Primary Chinese | Combined description and rewriting lesson plan (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Combined description and rewriting lesson plan (for tutors) | Four paragraphs, one rewrite at a time

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Students can write appearance, action, speech and thought in drills, then produce an essay of pure appearance, because nobody taught them the order. This lesson gives a four-paragraph frame and rewrites it.

Objectives — Students can: (1) write a 300-word description on a four-paragraph frame (entrance, event, one line, closing); (2) state the job and length of each 75-word paragraph; (3) rewrite 3 paragraphs at 6 minutes each, 18 minutes in total; (4) name their weakest paragraph and the repair.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

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

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Four-part structure	How many paragraphs in a narrative?	Four or five
Event elements	Which three things must an event give?	Time, place, outcome
Editing marks	How are rewrites marked?	Underline and arrow, never black out

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-6 min	Read a model	Circle what each paragraph does	Students state each job
6-16 min	Four-paragraph frame	Entrance, event, one line, closing, 75 words each	300 words total
16-34 min	Paragraph rewriting	3 paragraphs at 6 minutes	18 minutes
34-43 min	Peer check	Check a partner against the frame	One suggestion per paragraph
43-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Collected at the door

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: The frame: one job per paragraph

Paragraph one, entrance: three observations in 75 words. Paragraph two, event: one action split into movements, showing a choice. Paragraph three, one line of speech plus three layers of thought. Paragraph four, closing: an action or an object, never a moral. Four paragraphs of 75 words give 300 words, the right length for P5-P6.

Ask students to write four topic sentences under ten words each before drafting.

Scene 2: Proportion: appearance must not take half

Of 300 words, one appearance paragraph of 75 is already a quarter; two would leave no room for the event. The working ratio is one part appearance, one event, one speech and thought, one closing.
Mark by counting words and checking the ratio before correcting characters.

Note: if the task says “show the person through one event”, cut appearance to 50 words.

Scene 3: Rewriting one paragraph at a time

Rewriting is not starting over. Find the weakest paragraph, usually the event, and change only its verbs and detail. Give each paragraph 6 minutes: one to read, two to mark problems, three to rewrite.
Read the result aloud; anything that stumbles is not finished.

Ask students which paragraph is weakest and why.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Set composition	Show a person through one event	Frame plus ratio	Event paragraph required
Paragraph rewrite	Rewrite only the event paragraph	Keep the other three	Read aloud afterwards
Paragraph insertion	Supply a missing paragraph	Use the ratio to find the gap	Must read smoothly
Peer marking	Check a partner against the frame	One suggestion per paragraph	Suggestions must be concrete

Sanity check (teach this): Check the arithmetic: 4 paragraphs times 75 words is 300 words; 3 paragraphs times 6 minutes is 18 minutes, 40 percent of the 45-minute lesson, leaving 27 minutes for the model, peer check and exit. For weaker classes use three paragraphs and lengthen the event; never shorten the rewriting time.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Split a 300-word essay into four paragraphs and write each job	Entrance, event, one line, closing	Four lines under ten words
Check the description ratio in an essay	Appearance must not exceed half	Words actually counted
Rewrite only paragraph two and add a split action	Reach, grip, put down	Other three kept

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Four paragraphs of appearance	Clothing and face in every paragraph	“Four entrances and the event has vanished.”
An event with no choice	What happened, never what the character decided	“What did he choose? No choice, no person.”
A moral at the end	“This taught me family is precious”	“Do not lecture the reader; close on an action.”
Rewriting means restarting	The whole page erased	“Keep three paragraphs, rewrite the weakest one.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

P5 Chinese practice paper — Composition: 300 words in four paragraphs
P6 Chinese practice paper — Rewrite only the event paragraph with a split action
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Name the four paragraphs.	Entrance, event, one line, closing	One missing means redo
How long is each paragraph at 300 words?	75 words	Wrong answer means recount
How many paragraphs are rewritten?	One, the weakest	Answering all means redo

09 Tutor FAQ

Can a student write five paragraphs?

Yes, but split the event and keep the ratio.

How to reach the word count?

Extend the event action, not the adjectives.

Does a rewrite need a fresh page?

No; mark the original so both versions can be compared.

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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.