The book, edited by Mark Shum Shiu-Kee, Shek-Kam Tse and Wing-wah Ki, is a selected collection of papers presented at the 7 th Modern Chinese Practical Writing International Conference. Three eminent Mainland China scholars in the field of practical writing, Professors Pei Xiansheng, Yu Chengkun and Yu Guorui, selected 32 papers from more than a hundred conference papers and compiled them into this book.

When we refer to the language’ and contexts’ of practical writing, we are talking about expressing ourselves in concise words and applying them carefully in line with practical necessity and our purposes.  When we refer to contexts’, we imply (a) that expression should be clear and appropriate so as to avoid misunderstandings in the intended audience and (b) that the objective environment should also be taken into account. For instance, speeches made during formal occasions should never be presented carelessly and imprudently.  When we refer to functions’, we imply that language discourse and text should be constructed according to the needs and functions of the exchange when written and spoken language is engaged in. This collection of the current research achievements of many experts presents useful reference for scholars interested in modern practical writing.