Primary Chinese: Describing a Person — Tutor Lesson Plan (four techniques)

2026-10-28

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Students write he is kind and happy. This lesson turns adjectives into camera shots: actions you can see and words you can hear.

Objectives — the student can describe a person using the four techniques, replace vague adjectives with concrete actions, and choose one detail that reveals character.

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

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

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Adjectives	Give five adjectives	Specific ones
Verbs	Replace walk with three precise verbs	Run, pace, slip
Punctuation	Quotation marks in dialogue	Colon before the speech

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-8 min	Four techniques	Appearance, action, speech, thought	Label four sentences
8-18 min	Actions replace adjectives	What does nervous look like	Rewrite three sentences
18-28 min	One telling detail	One detail beats ten adjectives	Choose and write
28-38 min	Writing	An 80-character portrait	Work alone
38-42 min	Correction	Delete vague words, add actions	Rewrite two sentences
42-45 min	Exit check	Three questions marked	Finish alone

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Four techniques, kept apart

Appearance: greying hair, sleeves always rolled up.
Action: he tapped the table as he spoke.
Speech: take your time, no rush.
Thought: he wondered whether to say it again.

Student labels four sentences by technique.

Scene 2: Turn nervous into a camera shot

Do not write he was nervous.
Write: he crumpled the admission slip, checked his watch again, his knuckles pale.
The reader concludes nervous without being told.

Student rewrites she was delighted using two actions.

Scene 3: One detail is enough

Rather than ten adjectives, choose one behaviour that carries the character.
Grandmother cut fruit and left it by the door every day says she cares, without the word caring.

Note: the detail must connect to character, not be decoration.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Replace an adjective	he was hungry	Use actions	He finished two bowls at once
Add speech	the teacher is gentle	One line of dialogue	No hurry, let us try again.
Choose a detail	mum is thrifty	One behaviour	She washes and reuses plastic bags
Label techniques	a short paragraph	Name them	Appearance, action, speech, thought

Sanity check (teach this): Every descriptive sentence must be seeable or hearable; adjectives alone mean the sentence is unfinished.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Rewrite he was nervous	Checked his watch repeatedly, palms damp	Concrete
A detail showing grandfather cares	Always leaves the largest piece of fish	Detail fits character
Can thought begin with he thought?	Yes, but attach a real thought	Avoid vagueness

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Adjectives only	very good, very happy	Use action and speech.
Detail unrelated to character	random appearance notes	Details must serve character.
Techniques crammed together	all four in one sentence	Separate and layer.
Dialogue without punctuation	missing colon and quotes	Punctuate first.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary Chinese chapter index — Use the three tasks on this page

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Rewrite he was nervous	Concrete actions	All right: move to narrative
What must a detail connect to?	Character	One wrong: re-teach
Name the four techniques	Appearance, action, speech, thought	Two wrong: repeat scene 1

09 Tutor FAQ

How long should a description be?

60 to 100 characters is enough; concreteness matters more.

Are similes allowed?

Yes, but accurate ones, and they cannot replace description.

Is thought hard for younger pupils?

Start with he thought, the easiest entry.

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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.