Primary Chinese | Describing appearance and action lesson plan (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Describing appearance and action lesson plan (for tutors) | Three observations, one real person

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

A student writes “she has big eyes and is pretty” and stops, because he thinks description means adjectives. This lesson replaces description with three visible things: clothing, one action, one object.

Objectives — Students can: (1) write a 60-word appearance paragraph using three observation points (clothing, action, object); (2) split one verb such as “take” into three linked movements; (3) finish 4 paragraphs at 5 minutes each, 20 minutes in total, 44 percent of a 45-minute lesson; (4) cut every “pretty” and “nice” without losing information.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Adjectives and verbs	Is “pretty” an adjective or a verb?	Adjective, it names a state
Face vocabulary	Can the student write brow, lash and jaw?	Needed before describing
Paragraph idea	How many centres should one paragraph have?	One; more than one scatters

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Two paragraphs	Show “very pretty” against “blue ink on her fingernails”	Students say which one they remember
5-17 min	Three observation points	Clothing, action, object, 4 minutes each	12 minutes in total
17-25 min	Verb splitting	Turn “take” into reach, grip, lift	Each student rewrites one line
25-43 min	Paragraph drill	4 paragraphs at 5 minutes	20 minutes, one point per paragraph
43-45 min	Peer check	Partner circles one empty adjective	At least one per paragraph

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Three observation points: replace the verdict with evidence

Description is not evaluation. First point, clothing: a whitened cuff, the second button done up wrong. Second, action: the right shoulder sits lower when he walks. Third, object: a pencil with a broken tip in the side pocket. About 20 words each gives a 60-word paragraph made entirely of things a reader can see.

Ask students to describe the classmate beside them with three points and no “pretty”, “cute” or “handsome”.

Scene 2: Verb splitting: one action becomes three

“He took the cup” shows no process. Split it: reach (direction), grip (force), lift (speed). Then add one detail: his fingertips found the handle and he gripped twice before lifting.
Concrete verbs make a person; piles of adjectives make a poster.

Note: not every action needs three parts; split two key actions in the whole piece.

Scene 3: Cutting empty adjectives: no loss of information

Delete “very pretty” and ask what information was lost. Most students cannot answer, because the phrase carried none. After cutting, add one observation so the paragraph stands.
Marking rule: every adjective must point at something visible.

Ask students which adjective in their paragraph has no evidence, then fix that one.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Rewrite	Turn “very pretty” into three observations	Clothing, action, object	All three needed
Expand	One action into three sentences	Reach, grip, lift	No repeated verb
Picture description	60 words from a photo	List points first	No evaluative words
Cut and repair	Delete empty adjectives, add material	Ask “where is the evidence”	Information must not shrink

Sanity check (teach this): Check the arithmetic: 4 paragraphs times 5 minutes is 20 minutes, 44 percent of a 45-minute lesson, with 12 minutes of modelling and 13 minutes left for peer check. A 60-word appearance paragraph is 24 percent of a 250-word essay, so appearance is one paragraph, never the whole piece.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Rewrite “she dresses nicely” in 30 words	Whitened cuffs, double-knotted laces	Are there three points
Expand “he took the book” into three sentences	Reach, lift, tuck under the arm	Is any verb repeated
Delete “good looking” and add one detail	Add an object	Any information lost

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Adjectives instead of description	A paragraph of pretty, cute, tall	“Show me what you see, not what you think of her.”
The face checklist	Eyes, nose, mouth, like a form	“Do not inspect him; pick one thing and go deep.”
One verb throughout	Only walk, take, look	“Split the action into three steps so the reader sees it.”
Description off topic	Appearance that does not serve the event	“Does this paragraph help the event? If not, cut it.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

P5 Chinese practice paper — Composition: a classmate with three observation points
P6 Chinese practice paper — Rewrite two empty adjectives into description
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Name the three observation points.	Clothing, action, object	One missing means redo
How do you split “take”?	Reach, grip, lift	One verb only means redo
Should description use “very pretty”?	No, use evidence	Answering yes means redo

09 Tutor FAQ

What if the word count is short?

Add an observation point, not an adjective.

Can a student describe themselves?

Yes, but write in the third person for marking.

Should students memorise good phrases?

Three verb splits beat three memorised sentences.

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A TutorZone lesson-prep guide. Written by the TutorZone team; questions and lesson flow are original and are not taken from any school or publisher material.