LITERATURE FORM 5 - POEM

A Poison Tree - William Blake

2013/06/07

I was angry with my friend;
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I watered it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears:
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night.
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.

And into my garden stole,
When the night had veiled the pole;
In the morning glad I see;
My foe outstretched beneath the tree.

MEANING OF DIFFICULT WORDS

1.      Wrath - strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation; ire.

2.      Deceit – distortion of the truth for the purpose of misleading; duplicity; fraud; cheating

3.      Wiles – Trick, trap

4.      Veiled – conceal, lacking clarity or distinctness

POETIC/LITERARY DEVICES

1.      Personification 

-       Waters the wrath with fear

-        I told my wrath, my wrath did end

2.      Metaphor 

-The tree is considered as a wrath/anger

-"Till it bore an apple bright", the apple is a metaphor for the "fruit" of his grudge.

3.      Alliteration 

-sunned and smiles

-friend and foe

-bore and bright

4.      Imagery

- Throughout the poem

5.      Irony

-the foe beneath the tree of hatred

6.      Repitition

-“I was angry with my friend… I was angry with my foe”

7.      Allusion

-"Garden.. apple...tree" alludes to Adam & Eve, the Garden of Eden.

STANZA BY STANZA ANALYSIS

Stanza 1: William Blake speaks of someone, his friend and his foe, whom has he is angry with. 

When he says ‘I told my wrath, my wrath did end’ after he said he was angry with his friend, 

he is saying he was able to get over being angry with his friend and forgot about it. Although, 

it is quite the opposite when he mentions’ I told it not, and my wrath did grow’. Blake is 

saying that with his enemy, he allowed himself to get angry, and therefore, his wrath did grow.

Stanza 2: In this stanza, Blake begins to make his anger grow and he takes pleasure in it, 

comparing his anger with something, in this case, a tree or plant. The speaker says he 

‘sunned it with smiles’ and ‘and with soft, deceitful wiles’. This means he is creating 

an illusion with his enemy saying he is pretending to be friendly to seduce and bring him closer.

Stanza 3: ‘And it grew both day and night’ and ‘til it bore an apple bright’ are meaning 

that his illusion with his enemy is growing and growing until it became a strong and tempting 

thing. His illusion has a metaphor and it is an apple. After, his foe believes it shines, which

 means he thinks it’s true and means something, and takes Blake illusion seriously. 

‘And he knew it was mine’ suggests that he really thinks Blake is his friend.

Stanza 4: Being the last stanza, Blake needed to come up with a conclusion. He has used 

the two lines ‘in the morning glad I see’ and ‘my foe outstretched beneath the tree’ to 

say that his foe finally fell to his tempting illusion and metaphorically, consumed his

 poison apple and died. So, obviously, his malicious intentions were hidden behind 

illusion and he prevailed over his enemy.

CRITICAL APPRECIATION

In the first stanza, the consequence of allowing anger to continue instead of stopping it 

as it begins is shown. This consequence is simply that it will continue to grow. However,

 as the poem progresses, it is seen that this continued growth of anger can yield harmful

 results as the enemy, or foe, is lured toward the tree and eats of its fruit, the poison apple. 

This kills his foe, as he is seen outstretched beneath the tree, a sight the speaker is glad to

 see the next morning. These final two lines explain one of the main themes of the poem, 

which is that anger leads to self-destruction. The speaker’s anger grows and eventually

 becomes so powerful that it has changes from simple anger with another person, to 

desire to see them dead. One of the subjects of Blake’s work was the underworld, 

or Hell, and knowing this, it can be seen that the destruction which results from anger 

is not physical, but spiritual. In addition, the death of the foe, which the speaker is glad 

to see, does not spiritually affect the foe as the speaker is affected, but only physically 

harms the foe.

READING MATERIAL

Interpretation and Symbolism

After reading such an amoral poem, the search for hope or alternate meaning begins. 

A metaphor lives inside the poem, but instead of making the poem less wicked, the 

analogy confuses and questions faith. Symbolically, the speaker represents God, the 

foe and garden represent Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the tree represents 

the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in Genesis. If this analogy is true, it shows 

God rejoicing in killing his enemies, which most people think the God they know would 

never do.

