The argumentative essay (议论文) on the gaokao Chinese paper rewards structure more than eloquence. Markers read hundreds of essays a day, and the ones with a clear thesis, three distinct supporting points and a memorable final sentence stand out without needing to be beautiful.
Put a one-sentence thesis in the opening paragraph and state your position plainly. Do not open with a rhetorical question — every fourth essay begins that way, and none of them earn full marks.
Each body paragraph needs one clear claim, one strong example and one sentence linking the example back to the thesis. Vary the examples — historical, literary, contemporary — rather than using the same kind three times in a row.
The conclusion is not a summary. It is where the thesis is lifted into a wider point about society, character or knowledge. Add one aphoristic sentence, quoted or your own, and then stop.
Handwriting matters more than students want to believe. Not calligraphy — legibility, consistent size, straight lines. If the marker has to strain to read you, you are already a point down.