Primary Chinese | Explanatory Writing Outline Lesson (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Explanatory Writing Outline Lesson (for tutors) | Four angles, five sentences

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Pupils start writing the moment they see the title and run out of things to say halfway, because they never unpacked it. Four angles and five sentences give them the whole skeleton before the first full sentence is written.

Objectives — Pupils will be able to: (1) unpack a title into four angles (subject, features, reasons, examples); (2) write a full outline in 5 sentences, one angle per sentence; (3) check the outline for repeated angles and fix them; (4) outline 3 titles independently in 18 minutes (40% of the lesson).

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

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

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Subject	What are you explaining?	One concrete thing
Features	What is special about it?	Two or three features
Examples	What supports the point?	One concrete example

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-5 min	Hook: a piece that stalls	Read a text that stops halfway	Say what went wrong
5-9 min	Act 1: subject and features	Circle the noun, write two features	Two sentences
9-13 min	Act 2: reasons	Ask why the feature exists	One sentence
13-17 min	Act 3: example and close	One example plus one closing line	Two sentences
17-35 min	Three titles (18 min)	3 titles x 6 min, timed each	Five sentences each
35-40 min	Peer check	Swap outlines, circle repeated angles	Name the repeated line
40-45 min	Exit check	Three questions orally	Rewrite one line if stuck

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Outline first, prose second

Read a piece that stops halfway: three lines on the subject, then the same feature three times. Ask where it went wrong; pupils say “nothing to write”, but the real cause is no outline.
Set the rule for the lesson: outlines only, no full essays. Five sentences that hold up mean the essay has a skeleton.

Note: stop any pupil who starts writing prose; prose practice skips the unpacking skill.

Scene 2: Four angles, one at a time

Four board lines: subject (what it is), features (what is special), reasons (why it is like that), examples (where you see it). Model one short sentence per angle, fifteen words maximum.
Model the title “Hong Kong trams”: subject one line, features two (narrow, slow), reason one (early history), example one (Shau Kei Wan terminus). Ask which line is the reason.

Ask: which angle is this sentence? If the pupil cannot say, the unpacking is not finished.

Scene 3: Three-step outline check

Three checks: one, all four angles present across five sentences; two, no angle repeated; three, every sentence contains one concrete noun. All three ticked before any prose.
Model a failing outline where all five sentences describe features. Ask the pupil which two lines to replace and with what.

Note: use ticks, not comments; the pupil should see the empty box.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Unpack the title	Split a title into four angles	One keyword per angle	Four keywords
Write the outline	Five sentences for the whole piece	One angle per sentence	Five lines, four angles
Fill the gap	Add two missing lines to an outline	Find the empty angle first	Add reason and example
Spot repetition	Circle the repeated angle	Name each angle as you read	Circle the duplicate

Sanity check (teach this): Check: 4 angles in 5 sentences (one framing, two features, one reason, one example); teaching 12 min (three acts of 4), practice 18 min (40%), hook 5, peer check 5, exit 5, total 45 min; 3 titles at 6 min each leaves time to write and check.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Four-angle unpack	Four angle words for three titles	All four angles present
Five-line outline	Five sentences, fifteen words max	No overlong or repeated lines
Tick check	Run the three checks on your own outline	All three ticked

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Writing prose immediately	Stalls halfway through	“Outlines only today; no outline, no essay.”
All five lines are features	No reason, no example	“Two of four boxes empty; add the reason and example.”
Sentences too long	One sentence runs three lines	“Fifteen words; split it if it does not fit.”
Vague example	Writing “there are many examples”	“Which one? Name it, never write many.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 5 Chinese paper — Writing: outline “my district park” in five lines
Primary 6 Chinese paper — Writing: unpack the title, then outline
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Name the four explanatory angles.	Subject, features, reasons, examples	Redo if one is missing
How are five outline lines split?	One framing, two features, one reason, one example	Check against the board
What is the sentence limit?	Fifteen words	Shorten on the spot

09 Tutor FAQ

Are five sentences enough for a full essay?

They are the skeleton; each line grows into a paragraph. Primary 5 builds the skeleton, Primary 6 expands it.

Is “my school” an explanatory title?

It can be, if pupils write features and examples instead of feelings.

Can a fourth feature be added?

Yes, but the four angles must stay complete; adding a feature means cutting another line or running out of time.

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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.