Blake’s poem is peculiar even for today’s standards, and his analogy may be ruthless 

and insensitive, but he does get the reader thinking. By looking further into the poem, 

we find that the speaker nourishes and feeds his wrath, which symbolically is the tree 

from the Garden of Eden. Is Blake suggesting that God fed his wrath and anger into the

 tree and intended for man to eat from it? If so, He is creating a world doomed to His 

wrath and anger, an idea just about anybody would shutter at.

%%%%%%%%%%%%% GOOD LUCK YOU GUYS........%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

FORM 4 POEM - REVISION

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!' he said :

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred. 

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

Some one had blundered :

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die :

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volleyed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell,

Rode the six hundred.

Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Hi dear students who actually searched for this for their SPM answer. Well, to me, you have come to a simple blog with simple explanation that might bring to your simple sense in learning this poem. Actually, this poem is not that difficult to understand and as you can see, after you read the poem, you might come across a few things, which maybe a recall from what you have learned in your classes. Remember? During those early month of the years, playing truant and maybe palnting kangkong around our 4ST Hut.... ? Remember? haha...

Now, let me tell you a bit about the poet. Alfred Lord Tennyson was born on 6 August 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England. He was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland from 1850 till his death at the age of 83. In his poems, Tennyson used a wide range of subject matter, ranging from medieval legends to classical myths and from domestic situations to observations of nature, as source material for his poetry. His poem are noted for the richness of his imagery and descriptive writing. He also handled rhythm masterfully.

In 1855, Tennyson produced  one of his best-known poems "The Charge of the Light Brigade", a tribute to the heroic British cavalrymen involved in an ill-advised charge on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. Alfred, Lord Tennyson is acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in English literature. He died on 3rd October 1892 at Aldworth. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.

About the Poem

This poem is about the 600 British soldiers as mentioned in the poet's background. It also about the heroism and courage of a brigade. Well, many died in that battle which is called by Crimean War (1854-1856). The soldier belonged to a light brigade which means they were on horseback and armed only with sabres and baton (light arms). By some mistake by one *in the poem said so, and they were ordered into a valley which had heavily armed Russian enemy battalions on three sides - front, left and right. The Russians were fully armed and they were very powerful and they had powerful cannons. Now, when the light brigade charged into this "valley of death", they were massacred by the cannons fire.Yes, most of them died but they showed great heroism and patriotism in battle. On one side, well, we can see how heroism and patriotism took part in the way we think, but hey! the coin has two sides right? another side would be the challenging ideas of the concept of obedience, patriotism and nationalism. Don't you think so? 

Now, the themes for this poet are,

1. Heroism and courage

2. Patriotism

3. Duty

4. The tragedy of was

5. Leadership failure

Moral values:

1. Patriotism

2. Duty

3. Anti-war sentiment

The persona :

The poem is narrated by an omniscient (all-seeing) narrator who reports not only the action but the thoughts and spirit of the 600 men as a collective unit. There is also a reference that "someone has blundered".

Tone/Mood

Since the poem is about war so, it is clear that the tone and mood is quite intense and as the overall mood, it would be collective action, rather than individual impulse. The poem has the sound of military march and also the feeling of exhaustion, something like that. But to me, as long as you could imagine how war is about then, marks are waiting for you students! but make sure you relate your answer with the poem. Easy right?

As for the Language and Style, well, as you can see, there were Repetition. Why? As you all know, we repeat things because we want to make a bold statement by saying a few times. In this poem, the repetition (refrains) was used  to create hypnotic effect and the refrains give us the impression of an army marching forward. *I will explain more on Language and Style of this poem, once I read it VERY thoroughly, ok?

Point of view :

The poem is narrated by an omniscient (third person) narrator. 

Now, later, on maybe next two entries I will write on the Language and Style and also I will explain more on Themes and Moral Values of "The Charge of the Light Brigade". To me, this poem is very, very good. It was a very good poem indeed, but I could not run from thinking of if you know someone has blundered, why do you have to follow the instructions given? But it was not mine to ask why? hehe... *I used the same sentence structure as in the poem. You can detect that right? yesss... hehe...

The Charge of the Light Brigade

Half a league, half a league,

Half a league onward,

All in the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!

Charge for the guns!' he said :

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred. 

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'

Was there a man dismayed?

Not though the soldier knew

Some one had blundered :

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to reason why,

Theirs but to do and die :

Into the valley of Death

Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,

Cannon to left of them,

Cannon in front of them

Volleyed at with shot and shell,

Boldly they rode and well,

Into the jaws of Death,

Into the mouth of Hell,

Rode the six hundred.

