Learn Hardcore Chinese: zhè piān zuòwén hěn zhòngyào.

Grammatical role (linking):
In Mandarin, when an adjective is used as the predicate (i.e., “is important,” “is big”), it usually needs a degree word in front.
Pattern: Subject + 很 + Adjective
So 这篇作文很重要 is the normal, neutral way to say “This composition is important.”
Degree meaning:
Often 很 is not as strong as English “very.” In everyday speech it’s closer to a neutral “is” plus a light degree, something like “quite / really / is (adj).”
- 他很高。 = He’s tall. (not necessarily “very tall,” just “tall”)

If you really want to emphasize “very,” you can use stronger words like 非常, 特别, or 挺…的:

这篇作文非常重要。 – This composition is very / extremely important.
这篇作文特别重要。 – This composition is especially important.

Can I say 这篇作文是很重要 with 是?

You can say 这篇作文是很重要, but it’s not the neutral, default form.

这篇作文很重要。 – Simple statement, neutral: “This composition is important.”
这篇作文是很重要，… – Often used when:
- you’re contrasting it with something else, or
- you’re emphasizing that “indeed, it is very important” (often followed by a “but/however”).
Example:
这篇作文是很重要，不过你也不要太紧张。
“This composition is important, but you also shouldn’t be too nervous.”

For a plain statement, drop 是 and just use Subject + 很 + Adjective.

Why is there no “to be” verb like 是 before 重要?

In Chinese, adjectives can function as verbs (they’re often called stative verbs). So:

English: This composition is important.
Chinese: 这篇作文很重要。 (literally: “This composition very-important.”)

You only use 是 to link nouns or noun phrases:

他是老师。 – He is a teacher.
北京是中国的首都。 – Beijing is the capital of China.

But with adjectives, the basic pattern is:

Subject + (degree word, often 很) + Adjective
- 天气很冷。 – The weather is cold.
- 他很聪明。 – He is smart.
- 这篇作文很重要。 – This composition is important.

Why is the measure word 篇 used with 作文? Can I say 这个作文 instead?

篇 (piān) is a measure word specifically used for texts that are pieces of writing, such as:

一篇文章 – an article
一篇日记 – a diary entry
一篇小说 – a (short) story
一篇作文 – a composition / essay (typically a student’s writing)

So 这篇作文 literally means “this piece (篇) of composition.”

Using 个 (这个作文) is grammatically incorrect in standard Mandarin, because 个 is a general measure word and doesn’t match the “type” of noun here. In casual speech some people might occasionally throw 个 around more freely, but you should learn and use 篇 with 作文.

What’s the difference between 作文 and 文章?

Both involve written texts, but they’re used in different contexts:

作文 (zuòwén)
- Usually means a school composition / essay, especially something a student writes as an assignment.
- Common in school contexts: 写作文, 语文作文.
文章 (wénzhāng)
- More general: article, piece of writing, essay.
- Can be news articles, blog posts, academic essays, literary pieces, etc.

So:

这篇作文很重要。 – This (school) composition is important (e.g., exam essay).
这篇文章很重要。 – This article / piece of writing is important (could be in a book, news site, etc.).

Could I leave out 这 and just say 作文很重要? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say 作文很重要, but the meaning shifts:

这篇作文很重要。
Refers to a specific composition: “This (particular) composition is important.”
You’re pointing to one concrete piece of writing.
作文很重要。
More general: “(Writing) compositions is important” or “Composition (as a subject) is important.”
It sounds like you’re talking about composition in general, for example as part of language learning or education.

So 这 makes it clearly one specific composition you have in mind.

Is 这篇作文 a topic and 很重要 the comment? Is this a “topic–comment” sentence?

Yes, it’s natural to analyze it that way:

Topic: 这篇作文 – “As for this composition…”
Comment: 很重要 – “…(it) is important.”

Chinese is often described as a topic-prominent language, and sentences like this are very typical:

这个问题很难。 – As for this question, (it) is difficult.
这件事很麻烦。 – As for this matter, (it) is troublesome.
这篇作文很重要。 – As for this composition, (it) is important.

You don’t need to do anything special for this; it’s just how Chinese naturally structures many sentences.

How would I make this sentence negative? Do I say 不很重要?

The natural negative forms are:

这篇作文不重要。 – This composition is not important.
这篇作文不太重要。 – This composition is not very important / not that important.

不很重要 is grammatically possible but sounds a bit odd or literary; it often implies “not very important” with a subtle, slightly formal flavor. In everyday speech:

Use 不重要 to say it’s simply “not important.”
Use 不太重要 to soften it: “not very important / not so important.”

How would I say “Was this composition important?” in Chinese? How do I show past tense?

Chinese usually does not mark tense on the verb or adjective. You show time with context words:

那篇作文很重要。 – That composition was important. (if you’re talking about past events)
那时候，这篇作文很重要。 – At that time, this composition was important.
以前，这篇作文很重要。 – Before / in the past, this composition was important.

To ask:

这篇作文重要吗？ – Is / Was this composition important? (time depends on context)
If you clearly set the time in the past:
那次考试里，这篇作文很重要吗？
“In that exam, was this composition important?”

Chinese relies heavily on time expressions (那时候, 以前, 那次考试里) and context instead of verb tense changes.

How would I ask “Is this composition important?” in Chinese? Should I keep 很?

You have two main options:

这篇作文重要吗？
- Natural, neutral: “Is this composition important?”
- Here you usually drop 很.
这篇作文很重要吗？
- Often implies surprise, doubt, or seeking confirmation:
  “Is this composition really very important?”
- You’re questioning the degree (how important) more than just “important or not.”

So for a straightforward yes/no question, 这篇作文重要吗？ is the usual form.

What’s the difference between 这篇作文很重要 and 这篇很重要的作文?

They differ in sentence structure and focus:

这篇作文很重要。
- Predicate sentence: “This composition is important.”
- Structure: [Subject: 这篇作文] + [Predicate: 很重要].
这篇很重要的作文
- Noun phrase: “this very important composition.”
- Structure: [这篇 + 很重要的] + 作文
- 很重要的 is an adjective phrase modifying 作文.

Usage:

这篇作文很重要。 – a full sentence.
这篇很重要的作文是明天要交的。 – “This very important composition is due tomorrow.” (here, 这篇很重要的作文 is just the subject of the sentence)

So the first states a fact about the composition; the second uses “very important” as an attributive description inside a bigger noun phrase.