Situational WritingConvincing, persuading and stating a preference – Part 1 (Situational Txt types)

By the end of the lesson…

• You would have learnt to…a. Identify the parts of a Section 2 question

b. Use the question given to you to help you fulfil the task

c. Identify the various formats and choose them appropriately

d. Practice using the formats for the appropriate question.

Lesson References

• Longman’s, Developing Situational Writing Skills, Vol. 1, Ho Lin Lee (ed.) Pearson-Longman, Singapore: 2009

• Longman’s Effective Guide to O’Level English, Longman, Singapore: 2000

What is Situational Writing?

• “…as the word situational suggests, it is based on a given context, i.e. a situation with given information that is set for (the student). (The student) has to use the information provided to accomplish the task, be it persuading someone to take a course of action, recommending someone to a position etc.

(Longman’s Developing Situational Writing Skills, pg. vii)

Text Types (Sit. Writing)

• Informal Letters• Letters to friends who are overseas• Letters from you to family at home

• Formal Letters• Letters of introduction (cover letters for job applications)• Letters of complaint• Letters of endorsement

• Reports • Information Sheets

Assessment Requirements

• Requirements for the Situational Writing Section

• Time allocated: 45 to 50minutes• Breakdown of time allocation: • Plan: 5-8 minutes• Write: 37-40minutes• Check: 5 minutes

• Word Requirements: 250 to 350 words

Assessment Requirements – Con’td

• Word limit:

• Do not overwrite – more chances for errors and wasting precious time, which could be used to check your work.

• Do not “under” write – written work which is below the word limit penalises itself (i.e. Examiners will get a sense that you are not able to fulfil the task required of you)

Mark Allocation

• Unlike Free Composition Section (Section A), marks for Situational Writing are allocated as follows:

• Task fulfilment: 10 marks (how well you have answered the requirements of the question)

• Language: 20 marks (how well the candidate made use of the English Language and displayed proficiency in the language)

• Total: 30 marks

Strategy

• Examiners have commented that they are looking at how well the candidate “…makes use of the information provided in the situation to show how good is his/her control of the language…”

• Candidates should not simply copy from the situational information provided without adding anything new…

Steps to Situational Writing

• Step 1: Using the question to help you• Step 2: Using the material to your advantage• Step 3: Write clearly

Step 1: Use the question

• Candidate has to find out four facts about this exercise from the question:

• (a). Who are you (I mean the writer) supposed to be?

• Is there a specific role you have to be (a student librarian, a class president, a prefect? – find out)

• Write from the viewpoint of the character you asked to be…• How would this “character” see what happens,• How would he/she react to the events mentioned

Step 1: Use the question

• (b) Who will read it?

• Who is the “audience” the letter or report is supposed to be addressed to

• This matters, because it tells you how formally or informally you are to write

• (c) What format or type of writing must you use?• Formal or Informal Letter?• Report?

• (d)What content is required?• After finding answers to the above three questions from the first part

of the question, you can now turn your attention to the listed points (i.e. the specific points mentioned in the question)

Step 2: Using material to your advantage

• Make sense of each point that is given to you in the content section

• Connect ideas together into a clear sequence

• Re-phrase the guiding questions into your own words but keep the same meaning…

Step 3: Writing clearly

• Name names. Give every character in your situation a name.

• Provide street names or other details. Don’t make names up. Try to make the account, letter sound as realistic as possible.

• See it happening in your mind’s eye…use imagination and work out the sequence of activities.

Letter Formats (Informal)

• Choice of the correct format for letters depends on the following:

• Who is writing?• What the message is?• Who is the intended reader is?

Formats

Letters- For business/ anything official/ writing to someone you do not know

Format 1 - Formal

- For writing to someone you know by name, but not a close friend

Format 2 – Polite

- Friends, relatives, those whom you call by their personal name in ordinary conversation

Format 3 – Casual

Report- When you are instructed to write

an official account or report

Format 4 - Report

Formats will be given to you after the lesson!

In-Class Practice

• Practice Step 1 – Using the question

a) Who are you supposed to be?

b) Who is supposed to read it?

c) Which format and type to use?

d) Read question again…what content is required?

In-Class Practice

• Practice Step 2 – Using the material to your advantage

a) Make sense of the points given

b) Connect the points into a sequence

c) Re-phrase (re-write into your own words)

In-Class Practice

• Practice Step 3 – Write clearly

• Now look at the model letter and carry out the following tasks:

• Re-write the first and last paragraphs of the model answer keeping to the meaning as well as the same affectionate and informal tone.

Key learning points

• Provide one characteristic of Situational Writing• Name the text types used in Section 2 of Paper 1• What is the allocation of time for this section?