Alfred Lord Tennyson.

Hi dear students who actually searched for this for their MID TERM EXAM answer. Well, to me, you have come to a simple blog with simple explanation that might bring to your simple sense in learning this poem. Actually, this poem is not that difficult to understand and as you can see, after you read the poem, you might come across a few things, which maybe a recall from what you have learned in your classes. Remember? During those early month of the years, playing and playing truant, or may be planting kangkong around 4ST Hut....? Remember? haha...

Now, let me tell you a bit about the poet. Alfred Lord Tennyson was born on 6 August 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire, England. He was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland from 1850 till his death at the age of 83. In his poems, Tennyson used a wide range of subject matter, ranging from medieval legends to classical myths and from domestic situations to observations of nature, as source material for his poetry. His poem are noted for the richness of his imagery and descriptive writing. He also handled rhythm masterfully.

In 1855, Tennyson produced  one of his best-known poems "The Charge of the Light Brigade", a tribute to the heroic British cavalrymen involved in an ill-advised charge on 25 October 1854, during the Crimean War. Alfred, Lord Tennyson is acclaimed as one of the greatest poets in English literature. He died on 3rd October 1892 at Aldworth. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.

About the Poem

This poem is about the 600 British soldiers as mentioned in the poet's background. It also about the heroism and courage of a brigade. Well, many died in that battle which is called by Crimean War (1854-1856). The soldier belonged to a light brigade which means they were on horseback and armed only with sabres and baton (light arms). By some mistake by one *in the poem said so, and they were ordered into a valley which had heavily armed Russian enemy battalions on three sides - front, left and right. The Russians were fully armed and they were very powerful and they had powerful cannons. Now, when the light brigade charged into this "valley of death", they were massacred by the cannons fire.Yes, most of them died but they showed great heroism and patriotism in battle. On one side, well, we can see how heroism and patriotism took part in the way we think, but hey! the coin has two sides right? another side would be the challenging ideas of the concept of obedience, patriotism and nationalism. Don't you think so? 

Now, the themes for this poet are,

1. Heroism and courage

2. Patriotism

3. Duty

4. The tragedy of was

5. Leadership failure

Moral values:

1. Patriotism

2. Duty

3. Anti-war sentiment

The persona :

The poem is narrated by an omniscient (all-seeing) narrator who reports not only the action but the thoughts and spirit of the 600 men as a collective unit. There is also a reference that "someone has blundered".

Tone/Mood

Since the poem is about war so, it is clear that the tone and mood is quite intense and as the overall mood, it would be collective action, rather than individual impulse. The poem has the sound of military march and also the feeling of exhaustion, something like that. But to me, as long as you could imagine how war is about then, marks are waiting for you students! but make sure you relate your answer with the poem. Easy right?

As for the Language and Style, well, as you can see, there were Repetition. Why? As you all know, we repeat things because we want to make a bold statement by saying a few times. In this poem, the repetition (refrains) was used  to create hypnotic effect and the refrains give us the impression of an army marching forward. *I will explain more on Language and Style of this poem, once I read it VERY thoroughly, ok?

Point of view :

The poem is narrated by an omniscient (third person) narrator. 

Now, later, on maybe next two entries I will write on the Language and Style and also I will explain more on Themes and Moral Values of "The Charge of the Light Brigade". To me, this poem is very, very good. It was a very good poem indeed, but I could not run from thinking of if you know someone has blundered, why do you have to follow the instructions given? But it was not mine to ask why? hehe... *I used the same sentence structure as in the poem. You can detect that right? yesss... hehe...

LITERATURE FORM 4 - SHORT STORY

SHORT STORY

TANJONG RHU - BY MINFONG HO

Synopsis

Mr T. W. Li, a successful businessman, has just lost his mother. As he mourns her death, he recalls some important events before her demise,most significantly revolving around a pair of binoculars. He had bought his mother a pair of binoculars so that she could see farther as she had cataracts. However, his mother's only concern was to see Tanjong Rhu, a place where they used to live while he was growing up. His father owned a small shipyard there before it was torn down about thirty years ago. When Mr Li finally convinced his mother to use the binoculars, he was upset that she still could not see the ships at the harbour, in front of his office. Instead, in her mind's eye, she saw Tanjong Rhu in the past, back when Mr Li was still a young boy accompanying his mother digging for crabs along the beach. He became impatient with his mother who seemed adamant to hold on to the past and had no interest in the present. He refused to listen to her stories. Back in the present, Mr Li regrets his actions as now he too longs to go back to his childhood in Tanjong Rhu. He finds that his memories are vague and there are many things that he does not remember clearly. Unfortunately, there is no one to answer his questions as the person who shares the memories with him, his mother, has passed on.

