Writing in Chinese: Text Types, Structure and Accuracy
What you must understand
Writing tasks require you to produce a coherent text of a specified type and length: an email, letter, diary entry, notice, speech, article or short story. You must control text structure, register, connectors, tense/aspect markers and character accuracy.
Each text type has conventions. An email needs 主题, a salutation such as 亲爱的王老师, a body, and a closing such as 祝好 or 此致敬礼. A diary opens with a date and 今天, uses 了/过, and ends with reflection. A speech opens with 大家好 and closes with 谢谢大家.
Traps that appear in questions
- Ignoring the prompt's bullet points. Prompts list required content. Missing one bullet loses content marks even if the Chinese is excellent.
- Wrong register. 你 in a letter to a principal, or slang in a formal notice, is penalised. Use 您 and formal phrases such as 敬请光临.
- Weak linking. Sentences without connectors read as a list. Add 因为, 所以, 虽然, 但是, 而且, 然后, 最后.
- Character errors. Confuse 的/得/地: 的 before nouns, 得 after verbs for degree (说得好), 地 before verbs as adverbial (慢慢地走).
- Neglecting length and word count. Too short loses marks; padding with repetition does not help.
Rule of thumb
Plan for two minutes, write for fifteen, check for three. In planning, list the required bullets and match each to one paragraph. While writing, open each paragraph with a connector. While checking, verify: all bullets covered, correct text-type opening and closing, 的/得/地, and measure words.
Worked example
Prompt: Write an email to a friend inviting them to your school's Chinese New Year celebration. Plan: greeting, event details (time, place), activities, invitation, closing. Draft: 亲爱的小明：你好！我们学校二月十日下午三点在礼堂举办春节庆祝活动，有舞狮表演和包饺子比赛。你有空来参加吗？希望见到你！祝好，小华。