Forming relationships

Overview

This study guide covers the 'Forming Relationships' (建立关系) sub-topic within the broader theme of Identity and Culture. It is a high-yield topic that appears frequently across all four exam papers (Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing). Examiners use this topic to test your ability to narrate events in different timeframes, express and justify opinions about people, and use a range of adjectives to describe personality and physical appearance. Mastering this topic is essential for accessing the higher mark bands in both the Speaking and Writing exams.

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📖 Essential Vocabulary

Tier 1 — Foundation Core

Tier 2 — Higher Tier

High-Frequency Words & Phrases

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📝 Grammar Focus

Key Structure 1: Time Words and Aspect Markers (了, 会, 要)

When to use it: Chinese verbs do not conjugate. To show past, present, or future, you MUST use time words (yesterday, tomorrow) and/or aspect markers. Examiners look for these to award marks for 'referring to past, present, and future events'.

Conjugation Table (Aspect/Time Markers)

Irregulars to learn: There are no irregular verbs in Chinese! Just remember the position: Time words go BEFORE the verb, usually right after the subject. The past marker 了 (le) goes immediately AFTER the verb.

Key Structure 2: Expressing Opinions (觉得 vs 认为)

When to use it: You must express and justify opinions in both Speaking and Writing. 觉得 (juéde) is slightly less formal ('to feel'), while 认为 (rènwéi) is more formal ('to firmly believe').

Opinion Structure Table

Key Structure 3: The '是...的' (shì...de) Construction

When to use it: Use this to emphasize the time, place, or manner of an action that happened in the past. It is an excellent complex structure for Higher tier candidates.

'是...的' Structure Table

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🎧 Listening Skills

What to Expect

In the listening exam, you will hear conversations between young people discussing their friends, family members, or relationships. Topics often include how they met, what they like to do together, or arguments they have had. Foundation tier will focus on basic descriptions (friendly, tall), while Higher tier will involve complex opinions and relationship dynamics (trust, shared interests).

Listening Strategies

• Listen for time markers: Pay close attention to words like 以前 (in the past), 现在 (now), and 将来 (in the future). The question might ask "What did they do?" while the audio mentions what they will do to trick you.
• Note the negatives: Listen carefully for 不 (bù - not) and 没 (méi - didn't/haven't). "He is not friendly" sounds very similar to "He is friendly" if you miss the 'bù'.
• Listen for opinion markers: When you hear 觉得 (juéde) or 认为 (rènwéi), the speaker is about to give the answer to an opinion-based question.

Common Listening Traps

• Distractor opinions: Speaker A might say "I think he is funny", but Speaker B says "I disagree, I think he is annoying." Ensure you answer based on the specific person asked about in the question.
• False Friends/Similar Sounds: 朋友 (péngyou - friend) sounds slightly like 胖 (pàng - fat). Ensure you distinguish tones.

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🗣️ Speaking Skills

Role Play Scenarios

Scenario 1: Talking to an exchange student about friends

• Student (You): 你好！你在中国有朋友吗？ (Hello! Do you have friends in China?)
• Exchange Student: 有，我有很多朋友。你的好朋友是谁？ (Yes, I have many friends. Who is your good friend?)
• Student (You): 我的好朋友叫大卫。他很高，也很幽默。 (My good friend is called David. He is tall and also humorous.)

Scenario 2: Discussing weekend plans with a friend

• Friend: 这个周末你想一起去打球吗？ (Do you want to go play ball together this weekend?)
• Student (You): 对不起，我周末要和家人去买东西。下个周末可以吗？ (Sorry, I am going shopping with my family this weekend. Is next weekend okay?)

Photo Card Practice

Model Photo Card Response (A photo showing two teenagers laughing together):

• Qu 1 (Description - What is in the photo?): 在这张照片里，我看到两个年轻人。他们看起来很开心，因为他们在笑。我觉得他们是好朋友。 (In this photo, I see two young people. They look very happy because they are laughing. I think they are good friends.)
• Qu 2 (Opinion - Is friendship important?): 我认为友谊非常重要，因为朋友可以分享快乐，也可以互相帮助。 (I believe friendship is very important because friends can share happiness and also help each other.)
• Qu 3 (Related topic - What do you do with friends?): 周末的时候，我经常和朋友一起去电影院看电影，或者去公园踢足球。 (On weekends, I often go to the cinema to watch movies with friends, or go to the park to play football.)
• Qu 4 (Past - What did you do with friends recently?): 上个星期六，我和我的好朋友一起去了市中心买衣服，然后我们吃了中国菜。 (Last Saturday, my good friend and I went to the city centre to buy clothes, and then we ate Chinese food.)
• Qu 5 (Future - Will you stay friends in the future?): 我希望我们将来还是好朋友，因为我们有很多共同点，而且我们互相信任。 (I hope we will still be good friends in the future because we have a lot in common, and we trust each other.)

