topic 4 writing for different text types

WAJ3103 English Language Proficiency II

TOPIC 4 Writing for Different Text Types

4.0 This topic intends to assist course participants to be aware of different types of report writing and that they may be able to write these reports accurately. Course participants will also be aware of how to write various types of summary, formal and informal letters effectively.

4.1 Learning Outcomes

Study different text organisations for reports and discuss the purpose/objective, language used and audience

Write effectively different kinds of reports namely newspaper reports, events, minutes of meeting and writing reports based on graphs or charts

Write different types of summary effectively based on guidelines given Identify the format of letter writing Use correct and appropriate language, tone and format in letter writing Assess own language progress through self and peer evaluation

4.2 Content

4.2.1 WRITING REPORTS

Descriptions This form of writing is used to organise and record information Its purpose is to describe or classify the way things are or appear to be

Format & Style This genre begins with a general statement. Reports then move on to being more specific and technical in nature They describe certain qualities, functions, habits and behaviours, for example, Lift is

produced because of the shape of an aircraft wing. Air takes longer to travel over the upper surface of the curved wing. This causes a difference in pressure between the top and the bottom of the wing.

Uses the Present Tense.

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WRITING DIFFERENT TEXT TYPES

4.2.1 Writing Reports4.3.3 Writing Formal and Informal Letters

4.2.2 Writing Different Types of Summary


Descriptive language is used that is both factual and accurate. Reports use action verbs such, using the first person (I, we).

Examples Newspapers, schools, academic research, etc.

i. Reporting Sports

Main ObjectiveRecognise bias and objectivity, distinguishing facts from hypotheses, theories or opinions.

Additional focusAnalyse the overall structure of a text to identify how key ideas are developed.

Think aboutHow does fact differ from opinion?

Fact is truth, reality, information that is verifiable Opinion is a view, belief or an assessment Fact: “Ibrox Park, Glasgow”, “70,000 people had assembled”, “on a Saturday afternoon” Opinion: “a shocking accident”, “the scene was one of wild disorder” One cannot reasonably disagree with a fact It is reasonable to disagree with an opinion

Make a list of words – nouns, verbs, adjectives – that could be used in a newspaper report on a football game or any other sport that has mass appeal, for example, “spectator”, “crowd”, “cheers and jeers”, “roar”, “applause”

Read and understandRead “Grandstand Calamity at Ibrox Park” and identify parts of the text that are out of date. How would you write this report to appeal to present-day readers? Would you

o Make the sentences and paragraphs shorter?o Edit the language to make it more direct, simple, precise?o Change the headline to one more dramatic?o Introduce subheadings where meaningful?

Writing Task

You have just watched a very important team game at the local stadium. Write a report to be published in the sports section of a newspaper.

In your report, clearly show What happened during the game How the spectators behaved and The outcome of the event

Disaster at Ibrox

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The following report is from the Daily Telegraph on Monday, 7 th April, 1902. It describes a tragedy at Ibrox during a Scotland-England football game the previous Saturday. Twenty-six people were killed and hundreds injured when a section of the stand collapsed.

Grandstand Calamity at Ibrox Park

IBROX PARK, GLASGOW, was on Saturday afternoon the scene of a shocking accident, involving the loss of many lives and injuries to over 100 people. To witness the annual Association football match between England and Scotland fully 70000 people had assembled there, but as the ground is arranged to accommodate 80 000, the presence even of so vast a gathering as that of Saturday occasioned no anxiety.

Before the start of the game the pressure became so great that the spectators began to clamber over the iron railing in front of the huge uncovered stand. In this rush several people were hurt and received medical attention. The injuries so far were few and not very severe. The invading spectators, however, spread out in all directions, crowding up to the goal line and the touchline on one side of the ground. It seemed as if no play would be possible, but the efforts of the police eventually resulted in the people being driven back to the cinder path.

