Everyday Chinese
Longer pieces
Open writing tasks for this level, longer than the ones in the lessons.
Last weekend · 80–200 characters
Write an email to a friend telling them what you did last weekend and who you were with.
Thank-you note · 80–200 characters
A friend let you stay at their place for a few days. Write a note to thank them and say what you liked most.
Plans · 80–200 characters
Write to a friend about your plans for the next holidays: where you are going, how you will travel and what you want to do.
Comparison · 80–200 characters
Compare the town where you live with another town you know. Which do you prefer, and why?
Childhood · 80–200 characters
Describe what your life was like when you were a child: where you lived, what you used to do and who your friends were.
Review · 80–200 characters
Write a short review of a restaurant or café you went to recently: the food, the service and the price.
Directions · 80–200 characters
A friend is coming to your home for the first time. Write how to get there from the nearest station or bus stop.
Problem · 80–200 characters
Write to your landlord or a shop about a problem: something in your flat is broken, or something you bought doesn't work. Ask them to fix it.
From the lessons
Every writing task in this level's units. They also appear in the lessons themselves.
Unit 1 · Have You Ever? Experiences and Life Stories
Trips and Holidays: 旅游, 出国, 护照 · 50–120 characters
You're on holiday abroad. Write a diary entry (50–120 characters) for today: where you are, whether it's your first time there or someone has been before, what you did, and one small problem with your passport, hotel or flight.
It, We and Yourself: 它, 咱们, 自己, 大家 · 50–120 characters
You and your flatmate have found a stray kitten outside your building. Write a short dialogue (50–120 characters) in which you decide what to do with it, using 咱们 for the two of you, 它 for the kitten and 自己 for doing something yourselves.
Unit 1 review · 60–150 characters
Write a short message introducing yourself to a new language partner: where and when you were born, where you grew up, a place you have been to (and how many times), and how and with whom you went there.
Unit 2 · What's Going On: 着, 一边 and Free Time
States with 着: The Door Is Open · 50–120 characters
Write a short story (50–120 characters) about coming home one evening and finding something unexpected: describe what was open, on or lying where, and how people were doing things.
Music, Films and Stories: 音乐, 小说, 节目 · 50–120 characters
Write a short review (50–120 characters) of a film, TV show or novel you enjoyed for a Chinese film-and-book club: what it is and what story it tells, what you liked, what you did while watching or reading, and whether you recommend it.
Unit 2 review · 60–150 characters
You took a photo in the park on Sunday morning. Write a caption for your social media describing what people in the photo are doing: who is sitting or standing, who is doing two things at once, what sports people are playing, and any animals you can see.
Unit 3 · Already, Just, Still and Again
Just Now: 刚 and 刚才 · 50–120 characters
Your friend messages to ask where you are: you're late for dinner. Write a short text-message exchange (50–120 characters): you've only just left, explain what happened just now, and talk about what's already done and what isn't yet.
Again: 又 or 再? · 50–120 characters
Your upstairs neighbours have had loud parties late at night again this week. Write a polite but firm note (50–120 characters) to put under their door: what has happened again, how it affects you, and what you'd like them not to do again.
Unit 3 review · 60–150 characters
Write a message to a friend you haven't seen for a long time. Say what you've been doing lately, what you usually do now, what you've already done and haven't done yet, and tell one small surprise that happened recently.
Unit 4 · Comparing and Likening
Looks Like: 像 and 好像 · 50–120 characters
Your Chinese friend sent you a family photo. Write a short reply (50–120 characters) describing it: who looks like whom, who seems happy or tired, and one comparison between two people in it.
More and More: 越来越 and 越…越 · 50–120 characters
Write a short article (50–120 characters) for your school newsletter about something that keeps changing where you live: the population, prices, traffic or transport. Use numbers to show the change.
Unit 4 review · 60–150 characters
Write a short comparison of your home town and a Chinese city you know or would like to visit: size and population, weather, prices, and how life is the same or different.
Unit 5 · How Well, How and How Much: 得, 地 and 有点儿
She Speaks Chinese Well: 得 with an Object · 50–120 characters
Your friend Li Ming (李明) wants to work at a children's summer camp. Write a short recommendation (50–120 characters) to the camp's director, Teacher Zhang (张老师): what he does well, how well, and one thing he doesn't do so well.
A Bit Too: 有点儿 vs 一点儿 · 50–120 characters
You stayed one night in a hotel. Write an online review (50–120 characters): what was a bit of a problem, what you asked the staff to change, and what was good.
Unit 5 review · 60–150 characters
Describe a friend or family member for a language-exchange partner: what they look like, something they do well (and how well), and how they've been feeling lately.
