Open a pile of children's compositions and you will see the same two things again and again: an opening about the weather or the date, and an ending that says "这件事让我明白了……要坚持不懈". Neither is wrong, but neither tells the reader anything about this child or this story. The opening and the ending are the two places where a few extra minutes of thought pay back the most, because the reader meets them first and last.
The method I teach has three moves: 选开头 (pick one of three opening types), 埋伏笔 (plant one small detail in the opening), 回扣结尾 (echo that detail at the end). It is a habit to practise, not a formula to copy word for word.
Move 1 — 选开头: three ways to start in the middle of the moment
| Opening type | What it looks like | When it works |
|---|---|---|
| 动作开头 (action) | Start with something the child is doing or something that just happened | Stories with a clear event: a first attempt, an accident, a surprise |
| 对话开头 (dialogue) | Start with a line someone says | Stories about a person: a parent, teacher or friend who matters in the story |
| 环境开头 (setting) | Start with one specific detail of the place or the moment, not a general weather report | Descriptive or reflective pieces where mood matters |
Ask the child to write all three openings for the same title, then choose the one that makes you want to read the next line. Doing this once a week trains the habit of choosing, instead of grabbing the first sentence that comes to mind.
A worked example (original sentences)
Title: 《一次难忘的经历》 (an unforgettable experience). The story: learning to ride a bicycle.
| Version | Opening |
|---|---|
| Thin | 今天是星期六，天气很好，我和爸爸去公园学骑自行车。 |
| 动作开头 | 爸爸的手一松开，我的自行车就开始摇晃起来。 |
| 对话开头 | “别回头，一直往前看！”爸爸在我身后大声说。 |
| 环境开头 | 公园的小路又长又直，路边的树影一条一条躺在地上。 |
The thin version gives the date and the weather, which the reader does not need. The other three put the reader inside the moment straight away. Any of them can lead into the same story.
Move 2 — 埋伏笔: plant one small detail you can come back to
In the opening, include one concrete detail that can return later: a sentence someone says, an object, a sound. In the example above, "爸爸的手一松开" is the detail. It is small, and it is exactly what the ending will pick up.
Move 3 — 回扣结尾: end by echoing, not by announcing
| Ending type | What it does | Example (original) |
|---|---|---|
| 回扣开头 (echo) | Returns to the opening detail, now with new meaning | 现在每次经过那条小路，我都会想起爸爸松开手的那一刻。 |
| 点出改变 (the change) | Shows what the child now does differently | 后来遇到难题，我不再急着喊“帮帮我”，而是先深吸一口气，再试一次。 |
| 定格画面 (final image) | Stops on one clear picture | 夕阳下，我的影子和自行车的影子一起，稳稳地向前滑去。 |
Compare with the slogan ending: "这件事让我明白了做事要坚持不懈。" It could be attached to any story ever written. The three endings above can only belong to this one. The lesson is still there, but the reader feels it instead of being told.
💡 The matching test
Read only the first sentence and the last sentence together. If the last sentence answers or echoes the first, the composition feels finished. If the two have nothing to do with each other, rewrite one of them.
⚠️ Watch out
A dramatic opening must match the story. Do not start with "突然，一声巨响" if nothing loud happens later. An opening that promises something the story does not deliver is worse than a plain one.
A 10-minute drill
- Pick one composition title (use one your child has already written).
- Write three different openings, one of each type, one sentence each.
- Choose one and underline the detail that could return later.
- Write two possible endings, one echo and one change.
- Read the first and last sentence together and keep the pair that fits best.
Do this with a title the child has already written. Rewriting only the opening and ending of an old composition takes ten minutes, and it makes the difference easy to see.
If the middle of the composition is the weak part, the next skill to practise is expanding thin sentences with action, expression and feeling.
Free: write a composition and get feedback on your opening, ending and language.
试试作文批改 — Try it free →Middle of the story feeling thin? Read next:
How to Expand Thin Sentences in Chinese Composition →Sources
- How compositions are assessed (marking criteria, mark allocation, paper format) should be confirmed on the SEAB website (seab.gov.sg); this post does not state them.
- The three-move method and the 10-minute drill are the author's own tutoring practice, offered as suggestions, not an MOE requirement and not a promise of any result.
- All example sentences are original and written for this post; none are taken from any past paper or model essay.
- No exam-frequency, prediction or ranking claims are made in this post.