The game was accordingly commenced, and had been in progress some seven or eight minutes, when from the uncovered stand people swarmed on to the field in thousands, the rush being so tremendous that it stopped

play between the forcing of a corner kick and the taking of it. Within a few minutes the scene was one of wild disorder, the police being quite over-powered in their endeavours to keep people off the playing area. Spectators dashed madly across the field and, almost before it could be realized, there must have been 10000 people in the middle of the ground. The white shirts of the English players could still be distinguished, but, clad in dark blue, the Scotsmen were at once swallowed up, and very soon the players on both sides made their way to the pavilion. For fully 20 minutes the field remained in the possession of the crowd.

Comparatively few people, apart from those on the stand, knew what had happened to cause such an uncontrollable rush. What had occurred was this. On the highest part of the stand a portion of the planking had proved unequal to the strain to which it was being subjected, and, giving way, had precipitated the spectators standing there to the earth. One or two people were killed outright; others received such terrible injuries that they succumbed during the evening; and a number had their limbs fractured or sustained serious internal damage.

Report Language

1. Write down two facts and two opinions from the passage.

Facts : _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

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Opinions: _____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

2. The words below are all used in the extract and now seem rather dated. Replace them with words you think would be more likely to appear in a modern newspaper report.

calamity _____________________________________________________

occasioned _____________________________________________________

spectators _____________________________________________________

commenced _____________________________________________________

disorder _____________________________________________________

endeavours _____________________________________________________

clad _____________________________________________________

precipitated _____________________________________________________

succumbed _____________________________________________________

fractured _____________________________________________________

WRITING FRAME

The difference between a fact and an opinion is that

Here are some facts from the passage about the Ibrox disaster

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Here are some opinions

Some examples of dated expressions used in the passage are

I replaced them with these modern expressions

Here is the first paragraph of a report of the tragedy in the style of a modern newspaper

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ii. Newspaper Article – News Item

The purpose of a newspaper article is to present the news clearly and objectively. A reporter must state the facts, rather than his or her own views. A newspaper must also be very careful not to print anything libelous. This could result in the newspaper being taken to court and sued. A journalist must be particularly careful when writing about crimes. People who have been arrested are ‘suspects’, since they have not yet been proved guilty. They should not be called ‘robbers’, ‘murderers’, etc. No facts should be given that cannot be substantiated (given substance, proved). As well as being accurate in content and neutral in tone, newspaper articles must be interesting. Pay particular attention to the beginning of the story, so that people want to read on.

Model

SOGO FIRE KILLS TWOSummarise the most important facts first

Two people were killed and 15 injured when fire swept through the two basements of the Sogo Department Store in Causeway Bay yesterday.

Use adjectives to add detail The up-market Japanese-owned store, which opened only three years ago, was packed with customers attracted by the New Year’s sales. At about 7.15 p.m. a fire started in a store-room on the lower ground floor.

Use quotations to supply further detail

“The fire spread very quickly because of all the cooking oil in that area of the store,’ said Chan, 19, a part-time cook in the fast-food area.

Use direct speech to add tension and excitement

‘There was absolute chaos,’ said Mrs. Mak Shukhan, a Taikoo Shing housewife, who was in the basement at that time. ‘Everything happened so quickly. People started running and shouting and smoke began to fill the air. The stampede for the escalators was frightening. I’m surprised more people weren’t trampled to death.’

The fire brigade arrived at about 7.25. At first it was

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difficult for them to get their men and equipment down to the fire because of the crush of people. By 7.30 the upper basement was also ablaze, and the fire was upgraded to third alarm.

State the official position The Senior Divisional Fire Officer (Wanchai), Mr Hu Wai-shing, said that he was afraid for a while that the fire would spread to the ground floor. ‘Basically we started to flood the basements as the quickest way to put out the fire. Luckily, although the flames spread quickly, there was not very much inflammable material around. The store’s sprinkler system was also of some help despite its being slow to start working.’

