn chéngyuán hái méiyǒu dàowèi, sān zé hézuòfāng xūyào gèng duō shíjiān pínggū fēngxiǎn. We are postponing the launch of this project: first, the budget has not yet been secured; second, the core team is not yet in place; third, our partners need more time to assess the risks. ## Make the points work together Before using the sequence, decide on the position the reasons support. Then check that every point is a genuine reason for it. Three clauses that merely describe unrelated facts do not become a coherent argument because they carry numbered markers. Avoid repeating the same point in slightly different language; give each clause a distinct contribution. 这项政策需要重新讨论，一则执行标准不够明确，二则不同地区的条件差异很大，三则现有反馈显示它可能带来新的负担。 Zhè xiàng zhèngcè xūyào chóngxīn tǎolùn, yī zé zhíxíng biāozhǔn bú gòu míngquè, èr zé bùtóng dìqū de tiáojiàn chāyì hěn dà, sān zé xiànyǒu fǎnkuì xiǎnshì tā kěnéng dàilái xīn de fùdān. This policy needs to be discussed again: first, the implementation standards are not clear enough; second, conditions vary greatly across regions; third, current feedback indicates that it may create new burdens. The clauses need not have identical grammar or length. One may describe a problem, another a practical constraint, and a third evidence from feedback. What matters is their parallel role as grounds for the shared conclusion. The sentence can present a firm judgment, a cautious proposal, or an explanation; the pattern does not, by itself, tell the listener how certain or forceful the speaker is. ## Contrast with 一来……，二来……，三来…… 一来……，二来……，三来…… is also used to enumerate related reasons. In many explanatory contexts, both patterns can introduce a series of grounds. 一则……，二则……，三则…… has a more explicitly numbered, formal feel; 一来……，二来……，三来…… often sounds more conversational. This is a tendency, not a rule that makes one form impossible wherever the other occurs. 研究团队没有立即公布结果，一则还需要复核原始数据，二则部分受访者尚未确认引文，三则报告中的限制条件必须解释清楚。 Yánjiū tuánduì méiyǒu lìjí gōngbù jiéguǒ, yī zé hái xūyào fùhé yuánshǐ shùjù, èr zé bùfen shòufǎngzhě shàngwèi quèrèn yǐnwén, sān zé bàogào zhōng de xiànzhì tiáojiàn bìxū jiěshì qīngchu. The research team did not publish the results immediately: first, the original data still need to be checked; second, some interviewees have not yet confirmed the quotations; third, the report’s limitations need to be explained clearly. Keep this lesson focused on enumerating parallel reasons with 一则、二则、三则. Similar-looking expressions can have their own uses; do not infer that this pattern covers other sentence types. ## A practical drafting check When drafting, identify the main conclusion and the distinct reasons that genuinely support it. For three reasons, add 一则、二则、三则 and read the result aloud. Revise or remove an irrelevant point, and combine points that repeat the same idea. If only two useful reasons remain, 一则……，二则…… is complete; clear reasoning matters more than filling a third slot. 我支持保留这项安排，一则它能维持服务的连续性，二则调整成本目前难以承担，三则可以先根据试行结果再作决定。 Wǒ zhīchí bǎoliú zhè xiàng ānpái, yī zé tā néng wéichí fúwù de liánxùxìng, èr zé tiáozhěng chéngběn mùqián nányǐ chéngdān, sān zé kěyǐ xiān gēnjù shìxíng jiéguǒ zài zuò juédìng. I support keeping this arrangement: first, it can maintain continuity of service; second, the adjustment costs are currently difficult to bear; third, we can make a decision after considering the trial results. For a final review, confirm that the sequence is complete and ordered, that the three reasons belong together, and that the tone suits the setting. In a formal report or proposal, the pattern can make the reasoning easy to scan. In casual conversation, a less marked way of listing points may sound more natural. ## Frequently asked questions **Must there always be exactly three points?** No. This lesson practices the three-point form in the outline. If there are two reasons, 一则……，二则…… is also a normal, complete sequence. Use 三则 when you have a third reason; do not invent one just to fill the pattern. **Do the three points have to be causes?** They should function as related grounds or considerations for a shared conclusion. They may be practical constraints, evidence, or other reasons; they do not have to be physical causes. **Can I use the pattern in a question?** The sequence itself is explanatory rather than interrogative. You may ask a question about someone’s reasons, but the question force comes from the sentence around the enumeration, not from these markers alone. **Source**[hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com · PDF page 406](https://hsk.cn-bj.ufileos.com/3.0/%E6%96%B0%E7%89%88HSK%E8%80%83%E8%AF%95%E5%A4%A7%E7%BA%B21219.pdf#page=406) ## Continue in the app Full mock exams are available in HSKReady. [![Download on the App Store](https://hskready.app/download-on-app-store-black.svg)Download on the App Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id6791916440?l=en)[![Get it on Google Play](https://hskready.app/get-it-on-google-play.svg)Get it on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.curiolab.hskready&hl=en) [HSKReady App](https://hskready.app/en/app)