「我很高兴。」「他很难过。」 Many P4–P6 compositions name the feeling and move on, so the reader is told what the character feels but never gets to feel it. 心理描写 (describing inner thoughts and feelings) is the skill of letting the reader work it out. This post gives a three-step method — 想 (what is the mind saying), 做 (what does the body do), 看 (what does the scene look like to this person) — with original examples and a 10-minute drill.
First, why 「很高兴」 is not wrong — just thin
Naming a feeling is a fine way to start. The problem is stopping there. Compare two original lines. Telling: 「听到比赛结果，我很高兴。」 Showing: 「听到我的名字被念出来，我愣了一秒，然后才发现自己的手心全是汗，嘴角怎么也压不下去。」 The second does not use the word 高兴 at all, yet the reader knows. That is the goal: the feeling is felt, not announced.
Step 1 — 想: what is the mind saying?
Write the sentence the character would say silently. It should sound like a real child, not a textbook. Original examples: nervous before a test — 「千万别考砸，千万别考砸……」; guilty after breaking a vase — 「妈妈回来会不会骂我？要不要先把碎片藏起来？」. A thought that asks a question usually feels more alive than one that states a conclusion.
Step 2 — 做: what does the body do?
Feelings leave marks on hands, voice, breathing, feet and eyes. Ask the child: 「如果我拍下这一刻，镜头里会看到什么？」 Original examples: worry — 「他把铅笔转了又转，却一个字也没写。」; embarrassment — 「我低下头，假装在系书包带子。」. Choose one or two small actions rather than five; a crowded list of reactions feels like a checklist.
Step 3 — 看: how does the scene look to this person?
The same classroom looks different to a happy child and a worried one. Original example, same corridor, two moods. Happy: 「走廊里的阳光亮晃晃的，连墙上的旧海报都好像在对我笑。」 Worried: 「走廊长得好像走不到头，每一扇门里传出的读书声都让我更紧张。」 This step ties 心理描写 to 写景: the scene is filtered through the feeling instead of being a separate paragraph.
| Step | Question to ask | Original example (nervous) |
|---|---|---|
| 想 (thought) | What is the character silently saying? | 「轮到我了吗？千万别忘词。」 |
| 做 (body) | What would a camera see? | 「我攥着稿纸，纸角被捏得皱成一团。」 |
| 看 (scene) | How does the surroundings look to this person? | 「讲台好像比平时高了许多。」 |
Putting the three together
Start with the plain sentence, then build upward. Plain: 「我很紧张。」 Built: 「轮到我了。我攥着稿纸，纸角被捏得皱成一团，心里反复念着：千万别忘词。讲台好像比平时高了许多。」 It uses one thought, one action and one scene detail — about thirty characters of extra work — and the reader no longer needs to be told the feeling.
Three common slips to check
- Stacking clichés: 「心怦怦直跳」 in every scene. Use it once at most, and pair it with a detail only this child would have.
- Feeling and action disagree: 「我很伤心，开心地笑了」. Reread — does the body match the mood the scene needs?
- Too long a pause: a whole paragraph of thoughts can stall the story. Keep the inner moment short and let the plot move again.
A 10-minute practice
- 2 minutes: pick one 「我很……」 sentence from a recent composition.
- 4 minutes: write one 想, one 做 and one 看 line for that moment, one sentence each.
- 2 minutes: read the three lines aloud and keep the best two.
- 2 minutes: replace the plain sentence in the draft and check that the feeling still reads clearly.
What a parent can do without reading Chinese
Point at a 「很……」 sentence and ask in English: 「What was going on in your head? What did your hands do?」 Let the child answer aloud first, then write down what they said. Spoken answers are usually richer than the first written draft.
Pick one feeling sentence, build it with 想, 做 and 看, then submit your draft for feedback.
Try composition feedbackShow, don't tell for characters. Read next:
Writing a Person (写人) →Build the sentence first. Read next:
Expanding Thin Sentences →Sources
- The terms 心理描写, 动作描写 and 神态 follow common usage in standard Chinese-language references; check terms against a dictionary such as 《现代汉语词典》 or the school's materials.
- The 想/做/看 steps are the author's own tutoring practice, offered as a suggestion and not a promise of any result.
- All example sentences are original and illustrative.
- This post does not describe any exam format, mark allocation, frequency or prediction; check seab.gov.sg for official information.