Primary Chinese | Character description and self-editing lesson plan (for tutors) | twelve description sentences in four paragraphs

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Students write four paragraphs and three of them say “he is very kind”; only two sentences describe a person. This lesson fixes the frame, counts description sentences, and finishes with three self-editing questions.

Objectives — Students can: (1) say what each of the four paragraphs does (entrance, one event, one detail, closing); (2) write at least 3 description sentences, 12 per paragraph; (3) reach 350 words in 30 minutes, about 11.7 words a minute; (4) cut evaluative sentences using three questions and finish one piece inside the 31% drill block.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

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

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Appearance and action	Into how many steps can one action be split?	Previous chapter: verb splitting
Speech and inner thought	What changes when the reporting clause moves?	Previous chapter: reporting clauses
Paragraph sense	How many events belong in one paragraph?	One event per paragraph

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Contrast opener	Read two student paragraphs and count description sentences	Students say which one shows a person
5-11 min	Script 1: four-paragraph frame	One outline sentence per paragraph	Four outlines written
11-17 min	Script 2: description ratio	Count description sentences, at least 3 per paragraph	Count, then add if short
17-23 min	Script 3: three questions	Can I see it, hear it, does it matter	Cut three evaluative sentences
23-37 min	Two pieces	2 pieces x 7 minutes	14 minutes in total, one written and one edited
37-39 min	Peer check	Run the three questions on a partner paragraph	Circle one evaluative sentence
39-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Rewrite one paragraph on the spot

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Four-paragraph frame: one job per paragraph

Paragraph one is the entrance: name, role, one visible feature. Paragraph two is one event: a single action scene, no personality claims. Paragraph three is one detail: hands, shoes, voice or a catchphrase, enlarged.
Paragraph four closes with an action or a line of speech, never with “he is such a good person”. Once the frame is fixed, all the lesson time goes into describing.

Students do: write four outline lines in the margin, ten characters each, before drafting.

Scene 2: Description ratio: count sentences, do not trust feelings

The rule is simple: at least 3 sentences per paragraph must be something you can see or hear, and at least 12 in the whole piece. “He is filial” is not description; “he counted the pills into the box one by one” is.
Students mark two colours: blue for description, red for evaluation. More red than blue means the ratio is wrong, not the word count.

Reminder: a simile counts as description, but it must be specific; “like the sun” does not, “like a heated iron plate” does.

Scene 3: Three questions: cut one, add one

Self-editing asks only three things: can I see this, can I hear this, does this belong to the person? Three noes mean delete. After deleting, the student must add one action or one sound so the paragraph has no hole.
They hate cutting “he is truly a good student”, so make them write “he turned off every light in the classroom” instead: same meaning, now visible.

Students say: which sentence did you cut, which did you add? No answer means no edit.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Count	Count the description sentences in a paragraph	Mark two colours first	Fewer than three blue means add
Rewrite	Turn an evaluative sentence into an action	Find the verb first	No personality adjectives allowed
Order	Put shuffled sentences back into the frame	Find the entrance paragraph first	Justify the order
Self-edit	Cut one and add one with three questions	Ask all three questions	One cut and one addition required

Sanity check (teach this): Arithmetic: 4 paragraphs x 3 sentences = 12 description sentences, 350 words in total, about 29.2 words per sentence, so no sentence runs long. Demo 18 minutes plus drill 14 minutes is 31%, with 5 minutes opening and 6 minutes exit, leaving 2 minutes for peer check. 350 words in 30 minutes is 11.7 words a minute, within normal P5-P6 handwriting speed.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Count description sentences in a partner paragraph	Blue and red totals	Fewer than three blue
Turn “he was nervous” into an action	Fingers rolling the book corner	Any personality adjective left
Self-edit one of your paragraphs	One cut, one addition	The addition has an action or a sound

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
All evaluation	Every paragraph says he is kind	“You tell me he is kind; show me what he did.”
Four paragraphs, one event	Entrance repeats paragraph two	“Paragraph one only brings him in; the event waits.”
A detail too large	Paragraph three covers a whole life	“One detail: hands, shoes or voice. Pick one.”
Editing equals proofreading	Only spelling is fixed	“Fixing words is proofreading; fixing sentences is editing.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

P5 Chinese paper — Writing task: four-paragraph frame about a family member, at least twelve description sentences
P6 Chinese paper — Short task: self-edit one paragraph and submit before-and-after
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
What do the four paragraphs do?	Entrance, one event, one detail, closing	Reteach the missing one
How many description sentences in total?	12, at least 3 per paragraph	Recount one paragraph
What are the three questions?	Can I see it, can I hear it, does it belong	Redo the edit

09 Tutor FAQ

What if the word count is short?

Enlarge paragraph three: details lengthen a piece without padding it.

Can students write about themselves?

Yes, but in the third person, otherwise it turns into a diary.

How many similes?

Three in four paragraphs is plenty; a simile replaces an adjective, it does not add words.

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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.