Previous literature shows that scholars differ considerably on what zai and-zhe indicate.By making use of an oral speech corpus,we analyzed and tested the data with regard to the functions of “zai” and “-zhe” and found that zai indicates the action is in progress,and it is narrative,while-zhe expresses the ongoing state of an action and is descriptive;-zhe can be used after the first verb in a serial verbal con struction to indicate the accompanying action,while zai does not have this function;in complex sentences,the zai clause is temporal in na ture while-zhe clause is treated as a manner adverbial. Previous literature shows that scholars differ considerably on on zai and -zhe indicate. BY making use of an oral speech corpus, we analyzed and tested the data with regard to the functions of “zai ” and “- zhe ” and found that zai indicates the action is in progress, and it is narrative, while-zhe expresses the ongoing state of an action and is descriptive; -zhe can be used after the first verb in serial verbal contruction to indicate the accompanying action, while zai does not have this function; in complex sentences, the zai clause is temporal in na ture while-zhe clause is treated as a manner adverbial.