GRADE 8 Mandarin Chinese FUN AND ENJOYMENT- Writing – Guided Writing Notes
Mandarin Chinese — Guided Writing
Topic: FUN AND ENJOYMENT — Writing (写作)
- Recall words, phrases and expressions from texts (会回忆并写出课文中的词语和短语).
- Apply appropriate grammatical structures in written texts (能在写作中正确使用语法结构).
- Show interest in using acquired vocabulary to improve writing (愿意用所学词汇丰富写作).
Key vocabulary (fun / activities) — useful for writing
- 玩 / wán / play
- 游戏 / yóuxì / game
- 运动 / yùndòng / sport
- 足球 / zúqiú / football (soccer)
- 听音乐 / tīng yīnyuè / listen to music
- 看电影 / kàn diànyǐng / watch movies
- 游泳 / yóuyǒng / swim
- 和…一起 / hé… yìqǐ / together with …
- 喜欢 / xǐhuan / like
- 非常 / fēicháng / very
- 假期 / jiàqī / holiday
- 学校 / xuéxiào / school
Grammar focus — structures to use in guided writing
Structure: Subject + Verb + Object.
Example: 我喜欢足球。Wǒ xǐhuan zúqiú. — I like football.
2) Expressing degree and adjectives
Use 很、非常、特别 to modify adjectives; adjectives used as predicates need no linking verb.
Example: 我们的球场很大。Wǒmen de qiúchǎng hěn dà. — Our field is big.
3) 喜欢 + verb / noun
喜欢 can take a verb or a noun: 我喜欢踢足球 / 我喜欢音乐。
4) Progressive: 在 / 正在
To show an action in progress: Subject + 在 / 正在 + Verb
Example: 他正在看电影。Tā zhèngzài kàn diànyǐng. — He is watching a movie.
5) Aspect particles: 了 (completed / change) vs 过 (experience)
了 often marks a finished action or change of state; 过 indicates past experience (have done something before).
Examples:
我昨天看了两场电影。Wǒ zuótiān kàn le liǎng chǎng diànyǐng. — I watched two films yesterday.
我去过内罗毕国家公园。Wǒ qù guò Nèi luō bǐ guójiā gōngyuán. — I have been to Nairobi National Park.
6) Negation: 不 vs 没(有)
不 negates habits or future/ability; 没(有) negates completed past actions. Use 没 + Verb for "did not".
Examples: 我不喜欢冷的天气。/ 我昨天没有去游泳。
7) 'Together' and companions
Use 和…一起 to say "do … together with …".
Example: 我和朋友一起踢足球。Wǒ hé péngyǒu yìqǐ tī zúqiú. — I play football with friends.
8) Giving reasons: 因为...所以...
Combine two clauses to explain cause and result.
Example: 因为天气好，所以我们去公园玩。Yīnwèi tiānqì hǎo, suǒyǐ wǒmen qù gōngyuán wán. — Because the weather is good, we went to the park.
9) Question forms
Yes/no questions: …吗? A-not-A questions: 你去不去? Question words: 谁、什么、什么时候、为什么、怎么。
Guided writing — step-by-step
- Brainstorm: choose one activity you enjoy (use vocabulary list).
- Plan 4–6 sentences: include when, who, what, why you like it, and one past experience.
- Write your draft using at least two grammar structures from above (e.g., 在、了/过、因为…所以、和…一起).
- Check grammar: tense/aspect particles, negation, sentence order.
- Revise and share with a partner for feedback.
Model paragraph (age-appropriate, 6 sentences)
Chinese:
假期的时候，我喜欢和朋友一起踢足球。我们每天早上在学校的球场练习。去年我们参加了一个比赛，我踢进了两球。除了踢足球，我也喜欢听音乐和看电影。因为踢足球让我很快乐，所以我每个周末都去练习。
Pinyin:
Jiàqī de shíhou, wǒ xǐhuan hé péngyǒu yìqǐ tī zúqiú. Wǒmen měi tiān zǎoshang zài xuéxiào de qiúchǎng liànxí. Qùnián wǒmen cānjiā le yí ge bǐsài, wǒ tī jìn le liǎng qiú. Chúle tī zúqiú, wǒ yě xǐhuan tīng yīnyuè hé kàn diànyǐng. Yīnwèi tī zúqiú ràng wǒ hěn kuàilè, suǒyǐ wǒ měi ge zhōumò dōu qù liànxí.
English meaning (short):
During holidays, I like to play football with friends. We practice every morning at the school field. Last year we entered a match and I scored two goals. Besides football, I also like listening to music and watching movies. Because playing football makes me happy, I practice every weekend.
Annotated grammar points used:
- 和…一起 (together) — 和朋友一起踢足球
- 在 + place + verb (progressive/location) — 在学校的球场练习
- 了 (completed) — 参加了一个比赛 / 踢进了两球
- 除了…，也… (besides) — 除了踢足球，我也喜欢…
- 因为…所以… (reason → result) — 因为…所以…
Exercises (guided, with answers)
1) Fill the correct particle: 了 or 过?
a) 我去年___去过海边。 (I went to the beach last year.)
Answer: 去过 (experience: qù guò)
b) 昨天我看___一部电影。 (I watched a movie yesterday.)
Answer: 看了 (completed: kàn le)
2) Choose 不 or 没(有)
a) 我昨天___去学校。 (I did not go to school yesterday.)
Answer: 没去 / 没有去
b) 我___喜欢吃太辣的食物。 (I do not like very spicy food.)
Answer: 不喜欢
3) Combine sentences using 因为…所以…
Sentences: 天气很好。我们去公园玩。
Answer: 因为天气很好，所以我们去公园玩。
4) Rewrite as A-not-A question
Statement: 你去图书馆。 → Question?
Answer: 你去不去图书馆？
5) Guided writing task (classwork / homework)
Write a short paragraph (5–7 sentences) about a fun activity you enjoy. Include:
- 谁和你一起 (who with), using 和…一起
- 一个过去的经历，使用了 or 过
- 一个因为…所以…句子解释原因
- 至少一个在/正在 or 很/非常 for description
Model checklist to tick: vocabulary used / correct particles / sentence variety / clarity.
Suggested learning experiences (for a 13-year-old Kenyan class)
- Read a short text about a Kenyans student's holiday activities; identify and list verbs and aspect particles (找出动词和时态词).
- Sentence building relay: teams reorder word cards to make correct Chinese sentences (focus on 在、了、过、因为…所以、和…一起).
- Pair writing: each student writes 3 sentences; partner must add two more sentences using a different grammar point.
- Peer-check: use the checklist to mark grammar structures (老师可用评分表评估学习成果).
Assessment checklist (use after writing)
- Has the student used at least two grammar structures listed above? (Yes / No)
- Are aspect particles (了/过) used correctly? (Yes / No)
- Are negation and question forms accurate if used? (Yes / No)
- Does the paragraph show use of new vocabulary related to fun activities? (Yes / No)
Teacher note: focus feedback on correct grammar use more than length. Encourage learners to reuse words from the vocabulary list in new sentences and to underline grammar points they used (e.g., circle 了/过, highlight 因为…所以).
Prepared for Kenyan learners (age 13). Use local examples (school, weekends, Nairobi activities) when creating texts to make writing meaningful and motivating.