Elisa Ng

Revision: Formal Text Types (II)

Content Page

Lesson Flow
● 15 mins | Proposal
● 15 mins | Letters To Parents
● 10 mins | Argumentative Essays
● 05 mins | Vocabulary & Next Steps

Learning Objectives
I’ll be able to…
● learn the overall structures for proposals, letters to parents and argumentative essays.
● brainstorm arguments for the body paragraphs.
● use different sentence structures and language tools in writings.

Exercises
● Level 5 Paragraphs
● Writing Homework

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Proposal

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Proposals
Organisation
Overall Structure Sentence Structures

● With reports showing that SVO, SVO.

Title
With reports showing that daily live streams increased by
50% in the first half of 2020, this newborn form of
Opening
visual-audio entertainment has seamlessly penetrated our
Overview | Event Aim(s) | Writing Purpose(s)
lives.

Body Paragraphs 1-2 ● It goes without saying that SVO.

Popular YouTube Trends 1-2 | Elaboration | Examples | It goes without saying that live streaming will continue to
Conclusions grow in popularity in the near future.

Body Paragraph 3
Ways | Justifications | Suggested Outcomes

Closing
Predictions | Outlook

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Brainstorming: Topic Sentences
Hong Kong Life is organising the Virtual Trend Event to showcase popular online trends in Hong Kong. Write a proposal for the event
suggesting one or two popular YouTube trends in Hong Kong. You should explain how you would present these trends in the event and
justify the way you plan to present your ideas.

Opening:
In the digital era, it is _________________________ for us to be exposed to a wide range
Overview of video contents in our daily lives, a trend that has evolved dramatically over the past few
years.

Body Paragraphs 1-2:

Live streaming and “how-to” videos have encouraged some drastic ________________ in
YouTube Trends viewership tied directly to the pandemic, during which people are stuck at home most of
the time.
Overview
Body Paragraph 3:
To present these two trends in the event, it is ________________ that we could invite two
Ways trending local content creators, both with millions of subscribers — Tat Gor and Emi Wong
to share some practical tips for creating engaging and intriguing video contents.

Closing:
Video trends are ________________ at an exponential speed, given the demanding needs
Predictions for a highly versatile medium in the ever-changing audience-based market. The need to be
at the ___________________ of the trend will constantly be a key factor to go viral online.

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Brainstorming: Points
Aspects of a trend / phenomenon

__________________ __________________ __________________ __________________ __________________

Who is involved? What is special about the What are the details of What are the pros and How to address the cons?
group of people and this this activity, trend or cons to different How are these solutions
activity? phenomenon? stakeholders? effective?

Popular Trend 1
______________________
Reason for its popularity: providing a sense of authenticity, connectedness and community especially during the
pandemic

Popular Trend 2
“______________________” Videos
Reason for its popularity: providing effective, educational and engaging tutorials for viewers to learn and follow
at their own pace

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Level 5 Paragraph
Hong Kong Life is organising the Virtual Trend Event to showcase popular online trends in Hong Kong. Write a proposal for the event
suggesting one or two popular YouTube trends in Hong Kong. You should explain how you would present these trends in the event
and justify the way you plan to present your ideas.

YouTube Trend 1: Live Streaming

[_____________________] Live streaming has encouraged some drastic uptick in viewership tied directly to the pandemic, during which
people are stuck at home most of the time. With reports showing that daily live streams increased by 50% in the first half of 2020, and a
majority of live stream viewers confessing that browsing live videos has helped them feel more connected during the pandemic, this
newborn form of visual-audio entertainment has seamlessly penetrated our lives. [_____________________] Most well-established live
streaming platforms like YouTube, Facebook and TikTok have been opening their doors to a multitude of contents, from gaming to ASMR;
from virtual music concerts to body makeup tutorials. Having a high subscription figure of 129k, one of the most popular live streaming
channels in Hong Kong, Just For Fun Team (JFFT), has garnered support from fans with their interactive phone-in sessions, which enable
viewers to pour their hearts out or to vent their frustrations. [________________] Live streaming does not only enrich viewers’ experience,
but it also cultivates a sense of community. It goes without saying that live streaming will continue to grow in popularity in the near future.
(186 words)

Food For Thought

After the full opening of travel borders with mainland China, more visitors come to Hong Kong for parallel trading businesses. Write a
proposal to the Hong Kong government to curb the resurgence of parallel trading and mitigate the risks of smuggling activities.

What is the phenomenon? What problems should be addressed?

Trend / Phenomenon → Stakeholders, Characteristics, Details, Pros & Cons, Solutions

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Letters To Parents

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Letters To Parents
Organisation
Overall Structure Sentence Structures

● Through N, we hope to VO.

Dear parents / guardians,
Through this outing, we hope to kindle students’ interests in
and broaden their understanding of traditional Chinese
Opening culture and history.
Background | Purpose(s) | Cost

● As a common saying goes, “...”