Standard formula for such reports

When firemen finally penetrated to the lower-basement, two badly burnt corpses were found. Fifteen other people were injured in the stampede or suffered burns. They were taken to Tang Shiu Kin Hospital; where seven were treated and discharged. Four people were kept in for observation and four were transferred to the Burns Unit of Queen Mary Hospital. The dead have not yet been named.

Avoid making judgements. It’s not your job and it could land you in court.

The cause of the fire has not yet been established. The police investigating the case have refused at this stage to rule out arson, although faulty wiring in the store-room is considered a more likely cause.

Add any additional facts that are relevant

This is the second fire in a department store in Hong Kong this year.

Style and Content

1. Avoid the word ‘I’. Only a few top journalists are paid to give their views rather than to present the facts. Be impersonal.

2. Give a lot of details – people’s ages, the numbers involved, the precise times.3. A newspaper is usually concerned with what happened yesterday. Remember this, and

don’t just write a short story!4. Use a fairly exciting style. You are trying to interest the reader. Use adjectives freely – ‘

a huge explosion’, ‘ an enormous crowd’, ‘dazzling sunlight’, etc. Help your readers to imagine what happened and to feel some of the emotions involved. For example, don’t write , ‘Mr Chan said …’. Instead, write something like ‘Mr Chan, with tears in his eyes, begged the kidnappers to return his daughter.’

5. Use direct speech. Include short quotations from witnesses, spokesmen, etc.6. Use short, punchy paragraphs.7. Give any relevant statistics and information. Your job is to provide the reader with the

facts so that he or she can form their own judgement.

VocabularyThe following words and phrases are often used in newspaper articles.a spokesman forwitnesspasser-byestablished the cause

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investigations are proceedingin a statement the government saidan inquiry will be heldHospital : admitted

treateddischargedcertified dead on arrivalin a fair / serious/ critical condition

Writing task

Write a news item using the following elements

Accident involving a bus __________________________________________

and a lorry __________________________________________

__________________________________________

Anyone killed or injured? __________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

More information: time, place, was __________________________________________

the bus crowded? If so, why? __________________________________________

What happened? (Remember __________________________________________

not to prejudge!) __________________________________________

Eye-witnesses: any? What did __________________________________________

they see? (Use direct speech.) __________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Arrival of police, ambulance. __________________________________________

Action taken __________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Comment by hospital. __________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

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Comment by police spokesman. __________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Action to be taken – inquiry etc. __________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

__________________________________________

Other recent accidents. __________________________________________

__________________________________________

iii. Writing a Report Based on an Event

How to write an event report1. Start thinking on making your report happen as soon as the event is sure

happening.

2. Take pictures of all the main parts of the day.

3. Get reaction quotes from people in the crowd during and after the event.

4. Before and after the event, talk to the people responsible for planning and speaking at the event.

5. Make notes of pertinent stats such as the number of people attending, the location, the time, the theme, as well as anything else that stands out or makes the event distinct.

6. Get a close up picture of everyone you get a quote from.

7. 3 hours to 3 days after the event, sit down and compile all the information onto one page.

8. Include the important stats in a prominent location (top right corner). Sprinkle the page liberally with scaled-down pictures of the event. Include 2-4 of the best quotes you found along with pictures of the person who said it.

9. Write out a paragraph length summary of the day, highlighting all the most exciting and meaningful elements so that anyone can get a general overview of the scope and schedule of the day.

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Writing Task

Your college had just organized a successful jogathon recently to raise funds for the college library. Write a report describing the jogathon for your college magazine. Sketch the map for the said jogathon and use that and the guidelines below to write your report.

10 km jogathon Start : Flagged off by The Director of the college Check points : Write at least 5 checkpoints based on your map Prize-giving ceremony Speech - The Director of the college

iv. Writing Minutes of a Meeting

The secretary of a committee takes down notes on what is being discussed during a meeting. Then the notes are written in a formal manner using a particular format. This written official record is called the Minutes of Meetings.

