FORMAL LETTER

INFORMAL LETTER

506 Country Lane

North Baysville, CA 53286
Dear Susan, July 16, 2007

It feels like such a long time since the last time I saw you. I know it's only been several weeks
since I saw you. So far my summer has been great!

I spend my 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 summer's been going well for you too. There's only a month and a half left in summer
vacation and after that it's back to school. Would you like to meet up some time to before school starts?

Your friend,
Signature
WRITING REPORTS

Your school recently organised a Leadership Camp for all presidents and secretaries of the
various clubs in your school. You are the Editor of the School Magazine. You, too, attended
the camp and you have been asked to write a report for the school magazine. In your report,
include the following information:

Place: Perimbun Resort, Cheras

Date: 27-29th July

Participants: Presidents and secretaries of various clubs in school

Organised by: Co-curricular Unit

Objectives of the camp:

- to instil leadership qualities

- to improve teamwork

Facilitators: Youth leaders from local university

Activities:

Day 1 –

· Briefing by facilitators

· Setting up tents

· Group activities

Day 2 –

· Morning exercise

· Survival skills

· Night hike

Day 3 –

· Feedback session

The above question requires you to write a report on a school activity. Below are two samples
based on the same question.

Sample 1

Integrated Leadership Camp

The Co-curricular Unit of SMK Setia recently organised an Integrated Leadership Camp at
Perimbun Resort, Cheras, from 27-29th July. The objectives of the camp were to instil
leadership qualities and improve teamwork among the 50 participants who attended this camp.
The activities at the camp were handled by several youth leaders from a local university.

All participants, presidents and secretaries of the various clubs in school, had gathered at the
school hall at 2pm. From there, they were taken to the campsite in two buses. They were
accompanied by five teachers, including the senior assistant of co-curricular affairs Puan Ng.
Upon arrival at the campsite, they were given a briefing by the facilitators. Then, they were
put into groups and asked to set up tents. By 7pm, most of them had accomplished this task
successfully. After dinner, the participants had to engage in their first group activity. They
were required to come up with names and theme songs for their groups.

The second day of the camp was much more hectic. The participants had a rigorous exercise
session which involved aerobics and jogging around the campsite. Then, after breakfast, they
had to display their survival skills. In the afternoon, the participants had another round of
physical activities. They engaged in canoeing in the nearby lake.

The night programme was the most interesting. Participants had to take part in a night hike.

There was only one activity on the third day of the camp – the feedback session. The
participants rated the programme highly and hoped that it would be held annually.

The leadership camp was a huge success because all participants showed tremendous support
by actively participating in all the activities throughout the duration of the camp.

Written by,

Ly Ly
TAN LY LY
Editor

Sample 2
Integrated Leadership Camp

The weekend of 27-29th July this year will forever be etched in the minds of the 50
participants who attended the Integrated Leadership Camp organised by the Co-curricular Unit
of SMK Setia. The two-day two night camp, held at Perimbun Resort, Cheras, some 20 miles
away from the city centre, was a compulsory activity for all presidents and secretaries of the
various clubs in school. The objectives of the camp were to instil leadership qualities and
improve teamwork among participants. Although the students were accompanied by several
teachers, all activities were conducted by youth leaders from a local university.

Most of the students, who are in Form Four this year, were very excited throughout the 45-
minute journey to the campsite. Upon arrival, they were immediately whisked off to the
seminar room where they were given a briefing on the rules and regulations at the campsite by
the facilitators. Then, they were put into groups of five and asked to erect their own tents.

Luckily for my group, we had the President of the Scouts Club with us. In no time, he had
instructed us on how to put up the tent. Unfortunately, some of the other groups were
struggling with their tents and seeing their dismal efforts some of us decided to help them.
Apparently, this was the first test of our teamwork skills and fortunately, many of us passed
with flying colours. After dinner, we had a group dynamics activity, where we had to come up
with names, logos and jingles for our groups. Well, with names like the Flying Potters and
Forever Dumbledores, and jingles ranging from pop rock to jazz, the students of SMK Setia
proved that they are indeed a creative lot.

The second day of the camp started off with an early morning exercise session at 5.30am. The
two energetic facilitators, Tim and Ashraf, took us through a rigorous exercise routine. Many
of us who barely exercise knew what to expect over the next few days – muscle cramps. After
the one-hour aerobic session, we jogged through Perimbun town, which was a pale shadow of
its daytime hustle and bustle. The early morning exercise was invigorating and refreshing. We
had enough time for a quick shower and breakfast, before we took part in more group
activities.

These activities were physically and mentally challenging. One of the activities was basic
survival skills. We had to start our own fires with only two matchsticks and cook lunch for the
group members. Using water from the slightly muddy stream nearby, we had to cook not only
rice but also fish and vegetables. As no soap was made available to us, we learnt to wash the
cooking utensils using ash. Later in the afternoon, we had activities like flying fox and
abseiling. Through these activities, we learnt to trust each other and to give moral support
when it is most needed.

The highlight of the camp was a night hike in the surrounding jungle. The facilitators led us
deep into the jungle and made us sit all by ourselves. The half hour spent alone was aimed at
making us brave and resilient. Though many of us were initially hesitant and sceptical about
this activity, it was indeed an insightful experience.

