1Thinking That Weighs Both Sides
Weighing both sides is not splitting the difference; it is understanding the opposing view fully and still making a choice, which makes the judgement credible.
Being Fair Yet Decisive
- First understand the reasonable core of the opposing view, then note its limits, rather than dismissing it outright.Exam
- Compare the sides on shared value criteria (fairness, efficiency, feasibility) so the judgement has grounding.Compare
- Acknowledge the costs and risks of your own stance and explain why they remain acceptable.
- Avoid the 'straw man' — do not distort the opposing view to make it easy to refute.Trap
論證貼士
A high-scoring argument often has a pivot like 'admittedly … however …': concede the counter, then show why your stance is preferable, displaying mature judgement.
2Sources and Use of Evidence
Evidence can come from facts, principles, consequence reasoning and analogy. With few materials, the Chinese paper relies more on accumulated knowledge and a clear chain of reasoning.
Four Types of Evidence
- Facts and trends: cite widely known social phenomena or policy background to add weight (never fabricate figures).Exam
- Principles and values: appeal to fairness, justice or sustainability to legitimise the stance.
- Consequence reasoning: analyse short- and long-term effects to show causal thinking.Compare
- Analogy and contrast: compare with similar situations to aid understanding (ensure the analogy fits).
誠信提示
Prefer reliable general facts and rigorous reasoning over invented precise numbers: fabricated statistics, once spotted, badly undermine credibility.
3Common Argument Fallacies
Recognising and avoiding fallacies makes argument more rigorous. The following are the most common and most penalised errors in argumentative essays.
Thinking Traps to Avoid
- Hasty generalisation: drawing a general conclusion from isolated examples.Trap
- Appeal to emotion: persuading by sentiment rather than reason.Trap
- False dichotomy: reducing a complex issue to two extremes.Trap
- Circular reasoning: using the conclusion itself as its own reason.Trap
自檢清單
After the body, self-check quickly: does each point's reasoning hold, any leaps or shifted concepts? Catching a fallacy raises marks more than adding a paragraph.
4Principles of Time Allocation
Within limited time, investing in reading and planning usually pays off most. Rather than rushing to write, think through the structure first to avoid having to start over.
Four-Stage Time Management
- Reading: spend a few minutes understanding the prompt and pinning down the controversy; never miss a requirement.Exam
- Planning: take two or three minutes to list your stance, main points and counter before writing.Exam
- Writing: proceed steadily along the outline, controlling paragraph length to avoid a rushed ending.
- Checking: reserve a few minutes to review typos, grammar and structural completeness.Trap
時間提示
Better to drop a minor point than lose time for the ending and checking: a complete, coherent essay beats a long one cut off midway.
5The Most Common Pitfalls
Many candidates lose marks not from poor ideas but from avoidable errors: going off-topic, unclear stance, colloquial language and weak endings. Recognising these traps lets you guard against them.
Errors to Watch For
- Going off-topic: not sticking to the prompt — answering the wrong question is the most serious pitfall.Trap
- Unclear stance: wavering or fence-sitting throughout so the marker cannot grasp your judgement.Trap
- Colloquial intrusion: using spoken Cantonese, slang or internet terms undermines formal written style.Trap
- Weak ending: a strong start with a sloppy finish harms structure and persuasiveness.Trap
書面語提示
The Chinese paper requires standard written Chinese: never write spoken Cantonese forms; always replace them with their formal written equivalents. This is a hard requirement.
6On-the-Spot Self-Check List
Before submitting, running a short checklist over the essay catches most basic errors and secures your baseline marks.
Five Questions Before Submitting
- Have I stuck to the prompt and answered every requirement?Exam
- Is my stance clear and consistent throughout?Exam
- Have I addressed and answered the opposing view?
- Are there colloquialisms, typos or grammar errors to fix?Trap
- Is the structure complete, with a clear judgement and ending?
自檢清單
Memorise these five questions so you can self-check without rereading: a one-minute pass often recovers several marks.
