Speeches / Talks

Guidelines ...

1. Introduction - greet your listeners and state the purpose of your talk/speech clearly.

2. State all the facts and points you wish to convey to your audience systematically.

3. Substantine your points with examples and illustrations from everyday life.

4. Make sure your speech is practical and interesting by providing some practical
solutions to the problem concerned.

5. Conclude by thanking your listener and make references to the purpose of your
talk/speech.

Exam tips

 An important feature of a speech - make it easy for listeners to follow the sequenceof
ideas by giving clear indications of the organisation of your talk.

 Sequence the ideas with appropriate markers.

-To begin with - I am sure something

- Let us now look - In conclusion/Finally

Letters

Letter may be classified according to their purposes. There are two different kinds of
letters at the SPM level.

1. Formal Letters or Business Letters - these include Letters of Complaint, Letters of

Enquiry, Letters of Application and Letters of Request for Permission.

2. Informal Letters or Sosial Letters - friendly letters written to friends and family
members on topics of interest as well as letters to the Press.

A. Formal Letters

Business or formal letters are not only limited to the world business. You may write a
formal letter for a number of reasons:

a) To apply for a job

b) To enquire about a product or a vacancy for a job
c) To complain to a public services department about unsatisfactory products or
services.

Guidelines ...

 Formal letters are naturally much more formal in style. Use a seriuos tone.
 Set out your letter in the correct format as marks will be awarded accordingly. (refer
to model answer)
 Include all the points given and elaborate on them, adding relevant details where
possible.

Exam Tips

 Refer to the question every now and then to remind yourslelf who are youwriting to
and why. This will help you avoid writing out topic.
 Aspects What It Consist
1. The writer's address is at the left hand corner
2. A line is drawn after this
3. The name and address of the company or the person to
whom the letter is address
Heading 4. Underline the postcode and state
5. The date is written on the right, on the same line as the
postcode and state
6. The date may be written in full.
~ 11 OCTOBER 2012
The use of the term Dear, as a polite expression.
Salutation  Dear Sir/Madam

1. The title of the writer is written after the salutation and

Title of the Letter underlined.
2. It should state the purpose of the letter..
1. The contents of the letter depend on its purpose.
a) Letter of Complaint
b) Letter of Enquiry
c) Letter of Application
Body of the Letter 2. The contents of the letter should be brief and direct and written
in formal language.
3. Each point should be numbered.
4. The letter should have an introduction and a conclusion.
1. The closing phrase should be written on the left:
a) Yours faithfully
b) Yours truly
The Closing Phrase 2. The subscription Yours sincerely should not be used if you
begin the letter with . Instead,use the closing phrase Yours
faithfully

1. This should be below the closing phrase.

2. The name of the writer should be in block letters written below
The signature the signature.
3. Name of the post held by the writer should be written below
the name.

Superscription Name and address of receiver on the envelope.

B. Informal Letters

Informal letter are written to friends, relativesor next of kin. In theexamination, you may
be required to write to the Press regarding an issue you feel strongly about, or to friend,
relating an event or presenting your views on a certain issue.

Aspect What It Consist

Heading 1. The writer's address is on the right.
2. The date is written one line below the address of the writer.
1. It is written on the left, one line below the date.
 Dear Andrew,
Greeting or  Dearest Stella,
Salutation 2. To someone of superior rank or older than you, it is respectful to
use a suitable title in front of the name.
 Uncle Halim,
 Dear Sir/Madam
Body of the Letter 1. The purpose of your letter - what you want to write about.
2. Divide the contents of your letter into paragraph, one paragraph
for each content point.
3. Write in an easy and conversational style like a friendly chat.
However, do not get carried away and write careless.
4. Write neatly and mind your spelling and punctuation.
Closing Phrase/ 1. The closing phrase should be writteb below the last words of the
Conclusion/ letter and on the right.
Leaving-taking  Yours affectionately,
Complimentary  Yours lovingly,
Closing 2. The first word of the closing phrase should begin with a capital
letter.

Signature The name of the writer should be signed clearly.

Superscription 1. The superscription is the name and address of the receiver on the
envelope.
2. The address should be carefully spaced.
Reports

Guidelines ...

Use simple directed English. Avoid flowery phrases and expressions. Keep your
sentences and paragraphs short.
Expand points given byadding relevant details such as names, ages, occupations and
other suitable ideas.
Include the following in your report:
A title
The day of the incident
The place where the incident occured
A description of howthe incident happened and who were the people involved and
casualities
Witnesses' accounts, if any
Actions that the authorities concerned are going to take or have taken already
Your first sentences should capture the reader's attention and briefly explain what the
news is about.
Write your report asneatly as possible. Pay attention to the punctuation marks.
Articles

Example:
Types of Directed Writing

1. Reports 2. Letters

Types of Directed
Writing

4. Articles 3. Speeches/Talks