Guidelines for writing minutes:

1. The name and the society 2. The date, place and time of the meeting3. Names of persons present at the meeting4. Names of persons absent (with or without reasons)5. List of things to be discussed at the meeting6. Confirmation of issues raised during previous meeting7. Reports from sub-committee8. Person or persons assigned to a given task9. Issue or issues brought to the attention of the committee10. The time the meeting adjourned11. Signature of the persons who prepared the minutes and his or her position12. The date when the minutes were prepared

Headings used when writing Minutes of a Meeting

Minutes of the Fourth Committee Meeting English Language Society, IPG Kampus Raja Melewar, Seremban

Date :

Venue :

Time :

Present :

Absent with apologies

:

Agenda: 1. Welcome Speech by Chairman

2. Confirmation of minutes of the last meeting2. Reports from sub-committee

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3. Other matters arising

1. Welcome Speech by Chairman1.1

2. Confirmation of Minutes of the Third Committee Meeting held on2.1

3. Reports from Sub-committee3.1

4. Other Matters Arising4.1

The meeting was adjourned at …… with a word of thanks to the chair.

(Name (Caps) )SecretaryDate:

Writing Task

You are the secretary of the English Language Society of your college. Write the minutes of the meeting held at the beginning of the semester.

v. Writing Reports based on Graphs

Information in Graphs and ChartsInformation can be derived easily by analyzing charts and graphs. Graphs and charts are often used to:

1. Show changes of things over a period of time2. Show parts of whole things3. Make a comparison of things effectively and quickly

Guidelines1. Study the given graphs or charts carefully.2. Pay attention to the following details:

(i) title or topic (iv) Years(ii) Key (v) The pattern of the graph (if it is a line graph)(iii) Source

3. A report should include the following points:(i) An introduction

- what is the chart about(ii) An analysis of the chart or graph

- Interpreting and identifying the pattern of the graph(iii) Classification of the information in the graphs and charts. Then clarify it by giving

proof from the charts and graphs as well as logical and appropriate explanation.(iv) Additional notes, if any.(v) Conclusion

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- This includes opinions, comments and suggestions. If it is a line graph you have to make prediction on the future trend of the graph. The predictions you make need not necessarily be true or accurate.

Remember to write in a formal tone or language and always refer to the chart or graph when you are writing your report to avoid writing out of point.

Writing Task

Based on a chart or graph that you have, write a report based on what is shown on it.

More task

Read up on other forms of report writing and make notes on each report based on text organisation, the type of language used, the audience. Then compile your notes in your folio.

Bibliography

Fournier, P. (2004). Strategies for correct writing. New York: Longman

Green, M. (2003). English writing workshop. Analyse, review, comment. TG Building, Singapore: Learners Publishing Pte Ltd.

How to write an event report. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Event-Report

Langan, J. (2008). College writing skills. 7th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill International Edition.

Oshima, A. and Hogue, A. (1999). Academic English. 3rd ed. New York: Longman.

Rose Tunku Ismail. (1996). A student’s guide to writing resumes, reports, memorandums and minutes of meetings. Minden, Penang: Pusat Pendidikan Jarak Jauh Universiti Sains Malaysia

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http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Event-Report

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Event-Report


4.2.2 SUMMARY WRITING

What is a summary?

A summary is a condensation or a shortened version of a text. The purpose of writing a summary is to capture the key ideas of another author. A summary has to be brief because the summary writer’s job is mainly to

convey the information contained in a peice of writing in as few words as possible.

A summary has to be objective because the summary is concerned with stating the ideas of someone else and showing your understanding of them and is definately not the place for you to respond to the writer’s ideas.

TYPES OF SUMMARY

There are different types of summaries:

The one-sentence summary is frequently used in academic writing as a way to introduce the reader to the author's central idea or thesis statement.

The informative summary expresses the original author's main ideas, main supporting details, data and arguments. It is much longer than the one-sentence summary and is often incorporated into longer works.

