The 实用文 (practical writing) task in O-Level / SEC Chinese Paper 1 is always an email: candidates choose one of two questions, write at least 150 characters, and the task carries 20 marks, split equally between content and language. Ancourage Academy teaches this task to Secondary 2 to 4 students in its secondary Chinese programmes, and the gap it most often meets is not knowledge of the format but the absence of a complete model broken down line by line. This guide supplies exactly that — the anatomy of the email, two fully written and annotated model emails (one formal, one informal), a reusable phrase bank, what the published marking guide rewards, and a four-week practice plan.
Ancourage Academy's Secondary Chinese Tuition (Sec 1-4) classes run in small groups of 3 to 6; book a trial class (usually $18) to start with a diagnostic of where your child stands.
For the overview of the whole subject — all three papers and the composition — read our secondary Chinese strategies guide and the O-Level Chinese preparation guide first. This article does not repeat them; it goes one level deeper into Section A only.
What Is the O-Level / SEC Chinese 实用文 Email Task?
Section A of Paper 1 is an email task with two formats: either reply to an email the paper gives you, or write a new email from materials the paper provides.
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) describes the task in identical words in the 2026 O-Level Chinese syllabus (1160) and the 2027 Secondary Education Certificate G3 Chinese Language syllabus (K320). The K320 syllabus states: "考生可以从两道试题中任选一题，字数在150 以上。考生可以根据所提供的一个电邮内容写一个回复电邮，或者根据所提供的材料，写一个电邮。" In plain English: choose one of two questions, write 150 characters or more, and either reply to a given email or write an email based on given materials.
| Feature | What the syllabus states (1160 in 2026, K320 from 2027) |
|---|---|
| Paper | Paper 1 (写作), 2 hours, 60 marks / 30% of the subject |
| Section A task | 实用文 — 电子邮件 (email), open-ended |
| Choice | 2选1 — one of two questions |
| Length | 字数在 150 以上 — 150 characters or more |
| Marks | 20 marks / 10% — 内容 (content) 10 + 语文与结构 (language and structure) 10 |
| Two question types | Reply to a given email (回复电邮), or write an email from given materials |
| Dictionary | "可以使用考评局规定的词典" — SEAB-prescribed dictionaries may be used |
Two points matter for preparation. First, the task is an email and only an email — practice books still carry letters (书信) and reports (报告) from older formats, which are useful writing practice but are not the Section A task. Second, 2026 is the last year of the GCE O-Level; from 2027 the same email task is examined as SEC G3 Chinese (K320), as our SEC 2027 guide explains. Students taking Higher Chinese face a different practical-writing task with a higher length floor — that is covered in our sibling guide to Higher Chinese email and forum-post writing.
What Are the Seven Parts of a Chinese Exam Email?
A complete exam email has seven parts — recipient, subject, greeting, opening, task points, closing and sign-off — and register shows up in almost every one of them.
The syllabus does not print a template, so treat the layout below as the working standard and follow your school’s version wherever it differs (some schools also teach a date line under the sign-off). What does not change is that every part tells the examiner who you are writing to and why.
| Part | Purpose | Formal (正式) — teacher, principal, organisation | Informal (非正式) — friend, cousin, classmate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 收件人 (recipient) | Who the email goes to | Title and role: 陈老师（图书馆负责老师） | Name only: 志伟 |
| 主题 (subject) | One line naming the matter | Specific and neutral: 关于改善图书馆的建议 | Can be casual; a reply keeps 回复： |
| 称呼 (greeting) | Addresses the reader, followed by a full colon | 尊敬的陈老师： | 志伟：or 亲爱的志伟： |
| 开头 (opening) | Greets, identifies you, states the reason | 您好！我是中三（二）班的……; uses 您 throughout | 你好！收到你的电邮……; uses 你 |
| 要点 (task points) | Answers every point in the question, one paragraph each | Measured tone: 第一……第二……, 我建议…… | Warm tone, exclamations allowed, but still organised |
| 结尾 (closing) | Wraps up, thanks, invites a reply | 谢谢您抽空阅读我的电邮！ | 期待很快见到你！ |
| 署名 (sign-off) | Blessing (祝福语) and your name | 祝 / 工作顺利！ then 学生 李明敬上 | 祝 / 旅途愉快！ then 你的好朋友 家豪 |
Register is signalled by three levers above all: the pronoun (您 for someone senior or unfamiliar, 你 for a peer), the courtesy vocabulary (敬语 such as 敬上, 敬请指正, 抽空), and the blessing chosen to fit the reader. A student writing to a principal with 你 and a casual 拜拜 has told the examiner, in two words, that the email does not fit its reader.
Model Email 1: How Does a Formal Email to a Teacher Look?
A formal email identifies the writer in the first line, covers each task point in its own paragraph, and holds 您 and courteous vocabulary from greeting to sign-off.
