This cluster adds four habits to argumentative composition: limiting a claim so it can be defended, separating evidence from repetition, combining sources without losing their shared meaning, and answering a counterargument without abandoning your position.
The passages and model answers are in Chinese, because assessed Chinese work stays in Chinese. The English explains the method.
How do the four habits connect?
| Step | Question to ask | Lesson |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Can I defend this claim against a reasonable objection? | Turning a broad claim into a defensible position |
| 2 | Is this sentence evidence or my claim again? | Separating evidence from repeated assertion |
| 3 | What do these two sources share, and how do they differ? | Combining overlapping source points |
| 4 | Can I answer the objection and still hold my position? | Addressing a counterargument |
One short example to see the difference
Task: 《社交媒体对青少年有害》. A broad claim: 社交媒体对青少年有害。
An objector can reply at once: 有些青少年用它来学习和联系亲友。The claim has no limit, so the objection wins.
A defensible version: 如果青少年每晚在睡前使用社交媒体超过一个小时，就容易影响睡眠和第二天的专注力。
The second version names a condition (睡前, more than one hour) and an effect (睡眠, 专注力), so a reader can test it. It gives up the word 有害 in general, but it gains a claim you can support with an example.
Who should start where?
- Positions that start with 所有 or 一定: begin with limits on a claim.
- Paragraphs that repeat the same point: begin with evidence versus assertion.
- Summary or source-based questions with two texts: begin with combining sources.
- Arguments that give in when an objection appears: begin with the counterargument lesson.
When you have worked through the lessons, try the integrated practice set. Track lost marks with the mistake log.
For a teacher to read your Chinese answers with you, see online one-to-one Chinese tuition.