SETTING

• Published in 1986, the story is set in Singapore and the time frame goes back and forth between the     present (after the death of Ah-Ma) and the past (before the death of Ah-Ma).
• The most important location mentioned is Tanjong Rhu, a shipping port in Singapore where Mr Li
  grew up. In the present day, it is filled with tall buildings and skyscrapers. However, eighty years
 ago, Tanjong Rhu only had small shipyards where fishing boats were built. Mr Li's father owned  such a shipyard.
• Mr Li's office is located on the 18th floor above Shenton Way, a central business district in      Singapore.
• Mr Li has a big house with many rooms, a garden and a swimming pool. He first shows the      binoculars to his mother in the garden.
•An important part of the house is the altar room, where Ah-Ma performs her daily prayers.
• The hospital where Ah-Ma passes away is also mentioned in the story.

CHARACTERS

Mr T. W. Li
 • A successful businessman in the shipping sector
 • Has a happy childhood with his family in Tanjong Rhu
 • Happy family life - wife, son and daughter
 • Close relationship with his mother but does not open up to her easily
 • Modern in his ways and ideas - takes pride in his modern ways - makes sure no one is about when       he bows to show respect to his dead parents
 • Tolerant - does not interfere in his mother's traditional ways
 • Meticulous - keeps track of number of ships every day by counting them
 • Patient and respectful - waits for mother to finish prayers although he had to leave for office - does    not hurry her
 • Filial - made sure funeral of mother is done in the right way - full of customs and traditions
 • Strict and does not entertain disrespect from the young - expects daughter to respect elders
 • Regrets not talking to Ah Ma and never listening when she talked

Mr Li's mother (Ah-Ma)
• Small and thin with grey hair and a bent back
• A mother of nine, grandmother of thirty-four and great-grandmother of seventeen
• Has cataracts but does not want to have surgery to fix it
• Speaks Cantonese
• A traditional woman who still keeps chickens in the garden and practises the old Chinese                     customs and rituals
• Particular and meticulous when it comes to taking care of the altar and performing her prayers
• Yearns to see Tanjong Rhu, where she used to live years ago
• A simple woman who is content with what she has
• Seems to belong in the past as she is often lost in memories and likes to relate stories of the past

Ying
• Daughter of Mr Li and Helen
• Has an older brother at Cambridge University
• Is soon leaving for New York
• Speaks English to her father and Cantonese to her grandmother
• Loves her grandmother, whom she calls Popo, and is very close to her
• Affectionate towards her grandmother
• Takes the customs and rituals lightly and does not seem to acknowledge the importance of it
• Takes care of her grandmother at the hospital and gives her blood
• Very anxious that her grandmother is dying

Helen
• Wife of Mr Li
• Often has tea parties with her friends
• Seems to like socialising

Mr Li's father
• Used to own a shipyard where he built boats in Tanjong Rhu
• Died at the age of 53
• Upon his death, his wife offers daily prayers to him in the altar room and sometimes even talks           to him

Mr Li's son
• Unnamed in the story
• Soon to complete his studies at Cambridge University

PLOT

Exposition

Mr T. W. Li, a rich businessman stood at his office window high above Shenton
Way. Concerned about something which he could not lay his finger on he was
not ready to go home. His mother's (Ah Ma) funeral was just a day before
and everything had been done correctly. He counted the number of ships in
the harbour as was his habit with his binoculars. The binoculars reminded him
of his mother.

Conflict
He recalled he had bought them for Ah Ma and was eager to give them toher. He wanted her to use them as she did not want to undergo a cataract operation. His wife was having tea with friends in a room. Ah Ma was in the garden feeding her chickens. Speaking to her in Cantonese, he mentioned the binoculars as see-far glasses. Ah Ma was irritated as it reminded her of her refusal to have a cataract operation. Later, she mentioned her willingness to use them at his office to see Tanjong Rhu where her husband's shipyard used to be.

