Primary Chinese | Linking Paragraphs in Explanatory Writing (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Linking Paragraphs in Explanatory Writing (for tutors) | Four connector types

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

Four paragraphs read like four separate pieces because the pupil links sentences, never paragraphs. This lesson splits linking into four jobs and gives two connectors for each.

Objectives — Pupils can: (1) name the 4 linking jobs (listing, building, adding, summing up); (2) use 8 connectors to thread four paragraphs together; (3) say why this paragraph takes “in addition” rather than “secondly” (it adds a new angle, not a next step); (4) supply connectors for 3 paragraphs and rewrite one opening in 18 minutes (40 per cent of the lesson).

01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)

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

Skill	Quick check	Pass mark
Paragraph	How many ideas does one paragraph carry?	One main idea
Topic sentence	Where does it go?	At the start, clearest there
Aspects	Which aspects can describe one object?	Appearance, use, reasons

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-6 min	Opening: four unlinked paragraphs	Reads them aloud and asks where it snags	Points to the gap
6-9 min	Script 1: listing	Models firstly and secondly on two equal points	Adds one listing line
9-12 min	Script 2: building	Models moreover and above all to deepen a point	Says which line weighs more
12-15 min	Script 3: adding and summing	Models in addition and in short	Circles the closing connector
15-33 min	Timed practice (18 min)	3 paragraphs at 6 minutes each	Two connectors per paragraph
33-41 min	Comparison reading	Asks which connector is more accurate and why	Separates listing from adding
41-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Rewrites one line on the spot

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: Why four paragraphs feel like four pieces

Read a four-paragraph explanatory text with no connectors between paragraphs. Ask how many points the class remembers; most recall only the last one.
That is the hook: paragraphs need signposts. Without them the reader keeps only the final paragraph.

Ask: how many points do you remember, and why only the last one?

Scene 2: Four jobs, four connectors

Write four rows: listing (firstly, secondly), building (moreover, above all), adding (in addition, on the other hand), summing up (in short, it follows that). Under each row, one model sentence and the difference in job: listing puts equal points in order, building makes the later point heavier, adding brings a new angle, summing up folds everything into one line.
Model the common mismatch: using “in addition” as if it meant “secondly”, which implies an order that the content does not have.

Warn: a four-paragraph text takes at most two summing-up connectors; more reads as repeated endings.

Scene 3: Connectors must match content

Show the same sentence with three connectors: “Firstly, it is waterproof” states a first point; “In addition, it is waterproof” adds one; “Above all, it is waterproof” makes it the main point.
Ask pupils to state the difference, then choose one for their own text and justify it. A defensible wrong choice teaches more than a lucky right one.

Ask: are you marking order, addition, or emphasis?

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Fill in	Four paragraphs with the opening blank	Decide the relation first, then pick a connector	Listing: firstly, secondly
Classify	Listing, building, adding or summing up?	Check whether points are equal or deeper	Adding
Repair	Swap “in addition” for “secondly” and reread	See whether the meaning shifts	A shift means a mismatch
Sum up	Close the whole text with one line	The line must cover all points	Three points in one sentence

Sanity check (teach this): Check: 4 jobs with 2 connectors each gives 8 connectors; modelling 12 minutes at 3 minutes per job; timed practice 18 minutes (3 paragraphs at 6 minutes) is 40 per cent; opening 6, comparison reading 5 and exit 4 minutes total 45. Two connectors per paragraph uses all 8 at least once.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Four connectors	Supply four connectors across four paragraphs	No connector used twice
Swap and reread	Replace “in addition” with “secondly”	Meaning must not change
Summing paragraph	Close three points in one sentence	No point left out

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
Every paragraph starts with firstly	Four openings all read “firstly”	Firstly happens once; from the second paragraph you use secondly.
Connector fights content	An added point labelled “above all”	Are you adding a point or weighting one? Adding takes “in addition”.
Summary repeats the text	The closing paragraph copies all four	A summary is one sentence, not four.
No closing at all	The text stops after paragraph four	The reader needs one line: so what? Add “in short”.

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 5 Chinese paper — Writing task: add four connectors between paragraphs
Primary 4 Chinese paper — Reading task: circle the connectors between paragraphs
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
Name the four linking jobs.	Listing, building, adding, summing up	Any missing job is retaught
Which job does “in addition” do?	Adding	Wrong answer returns to the four rows
How many summing-up connectors in a four-paragraph text?	Two at most	More must be cut

09 Tutor FAQ

Can a pupil use too many connectors?

Yes. One per paragraph opening is enough; piling them inside sentences turns the text into a list.

What if the pupil refuses “in short”?

Ask for one spoken sentence starting “so what?” and write that down, then swap in the formal connector.

Is this suitable for Primary 3?

Primary 3 takes listing and summing up only; building and adding wait until Primary 4.

Find a tutor — free Tutor Registration →

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.