HOW TO WRITE: INFORMAL LETTER

General Information 1 Informal letters are written in a friendly style. 2 They are written to people we know such as friends, family members and relatives. 3 Informal letters are written in a casual tone. 4 Informal letters are in conversational tones. 5 Informal letters are written for the following purpose: To pass information To seek information To invite To congratulate To extend condolences To apologise To thank

The format of an informal letter 43, Jalan Keris,

(a)

40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

(b)

15 MARCH 2013

Dearest Cindy,

(c)

I apologise for not writing earlier. I was busy preparing for my examinations. (d) I was so happy to hear from your Dad that you won the first prize in the National Level Essay Competition. I would like to congratulate you on your success. You have made us all very proud of you. My family and I would like to congratulate you on your success. Do keep up the good work! (e) Well, that's all for now. Hope to hear from you soon.
(f) (g) (h)

Your cousin, Milly

Tips (a) Write the address at the top right hand corner of the page. Write the address clearly. Include the country, if you are writing to someone who lives overseas. Punctuate the address correctly and put in the postcode. (b) Write the date below the address. Write the date in full. You may write the date as follows: 15 MARCH 2013 (c) Use an appropriate salutation. Write on the left hand side of the page. To common friends, use 'Dear Kiram' To close friends or relatives, use 'Dearest Uncle Tim' To family members, use 'My dearest Mum' Use a comma after the salutation (d) Ask about the reader's general well-being. If you know the family, you may also ask the family's general well-being. (e) Depends on the purpose of the letter. Elaborate well on the purpose. (f) End the letter appropriately. (g) Write the closing at the right hand side of the letter. Use an appropriate closing. To common friends, use 'Yours sincerely' To close friends or relatives, use 'Yours affectionately' To family, use 'Your loving daughter' Use a comma after the closing. (h) Sign your name below the closing.

General Tips 1 You may use the contractions such as, "I'll", "we've", or "you're". 2 You should use friendly and conversational language. 3 Edit your work for grammatical, spelling and punctuation mistakes.

WRITING INFORMAL LETTER: A Letter Of Advice On A Pet

Your sister has a couple of pet birds. She is having some problem with the birds. Your sister has written a letter to you asking for help. Write a letter to your sister giving her some advice. You have the following advice:

When the bird sits with its head upside down or to one side, he is seeking for attention. If you see a bird feeding on an object or a toy, it is bored. Place some leaves in the cage for it to chew on. Keep two bowls of water and food for the birds to avoid bullying. (Adapted from Petworld, 2002)

When writing the letter: use all the information given. elaborate on the points. make sure it is not less than 120 words.

Model Answer

42A, Jalan Tenteram, Taman Tenteram, 71000 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. 11 APRIL 2013

Dear Marshall, I received your letter this morning. I know that you are upset and worried about Ted and Barney. Believe me, they are the most beautiful birds I have ever seen. So, please don't fret over them. I have obtained some tips from your favourite Petworld magazine. If the birds sit with their head upside down or to one side, they are merely seeking for attention. If they do this, just talk to them by attaining your attention. They will go back to the normal sitting position. Also, if you see them feeding on an object or a toy, it plainly means they are bored. Place some leaves in the cage for it to chew on. This will also eliminate boredom. Do you know that birds are also bullies? Since you have two birds, study them closely. According to the article most birds are known to be bullies and the victims are known to accept the bullying without any retaliation. So, to avoid bullying, keep two bowls of water and food for the birds. Hopefully, this will reduce bullying. I think these sound advices should be sufficient for you. However, if there is any severe problem, do take them to the veterinary. The veterinarian is the best person to deal with the birds. Well, that's all for now. I will be coming over to your place next weekend. I am keen on meeting the boisterous birds. Do take care of yourself.

Your brother,

Brad

HOW TO WRITE: REPORTS

General Information 1 You are required to write a report based on the stimulus given. 2 Be short and precise.

Guidelines 1 Study the question to understand the type of report required. 2 There are different types of reports: Newspaper reports Minutes of meetings Annual reports of school society Reports on incidents or accidents Reports on projects, surveys or activities

3 Each type of report follows a certain format. 4 Give only the required information in your report. 5 Present your facts in an organised way and appropriate paragraphs. 6 Use formal language and go straight to the point. 7 Use correct tense. Most reports use the past tense except for the reports on surveys or projects.