Body Paragraph 1
Arrangements As a common saying goes, “Travelling brings about far
greater benefits than mere book learning.”
Body Paragraphs 2-4
Outing Purpose(s) | Elaboration | Activities | Summary

Closing
Summary | Call for Action | Contact | Gratitude

Yours faithfully,
Chris Wong
Role

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Brainstorming: Topic Sentences
You are Chris Wong, the class teacher of class 6A. You will be taking your class on an outing to Cheung Chau next Thursday. Write a letter
to parents giving them the necessary information about the trip.

Opening:
______________ the objective of taking students out of the classroom for a
Writing Purposes
learning-cum-leisure experience in mind, an excursion to Cheung Chau has been arranged
for 6A students.

Body Paragraphs 1-2:

The particulars and arrangements of the trip are _________________________.
Overview Arrangements

Body Paragraphs 2-3:

The activities during the outing would definitely bring multiple beneficial ______________
Outing Purposes
__________________ for students.

Closing:
We sincerely hope that 6A students will seize the _______________________________ to
Summary
step outside the classroom and broaden their horizons.

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Brainstorming: Points
Arrangements Activities

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

History and Chinese teachers Date | Time | Venue of Assemble Pak Tai Temple | Piu Sik Parade Picnics
| Means of Transport

Purpose 1
Visiting Pak Tai Temple can kindle students’ interests in and widen their understanding of traditional
_______________ culture and history.

Purpose 2
Watching the annual Piu Sik Parade allows students to cultivate their _____________________ in local history
and culture of Cheung Chau, and by extension, Hong Kong.

Purpose 3
Arranging lunch picnics at Tung Wan Beach provides students with the opportunity to create precious memories
and foster better ____________________ with their classmates.

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Level 5 Paragraph
You are Chris Wong, the class teacher of class 6A. You will be taking your class on an outing to Cheung Chau next Thursday. Write a
letter to parents giving them the necessary information about the trip.

Activity 1: Visiting Pak Tai Temple

[________________________] Through this outing, we hope to kindle students’ interests in and broaden their understanding of
traditional Chinese culture and history. [_________________ & ___________________] En route to the historic Taoist Pak Tai Temple, we
will spend time exploring San Hing Street and Pak She Street, which have undergone rejuvenation over the years and now host an array of
intriguing craft shops selling handmade and tradition-inspired products. When we reach Pak Tai Temple, students will have the golden
opportunity to not only admire the cultural relic from the 18th century, but also to learn the local history behind it through a guided tour by
our history teacher Mr. Lee. [________________________] As a common saying goes, “Travelling brings about far greater benefits than
mere book learning.” With this immersive learning experience, students can absorb knowledge even better outside the classroom.
(135 words)

Food For Thought

You are Chris Wong, the class teacher of class 6A. You will be taking your class on an outing to Tung Chung next month. Write a letter to
parents to inform them about the outing purposes and arrangements.

What tourist attractions can be found in Tung Chung? What can students learn from this excursion?

Arrangements → Organisers | Details

Activities → Academic | Non-academic

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Argumentative Essays

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Argumentative Essays
Organisation
Overall Structure Sentence Structures

● Despite N, SVO.
Title
Despite the benefits brought by part-time employment, some
may argue that decreased time spent on course work and on
Opening campus will be a hindrance to students’ academic success
Background | Stance | Purpose
and social life at school.
Body Paragraphs 1-2
Argument | Elaboration | Summary (Optional) ● If SVO, SVO, not to mention that SVO.
If students take up opportunities that are related to their
Body Paragraph 3 disciplines, it would enhance their understanding of
Counter-argument | Rebuttal(s) | Summary (Optional) theoretical knowledge, not to mention that only students who
spend a disproportionately large amount of hours per week
Closing on part-time jobs would experience decreased school
Stance | Summary success.

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Brainstorming: Topic Sentences
Over the years, university students in Hong Kong have chosen to take up part-time employment while studying full-time. Write an
argumentative essay to discuss whether working part-time is beneficial to students’ personal growth. Give reasons to support your point of
view.

Opening:
This essay will serve to ___________________ that working part-time brings more good
Stance
than harm to students’ personal growth through a comprehensive examination.

Body Paragraphs 1-2:

Benefits that can be gained from working part-time can be divided into two aspects -
Arguments For
material and non-material gains. Both serve to facilitate students’ ____________________
___________________ in different ways.

Overview Body Paragraph 3:

Despite the benefits brought by part-time employment, some may argue that decreased
Argument Against
time spent on course work and on campus will be a ___________________ to students’
academic success and social life at school.

Closing:
____________________________________ the advantages that come with taking up
Stance
part-time employment, it is only reasonable to support the argument that working
part-time is beneficial to students’ personal growth.

