Creating Extended Written Responses in Chinese
The task
You must produce coherent, extended Chinese texts - typically 议论文, 记叙文, or 说明文 - with a clear structure, sustained argument or narrative, and appropriate register. Assessment weights task fulfilment, organisation, range and accuracy, and cultural appropriateness. Plan before writing: decide thesis, two or three supporting points, and a conclusion that does more than repeat.
Concepts to command: 段落主题句 (topic sentences), 衔接手段 (然而, 不仅如此, 归根结底), 论证方法 (举例, 对比, 引用, 因果), 叙述视角 and 时间标记 for narrative, and 语体一致性. Control of 书面语 collocations distinguishes strong responses; so does accurate use of 了, 过, 着 and 把/被 constructions under complexity.
Traps
- Listing without argument. Three examples with no linking claim do not constitute 论证.
- Register drift. Colloquial insertions (挺, 特别棒) in a formal essay weaken coherence.
- Formulaic openings that consume time without advancing the thesis.
- Neglecting the prompt's constraints - audience, purpose, or format specified in the task.
- Sacrificing accuracy for ambition. A controlled complex sentence beats a broken ambitious one.
Worked example
Topic: 科技是否让人更自由. A weak opening states 科技很重要. A strong opening: 科技常被视为解放人的力量，但它也可能以更隐蔽的方式限制我们的选择。 This establishes tension, signals structure, and uses formal register. Follow with one paragraph per side, then a synthesising conclusion.
Rule of thumb
Use claim–evidence–link in every body paragraph, and reserve two minutes at the end to check verb aspects, measure words, and register consistency.