The format of a report A Report On The English Language Society's Annual Programmes You are the secretary of the English Language Society. You have been asked to write a report on the Society's Annual Programmes. Use the notes below. February March April May June July August When writing your report: Use all the information given Elaborate on the information to make it interesting Speak English Only Month English Language Society's Website Public Speaking Competition Essay Writing Competition Choral Speaking Competition Visit To The Sinar Harapan Old Folk's Home Talentime Contest

Sample Answer: English Language Society's Report for February to August

(a) Give suitable title

The English Language Society of SMK St. Boniface began its activities in February 2012 with a programme focusing on the importance of communicating in English. This programme entitled 'Speak English Only Month' was organised throughout the month of February. A few areas in the school had been identified as English Speaking Zones. Students who did not speak English in these zones were fined 20 sen. The fines were collected and given to the teacher advisor to buy presents for the Public Speaking Competition. In March, the English Language Society launched its website. The website offers great guidance to the students on grammar, good essay writing techniques as well as fun language games. The website is at www.elsstboniface.com. The website was launched by the Principal on 1st March 2013. A Public Speaking Competition was held on 12 April. There are 50 participants for this competition. The winners are Jeffson Angkin (Form 3 Bestari), Teo Chai Ching (Form 2 Bestari) and Hanapi Mohamad (Form 1 Bestari). Jeffson Angkin who represented the district won the first prize at the state level and the first runner-up at the national level. In May, an Essay Writing Competition was organised for members only. The theme was 'The Importance of English Language'. The contestants were required to write the 350-word essay within an hour. The winners were Asbarinah Bastoryi (Form 3 Bestari), Dorothea Tiong Hui En (Form 2 Bestari) and Sng Wei Sheng (Form 1 Bestari). A Choral Speaking Competition was held in June. This interesting and exciting activity had 10 groups vying for the school's trophy. The Form 3 Angsana won the trophy with their mesmerising presentation entitled 'Life in the City.' The month of July was dedicated to social work. The society organised a visit to the Sinar Harapan Old Folk's Home. The aim was to bring cheer to these golden citizens. A tea party and sing-along-session was held. Thirty members participated in this event. In August, a Talentime show was held to enable the students to portray their talents. The students danced, sang and did hilarious sketches. This event was also a platform for the teachers to select students for the district level Drama Competition that would be held in October. On behalf of the English Language Society members, I would like to thank the teacher advisors, academic staff and stdents of SMK St. Boniface for supporting all the activities that we had organised.
(b) End your report with a thank you note (c)

Andry Unyat, Secretary

Write down your name and post

WRITING A REPORT: A Report On An Activity

Study the notes below and answer the question that follows.

Street Smart Exhibition By Petronas Bintulu Town Council Hall - children - colourful, interactive exhibits - fiddling with knobs and buttons getting started - good traffic habits Aims: educate young children on road safety - hands-on experience of real situations on the road drivers becoming sleepy - distance - keep behind another car - right way pedestrian and cyclists should use the roads Target group - upper primary and secondary school students - school activities - teachers integrate road safety - classroom lessons Entire exhibition area - 'an open road' - traffic lights, road markings, street lights - emphasis on the use of safety belts, crash helmets and airbags Parents - comments: effective - hands-on - practical - covers everything from serious issues like drunken driving and speeding - correct way to get onto a bus and cross the road High - accident rates - important to equip children with knowledge and information

You attended the Street Smart Exhibition in the Bintulu Town Council Hall. Based on the notes you have made, write a report of the exhibition for your school magazine.

When writing your report, you should: use all the notes given. elaborate on the given notes to make it more interesting. make sure it is not less than 120 words.

Model Answer

Report on Street Smart Exhibition by Petronas

In a hall at the Bintulu Town Council Hall, children walked around colourful, interactive exhibits fiddling with knobs and buttons. They were excited but little did they know they were getting started on good traffic habits.

The Street Smart Exhibition aims to educate young children on road safety. They are given hands-on experience of real-situations on the road. They learn to understand the dangers when drivers become sleepy and the safe distance a car must keep behind another car. They are also taught the right way pedestrian and cyclist should use the road.

The target group is upper primary and secondary students. They are very involved in school activities and travel to and fro from home and school every day. Thus, it is necessary to instil awareness of road safety in them. Workshops are also held to help teachers integrate road safety into classroom lessons.

To make it realistic, the entire exhibition area is made into 'an open road' complete with traffic lights, road markings and street lights. There is an emphasis on the use of safety belts, crash helmets and airbags.