On the final morning, we had a hearty breakfast, which was followed by a feedback session.
During this session, we were given the opportunity to voice our feelings and opinions
regarding the camp. Many of the participants gave constructive feedback on what the camp
had taught them. We learnt about the importance of teamwork, consideration, tolerance and
understanding. Most importantly, we learnt that good leadership is responsible leadership.

Reported by,

Ly Ly
TAN LY LY
Editor
 Both the above reports communicate what they are supposed to but one is more interesting
than the other.

Sample 1 is direct and to the point. Ideas have not been elaborated and the report is very
serious and impersonal.

Sample 2, on the other hand, is much more interesting because the writer has injected
emotions and feelings into the report besides giving us a clearer picture of what happened at
the camp.

Some of you may ask: “Isn’t a report supposed to have a serious and formal tone?” Well, as I
said earlier, it depends on who your audience is. In this case, the report is to appear in the
school magazine and so the readers are the students. As such, it is all right to write a report
like Sample 2. However, do be forewarned. Some students get carried away and end up
making their report a narrative essay.

General guidelines to remember when writing a report

When writing a report, pay attention to the following aspects:

# Type of report – different reports have different requirements and different formats.

# Language used – some reports are written in the past tense, some (such as science
reports) are written in the present tense and some require the use of the passive voice.

Also bear in mind that a report should:

# Communicate its intention clearly (i.e. the purpose of the report).
# Be clearly structured – it should have an introduction, body and conclusion. The
transition from introduction to body to conclusion should be smooth.
# Have a title and the name of the writer/reporter and his/her designation.

A sample of a report writing for a school magazine.

National Day Celebration

SMK Simpang Rengam held a grand National Day celebration on 31st August this year at Kluang
Stadium. History Club, as the organiser had done a great job.

The celebration began with a march past by the school band. The boys in the band put on red uniform
and a cap. They played beautiful music. Everyone applauded loudly when they entered the stadium and
walked past the audiences.

This was followed by the raising of Malaysian flag. Everyone stood up straight and proudly sang our
National Anthem and patriotic songs accompanied by the music played by our talented school band.

Then, a few cultural shows were performed by a group of students. They came up on a platform built in
the middle of the stadium and danced traditional dances like “zapin” and “inang” gracefully. Another
group of students also came up and sang some traditional songs like “ghazal” and “lagu asli” sweetly.

The celebration ended with rhythmic gymnastics. Our school’s gymnasts put up some of their
gymnastic acts accompanied by classical and modern music. They used colourful ribbons and hoops. It
was fascinating.

Everybody including our Education District Officer who came to give closing speech was speechless.
The National Day Celebration would not be forgotten for many years to come.

Reported by
Amirul Hakimi
(Secretary of History Club)

SPEECH WRITING

1.Greeting
Good morning ladies and gentlemen.
2.Introduce yourself
Let me begin by introducing myself. I am ………………………………………….
3.Mention the topic
This morning, I am going to talk about
………………………………………………………………………………………….
4.First point
First of all, I would ...........
5.Elaboration (state reason/purpose)
6.Second point
Next, I would ..............
7.Elaboration
(state reason/purpose)
8.Third point
Moreover, I would .............
9.elaboration
(state reason/purpose)
10.Closing
Last but not least, thanks for listening to me.

SPEECH
Keep simple and polite!

Good morning teachers and friends, I, Ihsan Hadi as the President of the Environment Club would like
to talk about” How to Protect the Environment”

First of all, each one of us can start by not littering. We should throw our rubbish into the rubbish bin
instead of anywhere we like. Once I went strolling at a park nearby my house but was disappointed at
the sight of rubbish. I saw many empty cans and plastic wrappers lying around. They do not only spoil
the beautiful park but they are the best breeding place for aedes mosquitoes.

Another way of protecting our environment is by keeping our rivers clean. We can play our role by not
throwing rubbish into the rivers. Meanwhile the factories can stop dumping their toxic waste into them.
Plastic wrappers which made up 80 percent of the rubbish can endanger the fish and other aquatic lives
while toxic waste can kill them. We, human will consequently suffer as we rely on the rivers for food
and water.

Moreover, farmers should avoid open burning in their farming practice because it pollutes the air. Open
burning can lead to haze which contains poisonous gases such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide.
These gases can cause many serious diseases. Children who breathe the polluted air may suffer from
asthma and some people may even suffer from rashes and eye-diseases.

Finally, we can practice the 3R; Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. Every household should aim at reducing
the amount of rubbish thrown. To achieve this aim ,each member of the household can refuse plastic
carriers when he goes shopping. He can bring a recyclable carrier or a special shopping bag. The
household members can even reuse some items like glass jar as a vase and cans as coin box or as a pen
holder. Old newspapers can also be recycled into new papers or reused in paper crafting. If "Reuse,
Reduce and Recycle" are put into practice ,the amount of rubbish thrown and the amount of energy
used to produce some of the recyclable items can indeed be reduced.

Clearly, each one of us can contribute towards the conservation of our environment and our efforts
should be continuous. Protecting our environment means ensuring the existence of our future
generation. With that, I thank you.