The precis condenses the original text to a specific length, usually one-third or one-fourth the length of the text. In precis writing, you keep to the author's approach, organisational scheme and sequencing of ideas.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SUMMARY

A good summary has the following characteristics:

1. It gives a proper citation. The title, author and source of the text are given as an in-text citation within the

sentence or at the end of the sentence.2. It includes the main ideas.

The central idea or thesis statement is summarised clearly and accurately. Key ideas that the author makes are included without adding your personal opinions,

views and judgements. Specifics such as examples, illustrations, descriptions and detailed explanations are

omitted (unless the concepts of the original are complex and could only be understood with examples).

3. It uses paraphrases. The author's ideas are restated using your own words and sentence structures. Language (vocabulary, grammar, punctuation) is checked to ensure that the original

meaning of the text is retained.4. It is of appropriate length.

A summary is much shorter than the original text. The length of the summary will depend on the purpose of summarising and the length of

the original document. If the purpose is to concisely state the main information (the thesis statement) of the text, then a oneor two-sentence summary is appropriate. An

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informative summary of a short text will include a little detail for each main point. A precis will condense the text to one-third or one-fourth of the original length.

HOW TO SUMMARISE A TEXT

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STEP 1Read the article carefully several times.Make sure you understand the ideas presented

STEP 2Write one very broad thesis statement. Ask yourself what the text is about. Then, write one very broad statement about the text, as if telling your friend

about the article you havejust read.

STEP 3Identify the main points of the article.

What are the main points of the article? Identify the primary idea, assertion or finding that is being discussed. Look out for the main supporting details, the most effective example, the most

telling statistics and the most important authority cited.

Read each paragraph carefully and use one or more of the following helpful

techniques to identify the main points: Underline or highlight the main ideas that you believe are important. Make margin notes of the main ideas that you believe are important. Mark the topic sentence of each paragraph. (Often, the first and/or the last

sentence of a paragraph captures the key idea of the paragraph.)


Example of Summarising

Step 1. Read and understand ideas presented.

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STEP 4Write the first draft of the summary.

Put away the original text. Using only your notes from step 3, write your first draft. Make sure you paraphrase the original sentences. Begin the summary with an in-text citation. Next, write a sentence using your own words stating the central idea. (identified in step 2). Combine all the main ideas you have identified (in step 3). Use discourse markers (e.g. therefore, however, because) to show the

coherence. relationships between the ideas. Check with the original text for accuracy of meaning.

STEP 5Rewrite your summary

When rewriting your summary, focus on the meaning of the original text, correcting the content or tone of the draft to ensure you do not distort the author's message.

Make sure your language is clear and objective. Remember, your final summary should be a shortened version that is

comprehensive, concise, neutral and accurate.

For many years, Malaysian Chinese were hardly interested in tracing their ancestors who had migrated to this country. In recent years, however, many Chinese have developed an avid (interest in their family tree or descent and their cultural background for many reasons). Firstly, many Chinese became inquisitive and highly interested in their descent, their long lost relatives and the culture of China because travel to and from China has become more liberalised and easy. Secondly, the culture and the people of China are constantly featured on satellite TV - Discovery Travel and Adventure which is viewed by millions. As a result of these two reasons, a new passion has been created for thousands of Chinese migrants in Malaysia.


Step 2 .Write one very broad thesis statement. Many Chinese have developed an avid interest in their family tree or descent and their cultural background.

Step 3. Identify the main points of the article and make outline notes.

Making outline notes:

1. Malaysian Chinese's recent interest in their background:

(a) Family trees(b) Cultural background

2. Reasons for interest:(a) Travel to and from China has become more liberalised and easy (b) Discovery Travel and Adventure - features China

Step 4. Writing out the first draft of the summary

Recently, many Malaysian Chinese have developed a keen interest in their family tree or descent and the cultural background for many reasons.

Writing out important supporting details:

'... because of ( liberalisation Of travel to and from China and the televised programme featuring China on Discovery Travel and Adventure

Step 5. Rewrite your summary and make sure the content and tone of the author is not distorted.