Illustrative prompt, written by Ancourage Academy — not a past-paper question: 学校图书馆贴出通告，征求同学对改善图书馆的意见。请你写一封电邮给图书馆负责老师陈老师，内容包括：（1）你使用图书馆的情况；（2）你发现的一个问题；（3）你的两点建议和理由。
收件人：陈老师（图书馆负责老师）
主题：关于改善学校图书馆的建议
尊敬的陈老师：
您好！我是中三（二）班的李明。看到图书馆征求同学意见的通告后，我想提出一些自己的看法，希望对图书馆的改进有所帮助。
我每个星期大约去图书馆三次，主要是在午休时间借阅课外书和温习功课。图书馆藏书丰富，环境安静，是我最喜欢的学习地点之一。不过，我发现午休时座位常常不够，不少同学只好站着看书，甚至空手而回。
为此，我有两点建议。第一，图书馆可以在放学后延长开放时间，让需要温习的同学分散使用，减少午休时的拥挤。第二，图书馆可以在网上设立预约座位的系统，同学们提前预约，就不必白跑一趟。我相信这些改变能让更多同学善用图书馆。
以上是我的一些浅见，如有不妥之处，敬请指正。谢谢您抽空阅读我的电邮！
祝
工作顺利！
学生
李明敬上
The body of this email runs to well over 200 characters — comfortably above the 150 floor without padding. Here is what each part is doing:
- Recipient and subject: the role in brackets tells the examiner the writer understood who the materials named; the subject line names the matter, not just "建议".
- Greeting: 尊敬的 plus title and a full colon is the formal signal before a single sentence of content.
- Opening: 您好, then name and class — a teacher needs to know who is writing — then the reason, linked to the notice in the prompt.
- Task point 1 (usage): the second paragraph answers it with a frequency and a purpose — concrete detail, which is what 内容充实 rewards.
- Task point 2 (the problem): 不过 turns from praise to the problem in the same paragraph, so the complaint reads as fair rather than rude.
- Task point 3 (two suggestions with reasons): 第一……第二…… makes both suggestions impossible to miss, and each carries its own reason (减少午休时的拥挤; 不必白跑一趟) — the prompt asked for reasons, so they are there.
- Closing: 浅见 and 敬请指正 are modest courtesy phrases (敬语); 抽空 thanks the teacher for her time.
- Sign-off: 祝 on its own line, 工作顺利 on the next — a blessing suited to a staff member — then 学生 and 敬上.
Model Email 2: How Does an Informal Reply to a Friend Look?
An informal reply opens by responding to the friend’s email, sounds warm and personal, and is still organised point by point — informal is a register, not permission to ramble.
Illustrative prompt, written by Ancourage Academy — not a past-paper question: 你的马来西亚朋友志伟来电邮，说他十二月假期要来新加坡玩几天，请你给他一些建议。请你回复电邮，内容包括：（1）你知道他要来的心情；（2）推荐两个值得去的地方并说明原因；（3）提醒他要注意的事项。
收件人：志伟
主题：回复：十二月来新加坡玩
志伟：
你好！收到你的电邮，知道你十二月要来新加坡，我真是高兴极了！我们已经两年没见面了，这次一定要好好聚一聚。
你问我有什么地方值得去，我推荐两个地方。第一个是滨海湾花园，那里的超级树晚上会亮灯，非常壮观，很适合拍照。第二个是牛车水，你可以在那里品尝各种地道的小吃，比如炒粿条和肉骨茶，保证你吃得心满意足。
另外，我要提醒你几件事。十二月常常下雨，你记得带一把雨伞。我们会走很多路，你最好穿一双舒服的鞋子。还有，出门前记得看看天气预报，才好安排行程。
期待很快见到你！有什么问题，随时发电邮给我。
祝
旅途愉快！
你的好朋友
家豪
- Subject: keeping 回复： shows this is a reply, which is one of the two question types the syllabus names.
- Greeting: the name alone, with a full colon — no 尊敬的, which would sound odd to a friend.
- Opening, task point 1 (feelings): 收到你的电邮 answers the friend’s email directly, and 高兴极了 plus 两年没见面 covers "your feelings" with a reason, not just an adjective.
- Task point 2 (two places with reasons): 第一个……第二个…… keeps the structure visible; each place gets a concrete reason (the lit Supertrees; named hawker dishes).
- Task point 3 (reminders): 另外，我要提醒你几件事 announces the point, then three short, practical reminders.
- Register: 你 throughout, exclamation marks, and friendly phrases (好好聚一聚, 心满意足) — warm, but every sentence still serves a task point.
- Closing and sign-off: 期待很快见到你 suits a friend; 旅途愉快 suits a traveller; 你的好朋友 replaces the formal 敬上.
