Written Production: Analytical and Persuasive Response to Texts
What this domain tests
You will respond to one or more Chinese texts by analysing content, evaluating viewpoints, and presenting an argued position. Tasks may ask you to compare perspectives, discuss advantages and disadvantages, or write a persuasive piece such as a letter to the editor or a speech.
Concepts to master
- Argument structure: 论点 (thesis), 论据 (evidence), 论证 (reasoning), 结论.
- Concession and rebuttal: 虽然有人认为……但是我认为……; 诚然……然而……
- Evaluative language: 值得肯定, 有待改进, 显而易见, 从长远来看, 不可忽视.
- Referencing the source text: 根据文章, 作者指出, 文中提到 - you must show you have used the material.
- Hedging and modality: 可能, 也许, 应该, 必须 - the strength of your claim matters.
Common traps
- Summarising instead of analysing: retelling the text earns limited marks; you must evaluate it.
- One-sided argument with no acknowledgement of the counter-view, which weakens persuasion.
- Unsupported assertions ("这很好") without reasons or evidence.
- Ignoring the specified text or stimulus entirely.
- Mixing spoken register (挺好的, 特别牛) into a formal essay.
Rule of thumb
Use the PEEL pattern in Chinese: 观点 (Point) - 例子/证据 (Evidence) - 解释 (Explanation) - 联系 (Link back to the question). One well-developed PEEL paragraph beats three vague ones.
Worked example
Question: 有人认为中学生不应该使用手机，你同意吗? Model opening: 有人认为中学生使用手机会影响学习，因此应该禁止。我认为这种看法过于简单。的确，过度使用手机会分散注意力，但是如果能合理利用，手机也是一种学习工具。 This concedes (的确……但是), states a clear thesis, and sets up evidence - exactly what the marking criteria reward.