The retrospective sentence pattern is one of the important teaching points in Chinese courses in China. Students who are learning Chinese in China will misuse this sentence pattern often.
In order to help them to avoid the mistakes that the students make, the teachers of Chinese courses in Chinadecided to make a research about it and conclude the usages of this sentence pattern to help the students of Chinese courses in China.
The teacher of Chinese courses in China asked students to collect some materials about the usage and functions of retrospective sentence patterns.
One of the groups of students who are having Chinese courses in China did as the teacher asked.
According to the materials collected by the students of Chinese courses in China, “都”,“还”,“也”and “尚且”are different in the function as markers for concessive relationship, which is shown on grammar and pragmatics. Firstly, as long as there is the sub-clause of “尚且”, it must indicate that there is a sub-clause for progressive relationship acting in cooperation with each other; the sub-clause of “尚且” can’t be tenable. On the contrary, the sub-clauses which have “都”，“还”and “也“ are not definitely indicating the sub-clauses for progressive relationship are acting in cooperation with each other. With the support of contexts, only sub-clauses with ”都“，”还“and ”也“ are tenable. The teacher of the Chinese courses in China also asked students to compare the sentences.
1’) 对健全人来说这种高强度的运动都很不易！
2’) 藕断丝还连呢！
3’) 好朋友之间也可能吵架呢！
At this time, the retrospective meaning implicates in the sentence. Through the comparison, students who are learning Chinese in China understood it easily.
The difference of“都“”还“”也“and ”尚且“ in sentence patterns is caused by the different characteristics of pragmatics. Pragmatically, ”尚且“is much more literary, while ”都“”还“”也“ are oral.
Some students gave two examples in the Chinese courses in China.
4) 认识事物都不容易，何况罗列乎。
5) 他们是医生，在他们的思想中，药比饭还重要呢，何况锦旗乎？
“乎“at the end of the sentence has the tone of humor.
The teacher of the Chinese courses in China also told the students that the sub-clause of“尚且“ must be the antecedent clause; while sub-clauses of ”都“，”还“and ”也“are clauses after it. Such as the sentences provided by Chinese in courses in China.
1’) *何况今人，古人尚且知道“童叟无欺“！
2’) *何况对蝗虫的爱，对人的爱尚且如此！
3’) 还说残疾人呢，对健全人来说这种高强度的运动都很不易！
4’) 还说人呢，藕断丝还连呢！
5’) 还说两个大国呢，好朋友之间也可能吵架！
Through the Chinese courses in China, students found the different pragmatic features of “都“，”还“，”也“ and ”尚且” in sentences. “都”，“还”，“也”are oral Chinese, while “尚且”is literary Chinese.
And sometimes, “都”and “尚且”can be jointly used to emphasize.