Unit 6 · Shopping: Clothes, Colours and Paying
Or: 还是 and 或者 · 50–120 characters
You and a friend are shopping for a birthday present for a classmate, Wang Fang (王芳). Write a short dialogue (50–120 characters): discuss two options, choose a colour and size, try something on, and decide.
More Measure Words: 件, 条, 位, 辆, 座, 封 · 50–120 characters
You left a bag on the bus. Write a lost-property notice (50–120 characters) for the bus company: when and where you lost it, what was in it (with the right measure words and colours), and how to contact you.
Unit 6 review · 60–150 characters
Write a message to a friend about a shopping trip: what you bought at the market and at a clothes shop, the colours and prices, whether you bargained, and how you paid.
Unit 7 · Results, Directions and Giving
Become and Change: 变, 变成, 成为, 改变 · 50–120 characters
Write a short diary entry (50–120 characters) about how you've changed since you moved to a new city: what has become different, what someone or something has turned into, and one thing that hasn't changed.
Bring It Out, Walk Back In: Compound Directions · 50–120 characters
Write a short story (50–120 characters) about moving into a new flat: carrying things in and up the stairs, something that fell or rolled out, and who came over to help.
Unit 7 review · 60–150 characters
Leave a note for your flatmate about today's errands: what you've finished or didn't manage, what you brought back or took out, what you lent or handed to whom, and who you'll pick up or see off.
Unit 8 · Making Things Happen: 把, 让, Requests and Plans
让: Let, Make, Ask Someone To · 50–120 characters
Write a short paragraph (50–120 characters) for your class blog about the rules at home when you were a child: what your parents made you do, what they didn't let you do, and what they let you do at the weekend.
Helping and Caring: 帮助, 照顾, 关心 · 50–120 characters
You were ill last week, and your neighbour Mrs Wang (王阿姨) looked after you. Write her a thank-you letter (50–120 characters): what she did for you, how she showed she cared, and how you'd like to thank her.
Unit 8 review · 60–150 characters
Write a WeChat message to a classmate asking for a favour: you're moving flat this weekend. Say what you're planning, what you'd like them to do, and how they should reply.
Unit 9 · Time: Early, Late, About to and How Long
About to Happen: 要…了 and 快…了 · 50–120 characters
Write a short anecdote (50–120 characters) about a morning when you nearly missed a train: what time it left, who arrived early, when you finally got there, and what was about to happen.
How Old, How Far, How Tall: 多 + Adjective · 50–120 characters
Write a short description (50–120 characters) of a famous building, bridge or mountain for a travel website: how tall, long or big it is, how far it is from the centre, and how long it takes to get there.
Unit 9 review · 60–150 characters
Write a message (60–150 characters) to a new language-exchange partner. Say how long you have been learning Chinese, what your usual week looks like (give at least two clock times, one with 刻 or 差), and which season you like best and why.
Unit 10 · Before, After and Getting There
First, Then, Finally: 先…然后…最后 · 50–120 characters
A Chinese friend wants to make a simple dish from your country. Write step-by-step instructions (50–120 characters), from what to buy first to how to eat it.
At That Time: 当时, 那时候, 这时 · 50–120 characters
Write a short blog post (50–120 characters) about a moment you will always remember: where you were at the time, what you were doing, what happened just then, and how you felt.
Unit 10 review · 60–150 characters
Your friend is visiting your city. Write a message (60–150 characters) telling them how to get from the station to your home, then say briefly what happened the first time you made the trip yourself.
Unit 11 · Because, But and Not Only
Why? 为什么, 为 and 原因 · 50–120 characters
You missed your Chinese exam this morning. Write an email (50–120 characters) to your teacher explaining why: what happened, how it turned out, and ask whether you can take it another day.
Not Only … But Also: 不但…而且… · 50–120 characters
You're selling your bike before you leave China. Write an advert (50–120 characters) for your school's noticeboard: why you're selling it, its good points, one small problem, and how to contact you.
Unit 11 review · 60–150 characters
A friend is deciding whether to move to your city. Write a short post (60–150 characters) giving your honest view: at least two good points, one drawback, and examples.
Unit 12 · Opinions: I Think, I Thought, Maybe and Surely
I Thought…: 以为 vs 认为 · 50–120 characters
Write a short anecdote (50–120 characters) about a misunderstanding: what you thought, what was really true, how you felt, and what you think now.
Discussing and Agreeing: 讨论, 商量, 答应 · 50–120 characters
Your class held a meeting to plan the end-of-term trip. Write a short summary (50–120 characters) for students who missed it: what was discussed, two different ideas, the main problem, and what was agreed.