Parents had very encouraging comments about the whole exercise. They felt that this is an effective way to teach road safety to children. Hands-on experiences are very practical. The best thing is, it covers everything from serious issues of drunken driving and speeding to the correct way to get onto a bus and crossing the road. With such high road accidents rates, it is important to equip children with knowledge and information on road safety.

Prepared by, Tera Tera Patrick (Form 3 Dandelion)

HOW TO WRITE: SPEECH

General Information 1 Speeches and talks address crowds on a particular topic. 2 It is written in formal.

The format of a speech Sample Question: To Introduce An Exchange Student You are the President of the Interact Club of the School. You are asked to introduce an exchange student from India. You have made the following notes: Name Age Place of birth Date of birth Aim Duration of stay : Prakash Mehra : 15 : Mumbai, India : 8 January 1998 : To learn Malaysian's diverse culture and religions : 3 weeks

When writing your speech: use all the information given elaborate on the given information to make it interesting. make sure it is not less than 120 words.

Model Answer:
(a)

A very good morning to the teacher advisors and fellow members. It is indeed an

honour for me to introduce you to an exchange student from India. I would like to extend a warm welcome to Prakash Mehra.
(b)

(c)

Born in Mumbai on the eighth of January 1998, Prakash is keen on learning Malaysia's

diverse cultures and religions. Hence, to accquaint himself to Malaysia's diverse lifestyle, Prakash will stay right here in Sri Aman for three weeks. As he is fifteen years old, he will be in form 3 Bestari.

(c)

So, ladies and gentlemen, let's play the role of a splendid host by ensuring that

Prakash has a wonderful and meaningful stay with us. Indeed, this is a good opportunity for you to know about Mumbai especially Bollywood and its glittering stars. This is because Prakash lives in Mumbai.

(d)

Thank you.

The format of a speech (a) Greet the audience Greet the important people first and then the general public. Express your gratitude for being given the opportunity to speak. (b) Introduce the topic State what you are going to talk about. (c) The body of the speech Give the main points, preferably one point in one paragraph. Elaborate on the points and cite examples. Use sentence connectors to show cohesiveness and cohesion in your speech. (d) Conclude the speech Thank the audience.

General Tips 1 Use the simple present tense. 2 Use short sentences and explain in detail. 3 Avoid flowery language. 4 Use idioms and proverbs to get the attention of the examiner. 5 Check for grammatical, spelling and punctuation mistakes.

WRITING A SPEECH: A Talk On 'How To Improve Your Standard Of The English Language'

You are the President of the English Language Society. You have been invited to give a talk on 'How to Improve Your Standard of the English Language' to the members of the Society. You have made the following notes:

International language, language of Science and technology, language of tertiary education Read widely and extensively - all types of material - increase your vocabulary - sentence structures Speak to your friends and family in English Watch television programmes in English - exposed to the pronunciation, intonation

When writing your speech, you should: use all the notes given. elaborate on the given notes to make it more interesting. make sure it is not less than 120 words.

Model Answer

How To Improve Your Standard Of The English Language

A very good morning to the teacher advisors and members of the English Language Society. In conjunction with the English Language Month, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about a topic that is important to us. The title of my speech is 'How to Improve Your Standard of the English Language". English Language is the international language in this world. Thus, if you have a good command of this language, you can travel to any corner of this world without any language problem. In short, the English Language is your valid passport to any part of this world. Also, English Language is the language of Science and Technology as well as the language of tertiary education. In fact, nearly all the books in these two fields are in English. Thus, if you have a keen interest in science and technology and you want to pursue tertiary education, I would recommend that you improve your standard of the English Language. In fact, there are a few simple ways to improve the English Language. Firstly, read widely and extensively in English. This means you should read more materials in English. This includes storybooks, magazines, and even newspapers. In this way, you will be able to increase your vocabulary and at the same time, you will be exposed to various sentence structures. Thus, you can use this knowledge when writing essays. Next, make it a point to speak to your friends and family in English. This is very essential because to be able to communicate, you have to speak. For sure, you will make a lot of mistakes in the beginning. However, as you keep practicing, you will become more confident in this language. Also, practice makes perfect. Thus, the only way to become a competent speaker is to converse in this language. Finally, watch television programmes in English. This is crucial because you will be exposed to the proper pronunciation and intonation especially by native speakers. Make it a point to watch at least an hour of English language based programmes. In this way, you can be rest assured that you are gaining some new words and most importantly, how to pronounce them with the proper intonation. So, members of the English Language Society, help yourself to become proficient and competent user of the English language. Remember, to improve yourself for a better future, you need to master the English Language. Thank you.