Climax

Next morning, Ah Ma prayed in the altar room. Then, she talked to her dead husband to inform him of her going to their son's office. Her granddaughter, Ying offered to do the praying with the joss sticks for her but she would not allow it. Mr Li ticked off Ying for criticising her grandmother for wanting to do things her way. While waiting for Ah Ma, Mf Li looked at his father's photograph and remembered their time together. When they were in his office, Mr Li pointed out the ships and the whole harbour to Ah Ma but she could not see anything. Instead, she talked about seeing their old hut, walks and crabbing on the beach. Coming back to the present, Mr Li felt nostalgic and
wanted very much to go back to the time of his childhood. He tried to recall but had very blurred memories.

Falling Action

He recalled that he tried to ask Ah Ma again. But, by then, she had become very sick and was bedridden in hospital, unable to move or talk very much. Ying helped to look after her. Knowing that her father wanted to talk to Ah Ma, she lifted her grandmother's eyelids and told her father to say something. But, Mr Li could not and scolded Ying for not being respectful. Ah Ma moved restlessly and managed to say something about the key to the altar being hidden before she drew her last breath.

Resolution

Now back in his office/ the day was becoming dark and he suddenly thought of the altar and what he had promised Ah Ma at her deathbed. This was what had been troubling him the whole day, something he had left undone. He rushed home to do that one last thing for her. He paid his respects to Ah Ma but, he could not open the drawer. He cried and told Ah Ma he saw Tanjong Rhu that day and then decided to leave well alone.

THEMES

Seeing

It tells us how the different generations view or 'see' their culture. 1 examines the relationship between a successful businessman named Mr L and his mother, and looks into the different meanings of'seeing'. Mr Li look: at material goods as sources of happiness and a better life. He buys a pair o binoculars for his mother, who has cataracts, to see clearly. Mr Li assume* his mother needs a pair of binoculars to see more clearly so that the rest of her life would be more comfortable. But his mother sees Tanjong Rhu, not literally, but metaphorically, as the place where the children had grown up.

Tradition vs modernism

•   Mr Li's mother values the importance of traditional practice. Everything must be done properly and she must 'tell' his father about visiting her son's place of work. In Chinese traditions, praying to the ancestor and the dead is important to every family.

•   Mr Li, his wife, Helen, and daughter, Ying, are moulded in modernism. Mrs Li plays host to her high society friends with her tea sessions, and Ying speaks in English with her father but in Cantonese with her grandmother.

Generation gap

A picture of a big generation gap arises, with a conservative mother who refuses to have her eyes 'cut open', a severe and slightly self-centred father who always assumes young people do not respect the elders and a naive daughter who openly shows her feelings and opinions without considering her audiences. This generation gap is a result of modernisation eating into old ways, causing each generation to misunderstand the next. It is a common situation faced by people living in rapidly growing societies.

DIRECTED WRITING

Types of Directed Writing

There are various types of text that will be tested in the first question. Types of text that would be tested are:

1. Speech/Talk
2. Report
3. Informal letter
4. Formal letter

SAMPLE DW:

DIRECTED WRITING: 35 MARKS

DIRECTED: ARTICLE: Factual

You are concerned over the implications and long-term health effects of the haze. Write an article to the local newspaper expressing your concern based on all the notes below.

• the reasons behind the haze
• role of government and society
• steps that can be taken
• give relevant examples of:

-       health complications

-       measures

-       roles of government and individuals

When writing the article you should remember:

-       to lay out the letter carefully

-       to use paragraphs

-       that you letter is to the press

Haze: A Danger to Health

            The haze is a constant phenomenon faced by Malaysia and her neighbouring countries. The haze is basically pollution of atmosphere, which is clogged with pollutants and other substances from forest fires.

            The haze is a direct effect of forest fire in Kalimantan and other parts of Indonesia due to slash and burn method of farming. The Indonesian authorities appear to have no power to control farmers from practising such methods. The haze is further worsened by open burning practised by most Malaysians. Open-field burning of rice straw by the rice planters and open burning of dried leaves and garbage done by the public are a few examples that done by Malaysian. Many are ignorant of the health effects of open burning.