Place the two models side by side and the rule is visible: the structure is identical, and only the register changes. That is why students who learn one skeleton and two sets of vocabulary handle whichever question they choose on the day.
Which Chinese Phrases Can You Reuse in Any Email?
A bank of about 25 phrases, grouped by what they do in the email — an opening such as 您好 or 你好, a purpose line such as 我写这封电邮是想, suggestion and request phrases such as 建议 and 希望, and a closing such as 祝 or 谢谢 — covers the opening, purpose, suggestions, requests and closing of almost any prompt.
| Function | Phrase | English gloss | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 开头 | 您好！我是…… | Hello! I am … (introduce yourself to a reader who may not know you) | Formal |
| 开头 | 冒昧打扰您，…… | Forgive me for troubling you … | Formal |
| 开头 | 感谢您的来信。 | Thank you for your email. | Formal |
| 开头 | 你好！好久不见，最近过得怎么样？ | Hi! Long time no see — how have you been? | Informal |
| 开头 | 收到你的电邮，我非常高兴。 | I was very happy to receive your email. | Informal |
| 说明目的 | 我写这封电邮，是想…… | I am writing this email to … | Both |
| 说明目的 | 看到……的通告后，我想…… | Having seen the notice about …, I would like to … | Formal |
| 说明目的 | 关于……一事，我想向您说明一下。 | Regarding …, I would like to explain to you. | Formal |
| 说明目的 | 你在电邮中问我……，我来告诉你吧。 | You asked me … in your email — let me tell you. | Informal |
| 提出建议 | 我有两点建议。第一，……第二，…… | I have two suggestions. First … Second … | Both |
| 提出建议 | 我建议……，这样一来，…… | I suggest …; that way, … | Both |
| 提出建议 | 如果……，我相信…… | If …, I believe … | Both |
| 提出建议 | 依我看，…… | In my view, … | Both |
| 提出建议 | 你不妨试试…… | You might as well try … | Informal |
| 请求 | 希望您能考虑我的建议。 | I hope you will consider my suggestions. | Formal |
| 请求 | 不知道您是否可以…… | I wonder whether you could … | Formal |
| 请求 | 麻烦您……，谢谢！ | Could I trouble you to …? Thank you! | Formal |
| 请求 | 能不能请你帮我一个忙？ | Could you do me a favour? | Informal |
| 请求 | 如有需要，请随时与我联系。 | If needed, please contact me at any time. | Formal |
| 结尾祝福 | 以上是我的一些浅见，敬请指正。 | These are my modest views; please correct me where I am wrong. | Formal |
| 结尾祝福 | 谢谢您抽空阅读我的电邮！ | Thank you for taking the time to read my email! | Formal |
| 结尾祝福 | 期待您的回复。 | I look forward to your reply. | Formal |
| 结尾祝福 | 期待很快见到你！ | Looking forward to seeing you soon! | Informal |
| 结尾祝福 | 祝 / 工作顺利！ | Wishing you smooth work (to a teacher or staff member) | Formal |
| 结尾祝福 | 祝 / 身体健康！ | Wishing you good health (to an elder) | Both |
| 结尾祝福 | 祝 / 学业进步！ | Wishing you progress in your studies (to a peer) | Informal |
Two cautions. A phrase bank is a toolkit, not a script: an examiner reading a dozen emails that open with the same memorised paragraph sees quickly which one actually answers the question. And a blessing must fit the reader — 学业进步 to a principal, or 工作顺利 to a classmate, is a small register slip that is easy to avoid.
How Is the Email Marked, and Where Are Marks Lost?
SEAB’s published marking guide gives the email 10 marks for content and 10 for language and structure, each in four bands — and most lost marks trace back to a missed task point or a thin, disorganised answer.
Appendix A of the 1160 and K320 syllabuses sets out the 实用文 marking guide. Its bands run 9–10, 6–8, 3–5 and 1–2 for each criterion. The top band for content is "内容充实，切合题意" and "内容有层次，说明详尽、有条理"; the top band for language and structure asks for "语言表达清楚" and "组织得当，衔接紧凑，段落分明", with characters, vocabulary, grammar and punctuation "绝大多数正确".
| What goes wrong | Which published criterion it weakens | The fix |
|---|---|---|
| A task point is skipped or answered in half a sentence | 内容 — the answer is less 充实 and less 切合题意 | Number the task points in the question; give each its own paragraph |
| Wrong register for the reader (你 to a principal, slang, a mismatched blessing) | 内容 — the email fits the task less well; 语文 — expression is less apt | Decide 您 or 你 before writing, and hold it throughout |
| Under 150 characters | 内容 — little room to be 充实 or 详尽 | Aim for a body of about 200 characters so length is never in doubt |
| Missing greeting, closing or sign-off; one long block of text | 结构 — 组织 and 段落分明 suffer | Use the seven-part layout every time |
| Wrong or careless characters and punctuation | 语文 — the band depends on how many errors there are | Reserve the last minutes for a character-by-character check |
The guide does not list format or register as separate lines, and the syllabus states the 150-character minimum without publishing a deduction for falling short. Treat the table above as Ancourage Academy’s reading of where those problems land, not as an official scheme. The practical lesson holds either way: the fastest marks to protect are the task points, because an email that covers every point in plain, correct Chinese already sits within reach of the upper bands on content.
