Jack Ma: Rejected 30 Times
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EN: The phrase 'later known as Jack Ma' is a reduced relative clause (appositive) used to provide extra information about the subject. It functions like 'who was later known as'.
The city, once called Edo, is now known as Tokyo.
EN: The verb 'faced' is in the past simple tense, used here to describe a completed state or situation in the subject's past history.
She faced many difficulties during her first year abroad.
EN: Jack Ma is a global icon of entrepreneurship. His English name, 'Jack', was given to him by a foreign tourist he befriended while working as a free guide in Hangzhou.
EN: The correlative structure 'not once, but [number]' is used for emphasis to highlight that an action occurred more than once, often implying that the repetition is significant or surprising.
She called him not once, but three times before he answered.
EN: The Past Simple tense is used here to describe a completed action in the past. 'Failed' is the regular past form of the verb 'fail'.
They failed the inspection last week.
EN: In many East Asian cultures, the university entrance exam (like the Gaokao in China) is a high-stakes event that is seen as a primary determinant of a person's future success. Failing it multiple times and still succeeding later is a powerful narrative of resilience.
EN: Passive Voice (be + past participle): Used when the focus is on the person or thing receiving the action. In this sentence, 'was rejected' emphasizes Jack Ma's experience rather than the company's action.
The proposal was rejected by the committee yesterday.
EN: Numerical Expressions (X out of Y): A common way to express proportions or ratios, where X is the number of successful cases and Y is the total number of attempts or candidates.
Nine out of ten students passed the final exam.
EN: This sentence refers to a famous anecdote about Jack Ma's early failures. In the 1990s, Western fast-food chains like KFC were expanding rapidly in China and were seen as prestigious places to work, making his rejection particularly poignant.
EN: The preposition 'despite' is used to introduce a contrast, meaning 'even though something happened'. It must be followed by a noun, noun phrase, or a gerund (-ing form), not a full clause.
Despite the heavy rain, they decided to go for a hike.
EN: The modal verb 'would' is used here as the 'future in the past'. It describes an event that was going to happen from a viewpoint in the past.
He didn't know then that this decision would change his life forever.
EN: Jack Ma's story is a classic example of the 'rags to riches' narrative, which is highly valued in both Western and modern Chinese business culture. The emphasis on persistence despite failure is a universal theme in success stories.
EN: Present Participle Phrase (V-ing): The phrase 'earning just $12 a month' is a reduced relative clause or a participial phrase that describes the result or a simultaneous action of the main clause. It functions as an adverbial modifier to provide more information about the subject's situation.
She worked late every night, hoping to get a promotion.
EN: Past Simple Tense: The verb 'became' is the past tense of 'become'. It is used here to describe a completed action or a change of state that occurred at a specific time in the past.
He became a doctor after years of hard study.
EN: The mention of '$12 a month' highlights the economic conditions in China during the early 1990s and emphasizes Jack Ma's humble beginnings. It serves as a stark contrast to his later success as one of the world's wealthiest individuals.
EN: Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle): This tense is used to describe an action that was completed before another action or a specific time in the past. In this context, it emphasizes that his English learning happened before he became a teacher or visited Seattle.
She had finished her homework before her parents came home.
EN: The preposition 'by' + Gerund (-ing): This structure is used to indicate the method or means by which something is achieved. It answers the question 'How?'.
You can improve your health by exercising regularly.
EN: In the 1980s, when Jack Ma was learning English, China was just beginning to open up to the world. Hangzhou, being a scenic city, attracted foreign tourists. Volunteering as a guide was a rare and proactive way for a local Chinese person to practice English with native speakers at that time.
EN: The sentence uses the Past Simple tense ('practiced', 'absorbed') to describe completed actions in the past. The time expression 'For nine years' indicates the duration of these past actions.
For five years, she lived in London and studied art.
EN: Parallel Structure: When using a coordinating conjunction like 'and', the verbs should be in the same form. Here, both 'practiced' and 'absorbed' are in the past tense to maintain consistency.
He opened the book and started reading.
EN: The mention of 'nine years' highlights the traditional Chinese value of persistence and long-term effort (often referred to as 'Kung Fu' in its original sense of skill achieved through hard work over time). Jack Ma's story is frequently used in China as a modern example of this virtue.
EN: Past Participle Phrase as a Modifier: The phrase 'driven by...' is a past participle phrase that functions as an adjective to describe the subject 'man'. It indicates a passive state or the cause behind an action.
The athlete, motivated by the crowd, finished the race.
EN: Compound Adjectives: 'Self-taught' is a compound adjective formed by a noun/pronoun and a past participle, used to describe someone who learned a skill without formal instruction.
She is a self-made millionaire.
EN: In Western business culture, being 'self-taught' is often highly respected as it demonstrates initiative, grit, and intellectual curiosity—qualities Jack Ma is famous for.
EN: The sentence uses the Past Simple tense ('visited', 'experienced') to describe completed actions that happened at a specific time in the past (1995).
