How Not To Write A Dialogue or Conversation

Just the other day Maria rather tactlessly drew Kennot Waite's attention to the rashes on his left cheek. That made him blush and now the rashes seem redder than a red rose and so he decides he must make an appointment with a skin doctor (that's a dermatologist) before the rashes paint his whole face red. Here's the exchange on the phone with the clinic's receptionist:

KW: Excuse me, I want to make an appointment with the doctor.
Woman : Err...may I know...?
KW: Okay, my name is Kennot Waite. What time can I see the doctor?
Woman : Mr Waite, I'll put your name down for three o'clock. Is that alright?
KW: Yes, that's fine.
Woman: Mr Waite, we'll see you at three. Goodbye.

You'll notice that the customary greeting is missing at the beginning of the exchange. Kennot Waite appears to be rather polite by saying "Excuse me" before he 'requests' an appointment. Actually his request is more like a demand : I want to make an appointment with the doctor. He should have said : Excuse me, I would like to make an appointment with the doctor.

When the woman asks Kennot for his  name, he cuts her off. And the interruption is rather rude and abrupt although he guessed correctly that she was going to ask him his name. At times one may have to interrupt, but one has to do it politely. For example, you may say: Excuse me, if I may inteerupt/Sorry for interrupting... Then you proceed with what you are going to say.

Another shortcoming of this dialogue is that there is no proper close. This is the conclusion before you hang up the phone. Kennot Waite should have responded by saying something like this: Thanks. Goodbye.

So, whether you are writing a dialogue in the PMR English exam or SPM English exam, the features of a dialogue are the same. Apart from the fact that the speakers must respect each other, a dialogue is just like other forms of essay writing; it has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.

SPM English 1119- Directed Writing (Paper 1)

In Paper 1 of the SPM English 1119 exam., there are two compulsory essay questions Directed Writing (Section A) and Continuous Writing (Section B).

As the name suggests, in Directed Writing, you have been directed to write with suggested short notes.What is required of you is to expand the given notes into an essay which can be in any of the following forms: a) a narrative story b) a descritption of an event c) a speech or talk d) a message e) a description of a place f) a description of a person g) a description of a process h) a dialogue or conversation i) a letter j) an opinion piece.

Are there differences in the way we write the different essays?

Firstly, the form of the essay will differ. Say, you're writing a dialogue which means you will have two speakers engaging in a conversation. If you are asked to write a conversation, then you should have at least three speakers. Your essay, therefore, is not written in the usual essay form: a continuous prose passage, one paragraph after another, from beginning to end. A dialogue would look like this:

Peter: How are you, Pan?
Pan :  Great! And you?
Peter: So, what have you been doing these days?

Secondly, the style may vary with the different essay forms. When writing a dialogue, you write in the conventions of a conversation. For instance, you may use contractions (I'll, You won't) and there are certain social courtesies involved. By courtesies, I mean the form of expressions used in greetings, interrupting politely, and closing a conversation.

Thirdly, you'll have to pay attention to your grammar and how you link the given notes into a cohesive dialogue or conversation. As an example, what tense should you use? That depends on the subject matter.If you are talking about a football match in the papers, you would most likely say: "Inter Milan played much better throughout the game. They deserved to win. Anyway, I think they are a much better team compared to Manchester United." You will notice that two tense forms are used : simple past (relating a past event) and simple present (stating your opinion, what you think at the time of speaking).

As a way of helping you write better dialogues or conversations, I would suggest as a first step to listen. Yes, listen to others talking. You can do plenty of listening by watching the movies or shows on TV.spmenglish1119.com