Every year there are students who want to excel in their PSLE Chinese Language examination. And one of the hardest part of the examination papers is paper 1 composition. Its is hardest due to the fact the it is actually a test of students’ overall Chinese Language capability including vocabulary, sentence making skills and other vital skills required to score in PSLE Chinese.
How to increase your vocabulary to score in composition?
This is so easy to improve yet not many will spent the effort to do it consistently. The first word list for any students to master is the primary 5 to primary 6 word list in the back of their textbooks. there are almost 500 to 600 words there and by really understanding them, students have already built a great foundation to score in PSLE Chinese.
I have compiled a very easy to use word list for primary 5 to 6 students and most students find it very easy to learn. Its BASED ON THE NEW Textbook and new 2017 PSLE examination format. Its different from the rest of the word lists and handbooks due to its simplicity and efficiency of learning. you can find it here.
How to Write sentences correctly in the PSLE Chinese examinations?
Chinese sentences are not without its grammar but the grammar rules are very different from that of the English Language! For example, Most sentences start with a structure like:
Who(Object) Do something (Verb) like 妈妈(mother : object) 在吃饭(eating a meal : verb)
However, the similarity stops there, some sentences will require change of vocabulary or altering of sentence structure to be translated correctly. Buy students often take the English sentence into their own hand and translate it directly to Chinese sentences without much thought and the result is bad.
examples include：
我只想玩Call of Duty一起跟你。（而不是说跟你一起玩Paw Patrol）
I just want to play Call of Duty together with you.
你能请给我一张纸么？（完全是英文的表达方式）
Could you please give me a piece of paper?
我饿了也是。（把副词放在形容词后面是典型的英文语法）
I’m hungry too.
我想去游泳明天。（时间副词置后）
I want to go swimming tomorrow.
这个表有十分钟慢。（这个最英文。。。。）
This clock is ten minutes slow.
So to make sure students get those right, I wrote another book that explains Chinese grammar in a very easy to understanding way for people to learn to write the correct Chinese sentences.
How to Write your story in the correct way to move your audiences?
The third Vital skills in Chinese Composition is the ability to write a story with the best story structure storytellers used to spin their tales. And I will just tell you my little recipe.
Writing a composition is like eating a burger, it has a few ingredients in it like a bun, a piece of patty or beef or any ingredients of your choice and another bun.
Intruduction
The top bun is like the introduction, the patty or the ingredients in the middle is the rising action to the climax and to the falling action.
Conclusion
The bottom bun is like the resolution and conclusion. If all of the ingredients are cooked well, it will taste good, right?
The rest of the story: falling action, climax, falling action
So, if the introduction, falling action, climax, falling action, resolution and conclusion are good, it will be a good story that many will love.
Language
Not just the context of the story must be good, the language you use must also be excellent so it will be fluent and will be a good story for many to read. Language consists of grammar, spelling and use of good words. If you have both good context and language, your composition will definitely be rewarded high marks.
Good phrases and vocabulary
Remember, if you write too many good sentences in Chinese composition, known as “好词好句”, will be ignored! So, to play safe, use at most 2 good Chinese sentences in one paragraph to enlighten your story! You don’t want to eat a burger with hundreds of toppings, right?
FATS
Apply the same concept to Chinese composition. While writing a Chinese composition, you can write “FATS” at the side of the paper with pictures and not on the same paper you’re writing your story in. “F” stands for feelings, “A” stand for action(s) and “T” stands for thoughts. Once you have wrote one of those, you tick beside them. Example, I wrote “我感到很惊讶”, I would tick beside “F”.
Conclusion
The three key to improving your composition is not those good words good phrases, Its the foundation we call them
1, Accurate usage of Good vocabulary.
2, Proper sentence construction.
3, Good story telling skill which includes Practical Structure for All good stories.
Happy writing and score well