            During the haze, hospitals and clinic often report a dramatic increase in respiratory problems, lung infections and asthma attack. The Air Pollution Index (API) usually indicates the hazardous and dangerous levels of pollution during this period. The haze has long-term side effects. Prolonged inhalation of polluted air will result in serious lung infection which particularly affects the elderly.

            The government must play its role to reduce the haze treat. It has to cooperate with the Indonesian authorities to stamp out forest fires. The culprits must be brought to justice, either through healthy fine or prison sentence. Constant vigilance would ensure the perpetrators do not repeat their offence.

The government should also raise the public awareness of the dangers of forest fire. Continuous campaign of the cause, solutions and steps-need-to-be-taken to reduce the haze need to be promoted through all types of social media like television, radio, newspaper and even via internet. The authorities should also provide assistance to farmers and introduce more sophisticated forest clearing methods.

            In Malaysia, strict laws must be imposed to penalise those who practise open burning. On-going campaigns on the dangers of open burning should be intensified. Individuals too have a role to play. They must participate in every campaign and stop burning. Students can advise their parents not to practice open burning.

            Every individual has to remember that we do not own the world, but instead we lent it from our future generations. We must protect our world so that our grandchildren woulh have a healthy earth to live.

Ahmad Harun bin Hashim

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan

 375 words

From: Penilaian Topik Vista SPM/Sasbadi/2009

ARTICLE: Article for School Magazine / Newsletter

In spite of government’s clear call to students to study English well, many students still show very little interest in studying the language. As Chairperson of the English Language Society, you are going to try to persuade the students to study the language by writing an article in the school newsletter. In the article you have to tell the students the importance of studying the language. Your article is given in the point form below:

• will help you to further your studies
• will help you to get a job
• will help you in your job
• will help you in your travels
• will help you to enjoy many interesting programmes in television
• will help you to appreciate many of the world’s most beautiful literary works

The Importance of Studying English

           

            It is a big concerned for teenagers nowadays as they are unaware of the importance of English language as they tend to ignore to learn the language. Students’ attitude towards the language is also crucial to make sure that these teenagers can face the future world better by learning English language as it is an international language.

            Although the government has repeatedly told us of the importance of English, many students are still not bothered about studying it seriously. There is also a campaign that still on to make all the Malaysian becomes a better English learner, which is ‘Enhance Proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthen the English’. English is the most important and the most useful language in the world today. There are many reasons why you should study the language properly.

            First and foremost, English will definitely help you a lot when you want to further studies. Almost all books at university are written in English in all subjects. Plus, it is a compulsory for any candidate to pass English with credit before entering any universities. So, if you are poor in English, you will blow you chance for better education or worse, you are going to have a big problem studying at university.

            The second reason why you have to study English well is that it will help you to get a job. When you go for a job interview, the interviewer will surely talk to you in English. The first impression you should give in order to success and have the job is, to respond in English fluently. Your chances of getting the job are very slim if you stutter while interviewing.

            A good command in of English will also help you greatly in your job. If the company you work is actively involved in international trade, you have to speak to prospective customers in English. Miscommunication might occur if your English is bad. And this will put your company at risk and you will likely be dismissed if this happen.

            Good English will also help you a lot when you travel. Every country in the world studies English. Even the roadside stall-holders in China speak fairly good English! At least some of the people you meet on your travels in other countries can understand English. The language is certainly practical when you are lost in your trip. Communication problem will not happen if you can converse well in English. Inevitably, English is one of the languages used in any airport in the world in making announcement. Knowing English well, therefore, make travelling overseas easier.

            Besides all these, entertainment is one of the major advantages you will experience if you good in English. You will enjoy television’s best programmes. We must admit that many of the best programmes are produced by the Americans and British companies. High self confidence influenced by the programmes will indirect inculcate in yourself when you are fluent in the language. Quality time is worthily spent if you understand and enjoy the programmes.

            Based from all the above elaboration, I hope that students will see the importance and realise how importance the language is for their own future. Although it is a second language in our country, it is now a main language all over the world.

544 words

DIRECTED: ARTICLE / REPORT: Newspaper Article / Report

There has been an attempted robbery in your area. As a newspaper reporter, you have been assigned to write a report of the incident for publication in a local newspaper. Using the notes below, write out your report.

