SPM English 1119/2 Paper 2 – Writing (90 minutes) 3 parts in total Part 1: Short Communicative Message (20 marks) Students are advised to spend about 10 – 15 minutes for Part 1. The number of words should be about 80 words. The task is writing a short communicative message through emails. Summary: 20 marks, 80 words, drafting emails. Part 2: Guided Writing (20 marks) Students are advised to spend about 20 – 25 minutes for Part 2. The number of words should be between 125 and 150 words. The task is writing an essay or elaboration of points for or against an idea, plan or arrangement based on a guided stimulus. Summary: 20 marks, 125-150 words, elaborate idea/plan Part 3: Extended Writing (20 marks) Students are advised to spend about 50 – 60 minutes for Part 3. The number of words should be between 200 and 250 words. The task is writing a composition based on a choice of three questions: article, review, report or story. Summary: 20 marks, 200-250 words, article/report/review/story Part 1 – Short Communicative Message i) Informal email – to friend (casual) 1. Start the email with ‘Hi/Hello’ followed by name of receiver. Eg: Hi Sally, long time no see. I hope you are in the pink of health. It has been some time since we last saw each other. 2. Use relevant expressions appropriate to the purpose of the email. Would you like to/ I would like to invite you to ….. (inviting) We could…. (suggestion) Could you please (request) 3. Give details like relevant info/time/place. 4. Conclude with ‘See you soon. / Hope to hear from you soon. 5. End with your name Exercise for informal email You received an email from a friend who wants to study together for an upcoming exam. Hi, the mid-year exam is around the corner. Would you like to study together in preparation for this exam? We could do it in my house as my parents will be away for the fortnight before the mid-year exam. I don’t mind if you want to bring two of your friends as long as they are serious about their studies. Looking forward to hearing from you. Bye for now. Draft a reply email to your friend. While drafting a reply:1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Address your friend Thank her & say that you would like to join Inform her that you’ll be bringing two of your friends Hope that she can reply soon Sign off Subject: Group Study for Upcoming Exam Hi John, I hope you are doing well/good/ I hope you are in the pink of health/ it has been some time since we last seen each other. Thank you for inviting me to study together in preparation for the upcoming exam. It is a good idea to study together as the subject format has changed. I would like to join you and at the same time I would like to bring along two of my friends. They are from the same school as us, but you might not know them since they are from different classes. They might be able to share new ideas taught by their teachers. Please forward the study schedule for our reference. Hope to see you soon. Thank you. Regards, XXX ii) Formal email – professional language 1. Start with salutation. Dear Sir/Madam/Mr/Mrs/Dr XXX 2. Thank the recipient. Thank you for the prompt reply…/ Thank you for contacting…. 3. State purpose of writing I am writing to enquire about…. Make it clear and simple. 4. Add your closing remarks. Thank you for your time/consideration. Add a follow up sentence of ‘if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me…../ I look forward to hearing from you. 5. End with a closing. End with Thank you. 6. Sign off ‘Best regards’,‘Sincerely’ > your name. Sincerely, Sally Lee. From: (sender’s email – your email) Date: (date and time) Cc: (friends’ emails you want to include) Subject: (message topic) Formal email 25 July 2021 Dear Sir/Madam/Mr. Ali, Thank you. Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, (Sign) XXX Exercise 1. You receive an email from your aunt who is concerned about your cousin brother who looks depressed most of the time. She wants you to help her by talking to your cousin brother. Dear Alan, I’m sorry to disturb you at this time when you’re preparing for your finals. I’m worried about Ben who looks depressed most of the time. The two of you are very close so please talk to him. I’m sure he’ll tell you the reasons for his present behaviour. I suspect it is cyberbullying but he refuses to talk about it. I’m sure he will open up to you. Bye! Now write an email to your aunt in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Hi, Aunt Jocelyn, thank you for your faith in me. I have talked to Ben few days ago. Ben opened up to me that he was in fact a victim of cyberbullying. Ben needs family support and encouragement to get through the hard times. Ben needs someone to talk to him gently. I believe that Ben will be fine soon. /With all these, Ben can get his life back on track. Get back to me if you need further help or assistance. /Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further help. Bye. Love,/ With love, XXX 2. You received an email from a friend who is waiting to go oversea for further studies in about three months’ time. She wants to spend the time fruitfully like doing voluntary work with a worthwhile organisation. She hopes that you can help her out. Hi, As you know, I’ll be going for further studies in Australia in about three months’ time. I would like to spend the time fruitfully but I’m not sure what I can do or which direction to go. I could do a short course or get involved in voluntary work in a worthwhile organisation. I would be most obliged if you could help me out so that I can put my time to good use. Waiting for your good news. Nora. Now write an email to your friend in about 80 words. Write your answer below. Formal email You received an email notifying you about an interview from JK company which you applied for a position. Draft an email to this company in about 80 words. Dear Applicant, Thank you for your interest and application to JK Company. We are glad to inform that your application for the position of Assistant Executive Accountant is well received. The result for the interview session will be sent to your email after the interview session for all candidates. Please let us know what skills you can offer should you succeed in the interview. Thank you. John Lee Manager, Human Resources Department, JK Company. Dear Mr. John Lee, Thank you for granting me a chance for this interview. I enjoyed learning about the position of Assistant Executive Accountant at JK Company. I believe that this role is a perfect match to my skills and capabilities. The systematic human resource management in your company confirmed my desire to work with you. I will bring to the position my strong researching skills, and encouraging my colleagues to work closely with the department. I appreciate the time you took to interview me. I look forward to hearing from you regarding this position. Thank you. Yours sincerely, /Yours faithfully, Ashley. Part 2 – Guided Writing 1. The question can be based on following genre: • an idea, plan or arrangement • the format of the essay can be – argumentative – points for and against are tabled Letter writing – formal/informal Letters – expository – an account of a topic of general or current interest speeches/talks – pass on information on a certain occasion– reflective – express personal opinion 2. The stimulus or information may be in the form of short notes, a graphic presentation or a series of pictures. 