SEAB GCE O-Level English Language

Situational writing asks for a text with a stated purpose, a particular reader and a setting, usually prompted by a visual text such as a poster, a notice, a flyer or an infographic. The visual supplies the facts. The writer chooses which facts to use, adds ideas of their own that fit them, and sets everything in the right form and register.

Reading the situation before writing

Before drafting, answer four questions in a line each.

• Purpose: what is the text for (to complain, apply, inform, propose, persuade, thank, recommend)?
• Audience: who reads it, and what do they already know or want?
• Context: what has happened, where and when, and what does the reader need to do next?
• Points: which items of information in the visual and the task must be addressed?

The task usually lists several points to cover. Every one needs a paragraph or at least a developed sentence. A point is developed when it carries a reason, an example, a consequence or a detail, not just a mention. The visual's details (dates, prices, places, names, features) should be used accurately and worked into the argument, so that the text clearly depends on them. Copying a block of the visual's wording reads badly, so rephrase it.

Formal letters

A formal letter goes to someone the writer does not know well, or to someone in authority. Its parts, in order:

1. The writer's address, then the date, then the recipient's name, position and address (the layout should be consistent and easy to read).
2. A salutation: "Dear Sir or Madam" when the name is not known, or "Dear Mr Tan" or "Dear Ms Lim" when it is.
3. A subject line, in capitals or underlined, stating the topic in a few words.
4. The body, in short paragraphs.
5. A closing and the writer's name.

The closing depends on the salutation. "Dear Sir or Madam" goes with "Yours faithfully"; a named recipient goes with "Yours sincerely". The writer's name follows, printed in full.

The first paragraph states why the writer is writing. The paragraphs after it take one point each. The last paragraph says what the writer wants to happen next, and may thank the reader. The tone is polite and respectful. Contractions such as "don't" and slang are avoided, and requests are worded courteously: "I would be grateful if you could confirm the date" is better than "Tell me the date".

Complaint

A letter of complaint states the problem, when and where it happened, what effect it had, and what the writer wants done. It stays calm. Anger weakens a complaint, because the reader can then dismiss it as emotional, whereas precise facts and a reasonable request are hard to ignore.

I am writing to complain about the cancellation of the community pottery workshop on 14 March, which I had registered for three weeks earlier. I was told of the change only when I arrived at the centre. I would be grateful if you could refund my fee and notify participants of changes in advance in future.

Application

A letter of application says which role the writer is applying for, where they saw it advertised, why they suit it and what they can offer. The reasons use the skills and experience the task provides, joined to what the role needs. A volunteer role at an animal shelter, for instance, calls for reliability and a liking for animals, so a student who has walked a neighbour's dog every day for two years has relevant evidence. The letter ends by saying the writer is available for an interview.

Letter to the editor

A letter to a newspaper responds to something the paper has published or to a matter in the news. It names the article or issue in the first sentence, gives the writer's opinion, supports it with two or three reasons and may suggest what should be done. The reader is the general public as well as the editor, so the register is formal but not stiff.

Informal letters

An informal letter to a friend or relative opens with a first-name greeting ("Dear Mei Ling") and uses contractions, everyday words and a warm, personal tone. It still needs a clear purpose, such as inviting, thanking, advising or sharing news, and it still needs to cover each point of the task. It closes with a warm ending such as "Best wishes" or "Take care", then the writer's first name. Being informal does not allow careless grammar, text-message spellings or a loose order of ideas.

Emails

An email has a subject line, a greeting, a body and a closing. Its register changes with its reader.

The opening line greets the reader and gives the reason for writing. Emails are read quickly, so paragraphs stay short and one idea sits in each. When the email asks for something, the request is stated plainly and the reader is told by when the writer needs a reply.

Reports

A report is a formal text that gives facts about a situation, often with findings and recommendations. It is written for a reader who will use it to decide or act, such as a principal, a committee or a manager, and it is usually in an impersonal, objective style.

Its usual parts are:

• a title that says what the report is about, and sometimes who it is for and who wrote it;
• an introduction giving the purpose and the situation;
• sections, each with a heading, setting out findings (what was observed, surveyed or measured);
• a conclusion that sums up what the findings show;
• recommendations, listed or in a short paragraph, saying what should be done.

Headings help the reader find things, so each section carries one. A report keeps to facts and reasoned judgements. It avoids chatty phrasing such as "I think it was really cool", and prefers "Most students who attended found the demonstration useful".

Example of a short findings section

Attendance at the lunchtime reading corner rose from about ten students a day to about thirty after the new display was set up. Survey responses show that most students visit for the graphic novels, while few use the reference shelves. The corner is crowded between 12.30 and 1 p.m., and seating is limited.

The recommendations that follow should answer those findings directly: add seating, extend the graphic novel shelves, and review the reference shelves' position. A recommendation that does not answer a finding looks arbitrary.

Developing a point

A point is weak when it stays at the level of a label. Compare "The venue is good" with "The venue is a five-minute walk from the MRT station, so students travelling from different parts of the island can arrive without a long trip". The second gives a detail from the visual and a reason it matters to this audience. A useful habit is to take each point and ask "so what for this reader?", then write the answer into the next sentence.