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DIRECTED WRITING : INFORMAL LETTER

Sample
Your friend in Singapore has written to you to inform you that his cousin in Penang was down with
dengue fever. He would like to know the situation in Malaysia as he plans to bring his family over for the
holidays in June. Write a letter to brief him about the current situation.

In your letter, include the following:
express concern over the health of your friends cousin
news about the situation
o nearly 30 per cent of the 1 500 suspected cases over the first three weeks of the year
o 53 per cent of 621 confirmed cases last year comprised children and youth under the
age of 24
o health ministry to increase checks on aedes breeding grounds in school and public areas
o made worse by the rainy season
steps taken authorities
o fogging
o contractors are to take action and clean up
o fine up to RM3000 for breeding aedes mosquitoes
o campaigns through media
present situation
o clean up campaign in school compounds
o residents association organise clean-up
o improved since the end of January
o no reports of new cases of dengue

Do remember to:
use the informal letter format
use ALL the points given
expand each of the points given
write in paragraphs


No. 34, Street of Fame,
Taman Bukit Bintang,
Bukit Bintang,
67500 Ipoh,
Perak.
14 January 2011

Dear John,

How are you? Im sorry to hear that your cousin had dengue fever. This problem seems to have
become very serious all of sudden. We always feel that the problem is not our concern until someone
close to us is affected.

My neighbours daughter who was in Standard 6 last year could not sit for UPSR examination
because she was down with dengue fever on the eve of the exam. Fortunately, the authorities gave her
an exemption so she is now in Form One. There were also a few students taking the examination in the
hospital.

According to the news, students made up nearly 30 per cent of the 1 500 suspected cases over
the first three weeks of the year. About 53 per cent of 621 confirmed cases last year comprised children
and youth under the age of 24. These statistics are quite worrying. This has prompted the health
ministry to increase checks on aedes breeding grounds in school and public areas. The construction sites
are largely to be blamed. The problem is made worse by the rainy season. The stagnating water attract
the mosquitoes to lay egg and breeding on the areas.

The authorities have taken various steps to control the situation. Fogging has been carried out in
many public areas and most of the housing estates. Contractors at the construction sites have been
instructed to take appropriate actions and warned to clean up. They could be fined up to RM 3 000 for
breeding aedes mosquitoes. Lot of campaigns through the television, radio and newspapers were taken
to make people aware of the issue and take precaution rather than cure them.

Before the long holidays for the Chinese New Year, schools all over Malaysia carried out a clean-
up campaign of the school compound. The residents association in my housing are also organised a
family day clean-up of the housing estate. There were huge piles of rubbish especially old tyres and
containers littered by the hawkers near the might market site.

The situation in Malaysia has improved since the end of January. There have been no reports of
new cases of dengue. So, dont worry. You can bring your family for a holiday here in June. Im looking
forward to seeing them again.

Send my regard to your mom and dad. Do take care.

Yours sincerely,
Harun Din

Marking Criteria:

1) Allocation of marks:

Format 03 marks
Content 12 marks
Language 20 marks
Total
35 marks




Note:


Format - Informal letter format (in red boxes) :
i. address and date (1mark)
ii. salutations and introduction(1 mark)
iii. signing off and signature (1 mark)

Content
use ALL the points given


Language

Mark Range Description of Criteria
A
19 20
Language accurate with occasional first draft slips
Sentence structures varied and sophisticated
Sentence length and type employed to achieve intended effect
Vocabulary wide, sophisticated and used with precision
Punctuation accurate and helpful
Spelling accurate
Paragraphs unified and well-linked
Topic consistent relevance
Style formal, informative and concise, and, tone always
appropriate
B
16 18
Language accurate with minor or first draft errors
Sentences varied in length and type
Complex structures confidently used
Vocabulary wide, conveying intended shades of meaning with
some precision
Punctuation and spelling almost always accurate
Style and tone appropriate to the task
Writing relevant and interest sustained throughout
C
13 15
Language largely accurate
Simple structures no errors, mistakes in only more sophisticated
structures
Vocabulary adequate to convey meaning but not developed to
precision
Sentences some variety of length and structure
Tendency to use one type of structure
Punctuation and spelling generally accurate; errors in more
complex use
Paragraphs some unity but absent or inappropriate linkage
Writing relevant, interest not sustained throughout
Style and tone appropriate to the task
D
10 12
Language sufficiently accurate
Patches of clarity simple vocabulary and structures
Limited sentence length and type
Mistakes with more complex sentences
Vocabulary limited, adequate but lacks precision
Simple words spelt correctly with errors from unfamiliar words
Punctuation, generally correct
Style and tone appropriate
Written in paragraphs but lacks unity
E
7 9
Meaning never in doubt
Single Word Errors (SWEs) frequent and hampers reading
Simple sentence structures accurate but not sustained
Vocabulary, limited
Spelling simple words accurate but mistakes with more difficult
words
Style and tone at times inappropriate
Paragraphs lacks unity
Punctuation errors
U (i)
4 6
Meaning fairly clear
SWE frequent and impedes reading
Accurate sentences a few
Spelling and Punctuation frequent errors
Paragraphs sometimes used correctly
Frequent spelling errors
Style and tone often inappropriate
U (ii)
2 3
Multiple Word Errors (MWE) requires re-reading and
reorganizing before meaning becomes clear
Sense decipherable
Little or no sense whole sections
Accurate sentence likely to be one or two, most simple sentences
Content comprehensible
Style and tone hidden by density of errors
U (iii)
0 1
Scripts almost entirely impossible to recognize as English
Whole sections - do not make sense or copied from text
0 mark awarded if writing makes no sense at all from beginning to
end

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