Recently, many Malaysian Chinese have developed a keen interest in their descent and cultural background because of liberalisation of travel to and from China and TV programmes featuring China's culture and its people.

Exercise 1

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For many years, Malaysian Chinese were hardly interested in tracing their ancestors who had migrated to this country. In recent years, however, many Chinese have developed an avid (interest in their family tree or descent and their cultural background for many reasons). Firstly, many Chinese became inquisitive and highly interested in their descent, their long lost relatives and the culture of China because travel to and from China has become more liberalised and easy. Secondly, the culture and the people of China are constantly featured on satellite TV - Discovery Travel and Adventure which is viewed by millions. As a result of these two reasons, a new passion has been created for thousands of Chinese migrants in Malaysia.


The important points in the passage have been underlined. (a) Use these important points to make outline notes. (b) Use the outline notes to:

i. write out the thesis statement with controlling ideas ii. write out some important details

Our dreams do not come from 'another world'. They are not messages from some outside source. They are not a look into the future, nor do they prophecy anything.

All our dreams have something to do with our emotions, fears, longings, wishes, needs, memories. But something on the 'outside' may influence what we dream. If we are hungry, or tired, or cold, our dream may include this feeling. If the blanket has slipped oft our bed, we may dream we are on an iceberg. The materials for the dream we have tonight is likely to come from the experiences we will have today.

So the content of our dream comes from something that affects us while we are sleeping (cold, noise, discomfort, and so on) and it may also use our past experiences and the urges and interests we have now. This is why very young children are likely to dream of wizards or fairies, older children of school exams, hungry people of food, homesick soldiers of their families, and prisoners of freedom. Psychoanalysts, people who study Our minds, have made a special study of why we dream what we dream, and what those dreams mean. Their interpretation of dreams otters an interesting approach to the problem. They believe that dreams are expressions of wishes that didn't come true, or of frustrated yearnings. In other words, a dream is a way of having our wish fulfilled.

Exercise 2 Write a summary of about one-third the length of the passage.

Classroom teachers can encounter speech and language problems in several forms in children. The first of these, language delay, is commonly linked with mental retardation, or slowness of the mind. Children with poor mental cognitive development or poor learning ability may show a slow rate of language development as well.

Another form of speech problem, stuttering, seems to involve speech production mainly, and to a lesser extent, the overall thinking ability. Stuttering occurs when a person finds it difficult to say the first sound of a word and so often hesitates or repeats it two or three times. The causes of stuttering are still unclear, though it does become worse if the children become stressed and excited. But this does not mean that teachers should avoid at all costs to excite children who stutter. lt does mean, however, that teachers should expect fluctuations or changes in amount of stuttering produced depending on the degree of excitement in different circumstances.

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http://stutter.lt/


A third form of speech problem, speech or articulation disorders, is the most common among school children. Such children may mix up, omit, or substitute certain sounds of language, giving their speech a'babyish' quality, ‘ a vewy fuwwy beaw', they may say, instead of 'a very furry bear'. Although such error occur most commonly among younger children, they can persist well into adolescence for a few people.

CHECKLIST

Use this checklist when double-checking your summary.

1. Have you read the original text carefully and understood it completely?

2. If the author's name and the title of the source is mentioned, have you included it in the opening section of the summary?

3. Have you included the thesis statement of the original text?4. Have all the main ideas of the original text been included?

5. Have all the important findings, ideas and arguments been accurately and objectively paraphrased?

6. Have you checked that you did not include your personal opinions, views and judgement?

7. Have you omitted specifics such as examples, descriptions and detailed explanations?

8. Is your summary comprehensible even after cutting down words to condense it?

9. Have you checked your summary against the original text for accuracy?

10. Have the tone and intention of the original text been maintained?

11. Does your summary make sense to someone who has not read the original text?

Key:Exercise 1Making outline notes:Dreams - not messages from outer source - not a look into future - not prophecyDreams are related to emotions, fear, longings, wishes, needs, memories influenced by environment. Content of dream - influenced by past experiences, urges and interests, aunfulfilled wishes, yearnings. A dream is a way of having our wish fulfilled

Writing out the thesis statement with controlling ideas:Dream are a way of having our wish fulfilled, not a prophecy, or messages from an outer source.

