Qĭ Chéng, Zhuăn, Hé, Jié: the discourse pattern of a Chinese text of literary criticism

This paper explores the traditional principles of organisation in Chinese expository writing, focusing on the discourse pattern of qi–cheng–zhuan–he–jie (beginning, development, turn, synthesis, conclusion). Drawing on a literary criticism text, it illustrates how Chinese writing emphasizes thematic progression through rhetorical turns and historical reflection. The study contrasts this with Western models, such as Matalene’s “standard pattern,” and argues that Chinese writing prioritizes dynamic argumentation and referential shifts. It also discusses implications for second-language learners, noting that Chinese students often exhibit culturally influenced discourse structures in English writing. Understanding these patterns can improve cross-cultural writing pedagogy and help address challenges in teaching English composition to Chinese learners (AI generated abstract, Copilot)