General Conversation Questions

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✍️ Writing Skills

Translation Practice

English → Chinese:

Extended Writing

Model 90-word response (Foundation):
我的好朋友叫大卫。他今年十五岁。他很高，头发很短。他很友好，也很幽默。我们经常一起去公园踢足球。上个周末，我和大卫去了电影院看电影。电影很好看，我们都很开心。我觉得朋友很重要，因为朋友可以帮助我。明天我们要一起做作业。我希望我们永远是好朋友。
(My good friend is called David. He is 15 years old this year. He is tall and his hair is short. He is friendly and also humorous. We often go to the park together to play football. Last weekend, David and I went to the cinema to watch a movie. The movie was very good, we were both very happy. I think friends are very important because friends can help me. Tomorrow we are going to do homework together. I hope we will always be good friends.)

Model 150-word response (Higher):
我认为在年轻人的生活中，友谊是非常重要的一部分。我的好朋友叫安娜，我们是在学校认识的。她不但长得很漂亮，而且性格很好。她非常诚实，也很有幽默感。

我们有很多共同点，比如我们都对音乐和运动感兴趣。虽然我们有时候会因为小事吵架，但是我们很快就会和好，因为我们互相信任，互相尊重。

上个星期六是安娜的生日，我给她买了一本书作为生日礼物。我们和几个同学一起去了一家中餐馆庆祝。我们吃了很多好吃的中国菜，还聊了很长时间的天。大家都觉得那天晚上非常有意思。

下个月放假的时候，我们打算一起去海边玩。我希望将来我们能去同一所大学学习。我相信，无论发生什么，我们永远都会是最好的朋友。
(I believe that in young people's lives, friendship is a very important part. My good friend is called Anna, it was at school that we met. She is not only very pretty, but also has a good personality. She is very honest and also has a great sense of humour. We have a lot in common, for example we are both interested in music and sports. Although we sometimes argue over small things, we quickly make up, because we trust and respect each other. Last Saturday was Anna's birthday, I bought her a book as a birthday present. We went to a Chinese restaurant with several classmates to celebrate. We ate a lot of delicious Chinese food and chatted for a long time. Everyone felt that evening was very interesting. Next month during the holidays, we plan to go to the seaside together. I hope in the future we can go to the same university to study. I believe, no matter what happens, we will always be best friends.)

Writing Checklist

• ✅ Three tenses used accurately (Past with 了, Present, Future with 要/会/打算)
• ✅ Opinions expressed and justified (认为...因为...)
• ✅ Complex connectives included (虽然...但是, 不但...而且)
• ✅ Time words placed correctly (before the verb)
• ✅ Tier 2 vocabulary used (信任, 共同点, 幽默)

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📚 Reading Skills

Key Strategies

• Skim for gist: Read the whole text quickly to understand the overall tone. Is it a positive or negative relationship being described?
• Identify characters: Circle the names of people. Often, questions will try to confuse you about who did what.
• Look for time frames: Highlight words like 昨天 (yesterday) or 将来 (future) as these dictate the tense of your English answers.

False Friends & Tricky Words

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🌍 Cultural Knowledge

In Chinese culture, relationships (关系 - guānxi) hold deep social significance. The concept of 'guānxi' extends beyond simple friendship; it implies a network of mutual obligations, trust, and favors. While teenagers form friendships similarly to those in the UK, there is often a strong emphasis on academic support among classmates (同学 - tóngxué). Respect (尊重 - zūnzhòng) for elders and teachers is paramount, reflecting traditional Confucian values. When writing or speaking about relationships in China, mentioning studying together or showing respect to parents demonstrates excellent cultural awareness to the examiner.

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🎧 Revision Podcast

Listen to this 10-minute audio guide covering the core vocabulary, grammar, and exam tips for this topic.