She visited London last summer and enjoyed the museums.
EN: The phrase 'for the first time' is an adverbial phrase used to indicate that an event has never happened before the specified moment.
I saw snow for the first time when I was ten.
EN: Seattle was a major tech hub in the 1990s (home to Microsoft and Amazon), making it a significant location for Jack Ma's first encounter with the internet.
EN: The sentence uses the Past Simple tense ('searched', 'appeared') to describe completed actions in a specific historical context (Jack Ma's 1995 trip).
She looked for her keys but found nothing.
EN: The coordinating conjunction 'but' is used to connect two independent clauses, showing a contrast between the action (searching) and the unexpected result (no results).
He studied hard, but he failed the test.
EN: This sentence highlights the digital divide in the mid-1990s. At that time, China had very little presence on the global internet, which inspired Jack Ma to start his first internet business, 'China Pages'.
EN: The Past Perfect Tense (had + past participle) is used to describe an action or state that was completed before another point in the past. In this sentence, China's lack of presence occurred before the moment Jack Ma realized it.
She realized that she had left her keys at home.
EN: Noun Clauses with 'that' function as the object of a verb (like 'realized'). The word 'that' introduces a complete sentence that acts as the thing being thought, said, or felt.
I believe that technology can change the world.
EN: In the mid-1990s, the internet was rapidly expanding in the West, but China was just beginning to connect. This moment highlights the 'digital divide' that existed before China became a global tech powerhouse.
EN: The sentence uses the Past Simple Tense (was) to describe a state or situation that existed at a specific time in the past, specifically referring to the late 1990s in the context of Jack Ma's story.
The invention of the steam engine was a major turning point for the industry.
EN: The preposition 'for' is used here to indicate the recipient or the entity affected by the 'opportunity'. It shows who benefits from the situation.
This scholarship is a great chance for students from low-income families.
EN: In the late 1990s, China's digital infrastructure was in its infancy. Jack Ma's realization that the internet could bridge the gap between Chinese suppliers and global buyers was a visionary insight that transformed the Chinese economy.
EN: The sentence uses the Past Simple tense ('gathered') to describe a completed action that occurred at a specific time in the past ('In 1999').
She started her own business two years ago.
EN: Prepositional phrases of time and place: 'In 1999' (time) and 'in his small apartment' (place) provide essential context to the main action.
They met at a coffee shop on Monday.
EN: The '18 Founders' of Alibaba (Jack Ma plus the 17 friends mentioned) is a legendary story in the Chinese tech industry, symbolizing the humble beginnings of a global giant in a residential apartment.
EN: The verb 'give' is often used with nouns like 'speech', 'presentation', or 'talk' to describe the act of delivering a formal address. This is a common collocation (words that naturally go together).
She gave an inspiring speech at the graduation ceremony.
EN: The preposition 'about' is followed by a gerund (verb + -ing) when describing the topic or purpose of an action. Here, 'creating' acts as a noun phrase.
We had a long discussion about improving our sales strategy.
EN: The phrase 'online marketplace' in 1999 was a revolutionary concept in China, where internet access was extremely limited. Jack Ma's ability to convince 17 friends to invest in this vision is often cited in business studies as a prime example of charismatic leadership and 'Guanxi' (social networking/trust) in Chinese culture.
EN: The use of 'to + infinitive' (to make) functions as an infinitive of purpose, explaining 'why' the action of pooling money was taken.
She saved money to buy a new laptop.
EN: The phrase 'make [something] a reality' follows the structure 'make + object + complement', where the complement describes the resulting state of the object.
Hard work helped him make his dream a reality.
EN: The mention of 'pooling $60,000' highlights the early 'friends and family' funding stage common in startup culture, especially significant given the low wages in China at the time (Jack Ma earned $12/month previously).
EN: The Passive Voice (be + past participle) is used when the focus is on the action or the person/thing affected by the action, rather than who performed it. Here, 'was founded' emphasizes the creation of the company.
The museum was built in 1920.
EN: Apposition (Noun Phrase as Appositive): The phrase 'a testament to their shared belief' acts as an appositive, providing additional information or a description of the preceding clause or noun.
He won the prize, a great honor for his family.
EN: The founding of Alibaba is a legendary story in the global tech industry, symbolizing the rise of the Chinese internet. The '18 founders' (Jack Ma and his 17 friends) is a famous detail often cited as an example of teamwork and shared vision.
Key vocabulary words with IPA pronunciation, definitions, example sentences, and interactive quizzes.
Phrases with type tags, bilingual definitions, usage notes, and example sentences.
To cause something that was only imagined to happen or exist.
An exam which you take to be accepted into a school or university.
Motivated or influenced by a particular force or feeling.
Used to show the number of people or things that are part of a larger group.
The existence of a brand, company, or entity in a specific digital space or market.
To combine money, resources, or information from different people for a shared purpose.
Something that serves as clear evidence or proof of a specified fact, event, or quality.
A digital platform where multiple third-party sellers can list and sell their products to customers.