A30523 · Section A: Area A: Young People & Education 青少年与教育

Friendship 友谊

Key learnings

Precise quality words for a friend
Friendship questions turn on precise quality adjectives, not a vague summary. Learn: honest 诚实 (chéngshí), kind-hearted 善良 (shànliáng), humorous 幽默 (yōumò), ready to help 乐于助人 (lèyú zhùrén), trustworthy 值得信任 (zhídé xìnrèn), outgoing 外向 (wàixiàng). Name the exact quality, not 他是个很好的人. Example: 我最好的朋友很乐于助人，也非常值得信任。(Wǒ zuì hǎo de péngyou hěn lèyú zhùrén, yě fēicháng zhídé xìnrèn.) — my best friend is very ready to help others and extremely trustworthy.
Activities + keeping-in-touch words
Build the core set: together 一起 (yìqǐ), chat 聊天 (liáotiān), keep in touch 保持联系 (bǎochí liánxì), social media 社交媒体 (shèjiāo méitǐ), video chat 视频聊天 (shìpín liáotiān). Combine with 虽然……，但是…… (suīrán…, dànshì…) for the common idea of staying close despite distance. Example: 虽然我们现在不住在同一个城市，但是我们还是每星期视频聊天。(Suīrán wǒmen xiànzài bú zhù zài tóng yí gè chéngshì, dànshì wǒmen háishi měi xīngqī shìpín liáotiān.) — though we no longer live in the same city, we still video chat every week.
Value-of-friendship justification
Build 对我来说，友谊最重要的是……，因为…… (duì wǒ láishuō, yǒuyì zuì zhòngyào de shì…, yīnwèi…) to give a developed, personal justification, not a bare statement. Example: 对我来说，友谊最重要的是互相信任和支持，因为真正的朋友会在你困难的时候帮助你。(Duì wǒ láishuō, yǒuyì zuì zhòngyào de shì hùxiāng xìnrèn hé zhīchí, yīnwèi zhēnzhèng de péngyou huì zài nǐ kùnnan de shíhou bāngzhù nǐ.) — to me the most important thing about friendship is mutual trust and support, because a true friend helps you when you are in difficulty.

Common mistakes

Drawn from real examiner reports.

Reason ≠ described activity

Asked 你觉得朋友为什么重要？(why do friends matter?), weaker answers give an activity/consequence, not the reason. ✗ 因为我们总是一起做作业。(an activity/result) ✓ 因为真正的朋友会支持你、理解你，在你难过的时候陪着你。(Yīnwèi zhēnzhèng de péngyou huì zhīchí nǐ, lǐjiě nǐ, zài nǐ nánguò de shíhou péizhe nǐ.) — a true friend supports, understands and stays with you when sad. Keep 原因 (reason) apart from 结果 (result).

s23 Q13; s22 Q11

Vague "很好" ≠ the exact quality

Describing-a-friend answers need the exact quality word. ✗ 我的朋友是一个很好的人。(too general) ✓ 我的朋友很善良，也很幽默，总是能让大家开心。(Wǒ de péngyou hěn shànliáng, yě hěn yōumò, zǒngshì néng ràng dàjiā kāixīn.) — my friend is kind and humorous and can always make everyone happy. Use the precise adjective (善良, 幽默, 乐于助人, 值得信任), not a bare 很好.

s23 Ex1 Q3/Q5; s22 Ex1 Q1/Q4

No 很/非常 in a 比-comparison

比-sentences do not take 很/非常 before the adjective. ✗ 我的朋友比我很外向。(很 not allowed with 比) ✓ 我的朋友比我更外向。(Wǒ de péngyou bǐ wǒ gèng wàixiàng.) — my friend is more outgoing than me. Use 更 before the adjective, or a degree phrase after it: 外向一点 / 外向得多 — never 很/非常 with 比.

s23 Ex2e

No pinyin in the writing paper

In Paper 1 writing (Ex4 and Ex5) write in characters only — candidates are reminded not to use pinyin in their writing. Pinyin earns no credit there; it is accepted only as a character substitute in Listening answers, where tones are optional but the answer must be unambiguous. Practise friendship words (友谊, 值得信任, 道歉) as characters, not pinyin.

s22 & s23 Ex4

Lifting ≠ answering in your own words

In a reading answer about a friendship passage, do not copy a whole sentence — including irrelevant clauses — instead of selecting the point. Pick the exact point and re-express it in your own words; a copied answer carrying extra or wrong material can cancel an otherwise-correct point. Own-words re-expression, not lifting, shows understanding.

s22 Q9/Q13/Q14; s23 Q9/Q12

Extra material cancels a right answer

Imprecision and answering more than asked can cancel a correct point: the mark cannot be awarded if the Examiner has to choose the correct answer from a longer response. Extra, contradictory or ambiguous material may cancel an otherwise-correct answer. Keep friendship answers short, precise and on-target.

s22 & s23 Key messages

A good friend never argues (false)

A weak idea: a true friend never disagrees, so any argument means the friendship has failed. In fact friendship survives disagreement — being honest (诚实 chéngshí) means sometimes telling a hard truth, and it recovers through apology (道歉 dàoqiàn) and forgiveness (原谅 yuánliàng). ✓ 好朋友有时候也会意见不同，甚至吵架，但是吵架以后愿意道歉、和好。— good friends may argue, but afterwards apologise and make up.

Exam tips

Diary routine (Ex4)
For a functional diary entry about a disagreement with a friend (Ex4, ~8 marks, 100-120 chars): say what happened with ONE genuine reason, describe how you felt, and show resolution (道歉 apologise, 原谅 forgive). Use an informal diary register and write in characters only.
Debate: both sides + your view
For an extended article or speaking discussion on friendship (e.g. shared interests vs compatible personality), plan opinions on both sides with connectives (虽然……但是……, 一方面……另一方面……) and give a personal, justified conclusion — not a one-sided list of facts.
Quality words, not 很好
Learn the precise quality adjectives (善良, 幽默, 乐于助人, 值得信任) — a specific quality scores where a vague 很好 does not. When comparing friends, use 比 without 很/非常: 我的朋友比我更外向, not 比我很外向.
Speak about friendship maturely
In the speaking conversation, treat friendship maturely: discuss qualities, activities, keeping in touch and its value with reasons and both sides, not just facts. Bring new, spontaneous language — an over-rehearsed monologue is marked down.

Revision notes