One more resource the syllabus permits: "可以使用考评局规定的词典" — SEAB-prescribed dictionaries may be used in Paper 1. A student who has practised looking up a character quickly loses less time to a single forgotten word. For the larger writing task in the same paper, see our O-Level / SEC Chinese composition guide.
What Does a 4-Week Email Practice Plan Look Like?
Four weeks of short, focused sessions — layout, then task points, then timing, then self-marking — is enough to make the email format automatic, so the 20 marks rest on task points and language rather than on guesswork.
| Week | Focus | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Layout and register | Write the seven-part skeleton from memory. Rewrite Model Email 2 in a formal register to a teacher, changing only the words, not the structure. |
| 2 | Task points | Take six prompts from school practice papers. For each, underline and number the task points and plan one paragraph per point in two minutes — no full writing yet. |
| 3 | Full emails under time | Write two emails a week, one reply and one from materials. Paper 1 gives 2 hours for both tasks, and the composition carries 40 marks to the email’s 20, so decide in advance how much time the email gets and keep to it. |
| 4 | Self-marking and repair | Mark your own emails against the two published criteria: did every task point get a paragraph, and is every paragraph clear and correct? Rewrite the weakest paragraph each time. |
- Keep a personal error list. Most students repeat the same five or six character and punctuation errors; listing them makes the final check faster.
- Read the phrase bank aloud. Phrases that have been said are easier to recall under pressure than phrases that have only been read.
- Practise both question types. The reply and the materials-based email ask for the same skeleton, but students who only drill one stall on the other.
Students who are more comfortable in English sometimes find the email the most approachable part of the paper because it is so structured — a point worth building on if Chinese confidence is low, as our guide for teenagers from English-dominant homes discusses. The English paper has a parallel task with its own conventions, set out in our O-Level English situational writing guide; the two share a mindset (audience, purpose, every point covered) but not their formats. And because the 50-mark oral is a separate preparation job, pair this plan with our Chinese oral and listening strategies.
If you would like a teacher to mark practice emails against the published criteria, Ancourage Academy runs Sec 2 Chinese, Sec 3 Chinese and Sec 4 Chinese classes at Bishan and Woodlands, and a trial class (usually $18) begins with a diagnostic of your child’s writing.
Common Questions About the O-Level / SEC Chinese Email
How many characters must the O-Level / SEC Chinese email be?
The syllabus states "字数在150 以上" — 150 characters or more — for both the 2026 O-Level Chinese (1160) and the 2027 SEC G3 Chinese (K320) email. A body of about 200 characters gives enough room to cover every task point properly without spending time the composition needs.
Is 实用文 in O-Level Chinese always an email?
Yes. For Chinese (1160 / K320), SEAB lists Part 1 of Paper 1 (第一部分：实用文, the task this guide calls Section A) as 电子邮件 (email), with two question types: reply to a given email, or write an email from given materials. Letters and reports still appear in practice books and are useful practice, but they are not the Section A task.
How many marks is the Chinese email worth?
The email carries 20 marks, which is 10% of the subject. SEAB’s marking guide divides them into 10 marks for content (内容) and 10 marks for language and structure (语文与结构), each marked in four bands: 9–10, 6–8, 3–5 and 1–2.
When should my child use 您 instead of 你?
Use 您 when writing to someone senior or unfamiliar — a teacher, a principal, a staff member of an organisation — and 你 for a friend, cousin or classmate. Whichever the prompt calls for, hold it consistently from the greeting to the sign-off, and match the blessing (祝福语) to the reader.
Can my child use a dictionary in the Chinese writing paper?
Yes. The syllabus states that candidates "可以使用考评局规定的词典" in Paper 1 — dictionaries prescribed by SEAB. It is worth practising with the same dictionary at home so that looking up a character takes seconds, not minutes.
Does the email format change when O-Level becomes SEC in 2027?
No change to the task is stated. The 2027 SEC G3 Chinese Language syllabus (K320) describes Section A in the same words as the 2026 O-Level syllabus (1160): an email, one of two questions, 150 characters or more, 20 marks. Students in Secondary 3 in 2026, who sit the SEC in 2027, can practise the same email task they will sit; later cohorts should check the syllabus for their own exam year.