3. Read the question and study the stimulus/information carefully. Break the stimulus or information into parts if necessary, to have better understanding. 4. Use the correct format that is required. 5. Students are required or encouraged to provide relevant information to make the composition interesting. 6. Remember to keep to the task stated in the question for example to discuss, explain 18. To recapitulate – RUPOWC Read/Study – Understand – Plan – Organise – Write – Check Format 5 paragraphs Para 1: Intro Para 2-4: Content Para 5: Conclusion. QUESTION 1 Write your answer in 125 – 150 words in an appropriate style. Your class has been discussing the pros and cons of studying overseas. Your English language teacher has asked you to write an essay about the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. In your essay, you should write about: PROS AND CONS OF STUDYING ABROAD Advantages • New Experiences • Independence/Responsibility • More Courses • Reputable Universities Disadvantages: • Alien Environment • Cultural Shock : Homesickness • Expensive • Irrelevant Disciplines Write your essay using all the information and giving reasons for your point of view. Sample answer There are several pros and cons of studying overseas. //advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. The first advantage is the student gains new experiences, independence and responsibility. When he learns time and financial management, he budgets and lives within his allowance. The second advantage is the numerous courses available in many reputable universities. If he graduates from Harvard or Cambridge, he would be headhunted and offered a highly lucrative position. However, there are also disadvantages. // On the other hand, there are disadvantages. The student is thrown into an alien environment, experiences cultural shock and is homesick. Overseas courses are expensive. Besides, he might enroll in an irrelevant degree course that has no value to his home country. In conclusion//In a nutshell// To sum it up, I think that there are more advantages in studying overseas. // there are both advantages and disadvantages in studying overseas. (130 words) than studying locally at tertiary level. Should finances be an issue, study for the first degree locally then study abroad for postgraduate qualifications. QUESTION 2 You watched a television programme about animals and learnt about animal extinction. Write an essay expressing your opinion and feelings in the increase in number of endangered species. Causes contributing to Animal Extinction • Poaching – illegal international trade, increase in demand for exotic animal parts [trophies, fashion accessories, sale of live animals • Loss of habitat – water, food sources • Overharvesting marine life – environmental issues Write the essay using all the notes and giving your opinion and feelings from your point of view. There are several causes contributing to animal extinction. The first cause contributing to animal extinction is poaching. This is because illegal international trade takes place. There is also increase in demand for exotic animal parts to make trophies and fashion accessories like branded bags. Sale of live animals also happened frequently. Furthermore,//Moreover, endangered species faced loss of habitat due to human activities. For example, deforestation. // cutting down of trees. The animals now lack water and food sources because they no longer live in their habitat. Last but not least, overharvesting of marine life is also one of the causes contributing to animal extinction. For instance, corals. Corals are the habitat for most of the marine life including fishes. Hence[connective], overharvesting of marine life especially corals caused environmental issues. In a nutshell, several causes contributed to the extinction of animals. // In a nutshell, poaching is the main cause of animal extinction. Part 3 – Extended Writing Time: Students are encouraged to spend 50-60 mins to complete the answer. Number of words: between 200-250 words. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Stimulus will be given in the form of advertisement, notes, itinerary or brochure. Read the question and notes carefully. Study the stimulus – advertisement /brochure / itinerary - provided in detail. Identify the format required in the question before you start writing. The question may be a report, an article or a review. Be clear about the purpose of the article. Check for any grammar or spelling errors Give opinion IF necessary. *** Format of Articles: i) Heading/Title for the Article ii) Name of writer iii) Separate points into paragraphs - include details to make your article interesting - details should be based on the notes provided. Question 1 Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. You come across the idiom, ‘blood is thicker than water’, and you mull over the meaning of the idiom and decide to write an article on ‘Good Parenting’. In your article, include the following: • Introduction – parents and child – special bond • Parenthood follows marriage – prospective parents – role – make sacrifices • Parental love- not pampering – instil good qualities for future • Love and understanding – wholesome not blind - strong familial bond • Be themselves – love wisely Write your article. Question 2 Write your answer in 200 – 250 words in an appropriate style. You are a student counsellor and have attended a seminar on how to be an A-Star student. Write an article on what you learnt for the school magazine. In your article, include the following: • exams – internal and public – school life – tedious and stressful • study smart – positive attitude – understand exam format • attentive and focused – punctual and review • study techniques: • read aloud • short notes • schedules – short bouts of study • during exams: • choose – understand question • focus – thorough answers – keep tabs on time Write your article.
