CHS103 Tutor-Marked Assignment 01

This assignment is worth 25% of the final mark for CHS103 Modern Chinese (现代汉语).

Learning Outcomes:

● Explain the formation process and evolution of modern Chinese.
● Describe the fundamentals of modern Chinese grammar.
● Elucidate the basic principles of modern Chinese pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, writing, and rhetoric.
● Demonstrate the ability to comprehend, analyze, and use modern Chinese.
● Explain the characteristics of writing, vocabulary, and grammar in modern Chinese society.
● Apply acquired knowledge to enhance oral and written communication skills.

What the CHS103 Tutor-Marked Assignment 01 asks you to do

CHS103 Modern Chinese (现代汉语) is a foundation course in how today’s Standard Chinese works. It covers how modern Chinese was formed and standardised, and its core subsystems: pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, the writing system and rhetoric, along with how these show up in real communication.

TMA01 is worth 25% of the final mark. It checks whether you can explain these fundamentals accurately and, just as importantly, use them to analyse real language. Markers reward clear definitions supported by well-chosen Chinese examples.

CHS103 learning outcomes explained

The table below turns each learning outcome into what the marker expects to see.

How to structure your CHS103 TMA01

1. Identify each task. Separate questions about history, theory and language analysis.
2. Define key terms first. Give precise definitions in Chinese, with English where helpful.
3. Explain with examples. Support every point with characters, words, pinyin or sentences.
4. Analyse rather than list. Break sentences into components or explain why a usage is correct or incorrect.
5. Link to real communication. Show how the feature affects everyday or Singapore usage where relevant.
6. Conclude and proofread. Summarise your points and check characters, tones and punctuation.

Key concepts to revise for CHS103

• 白话文运动 and 普通话 – explain how modern Standard Chinese was formed and standardised.
• 声母、韵母、声调 – the building blocks of Chinese syllables and pronunciation.
• 语素、词、短语 – the units of grammar and word formation.
• 词类 and 句子成分 – word classes and sentence components are central to grammatical analysis.
• 汉字结构 and 简化字 – character structure and simplification shape the modern writing system.
• 新词语 and 外来词 – show how vocabulary changes with society.
• 修辞格 – rhetorical devices such as 比喻, 拟人 and 排比 support effective writing.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Giving definitions without any Chinese examples to illustrate them.
• Confusing morphemes with words, or phrases with sentences.
• Copying textbook explanations instead of applying them to the question.
• Errors in characters, tone marks or punctuation that undermine a language assignment.
• Describing history as a list of events without explaining their effect on modern Chinese.

CHS103 TMA01 FAQs

What is the CHS103 TMA01 about?

It tests your understanding of how modern Chinese developed and how its pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, writing and rhetoric work. It is worth 25% of the final mark.

How should I structure my CHS103 answer?

Define the key term, explain the principle, support it with examples and analyse them in relation to the question.

Which topics should I revise for CHS103?

The formation of Putonghua, phonetics, word formation, word classes, sentence components, characters and rhetorical devices.

Can I get help with my CHS103 TMA01?

Yes. Our Singapore-based subject tutors can guide you through the brief, structure and referencing so you can submit with confidence.