• couple – taking a walk
• two men approached them
• ordered couple to give jewellery
• a struggle – husband injured
• one neighbour – taking a dog for a walk
• heard shouts – went to investigate
• robbers saw dog – fled
• couple made police report

Couple Foils Robbery Attempt

PULAU PINANG, Thu – An elderly businessman and his wife foiled a robbery attempt by two men armed with a screwdriver and a knife. The victims were reported safe from any bad injury.

            Tan Ah Wok, 60 and his wife were taking a morning walk near their home in Helen Heights yesterday when two men on a motorcycle stopped them under the pretext of asking for directions. As Mr. Tan was giving directions, one of the robbers pointed a knife at him and ordered them to keep quiet. He then relieved Mrs. Tan of her jewellery and instructed Mr. Tan to hand over his ring and watch. When he refused, a struggle ensued. Meanwhile, his accomplice grabbed a helmet and hit Mr. Tan on the head with it. On seeing this, his wife started screaming.

            One of their neighbours, R. Subramaniam, who was taking his dog for a walk, heard the screams and when to investigate. On seeing Subramaniam and his dog, the robbers fled. “I was taking my dog for a walk when I heard someone shouting for help. Knowing that something was wrong, I ran there as fast as I could. Before I reached the scene, the robbers fled on a motorbike. They were probably afraid of my Rottweiler.”

            Mr. Tan, who suffered a small cut on his head, was given outpatient treatment at a private clinic. He said that it was a horrified experience as he never expected the two men would attack his wife and him. He thought that they were lost and needed help. He also mentioned that the guard who in charge nowadays easily allowed the strangers to enter their residents. State CID Chief Supt Harun Din advised him and the people to be more careful in giving help to strangers. The guard also must be stricter in letting people from entering any residents without proper permission.

            He added that the suspects, aged between 25 and 30, were believed to be illegal immigrants. He said there had been similar incident last week when two men approached a factory worker who was on her way home after work. The duo then relieved her gold chain and cash. He advised the residents to be alert and reports to police any suspicious-looking characters lurking in their area.

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From: Spot on Model Compositions and Summary/Oxford Fajar/2007

DIRECTED: REPORT – Police Report 

You witnessed an accident. The police officer has asked you to make a report. Use the points given below:

-       when the event happened

-       where the event took place

-       how it happened

-       description of the vehicles

-       step taken

To:       Sergeant Razali Kamrin

From:  Julia Selamat

Date:   7^th September 2011

Report of the accident on Jalan 2/14

            On 7^th September 2011 at 10.30 a.m., I was walking alone Jalan 2/14 which is next to the children’s playground. As I was about to cross the road to enter the park, I saw a car driving swiftly down Jalan 4/14. It was a Honda Civic with the number plate BEH 9110. Another car, a Toyota Vios 1.5 with plate number WHM 4657 came out of Jalan 4/14 as well. The Honda Civic was driving too fast that make it did not have time to avoid collision.

            The accident caused a loud crash. The Honda Civic hit the Toyota Vios on the driver’s door. The door could not be opened and the driver had to get out from the passenger’s door. The driver of the Toyota Vios was lucky as he survived with no physical injuries. Both air bags popped up when they collided to each other. They both were fortunate as their car was not badly damaged and dented.

The Toyota Vios’s windscreen was shattered to pieces. The Honda Civic’s headlight and signal light were smashed. There was plenty of glass on the road. The two drivers startled to argue. The driver of the Honda City was a woman. They blamed each other and the argument stopped when her mobile phone rang. Most of the passerby slowed down their vehicle to watch the accident. Some pedestrian came by and offered help.

As it happened, I ran into my house which is close by. I called the nearest police station and in ten minutes, a police car drove up. I told the police officer I had witnessed the accident and offered to come out to the station to give a statement. The cars were towed to the side of the road first, and then were brought to the police station before to workshop. Pictures were taken for insurance claim.

In my opinion, the driver of the Honda City is to blame for the accident. She was driving too fast and did not pay any attention to vehicles coming out from the side road. The driver of the Toyota Vios should have stopped at the junction.

Julia Selamat

Julia Selamat

355 words

Write Better Compositions and Summaries for SPM 1119 English/Oxford Fajar/2006

DIRECTED: REPORT – Book Report

As a class project, you have been asked to write a book report. You decide to write a report of a book you have just read.

Use the following notes in your report:

-       author

-       title

-       setting

-       synopsis

-       main characters

-       themes

-       response

“The Story of My Life” is an autobiography written by Helen Keller. It tells us how Helen Keller, who was deaf, blind and mute, defied the odds to become one of the most celebrated personalities in the world. The story was set in Alabama in 1997.

