A relevant paragraph answers the exact question in every sentence. To check, underline the key words of the question and test each sentence against them.
This lesson is part of SPM subjects and learning resources. It builds on supporting an interpretation with one precise detail.
How do I test a sentence for relevance?
Write the question’s two key words at the top of your rough paper: the how or why word, and the focus. Then label each sentence R (relevant) or D (drifting).
A sentence is R if it does one of three things: names a detail that shows the focus, explains how that detail works, or links the point back to the question. Anything else is D.
Worked example: reviewing an original paragraph
Passage (original): 雨停了，阿嬷仍坐在门口，手里的伞没有合上。巷口的脚步声一响，她便抬起头，又慢慢低下去。
Question: How does the writer show Grandmother’s hope?
Key words: how (technique) and hope (focus).
Student paragraph.
- The passage is about a grandmother sitting at a door after the rain.
- Grandmother is an old woman who probably lives in a small lane.
- The umbrella that is “没有合上” suggests she still hopes someone will return.
- Her head lifting at each footstep shows hope rising, and lowering shows it fading.
- The writer’s style is very good and makes the reader feel emotional.
| Sentence | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | Retells the setting |
| 2 | D | Guesses background not in the text |
| 3 | R | Detail that shows hope |
| 4 | R | Second detail and how it works |
| 5 | D | Praise with no detail |
Rewritten paragraph.
The writer shows hope through small actions that repeat. The umbrella “没有合上” suggests Grandmother has not accepted that the waiting is over. Her head lifts at each footstep and sinks again, showing hope that rises and fades with every sound. Together they present hope as something she keeps alive, even though it is repeatedly disappointed.
Three of five original sentences survive, and the paragraph now ends with an effect.
The mistake that costs marks
The usual drift is to answer a nearby question. Here the student described the setting and praised the style, but the question asked how hope is shown.
| Question asks | Drift | On target |
|---|---|---|
| How is hope shown? | What happens in the scene | Which detail signals hope |
| Why does the writer end this way? | Plot summary | The effect of the ending |
The fix is to reread the question before each paragraph, and again before the last sentence.
Check yourself
Question: How does the writer show the boy’s shame? Passage: 他把成绩单折成四折，塞进书包最深处，却在饭桌上第一个说：“今天的汤真好喝。”
Which of these sentences is irrelevant, and why?
- Folding the report card into four and burying it suggests he wants to hide the result.
- The family eats dinner together at a table.
- His cheerful remark about the soup contrasts with his hidden report, which suggests he is covering his shame.
Answer
Sentence 2 is irrelevant. It describes the setting and says nothing about shame or how the writer shows it.
Sentences 1 and 3 each name a detail (the folded report card, the remark about the soup) and explain how it points to shame.
What to study next
Try the original mixed practice and review each of your own answers with the R and D labels. The structured answer self-review tool offers a checklist for the same job.
For a teacher to review your own paragraphs, see online one-to-one Chinese Literature tuition.