DSE Chinese: Paper 2 Narrative Writing — Tutor Lesson Plan
- 2026-10-27
Students describe feelings instead of showing them. This lesson requires one visible detail in every paragraph, and the feeling follows.
Objectives — the student can choose one concrete event, carry emotion through detail rather than adjectives, and close by echoing the opening.
01 Prerequisites (3-minute check)
If any of these fails, fix it before the lesson starts.
| Skill | Quick check | Pass mark |
|---|---|---|
| Narrative elements | State the six questions | All present |
| Description | Write two actions for a character | Concrete |
| Structure | Explain what echoing the opening means | Can give an example |
02 Lesson flow (60 minutes)
| Time | Stage | Tutor does | Student does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-8 min | Read the task | Find the key words | Name one concrete event |
| 8-20 min | Four parts | Open, develop, turn, close | Write a four-line plan |
| 20-36 min | Detail over adjectives | Turn “moved” into an action | Rewrite three lines |
| 36-48 min | Emotion with evidence | From detail to feeling | Write one paragraph |
| 48-56 min | Echo the opening | Return to the image | Write two closing lines |
| 56-60 min | Exit check | Collect plan and paragraph | Finish alone |
03 Teaching script (read it out)
Scene 1: Choose a small event
A whole life story cannot be told in one essay.
One afternoon, one conversation, one object: these can carry depth.
Choose a moment you can dwell in.
One afternoon, one conversation, one object: these can carry depth.
Choose a moment you can dwell in.
Student names the moment they will dwell on.
Scene 2: Detail carries the feeling
Do not write I was reluctant to leave.
Write: I folded his jacket and left it on the chair, never handing it back.
The reader supplies the feeling.
Write: I folded his jacket and left it on the chair, never handing it back.
The reader supplies the feeling.
Student rewrites one adjective sentence as an action.
Scene 3: Echo the opening
Return to the object, line or scene from the opening so the piece closes a circle.
Do not open the ending with “this experience taught me”.
Do not open the ending with “this experience taught me”.
Note: one sentence of reflection is enough.
04 Question types and worked steps
| Type | Example | Steps | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theme | Find the key words in the task | One-sentence theme | Clear and writable |
| Selection | Choose one event | Four parts present | Enough for the word count |
| Detail | Turn an adjective into action | Visible and audible | Concrete |
| Ending | Echo the opening | Return to the image | No repetition |
Sanity check (teach this): Every paragraph must move the event forward; a paragraph with feeling but no event is empty.
05 Independent practice (3 questions)
| Question | Answer | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Rewrite a nervous sentence as action | By task | A visible action |
| Four-line plan for a task | Four parts | An event in each |
| Write an echoing closing line | By task | Returns to the opening |
06 Common mistakes and what to say
| Mistake | Student writes | Say this |
|---|---|---|
| Life story | covers years | One moment only. |
| Adjective pile-up | very very sad | Show through detail. |
| Feeling without evidence | nothing happens | Attach feeling to a detail. |
| Slogan ending | I learnt a lot | Echo the opening image. |
07 Homework (paper, section and question numbers)
- Secondary Chinese chapter index — Use the three questions on this page
08 Exit check (last 5 minutes)
| Question | Answer | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| The four parts | Open, develop, turn, close | All right: move to Paper 1 |
| Emotion is carried by | Detail | One wrong: re-teach |
| The ending should | Echo the opening | Two wrong: repeat scene 2 |
09 Tutor FAQ
Can students write argument instead?
Paper 2 allows other genres, but this chapter trains narrative.
Word count?
Usually 600 characters and above; four parts is enough.
Use idioms?
One or two; a wrong one costs marks.
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.


