How does word order work in "作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？"?

Question

In Chinese grammar wiki, I found this sentence:

作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？

I'd like to read up on how this word order works and how to correctly apply it. Does it change the meaning or focus?

Answer 1

This is the classic "topic-comment" structure in Chinese sentences. Bring the object of the verb to the beginning of the sentence for focus and emphasis, then comment on it.

作业他一点都没做。

Homework (topic) - he didn't do one bit (comment).

He didn't do one bit of homework.

法語我一句都不會講。

French (topic) - I don't know how to say even one sentence (comment).

I don't speak French at all.

And this structure is not limited to negative sentences either.

芒果蛋糕我最喜歡，巧克力蛋糕沒那麽喜歡。

Mango cake (topic) - I like it the best (comment). Chocolate cake (topic) - I don't like as much (comment).

Mango cake is my favourite, and I like chocolate cake less.

漢語我已經學了三年，還是一句都不會講。

Chinese (topic) - I have learned for three years, still even a single sentence I cannot speak (comment).

I have learned Chinese for three years now, but I still cannot speak a single sentence.

Answer 2

It is acceptable and understandable. 作業他一點都沒做。(He did not even do small amount of homework.)

Think the component as [thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasize not][action], where [person] is the one that did not even perform the [action] on small amount of [thing]. [description used to denote less amount of thing] should be able to fit [thing].

Used your sentence as example, [作業][他][一點][都沒][做]。([thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasis not][action], where [thing] is 作業, [person] is 他, [description used to denote less amount of thing] is 一點, [description used to emphasize not] is 都沒, [action] is 做). Because [person](in this example, 他(he)) is the one that did not even perform the [action](in this example, 做(do)) on small amount of [thing](in this example, 作業(homework)), the sentence means he did not even do small amount of homework.

You can use it to create other instance. [蛋糕][我][一口][也沒][吃]。([thing][person][description used to denote less amount of thing][description used to emphasize not][action], where [thing] is 蛋糕, [person] is 我, [description used to denote less amount of thing] is 一點, [description used to emphasis not] is 也沒, [action] is 吃). Because [person](in this example, 我(I)) is the one that did not even perform the [action](in this example, 吃(eat)) on small amount of [thing](in this example, 蛋糕(cake)), the sentence means "I did not even eat small amount of cake."

Answer 3

"作业 他 一点 都 没 做 ？" has a ? at the end.

It is never good to take things without any context.

If I were to translate the Chinese sentence, I might write:

他的家庭作业做得怎么样？
What is his homework like?
作业?
Homework? (said in a surprised voice)
他一点都没做哦！
He never does any!

because: 'He never does any!' is not a question.