Unit 12 review · 60–150 characters
On a forum, someone asks: "Should children under 12 have their own smartphone?" Write a reply (60–150 characters) giving your opinion, how sure you are, what you think will happen, and one practical suggestion.
Unit 13 · If, Only, As Long As, Should and Must
If So: …的话 · 50–120 characters
You and a friend are planning Saturday, but the weather may change. Write a short dialogue (50–120 characters) in which you make plans for different cases with 如果…就… and …的话.
As Long As: 只要…就… · 50–120 characters
On a learners' forum, someone writes: 学中文太难了，我想放弃。 Write an encouraging reply (50–120 characters): what's enough to make progress, what they should and don't have to do, and what they can do if they only have a little time.
Unit 13 review · 60–150 characters
Your friend Wang Fang (王芳) is staying in your flat for a week while you're away. Leave her a note in Chinese: what she must do, what she doesn't have to do, what she's free to do as she likes, and what to do if something goes wrong.
Unit 14 · Health, the Body and Staying Safe
At the Doctor's: Body and Health · 50–120 characters
You've had a cold for three days. Write a short dialogue (50–120 characters) with a doctor at a clinic: say what's wrong and for how long, answer the doctor's questions, and get the advice.
Staying Healthy: 健康, 习惯, 舒服 · 50–120 characters
A health magazine asks readers: 你的生活习惯健康吗？ Write a short article (50–120 characters) about your habits: one good habit, one bad habit, how your body feels, and what you plan to change.
Unit 14 review · 60–150 characters
You had a small accident on the way to work and you're now at a hospital. Write a message to your manager, Mr Zhang (张经理), saying what happened, what hurts, what the doctor said, how you feel now and when you'll be back.
Unit 15 · Food, Home and Festivals
Takeaway and Fast Food: 外卖, 快餐 · 50–120 characters
Your takeaway arrived very late and something was wrong. Write a complaint (50–120 characters) to the restaurant through the delivery app: what you ordered, when it arrived, what was wrong with the food, and what you'd like them to do.
Renting and Home: 租, 住房, 院子 · 50–120 characters
You have a spare room in your flat. Write an advert (50–120 characters) looking for a flatmate: describe the flat and the room, the rent, and one or two house rules.
Unit 15 review · 60–150 characters
Write a short post for your Chinese class blog about having dinner at a Chinese friend's home for Spring Festival (or another festival): what you brought, what you ate and how it tasted, what the hosts said and did, and what happened after the meal.
Unit 16 · School, Work and Learning Chinese
Learning Chinese: 生词, 句子, 词典 · 50–120 characters
Write a short post (50–120 characters) for a learners' forum sharing how you learn Chinese: how you learn new words and characters, how you use a dictionary, and what you find hardest.
Part-Time Jobs and Internships: 打工, 实习 · 50–120 characters
A café near your university is looking for part-time staff who speak Chinese. Write a short cover letter (50–120 characters) to the manager, Mr Wang (王经理): where you've worked or interned before and for how long, what you did, why you want the job, and when you're free.
Unit 16 review · 60–150 characters
A Chinese language school asks new students to introduce themselves in a short message. Say what you do (your school, company or part-time job), how you study Chinese, and what you want to achieve. Write 60-150 characters.
Unit 17 · Weather, Nature and the News
North and South: 南方, 北方 · 50–120 characters
A friend is choosing between studying in Harbin (哈尔滨) and Guangzhou (广州). Write an email (50–120 characters) comparing northern and southern China: the weather, the food and anything else you know, and end with a recommendation.
Appear, Discover, Affect: 出现, 发现, 影响 · 50–120 characters
Write a short report (50–120 characters) for your class about a recent change in your town: what has appeared, what people have discovered about it, and how it affects people's lives.
Unit 17 review · 60–150 characters
You're spending a week somewhere in China. Write a short post for your friends (60-150 characters): what the weather and temperature are like, what the landscape is like (a river, lake, the sea, mountains), and one thing you saw in the local news.
Unit 18 · Putting A2 Together
了, 过, 着 or 在? Choosing the Aspect · 50–120 characters
Write a postcard (50–120 characters) from a city you're visiting for the first time: what you've done there, where you've been before, what's going on as you write, and what you can see around you.
Linking It All: Connectors Together · 50–120 characters
Your class is debating: 大学生应该打工吗？ Write a short for-and-against piece (50–120 characters): one argument for, one against, and your own conclusion, linking your ideas with A2 connectors.
Unit 18 review · 60–150 characters
Your Chinese class did a small survey: how do people you know spend their weekends? Write a short report (60-150 characters): what most people, some people and a few people do, and what you did last weekend.