Writing the Letter of Invitation

Question

You would like to invite your friend in Taiwan to visit you during the Merdeka Day celebration which is held on 31st August. Write the letter inviting him or her to stay with you and your family. Describe what you plan to do during your friend's visit.

Outline of your letter

Dear Jeremy,

Paragraph 1 (Introduction)
How are you getting on? I know you've just finished your mid-year exam and you've at least one month's holiday before your school reopens. Why don't you enjoy your break by coming over to Malaysia at the end of August? You can stay with my family and we'll have a great time together.

Paragraph 2
Tell your friend Jeremy why you're inviting him to come at the end of August. Provide details about Merdeka and the celebration that Jeremy would be able to see then.

Paragraph 3
Tell Jeremy about your other plans; for example : you would like to take him to Batu Caves and tell him what he can see there.

Paragraph 4
Give examples of two or three other things that you and Jeremy could do together: places to visit, Malaysian food, etc.

Paragraph 5 (Conclusion)
My parents would love to have you stay with us. Please let me know whether you can make it.

Your good friend,

Dinesh

Exercise Your Grammar Muscles 2

Whether you're taking your PMR English or SPM English 1119, you can exercise your grammar muscles doing this and other grammar exercises that'll be coming your way. In this exercise, let's take a look at the use of verb + adjective pattern. Here's an example: He appeared worried when the supervisor asked him for the missing file. Alright, it's your turn. Complete the following sentences with a suitable adjective (one word). I hope you know what an adjective is. In the example above, worried is an adjective as it describes the person. Go to www.pmrenglish.com and www.spmenglish1119.com for additional resources.

1. She looked .......... (not happy)when I told her about her friend who was arrested by the police.
2. Do you feel ............(sure of your ability) about tomorrow's mathematics test?
3. You may become ...........(not well) if you eat the uncooked food.
4. Dahlia seems quite ..........(not happy or satisfied) with the outcome of the interview.
5. My brother's face turned .......... (lacking in colour) when he saw the bully.
6. At the end of the jungle trekking, we felt so .......... (in need of rest or sleep).
7. She seemed ...........(facial expression in the face of something unexpected) when I told her about
    her best friend's wedding.
8. The children remained ..........(not speaking) when their mother asked them about the broken vase.
9. The situation became increasingly ..........(muscles stiffen because you are frightened) when
     the police surrounded the protesters.
10. The little boy felt ..........(not hot or warm) as he was standing in the rain without an umbrella.

Writing Your Essay : Paragraph Unity

Supposing you are writing an essay on "How I Relax Myself". Here's a paragraph written by a student. One of the sentences should not be there because it is out of place: it does not contribute to the unity of the paragraph. A paragraph is unified only when the points of the paragraph support the topic sentence or main idea of the paragraph. Rewrite the paragraph by removing the irrelevant sentence.

When I am in my garden, I feel relaxed. I like to sit in my garden and read a book or magazine while having a cup of tea. I love to look at the different flowers such as hibiscus, bougainvilleas and heliconias. When I look at them, all my worries and anxieties just evaporate. I also relax by watering the plants in the mornings and evenings. I also find it relaxing cutting the grass and pulling out the weeds every fortnight. My mother also likes to relax in the garden. Sometimes I like to watch the insects that are in my garden. My garden also attracts squirrels and birds because of the fruit trees. Watching them is also relaxing even though they are eating some of my fruits.

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.