Grade 7 Mandarin Chinese MY SURROUNDINGS - Writing – Guided Writing Notes
MY SURROUNDINGS — Guided Writing (Mandarin Chinese)
Target age: 12 (Kenya) — Focus: Mandarin grammar for writing about surroundings. Use the grammar points below to read, edit and write clear sentences.
- Distinguish vocabulary and grammar items in written texts (e.g., 在, 有, 的, measure words).
- Write words and sentences with correct spelling (correct characters / pinyin and correct word order).
- Value clear writing for effective communication (use correct particles, measure words, punctuation).
- SVO word order — Subject + Verb + Object. Example: 我 (S) + 在 (V) + 学校 (O): 我在学校。
- Location with 在 — place follows 在: 我在家 / 他在市场。Use 在 + 地点 (place).
- Existence with 有 — place + 有 + noun: 村子旁边有一条河。
- Possession / attributive 的 — 我的学校 / 学校附近的市场. 的 links nouns and adjectives.
- Measure words (量词) — 一 + 条 (river)、一 + 棵 (tree)、一个 (general): 一条河，一棵树，一个市场。
- Yes/no questions with 吗 — add 吗 at end: 你家在村子里吗？
- Negation 不 / 没 — 不 (habitual/future), 没(有) (past/possession): 我不去. / 我没有钱. For 有 use 没有: 这里没有市场。
- Punctuation — Full stop 。 and question mark ？ — helps clarity in Chinese writing.
中文：我的家在村子里。村子旁边有一条河。河边有很多树和香蕉树。每天早上我在学校附近的市场买水果。学校不远，走路只要十分钟。
Pīnyīn：Wǒ de jiā zài cūnzi lǐ. Cūnzi pángbiān yǒu yī tiáo hé. Hé biān yǒu hěn duō shù hé xiāngjiāo shù. Měitiān zǎoshang wǒ zài xuéxiào fùjìn de shìchǎng mǎi shuǐguǒ. Xuéxiào bù yuǎn, zǒulù zhǐ yào shí fēnzhōng.
English：My home is in the village. Beside the village there is a river. By the river there are many trees and banana trees. Every morning I buy fruit at the market near my school. The school is not far; walking takes only ten minutes.
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Identify grammar in the model text (Outcome a)
- Underline all locations and circle the particles: 在、有、的、吗。
- Find measure words: 一条 (river), note these in the margin.
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Fill-in-the-blanks — choose the correct particle or measure word (Outcome b)
- 我家在村子里。 (hint: possessive)
- 村子旁边一条河。 (hint: existence + measure word)
- 你家在城市？ (hint: question)
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Edit the sentence (find and correct grammar errors) (Outcome b)
Incorrect: 我 在 学校的 市场 买 水果
Correct: 我在学校附近的市场买水果。 — Explain: remove extra spaces, put 在 before location, use 附近的 to describe the market.
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Write a short paragraph (3–5 sentences) about your surroundings (Outcome b & c)
- Use at least two grammar items from the list: 在, 有, 的, a measure word, and a question with 吗.
- Checklist before submission: correct particles, correct measure words, clear punctuation, correct word order.
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Peer review prompt (Outcome c)
Swap paragraphs with a classmate. Check: 1) Are particles used correctly? 2) Are measure words correct? 3) Is the word order SVO and are locations expressed with 在? Give one suggestion to improve clarity.
- Fill blanks answers: 1) 我的家在村子里。 2) 村子旁边有一条河。 3) 你家在城市吗？
- Change to question: 你在学校。→ 你在学校吗？ Or 你在哪里？
- Measure word note: 河用 一条，树用 一棵 / 很多树。
- Distinguish vocabulary/grammar (a): Can identify 在, 有, 的 and measure words in a short text. (3 = all, 2 = some, 1 = few)
- Correct spelling and grammar (b): Uses correct characters/pinyin, correct particles, correct measure words. (3 = few/no errors, 2 = some errors, 1 = many errors)
- Clear writing (c): Paragraph is easy to understand, correct punctuation and word order. (3 = clear, 2 = mostly clear, 1 = unclear)