Writing out some important details:All dreams are made of unfulfilled emotions,fears, longings, wishes, needs memories influenced by past experiences, urges and interests.

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Exercise 2

Classroom teachers often encounter different forms of speech and language disorders in children like language delay, stuttering and articulation disorder. Language delay is linked to slow mental and language development, while stuttering affects speech production but hardly affects thinking ability. Articulation disorder on the other hand, occurs when children mix up, omit, and substitute certain sounds of language.

Bibliography

Ng, K. S., Lim, S. K. and Tan, L. H. (2009). Getting ahead with English. Grammar andwriting. Shah Alam: Federal Marshall Cavendish Education.

Krishnakumari Karuthan, Nor Azni Abdullah and Ahmad Mazli Muhammad. (2010). Writing with sources. A guide book for academic writers. Shah Alam: McGraw-Hill Education.

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4.2.3 LETTER WRITING

There are basically two types of letter writing namely formal letter and informal letter. Formal letters are such as letter of complaint , letter to order stationery, letter to protest, etc whereas Informal letters are such as letter to a friend, letter to family members, etc.

A: FORMAL LETTER(i) Language features

Formal tone Words which tell us how, when or where Words which express judgements Words such as ‘because’, ‘as a results’ to establish cause /effect relationship.

(ii) FormatBusiness Letter Format

Block Format: Business Letter

Return Address Line 1 1Return Address Line 2

Date (Month Day, Year) 2

Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr. Full name of recipient. 3Title/Position of Recipient.Company NameAddress Line 1Address Line 2

Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name: 4

Subject: Title of Subject 5

Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Closing (Sincerely...), 7 Signature 8 Your Name (Printed) 9Your Title

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Enclosures (2) 10Typist Initials. 11

The block format is the simplest format; all of the writing is flush against the left margin.

Your Address 1The return address of the sender so the recipient can easily find out where to send a reply to. Skip a line between your address and the date. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with the company letterhead already on it.)

Date 2Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year i.e. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the inside address (some people skip 3 or 4 lines after the date).

Inside Address 3The address of the person you are writing to along with the name of the recipient, their title and company name, if you are not sure who the letter should be addressed to either leave it blank, but try to put in a title, i.e. "Director of Human Resources". Skip a line between the date and the salutation.

Salutation 4Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. Last Name:, Dear Director of Department Name: or To Whom It May Concern: if recipient's name is unknown. Note that there is a colon after the salutation. Skip a line between the salutation and the subject line or body.

Subject Line (optional) 5 Makes it easier for the recipient to find out what the letter is about. Skip a line between the subject line and the body.

Body 6The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip a line between the end of the body and the closing.

Closing 7Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized. Skip 3-4 lines between the closing and the printed name, so that there is room for the signature.

Signature 8Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen.

Printed Name 9The printed version of your name, and if desired you can put your title or position on the line underneath it. Skip a line between the printed name and the enclosure.

Enclosure 10If letter contains other document other than the letter itself your letter will include the word

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"Enclosure." If there is more than one you would type, "Enclosures (#)" with the # being the number of other documents enclosed, not including the letter itself.

Reference Initials 11If someone other than yourself typed the letter you will include your initials in capital letters followed by the typist's initials in lower case in the following format; AG/gs or AG:gs.

(i) Example(ii) Sample Business Letter

2020 Jalan Sikamat70400 Seremban

January 5, 2012

Mr. BrunoAccounts PayableThe Delicious Store1010 Jalan Megamall70100 Seremban

Dear Mr. Bruno:

It has come to my attention that your company, The Delicious Store has been late with paying their invoices for the past three months.

In order to encourage our customers to pay for their invoices before the due date, we have implemented a discount model where we will give you 2% off your invoice if you pay us within 7 days of receiving the invoice.

