GRADE 8 Mandarin Chinese MY SURROUNDINGS- Writing – Guided Writing Notes
Mandarin Chinese — Guided Writing
Topic: MY SURROUNDINGS — Writing (Age 13, Kenyan context)
- a) Enumerate vocabulary relevant to the topic from written texts.
- b) Write simple texts on varied topics with appropriate word order.
- c) Recognise the importance of writing neatly and legibly.
- d) Address mechanics of writing (word order in Mandarin).
| 汉字 | Pinyin | English | Measure word (if useful) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 学校 | xué xiào | school | 所 (suǒ) |
| 房子 / 家 | fángzi / jiā | house / home | 栋 (dòng) / 所 |
| 公园 | gōng yuán | park | 个 |
| 马路 / 街道 | mǎ lù / jiē dào | road / street | 条 (tiáo) |
| 市场 | shì chǎng | market | 个/家 |
| 树 | shù | tree | 棵 (kē) |
| 河 | hé | river | 条 |
| 商店 | shāng diàn | shop | 家 |
| 邻居 | lín jū | neighbour | 位 (wèi) |
| 教室 | jiào shì | classroom | 间 (jiān) |
- Basic order: Subject + (Time) + (Place) + Verb + Object.
Example: 我 (subject) 今天 (time) 在学校 (place) 上课 (verb). — 我今天在学校上课。
Pinyin: Wǒ jīntiān zài xuéxiào shàngkè. — I today at school attend class. - Use 在 (zài) to show location before the verb.
Structure: Subject + 在 + Place + Verb.Example: 我在家看书。Wǒ zài jiā kàn shū. — I read at home.
- Existence or “there is/are”: Place + 有 + Noun.
Example: 教室里有很多椅子。Jiàoshì lǐ yǒu hěn duō yǐzi. — There are many chairs in the classroom.
- Adjectives before nouns use 的 (de) for emphasis.
Example: 美丽的公园 — měilì de gōngyuán — beautiful park. But simple adjectives can also appear without 的 (e.g., 大树 = big tree).
- Measure words matter when counting (一棵树, 一条河, 一所学校).
- Connectors for writing short paragraphs: 这里 (here), 那里 (there), 还有 (also), 因为...所以... (because...so...), 很 (very), 很多 (many).
我家附近有一个公园。公园里有很多树和花。每天放学以后，我和朋友在公园里玩。公园旁边有一个小市场，市场里有新鲜的水果。
Pinyin: Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu yí ge gōngyuán. Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō shù hé huā. Měitiān fàngxué yǐhòu, wǒ hé péngyou zài gōngyuán lǐ wán. Gōngyuán pángbiān yǒu yí ge xiǎo shìchǎng, shìchǎng lǐ yǒu xīnxiān de shuǐguǒ.
English: Near my home there is a park. In the park there are many trees and flowers. After school every day, my friends and I play in the park. Next to the park there is a small market; the market has fresh fruit.
Pinyin: Wǒ jiā fùjìn yǒu yí ge gōngyuán. Gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō shù hé huā. Měitiān fàngxué yǐhòu, wǒ hé péngyou zài gōngyuán lǐ wán. Gōngyuán pángbiān yǒu yí ge xiǎo shìchǎng, shìchǎng lǐ yǒu xīnxiān de shuǐguǒ.
English: Near my home there is a park. In the park there are many trees and flowers. After school every day, my friends and I play in the park. Next to the park there is a small market; the market has fresh fruit.
- Brainstorm 8 vocabulary words from the list that describe your surroundings (家, 学校, 公园, 市场, 树, 马路, 教室, 商店).
- Write one simple sentence for each word using one of these structures:
- Subject + 在 + Place + Verb (我在学校学习)。
- Place + 有 + Noun (马路上有很多车)。
- Adjective + 的 + Noun (干净的教室)。
- Combine 3–5 sentences into a short paragraph. Use connectors: 然后, 还有, 因为…所以…
- Check word order: make sure time and place are before the verb when needed.
- Rewrite neatly in the practice boxes below (focus on stroke order and even spacing).
-
Reorder these words to make a correct sentence (write the answer):
a) 在 / 我 / 家 / 吃饭(Answers: a) 我在家吃饭。 b) 教室里有三张椅子。 c) 我昨天去了市场。)
b) 有 / 教室 / 三张 / 椅子
c) 市场 / 我 / 昨天 / 去了 / 在 -
Fill in correct connector or particle:
我____家看书。(在) — 我在家看书。
公园里____很多孩子。(有) — 公园里有很多孩子。
他很高，____他喜欢打篮球。(所以) — 他很高，所以他喜欢打篮球。 - Change these short notes into a paragraph (use 4–6 sentences). Word bank: 学校、市场、树、朋友、玩、每天、在、附近、有.
- Write each character within an imaginary square (keep proportions).
- Keep strokes clear and separate (do not join strokes of different characters).
- Use correct stroke order when possible — this helps neat shape and memory.
- Leave even space between characters and lines.
- Reread to check word order and meaning before final copy.
Practice boxes (copy your paragraph here neatly):
(Use these boxes to practice one character per box — keep strokes inside each square.)
- Can list at least 8 surroundings words in Chinese (with pinyin).
- Writes a short paragraph (4–6 sentences) with correct Mandarin word order (S + [time] + [place] + V + O).
- Uses 在 and 有 correctly for location and existence.
- Handwriting is tidy: characters fit squares, strokes clear and legible.
- Model one paragraph on the board, underline place and verb to show order.
- Use local examples (nearby market, school, church, road names) so learners can write from experience.
- Give feedback on both grammar (word order, particle use) and handwriting (neatness, stroke direction).
Tip: Remind learners that Chinese relies on correct word order more than tense words — practicing simple S + (time) + (place) + V + O patterns will help them write clear, correct sentences about their surroundings.