GRADE 8 Mandarin Chinese MY BODY - Writing – Guided Writing Notes
Guided Writing — MY BODY (我的身体) — Mandarin Chinese (age 13)
Specific learning outcomes addressed: a) use appropriate vocabulary to express ideas in writing; b) apply writing conventions; c) appreciate legibility; d) demonstrate orthography (rules of writing).
Key vocabulary — body parts
头 tóu — head
眼睛 yǎnjīng — eyes
耳朵 ěrduo — ears
鼻子 bízi — nose
嘴巴 zuǐba — mouth
眼睛 yǎnjīng — eyes
耳朵 ěrduo — ears
鼻子 bízi — nose
嘴巴 zuǐba — mouth
头发 tóufa — hair
手 shǒu — hand
手指 shǒuzhǐ — finger
胳膊 / 手臂 gēbo / shǒubì — arm
腿 tuǐ — leg
手 shǒu — hand
手指 shǒuzhǐ — finger
胳膊 / 手臂 gēbo / shǒubì — arm
腿 tuǐ — leg
脚 jiǎo — foot
肚子 dùzi — stomach
背 bèi — back
脖子 bózi — neck
牙齿 yáchǐ — teeth
肚子 dùzi — stomach
背 bèi — back
脖子 bózi — neck
牙齿 yáchǐ — teeth
Grammar & orthography points for writing about the body
- Possession: use 的 to show possession. Example: 我的眼睛 (wǒ de yǎnjīng) — my eyes.
- Existence / having: 有 / 没有. Example: 我有两只眼睛。 (Wǒ yǒu liǎng zhī yǎnjīng.) — I have two eyes.
- Adjectives: 很 / 非常 / 有点儿 + adjective. Example: 我的头发很长。 (Wǒ de tóufa hěn cháng.) — My hair is long.
- Negation: 不 + verb / 没(有) + verb. Example: 我没有胡子。 (Wǒ méiyǒu húzi.) — I don't have a beard.
- Location words: 在 + noun + 的 + (上面/下面/左边/右边). Example: 眼睛在脸的上面。 (Yǎnjīng zài liǎn de shàngmiàn.)
- Measure words for body parts: Common patterns: 一只眼睛、一只手、一条腿、一根手指。 (Use 一条 for long thin parts like 腿 sometimes; 一只 for paired parts.)
- Sentence order: Chinese is generally S + V + O. Keep sentences short and clear for legibility.
- Orthography (writing rules):
- Write characters with correct stroke order and direction — this improves speed and legibility.
- Use correct radicals and components (e.g., 眼 has the 目 radical).
- Use pinyin only as an aid; final written work should use Chinese characters.
- Use Chinese punctuation (full-width): 。，？！，“”（）；： — not English punctuation.
Model guided paragraph (example)
Chinese (示例):
我的身体不大也不小。我的头发很短，我有两只眼睛和两只耳朵。我的手很灵活，我喜欢用手写字。每天我吃饭后，我的肚子会感觉饱。
Pinyin:
Wǒ de shēntǐ bù dà yě bù xiǎo. Wǒ de tóufa hěn duǎn, wǒ yǒu liǎng zhī yǎnjīng hé liǎng zhī ěrduo. Wǒ de shǒu hěn línghuó, wǒ xǐhuan yòng shǒu xiězì. Měitiān wǒ chīfàn hòu, wǒ de dùzi huì gǎnjué bǎo.
Notes on grammar used:
- “我的” shows possession.
- “不…也不…” negates two adjectives.
- “有 + 数量 + MW + 名词” shows possession of parts (两只眼睛).
- “喜欢 + verb” describes a habit.
Guided writing steps (how to support learners)
- Step 1 — Plan: List 6 body words (characters + pinyin) you will use (e.g., 眼睛 yǎnjīng, 手 shǒu).
- Step 2 — Sentence skeletons: prepare three sentence starters:
- 我的 + [身体部位] + 很 + [形容词]。 (My ... is very ...)
- 我有 + [数量] + [量词] + [身体部位]。 (I have ...)
- [身体部位] 在 + [身体部位] 的 + [位置]。 (… is located ...)
- Step 3 — Write 5 short sentences using those skeletons. Use proper Chinese punctuation (。 and ，).
- Step 4 — Join two sentences with 因为 / 所以 or 但是 to make a longer sentence.
- Step 5 — Check orthography: stroke order, correct radicals, and legibility.
Practice exercises (class or homework)
-
Fill in the blanks with the correct word (choose from: 眼睛 / 手 / 肚子 / 头发):
我有两只____。 我的____很长。 -
Rewrite using 的 (make possessive):
（I）_____ 手 很 快。 → 我_____手很快。
(answer: 我的) - Write 3 sentences about your body (6–10 Chinese characters each). Use at least one negation (没有 or 不).
- Edit & correct: Teacher gives a messy handwritten sentence — students must rewrite neatly with correct punctuation and stroke order.
- Short paragraph: Write 6–8 sentences describing your body and one action you like to do (use 因为/所以 or 但是 once).
Legibility & assessment checklist (for peer review)
- Each Chinese character is the correct shape and size (no missing strokes).
- Stroke order was followed (teacher can test by watching writing one character).
- Appropriate vocabulary used for parts (no wrong character substitutions).
- Punctuation: sentences end with 。, questions with ？, commas are ，.
- Spacing: characters are written in neat columns/rows (no random large gaps).
- Use of 的, 有/没有, 很, measure words is correct.
Quick orthography tips (stroke order & radicals)
Simple rules to teach and practise:
- Top → bottom, left → right (most characters follow this order).
- Horizontal before vertical when they cross (一 then 十 shapes).
- Write central strokes before enclosing strokes (e.g., 日: write the horizontal and vertical inside before closing).
- Recognize common radicals: 目 (eye) in 眼睛, 口 (mouth) in 吃/嘴.
- Use pinyin for drafting, then copy to characters for final submission.
Practice suggestion: Pick 4 body-part characters. For each, write it 5 times following stroke order. Compare the first and fifth — you should be neater and faster.