SECRET ONE: subject +[specific time+ method+ place] +verb +object

You can make over 80% daily used Mandarin sentences by extending below basic structure. I’ll write literal English translations for better understanding.

Basic sentence structure

Subject + verb + object

     他         吃           饭。

     Tā        chī          fàn 。

      He       eats        rice.

Extended Sentence structures

Subject + specific time + verb + object

     他                现在            吃            饭 。

    Tā               xiànzài        chī           fàn.

    He                now           eats          rice.

Subject + specific time + method + verb + object

     他                 现在             走路        去吃       饭 。

    Tā                xiànzài         zǒulù        qùchī    fàn.

     He                now         walks to     go to eat rice.

Subject + specific time + method + place + verb + object

     他                现在               走路     去饭店      吃         饭。

     Tā              xiànzài           zǒulù    qù fàndiàn chī     fàn .

    He                now            walks to restaurant to eat rice.

Note:

In Mandarin, 去qù/来lái/在zài(something like direction …) usually appear before the “location” and indicate the direction:

“在” you are at a place,

“来/去” you come or go to a place from somewhere else.