IGCSE Mandarin Writing Practice (Cambridge 0547): Forms, Emails and Articles with Model Answers

By the end you can

• Know the three writing tasks and what to put in each. A form, a short directed piece and a longer email or article. Answer every point the task gives first, then add range with a past, a present and a future sentence and an opinion with a reason.
  上个周末我去了公园。 · Shàng ge zhōumò wǒ qùle gōngyuán. · Last weekend I went to the park.
• Use connectives, opinions and time phrases. Nine lines to lift any piece: 因为…所以…, 虽然…但是…, 我觉得, 以前…现在…, 先…然后… and 而且, with past and future time phrases.
  以前我不吃鱼，现在我很喜欢吃。 · Yǐqián wǒ bù chī yú, xiànzài wǒ hěn xǐhuan chī. · I didn't use to eat fish; now I love it.
• Fill in a form with short answers. A sign-up form for a Chinese summer camp and a homestay form for a school trip to Beijing, then two form answers with one mistake each to correct.
  我的爱好是打篮球。 · Wǒ de àihào shì dǎ lánqiú. · My hobby is playing basketball.
• Write a short blog post about cooking at home. Plan three points in notes, put each time phrase before the verb, then write about 80 characters on what you cook, what you made last time and what you think of cooking.
  我周末常常做饭。 · Wǒ zhōumò chángcháng zuò fàn. · I often cook at the weekend.
• Write emails to a friend and to a manager. An email to a friend about a birthday party, joined with 因为…所以… and 虽然…但是…, and a summer job email to a bookshop manager with 您 and 过 for things you have done.
  我对这个工作很有兴趣。 · Wǒ duì zhège gōngzuò hěn yǒu xìngqù. · I'm very interested in this job.
• Write articles about your area and a trip abroad. A school magazine article on where you live, with advice using 应该, and a school website article on a trip to another country, with 是…的 to stress when or how you went.
  我住的地方很方便。 · Wǒ zhù de dìfang hěn fāngbiàn. · Where I live is very convenient.
• Write one piece in 25 minutes and check it. A timed article on how your school protects the environment: 3 minutes to plan four points, the rest to write, then a four-question check list and a six-week plan.
  我每天写一点儿中文。 · Wǒ měi tiān xiě yìdiǎnr Zhōngwén. · I write a little Chinese every day.

What’s inside

• The paper: The Writing Paper on One Page · Words That Lift a Piece
• The form: Filling In a Form
• Topic A: Everyday Activities: Cooking
• Topic B: Personal Life: A Birthday Email
• Topic C: The World Around Us: My Area
• Topic D: The World of Work: A Job Email
• Topic E: The International World: A Trip
• Review: Timed Run: 25 Minutes
• Plan: Six Weeks of IGCSE Writing

How to use this book

One topic page at a time: plan the task in notes, do the two short exercises, write your own answer, then read the Model answer aloud with the free audio and say yours. The book's own plan takes six weeks.

1. Week 1: Learn the toolkit and the forms. Say the nine lines on page 4 every day until you can write them from memory, and fill in both forms on page 5 again with new details in 10 minutes.
2. Week 2: Topics A and B. Plan, write, then compare with the Model answer in the key.
3. Week 3: Topics C and D. Same routine. Keep a list of the characters you got wrong and write each one five times.
4. Week 4: Topic E and a rewrite. Write the trip article, then rewrite your weakest piece with a past, a present and a future sentence.
5. Week 5: The timed run. Do the 25-minute run on page 11 and mark it with the check list.
6. Week 6: Two more timed runs. Write two pieces on topics of your own against the clock, and read each one aloud when you finish.

Who it’s for

Students taking Cambridge IGCSE™ Mandarin Chinese as a Foreign Language (0547) who want to practise the writing paper, students of Edexcel International GCSE Chinese (4CN1), and teachers who want topic-by-topic writing tasks with model answers.

Before you start: About two years of Mandarin, roughly HSK 2 to 3. The task prompts have pinyin and English, the Model answers are in characters, and the free audio reads every model with a pause to say it back.

Frequently asked questions

Which syllabus does it follow?

The exam facts follow the Cambridge IGCSE™ Mandarin Chinese (0547) syllabus for 2025 to 2027, and the tasks are organised by its five topic areas. Check the current syllabus with your teacher before the exam. SayMei wrote every task.

Are there model answers?

Yes. Every form, post, email and article has a Model answer in the key at the back, and the plans have model notes too, so you can see how each point turns into a sentence.

Does it help with speaking as well?

This book is for the writing paper, but every topic ends with saying the model and your own piece aloud with the free audio. For role plays and conversation questions, see IGCSE Mandarin Practice (Cambridge 0547 and Edexcel 4CN1).

Is this workbook free?

Yes. The whole 16-page PDF is free, and you can look through its pages here before you download. There's no card and nothing to pay.

Do I need a SayMei account?

Yes, to download the PDF, and the account is free: sign up with Google, Apple or your email address. With it we email you a copy of the workbook, keep every workbook you download on your account on all your devices, save your place in the free online practice, and you can practise speaking with Mei Lin, SayMei's AI tutor.

How do I print it?

The PDF is US Letter size. On A4 paper, choose "Fit to page" (or "Scale to fit") in the print dialog so nothing is cut off. Print the whole workbook or only the pages you need; colour looks best, and black and white works too.

Can I print copies for my class?

Yes. Print as many copies as you like for your own class or family. To share it, send this page: everyone can download their own copy.

Keep going

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