According to the latest sample examination papers, the composition section of the Chinese Language Examination has become more varied and diverse than in the past. Previously, the examination mainly featured news-based writing, which was later changed to material-based composition. The latest examination format has introduced even greater changes, with new question types including both argumentative and narrative essays.
The seven types of material-based compositions can be divided into two main categories:
I. Argumentative Material Composition
- Commenting on news materials.
- Discussing overview or summary materials.
- Discussing picture-based materials.
- Discussing literary materials.
II. Narrative Material Composition
- Writing about a character based on the given materials.
- Writing about an event based on the given materials.
- Narrating an event based on picture materials.
Compared with previous examination formats, these new composition questions are more flexible and offer richer content, allowing students greater room for imagination and creativity. At the same time, traditional news-based writing, which has been used for many years, may still appear in the examination.
In reality, regardless of how the essay question changes, the fundamental principles of writing remain the same.
How to Write an Argumentative Material Composition
The essence of an argumentative essay lies in mastering its three essential elements: the thesis (argument), supporting evidence, and reasoning.
Whether the materials are news reports, summaries, pictures, or literary extracts, only the presentation and content of the materials have changed. The writing process, however, still follows the same pattern: state a clear argument, support it with evidence, and connect the evidence to the argument through logical reasoning.
The main difference is that students must pay extra attention when analyzing the question. They need to identify the exact focus of the task. For example:
- Does the question require an analysis of the causes?
- Does it ask for the consequences?
- Does it require suggestions or solutions?
- Or does it ask for a combination of these?
Misinterpreting the question will result in going off-topic, which is one of the biggest mistakes in argumentative writing.
How to Write a Narrative Material Composition
When writing about a character, students should capture the person's expressions, speech, actions, and behavior, while revealing the character's moral qualities, values, and state of mind through the events described.
When writing about an event, students should follow the natural progression of the story by presenting a clear beginning, development, climax, and conclusion.
More importantly, the narrative should demonstrate the significance of the event by explaining what was discovered, what lessons were learned, or how the experience contributed to personal growth.
Since every event involves people, narrative writing cannot be separated from characterization. Whether writing about a person or an event, developing vivid and believable characters is always the key to producing an effective narrative essay.
To achieve this, students should combine different descriptive techniques, including:
- Physical description
- Dialogue
- Action description
- Psychological (inner thought) description
These techniques help bring characters to life, make their actions realistic, and create engaging narratives.
Based on the seven types of material compositions specified in the syllabus, this book provides 25 model essays, including 19 argumentative essays and 6 narrative essays. The level of difficulty closely matches that of the actual examination, and the content is appropriate for students' cognitive development.
Students preparing for the examination can use these model essays as references to become familiar with the different question types, learn effective writing techniques, and improve their ability to produce high-quality compositions during the examination.