I hope that everything is going well for you and your company. You are one of our biggest customers, and we appreciate your business. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at (06) 888-8888

Sincerely,

Signature

MarsAccounts Receivable

B: INFORMAL LETTER (i) Language features

Informal tone Social expressions Language forms and functions.

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(ii) Format

Friendly Letter Format

Return Address Line 1 1Return Address Line 2Date (Month Day, Year) 2

Body Paragraph 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Body Paragraph 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Body Paragraph 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

P.S. 7

In the friendly letter format, your address, date, the closing, signature, and printed name are all indented to the right half of the page (how far you indent in is up to you as long as the heading and closing is lined up, use your own discretion and make sure it looks presentable). Also the first line of each paragraph is indented.

Your Address 1All that is needed is your street address on the first line and the city, state and zip on the second line. (Not needed if the letter is printed on paper with a letterhead already on it.)

Date 2Put the date on which the letter was written in the format Month Day Year e.g. August 30, 2003. Skip a line between the date and the salutation.

Salutation 3Usually starts out with Dear so and so, or Hi so and so. Note: There is a comma after the end of the salutation (you can use an exclamation point also if there is a need for some emphasis).

Body 4The body is where you write the content of the letter; the paragraphs should be single spaced

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Closing (Sincerely...), 5 Signature 6


with a skipped line between each paragraph. Skip 2 lines between the end of the body and the closing.

Closing 5Let's the reader know that you are finished with your letter; usually ends with Sincerely, Sincerely yours, Thank you, and so on. Note that there is a comma after the end of the closing and only the first word in the closing is capitalized.

Signature 6Your signature will go in this section, usually signed in black or blue ink with a pen. Skip a line after your signature and the P.S.

P.S. 7If you want to add anything additional to the letter you write a P.S. (post script) and the message after that. You can also add a P.P.S after that and a P.P.P.S. after that and so on.

(iii) Example

Sample Friendly Letter

506 Country LaneNorth Baysville, CA 53286December 02, 2011

It feels like such a long time since the last time I saw you. I know it's only been a month since I saw you. So far my holidays have been great!

I spend all my weekends at the beach. I am getting a nice tan and you can no longer say I am paler than you. I have been playing lots of volleyball, surfing and building a nice collection of sea shells. Just this past weekend I took second place in a sandcastle building contest!

On the weekdays I work. I drive an ice cream truck around and sell ice cream to the kids. It is so cool. It is a combination of the two things I love most, ice cream and kids. The pay isn't too great but I love the job so much.

I hope the holiday’s been going well for you too. There's only a month left before it's back to school. Would you like to meet up some time before school starts?

P.S. William says hi.

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Your friend, Signature


Writing Tasks

(a) A Letter of ComplaintYou are a resident of Taman Sinar Harapan. You and several of the residents in your area are unhappy with the presence of numerous stalls in your area/

Your complaints are about: Stalls sprawling onto the roads Unhygienic conditions at the stalls Lack of parking space Clogged drains

Write a letter to the town council complaining about the conditionsWhen writing the letter, you should; Mention the complaints Give suggestions on how to overcome the problems Include any other relevant information.

(b) A Letter to a FriendWrite a letter to a friend tellinghim/her about a frightening experience.

Bibliography

Maryann, S., and Roy,J. (2007). Model compositions and summaries. 3rd ed. Kuala Lumpur : Oxford Fajar .

Letter writing guide. (2004-2011 LetterWritingGuide.com ). Sample business letter. Retrieved http://www.letterwritingguide.com/samplebusiness.htm

Letter writing guide. (2004-2011 LetterWritingGuide.com ). Sample friendly letter format. Retrieved from http://www.letterwritingguide.com/friendlyletterformat.htm

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http://www.letterwritingguide.com/friendlyletterformat.htm

http://www.letterwritingguide.com/samplebusiness.htm

topic 4 writing for different text types

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