Furthermore, if you’re not familiar with correct stroke order, you may in the future have problems reading and writing Chinese cursive script, since the way strokes are connected is closely related to the order and direction of the individual strokes.
Beginning with the first box after the end of the stroke-by-stroke build-up, you should write the entire character in each empty box until all the boxes for that character have been filled. Write slowly and carefully, often referring back to the stroke direction and stroke order of the models. We recommend that you use either a number 2 pencil, or a black or blue pen. As you write each character, say its pronunciation out loud and think of the meaning. You’ll probably want to have your textbook open for reference. Many learners find it helpful to write on the practice sheets the Pinyin and basic English meaning of each character to the left of the large character.
Even though there is an agreed-upon stroke order for the majority of characters, there exists a small number of characters that have common alternate stroke orders, for example, the character 方. For the sake of consistency, in the case of simplified characters we follow the stroke order promulgated by the Working Committee on National Language and Script, published in Beijing by Yuwen Chubanshe as 现代 汉语通用字笔顺规范 (5th printing 1999). In the case of traditional characters, we follow the stroke order promulgated by the Committee on the Promotion of Mandarin, published in Taipei by the Ministry of Education as 常用國字標準字筆順手冊 (3rd revised printing 2008).
Reading and Writing Exercises
This book includes reading and writing exercises for each of the four parts of every unit of Intermediate Written Chinese. The first section consists of three phrases or sentences for dictation*. You should listen to the audio and transcribe what you hear using Chinese characters. Since this is for practice and not a test, you’re encouraged to listen as many times as you wish and, when needed, to consult your textbook or the glossaries at the end of the book.
The second section includes four questions that you should answer using Chinese characters. Some of the questions are based on portions of the corresponding lesson in Intermediate Written Chinese, which you should refer to as you answer the questions, while other questions are addressed to you, the learner, and may be answered any way you wish.
Translation Exercises
Ten phrases or sentences for translation from English to Chinese have been included for each unit of Intermediate Written Chinese. The purpose of the translation exercises is to provide you with additional practice in writing the characters, using the grammar patterns, and practicing the important vocabulary of the unit, and to serve as a check of mastery over the material. Completing the translation exercises will be helpful to you in reviewing for the unit tests.
The sentences should be translated into Chinese characters with correct punctuation in the blank space that has been left under each sentence. The English in the translation exercises is in some places purposely somewhat stilted, to guide you toward the correct Chinese translation. If you’ve forgotten the Chinese equivalent for an English word or grammar pattern, you can consult the various glossaries and indices in the back of Intermediate Written Chinese.
It’s recommended that the instructor correct and return the translation exercises to students before the test on the corresponding unit, so that any remaining problems can be identified and addressed in a timely manner. Students should carefully study the instructor’s corrections, making sure they understand the reason for any errors, and then file the corrected exercises for later reference.
Flash Cards
Flash cards are an excellent aid in memorization. They work based on the principle of spaced repetition, that is, gradually increasing the interval between each time that you recall information correctly. We recommend that you take along several dozen flash cards from Intermediate Written Chinese Practice Essentials wherever you go. Use the extra time you have while waiting in line, on a bus, or before classes to study the flash cards. You can look at the character side and test yourself on the pronunciation and meaning of the characters, or you can look at the English on the other side and test yourself on the correct spoken form and characters. Your goal should be to identify those characters and words you still have problems with and remove them from the larger set for special study.
The flash cards have been designed with Chinese characters (simplified and traditional) on one side, and Pinyin and English on the other side. Both the new characters of each lesson and the individual words written with those characters are included on the flash cards. The lower left-hand corner on both sides of every card has the unit and section number, while the lower right-hand corner has the character number. Due to page limitations and in an effort to control costs, the paper flash cards have been included on the 
* Scripts for the dictation exercises are included in the Instructor’s Guide for Intermediate Written Chinese.
Unit 11, Part 1: Character Practice Sheet (Simplified Characters)
NAME ________________________________________________ COURSE ______________________________ DATE __________________________
Unit 11, Part 1: Character Practice Sheet (Traditional Characters)
NAME ________________________________________________ COURSE ______________________________ DATE __________________________
Unit 11, Part 2: Character Practice Sheet (Simplified Characters)
NAME ________________________________________________ COURSE ______________________________ DATE __________________________