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Brainstorming: Points
Benefits Limitations

_____________________ _____________________ _____________________ _____________________

Financial Support | Less Reliance Work Experiences | Soft Skills | Distractions From Studies Work-life Balance | Less Time
on Student Loans Widen Social Circles
For Campus Life

Argument For 1
✅ Achieve financial freedom and rely less on student loans
→ ________________ them from the burden of repaying loans upon graduation and allow them to focus on
their career and personal growth

Argument For 2
✅ Gain work experiences and skills
→ give students a _______________________ over some of their peers or competitors when they hunt for their
first job as fresh graduates.

Argument Against 1
⚠️Decreased time spent on course work and on campus
→ lead to a hindrance to students’ academic success and social life at school

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Level 5 Paragraph
Over the years, university students in Hong Kong have chosen to take up part-time employment while studying full-time. Write an
argumentative essay to discuss whether working part-time is beneficial to students’ personal growth. Give reasons to support your
point of view.

Argument Against 1: A hindrance to academic success and social life at school

[_______________________] Despite the benefits brought by part-time employment, some may argue that decreased time spent on
course work and on campus will be a hindrance to students’ academic success and social life at school. There may be some truth to their
reasoning, but they are mostly one-sided and have not taken into account the constructive influence brought by part-time jobs on these
two aspects. [Rebuttal: _______________________] If students take up hands-on opportunities that are related to their disciplines, it
would rather enhance their learning and understanding of theoretical knowledge learnt at school, not to mention that only students who
spend a disproportionately large amount of hours per week on part-time jobs would experience decreased school success. [Rebuttal:
_______________________] As for social life, friendship can be built with colleagues at work as well as fellow students by sharing
interesting and valuable experiences obtained through part-time employment. [__________________] As such, it is plain as day for
everyone that part-time employment brings more benefits than drawbacks.
(158 words)

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Vocabulary & Next Steps

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Vocabulary
Kindly revise the following words and complete the vocabulary quiz. Be careful with the tenses and the parts of speech, good luck!

Verbs (Phrases) Vocabulary Quiz

Vent (發洩)
1. _____________________ soccer well-wishers are chanting for their favourite player in
Garner (獲得) the auditorium.
Cultivate (培養)
Penetrate (滲入) 2. VR and AR technology allows users to enjoy an _____________________ game
Pour one’s heart out (傾訴) experience, enriching their sensual feelings and enhancing their enjoyment in games.
Open the door to sth (為新事物鋪路)
3. As a common saying goes, “It takes ten years to _____________________ a man, but a
Adjectives / Adverbs (Phrases) second to take him down.”
Seamlessly (順利地)
4. A Guilty Conscience is an _____________________ movie that touches on justice, class
Hands-on (親自實踐的) and equality, no wonder its box office created a new high.
Intriguing (非常有趣的)
Constructive (建設性的) 5. Did you watch the _____________________ of the World Cup championship between
Immersive (身臨其境的) Argentina and France?
Well established (公認的)
(As) Plain / Clear as day (顯而易見) 6. There is an _________________ in view rate as one of the episodes featured Anson Lo.

Nouns (Phrases) 7. The government has put forward plans to _____________________ the old districts like
Sham Shui Po and Ngau Tau Kok.
Uptick (發展)
Viewership (收視率) 8. I know you are irritated and enraged, but ____________________ on me does not help.
A multitude of (許多)
Rejuvenation (恢復活力) 9. Michelle Yeoh made history at the SAG Awards 2023 and _____________________ a
Live streaming (現場直播) Best Actress Award, becoming the first Asian actress to win in this category.

10. The flood water _____________________ into our home now! Quickly do something!

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Next Steps
Now, you are able to…
● learn the overall structures for proposals, letters to parents and argumentative essays.
● brainstorm arguments for the body paragraphs.
● use different sentence structures in writings.

Congratulations! You have come a long way, and you can achieve even more if you kindly complete or read:
○ Level 5 Paragraphs
○ Writing Homework

See you in our next class!

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Writing Homework
1. After the full opening of travel borders with mainland China, more visitors come to Hong Kong for parallel trading businesses. Write a
proposal to the Hong Kong government to curb the resurgence of parallel trading and mitigate the risks of smuggling activities.

2. You are Chris Wong, the class teacher of class 6A. You will be taking your class on an outing to Tung Chung next month. Write a letter to
parents to inform them about the outing purposes and arrangements.

3. Recently, you have read an article claiming that ‘online classes and masks during the pandemic are culprits for children’s speech
problem’. Write an argumentative essay to discuss whether you agree or disagree with this claim and give reasons to support your stance.

Kindly attach the question number and writing question when you submit your homework. Thank you!

Answers
Vocabulary Quiz
1.A multitude of 2.immersive 3.cultivate 4.intriguing 5.live streaming 6.uptick 7.rejuvenate 8.venting 9.garnered 10.is penetrating

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