Writing an Extended Response on Filial Piety
For an extended written response in Chinese (approximately 400 characters), students must respond to the prompt: 有人认为，现代社会里'孝'已经过时了。你在多大程度上同意？ ('Some believe filial piety is outdated in modern society. To what extent do you agree?') One student plans to write that filial piety is a traditional value that should be respected, illustrated with the story of a famous ancient exemplar, and to conclude that young people should be more filial. Another plans to argue that filial piety is entirely outdated because young people move to cities for work. Both drafts are submitted for feedback.
1. Identify the main weaknesses in each plan and explain what the prompt's 'to what extent' requires.
Read the worked answer
Student 1's plan is a restatement of a traditional position rather than a response to the prompt. Citing an ancient exemplar illustrates the value but does not address the claim that it is outdated in modern conditions. The conclusion ('young people should be more filial') is exhortation, not argument, and does not engage with changed circumstances such as urban migration, delayed marriage, or the role of state welfare.
Student 2's plan overgeneralises: urban migration changes how filial obligations are practised (remittances, video calls, hiring care) but does not show the value is obsolete. The claim 'entirely outdated' is absolute and easy to counter with evidence of continued expectations, legal provisions, or changed but persistent practices.
'To what extent' requires a graded position, not a binary. A strong response distinguishes dimensions of filial piety - financial support, emotional care, obedience to parental authority, ritual observance - and argues that some dimensions have weakened or transformed while others persist. It should state a clear overall judgement (e.g. 'largely transformed rather than outdated') and support it with specific modern examples.
2. Draft a model paragraph of about 150 characters that establishes a graded position and pre-empts the strongest counter-argument.
Read the worked answer
我认为'孝'并未过时，但其内涵已发生转变。传统意义上的绝对服从--如'父母在，不远游'--在现代社会确实难以实践，因为大量年轻人因工作迁居城市。然而，这并不意味着孝道本身失去意义，而是其表现形式从同住侍奉转向经济支持与远程关怀：汇款、视频通话、为父母安排医疗资源，都是孝的现代实践。有人会说，这些替代形式削弱了亲情的深度；这一质疑有其道理，但忽视了孝的核心--对父母的责任感--并未消失，只是需要新的制度与家庭协商来承载。因此，与其说孝过时，不如说它正在被重新定义。