Informal letter

An informal letter is a letter you would write to a friend, a family member or an acquaintance. 

Language Feature: Informal and Friendly

Examples

Who? Appropriate tone

A family member I am extremely happy and excited to have been
given a chance to go to Germany on a student
exchange programme!

A close friend I am elated and excited to have been given a

chance to go to Germany on a student
exchange programme. I cannot wait to start
shopping for winter clothing!

Blk 156 Sunshine Road Writer’s address

#17-06
Singapore 230156

19 July 2020 Date

Dear Grandpa Alex, Salutation

It has been awhile since I last wrote to you. I Introduction

hope you are feeling well. I hope my younger
cousins have not been too naughty.

Body 1 Body

Body 2 Body

Body 3 Body

Please write soon – we miss hearing from you. Conclusion

When will you be visiting us? I hope to be able
to spend some time with you. Take care of
yourself.

Love, Valediction
Mary Anne
Formal letter

A formal letter is one written in a formal and ceremonious language and follows a certain
stipulated format. Such letters are written for official purposes to authorities, dignitaries,
colleagues, seniors, etc and not to personal contacts, friends or family.

Language Feature: Formal and Serious

Who? Appropriate tone

A School Principal I appreciate the opportunity for students to
provide our feedback and response on the
construction of a new facility in school.
A Store Manager I would like to highlight an experience that I
recently went through at your restaurant.

Blk 156 Sunshine Road Writer’s address

#17-06
Singapore 230156

19 July 2020 Date

Mr Andrew Chua Recipient’s name

Editor Recipient’s designation
Home & Décor Magazine Recipient’s company/institution
100 Woodlands Avenue Recipient’s address
Singapore 710100

Dear Mr Chua, Salutation

Feedback on Article Subject

I have been a regular reader on Home & Décor Introduction

Magazine..

Body 1 Body

Body 2 Body

Body 3 Body

I hope that the pointers that I have written above Conclusion

would serve the magazine as a form of
feedback. I hope that the magazine would be
more responsible when writing articles of such a
sensitive nature. Regardless, I look forward to
buying the next issue of Home & Décor.

Thank you. Thank reader

Yours Sincerely, Valediction (If your salutation is ‘Dear Sir, Dear

Mary Anne Madam or Dear Sir/Madam’, end with Yours
faithfully.)
Speech
A speech is used to give benefit to the audience, amplify emotion, and relate certain experiences to
an audience. More specifically, it might introduce a speaker, entertain an audience, or inspire people.

Language Feature: Mix of formal and informal

Mr Vasuthevan, Principal, Bukit View Secondary
School; Mr Gabriel Wong, Chairman, School
Advisory Committee, Ladies
and Gentlemen, and fellow friends of Bukit View
Secondary School:
Greeting: begin your speech by greeting the
audience, particularly the important people in
the audience.

As I stand before you now, I am reminded... Introduction

Body Paragraph Body

Body Paragraph Body

Body Paragraph Body

To end my speech today, I would like to once Conclusion

again remind…

Thank you. Thank audience

Report/Proposal
Reports and proposals are documents written for a specific purpose and audience. A report,
generally, consists of an analysis of a situation or problem at hand and recommends solution for
it. Proposals, in the similar manner, explain a need that is identified and offers a course of action in
response to it.

Language Feature: Formal and serious

To: Principal Designation and name. of the person the report

Mr Vasuthevan is sent to

From: Mary Anne Name of the person writing the report

Proposal on Graduation Dinner in School Heading

Body Paragraph Body

Body Paragraph Body

Body Paragraph Body

Conclusion Conclusion (Summarise the key points in the

report/proposal)
Brochure/Information Leaflet
A brochure or information leaflet is a common marketing tool used to advertise a service, event or
product offering.

Language Feature: Depends on the service, event or product

Bukit View Secondary School Open House Main Title

Our Results Key Point 1

Body Paragraph Elaboration

Our Programme Key Point 2

Body Paragraph Elaboration

Our Co-Curricular Activitie Key Point 3

Body Paragraph Elaboration

Our Distinguished Alumni Key Point 3

Body Paragraph Elaboration

Contact number, Website, Relevant information Conclusion

on how to get there

Newspaper Articles
A news article discusses current or recent news of either general interest (i.e.
daily newspapers) or of a specific topic (i.e. political or trade news magazines, club newsletters,
or technology news websites). A news article can include accounts of eyewitnesses to the
happening event.

