Primary Chinese | Narrative Paragraphing and Links (for tutors)

Primary Chinese | Narrative Paragraphing and Links (for tutors) | Four paragraphs, link sentences

2026-11-04

Tutor lesson-prep guides · Primary Chinese

A pupil writes one solid block and jumps from the playground to the classroom while the reader is still catching up. Paragraphs let the reader breathe; a link sentence tells them where they now stand. Without either, good content still reads badly.

Objectives — Pupils can: (1) name what each of the 4 paragraphs holds (cause, events part one, events part two, outcome and reflection); (2) link two paragraphs with a time, place or feeling sentence; (3) explain why the events take two paragraphs; (4) turn 2 single-block texts into four paragraphs 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
Four steps	What are the four steps of one event?	Cause, events, outcome, reflection
Time words	What goes wrong when a pupil uses “then” five times?	The timeline disappears
Paragraph rule	How many things should one paragraph cover?	One; start a new paragraph when it is finished

02 Lesson flow (45 minutes)

Time	Stage	Tutor does	Student does
0-6 min	Hook: read a single block aloud	Project an unparagraphed essay and ask a pupil to read it in one breath	Say which sentence was hardest to follow
6-10 min	Act 1: the four-paragraph shape	Draw four boxes on the board and label what goes in each	Slot their own event into the four boxes
10-14 min	Act 2: three kinds of link	Model time, place and feeling links on one event	Write a link for paragraphs two and three
14-18 min	Act 3: retire “then”	Circle every “then” and replace each with a time or a place	Circle their own “then” and rewrite
18-36 min	Timed drafting (18 min)	2 single-block texts x 9 minutes	Reparagraph and add links alone
36-41 min	Peer count	Swap and count paragraphs and link sentences	Name the two paragraphs that jump too far
41-45 min	Exit check	Three oral questions	Add one link sentence on the spot

03 Teaching script (read it out)

Scene 1: One block loses the reader

Show a 150-character text with no paragraph breaks; by the third line pupils cannot tell whether the character is on the playground or in the classroom. Break the same text into four and read it again, and the difference is obvious.
Paragraphing is not layout: it marks which step of the event the reader is in. Four steps, four paragraphs.

Pupils restate: one paragraph, one thing; finish it, then break.

Scene 2: A link sentence is a road sign

Model three links on one event: time (“half an hour later I was back in the classroom”); place (“back in the classroom, the paper boat was on my desk”); feeling (“I walked back regretting it, and stopped at the door”).
Ask which fits their story: time for pace, place for a scene change, feeling for a turn. The link goes in the first sentence of the new paragraph, never the last sentence of the old one.

Pupils restate: the link starts the new paragraph.

Scene 3: “Then” is universal and empty

Circle every “then” in a pupil draft; there are usually three to five in one paragraph. Ask “how much later?” and “where?” for each. When the pupil cannot answer, the word has done no work.
The only fix is to replace it with a real time or a real place. Read the paragraph again and the timeline becomes visible.

Pupils restate: replace “then” with a time or a place.

04 Question types and worked steps

Type	Example	Steps	Answer
Split into four	Mark where a 150-character text breaks into four paragraphs	Break before each turn: cause, events one, events two, outcome	Breaks come before the turning point
Time link	Add a link between two paragraphs	A specific interval, not “later”	Half an hour later I was back in the classroom
Place link	Add a link when the scene changes	The new place in the first sentence	Back in the classroom, the paper boat was on my desk
Feeling link	Add a link at a change of mood	A body reaction, not “I was sad”	I walked back regretting it, and stopped at the door

Sanity check (teach this): Check the arithmetic: 4 paragraphs at 3 minutes each give 12 minutes of modelling; 3 kinds of link, each modelled at least once; drafting is 18 minutes (2 texts x 9), which is 40% of the lesson; 6 + 12 + 18 + 5 + 4 = 45 minutes; four paragraphs of 130 to 160 characters means 35 to 40 characters each, which is the right length for a Primary 5 to 6 short piece.

05 Independent practice (3 questions)

Question	Answer	What to watch
Four-way split	Cut a 150-character text into four paragraphs	Breaks sit before the turns; uneven lengths are fine
Write links	Add one link to paragraph two and one to paragraph three	Two different kinds of link
Retire “then”	Replace three “then” with a time or a place	The order is clear after the swap

06 Common mistakes and what to say

Mistake	Student writes	Say this
One solid block	The whole 150 characters sit in one paragraph	“Where should the reader breathe? One thing per paragraph.”
Link in the wrong place	“The next day” written at the end of the previous paragraph	“A road sign starts the new paragraph so the reader knows where they are.”
“Then” chain	“Then I ran, then I fell, then I cried”	“How much later? Where did you fall? Answer that and the sentence writes itself.”
One sentence per paragraph	Eight paragraphs of one sentence each	“One thing per paragraph, and one thing can take three or four sentences.”

07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)

Primary 5 Chinese paper — Writing: paragraph the piece and add links
Primary 6 Chinese paper — Reading: count paragraph topics and find the links
Primary Chinese chapter index — All chapters

08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)

Question	Answer	Decision
What goes in each of the four paragraphs?	Cause, events one, events two, outcome and reflection	Correct “split by word count”
Where does a link sentence sit?	First sentence of the new paragraph	Model it if they say “end of the last one”
What replaces “then”?	A specific time or place	Re-teach if they say “after that”

09 Tutor FAQ

Must it be four paragraphs?

Four is the safest shape for a short piece; above 300 characters five or six works, as long as each paragraph still covers one thing.

Do links sound mechanical?

They sound mechanical when written as “time passed”; a real time, place or body reaction does not.

Does paragraphing cost words?

It moves sentences, it does not add any; if the word count is short, expand the events.

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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.