Writing: Text Types for Different Purposes
What the writing standard rewards
Level 3 Chinese writing asks you to produce a variety of text types for different purposes and audiences: email, blog, article, letter, story, notice or script. It rewards coverage of the task, logical development, fit with text-type conventions, range of vocabulary and structures, and accurate characters and punctuation.
Core rules
- Match audience and register: 您/你, formal sign-off (此致 敬礼) vs blog greeting (大家好).
- Follow format: email subject; blog title; letter date and salutation; notice heading.
- Use Chinese punctuation: 。，、；：？！“”-- no English commas.
- Build paragraphs around one idea; use 首先, 另外, 不过, 因此, 总的来说.
- Vary structures: 不但...而且, 虽然...但是, 把, 被, resultative complements.
- Write characters, not pinyin; check easily confused forms (己/已/巳, 未/末).
Worked example
Task: blog post recommending a local place to exchange students. Opening: “如果你刚到这里，我推荐你去星期六早市。” Body: “那里不但有很多小吃，而且价格便宜。虽然人有点多，但是气氛很热闹。你可以一边吃一边和摊主聊天，练习中文。” Close: “总的来说，早市是了解本地生活的好地方。欢迎留言分享你的体验！” Reasoning: the greeting and 欢迎留言 mark a blog; 不但...而且 adds reasons; 虽然...但是 handles a drawback; 总的来说 concludes. Register is friendly but polite.
Traps
Writing pinyin under pressure. English punctuation. Missing measure words. 的/得/地 confusion. Translating English idioms literally. Ignoring bullet points or the word limit. Overusing 很 and 然后.