Language Feature: Formal

Green lab launched at Bukit View Secondary Headline

School

By Samantha Boh Byline

SINGAPORE, 20 July 2020 – Body Lead Paragraph - summarises the main gist
of the report (What? When? Where?)
Body

Body
3 to 4 paragraphs on each point raised in the
Body question

Body
E-Mail
E-mail is short for electronic mail. E-mail or email are messages delivered and received through a.
computer or mobile device.

Language Feature: Formal & Informal

From: Sender’s email address

To: Recipient’s email
CC: Carbon Copy (copylist)
BCC: Blind Carbon Copy
Subject: Subject

Dear Jane, Byline

It has been awhile since I last heard from you. I Introduction

hope you are doing fine and is in the pink of
health. I am writing this e-mail to….

Body Body

Body Body

Body Body

Body Body

I hope what I have written pleases you. Do tell Conclusion

me what you think of these ideas. I look forward
to receiving a reply from you.

Thank you. Thank reader

Regards, Valediction
Melania
FAQs on Situational Writing

1. How long should we spend on situational writing?

2. How can I ensure that I score a decent grade for

Situational Writing?

For your script to attain a good grade, you need to understand the purpose,
audience and context of the given question and ensure you write in the correct
format with accurate grammar and a variety of vocabulary and sentence structures.
For your script to stand out amongst the all the candidates who have to attempt the
same question, you need to demonstrate a high level of personal engagement and
inject your personal voice so that you differentiate yourself from the many average
scripts that merely copy or re-hash the points given in the stimulus.
7 tips for good O-Level English situational
writing pieces
Marcus Goh

Many secondary students choose to focus on their continuous writing at the expense of their
situational writing when it comes to Paper 1 of the English O-Levels. After all, the continuous
writing component has a larger word count (350 to 500 words) than the situational writing one
(250 to 350 words). However, both components are worth 30 marks each.

For this reason, students should ensure they don’t neglect their situational writing. Here are some
tips to help them score well.

1. Make full use of Purpose-Audience-Context

Teachers often stress the importance of identifying the PAC (Purpose-Audience-Context) before

writing – and for good reason. Students must show that they are aware of whom they are
addressing and what their objective is, and be sensitive to the circumstances described in the
question. Once identified, a situational writing piece should have at least two sentences to address
each of the three – Purpose, Audience and Context.

2. Explain your objective in your introduction

The question will state what the situational writing is about, but many students forget to include
this in their introduction. Even if it feels like they are repeating the question, students should
explain what their piece is about in the introduction and why they are writing it. This will show
that they understand the objective and purpose behind the situational writing question.
View photos
3. Circle keywords and cross them out as you write them

Unlike continuous writing questions which have at most two sentences, the situational writing
question is often a long wall of text. Students should circle keywords so that they have visual
cues for the question requirements. Once they have covered those keywords, they should cross
them out. This will ensure that they are not penalised when it comes to task fulfilment.

4. Use the same keywords in the question 

Students should use the same keywords from the question so that it is clear which part of the
question they are answering. This will prevent any points from being inadvertently missed out by
the marker, especially if they’re written in a different order from how they are presented in the
question.
View photos
5. Read the first two or three paragraphs thoroughly

A common mistake students make is to go straight to the bullet points, and ignore the first few
paragraphs of the question (since they make up the aforementioned wall of text).

However, these few paragraphs are critical because they reveal the PAC of the question, and there
are often keywords hidden in the question. These paragraphs should be read closely and carefully
to identify any key information.

6. Remember to look at the handout provided

The situational writing question consists of two parts – the question itself and an accompanying
handout. It’s easy to forget about the handout while under exam stress, and students should
remember to annotate it as thoroughly as they do the question paper. In their answer, they should
also make clear and specific references to the handout.
View photos
7. Include at least one personal response

Students should include their own opinion and interpretation of the handout and question, which
is most easily expressed by writing their personal response in the piece. At the very least, they
should indicate if they feel positively or negatively to the information in the question, and explain
why they feel that way.
Remember, the situational writing piece carries as much weighting as continuous writing
composition!