            In the first half of the book, Helen Keller writes about how she was afflicted with scarlet fever while she was still a baby and how illness left her deaf, blind and mute. The story outlines the frustration Helen Keller experienced as a child – alone in a dark and silent world – unable to communicate with anybody. The author then goes on to say how her life changed with the arrival of her new-employed teacher and nanny, Anne Mansfield Sullivan.

            The second part of the book relates how Helen Keller studied the deaf and dumb language and learnt how to write using Braille and then went to college and graduated. The story goes on to say how she spent the rest of her life helping the deaf and dumb all over the world.

            I enjoyed reading every page of the book. I found some sections of the book, especially those that deal with the early part of her life, poignant and touching. It made me realize how difficult life must be for the handicapped. It also made me realize how fortunate I was. It has made me more sympathetic towards the plight of those who are less fortunate than I am, especially the handicapped who has given up hope in the face of misfortune, and the severely handicapped who have lost the will to live.

            The story is very touching and informative. It arouses the feelings of the readers. I admire Helen Keller for her determination and diligence. I appreciate the painstaking efforts taken by the teacher. The book has a good moral lesson for all. It shows the triumph of the human spirit in the face of indomitable obstacles. It makes us wonder whether Helen Keller was just another victim of fate or whether her birth has a special significance. Was Helen Keller fortunate or unfortunate? Helen Keller was unfortunate to have suffered the cruel twist of fate but the world is fortunate to have had a person like her. Her life shining example to prove the adage, “where there is a will, there is a way”.

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DIRECTED: REPORT – Report to Principal

You are very disappointed by the conditions and services provided by your school canteen. You decide to write a report to inform your school principal about the poor conditions and services of the canteen. These would include:

• insufficient table and benches
• food and drinks not covered
•  too little food counters
• dirty and clogged drains – smelly
•  food – expensive and lacks variety
• inadequate food – late comers have nothing to buy, to eat
• cold food – not fresh
• rude canteen workers

To        :          Mr. Hasnan bin Jalal,
                        The Principal,

                        Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Permata

From   :          Malik bin Abdul

Date    :          24 March 2011

Report about the School Canteen

            I am writing this report is to draw your attention regarding the school canteen.  Many of the students of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Permata are unhappy about the conditions at the school canteen. There were lots of complaints regarding this issue.

                        In the first place, there are insufficient tables and benches. Our school has a student population of over 1 000. There is only one period of recess time for all forms. More than 80 per cent of the students go to the canteen during recess to buy food and drinks. Unfortunately, there are only about twenty-five tables and fifty benches which can accommodate less than half the number of students. As a result, many students have to stand while eating.

            The food sold at the canteen not only expensive but lacks of variety. The menu is the same every day. For the past five years, ever since the present canteen management took over, students go back to the same food.

            The hygiene and preparation of food leave a lot to be desired. The food and drinks are not covered. They way canteen attendants dress speak volume about hygiene. With their lackadaisical attitude, the food they sell would one way or the other become contaminated.

            My fourth complaint about the canteen pertains to the etiquette of the canteen workers. They are rude and arrogant. They often shout at students. The students are always on the receiving end of their bad moods.

            We hope that conditions at the canteen will improve. The canteen should provide better amenities. There should also be a different menu everyday so that students will not have to taste the same food day in and day out. Cleanliness should be given top priority.

            We hope that you will look into our complaints and take steps to remedy the situation. The students are prepared to boycott the canteen if their complaints go unheeded.

Reported by:

Malik

Malik bin. Mohd Jalil

314 words

DIRECTED: FORMAL LETTER: Letter of Complaint

Raju a/l Lingam,

123 A, Lorong Bahagia,

Taman Sentosa,

07231 Bandar Baru Sentol,

Kelantan

_________________________________________________________________________

The President,

Bandar Baru Sentol Council,

Kompleks Utama,

07200 Bandar Baru Sentol                                                                             16 JUNE 2011

Dear Sir,

Uncollected Rubbish and Clogged Drains

I am writing this letter is to attract your attention to the above title. As the representative of the community, I am calling to tell you that the 300 odd residents living in Taman Sentosa are extremely unhappy about the lackadaisical attitude of the local town council towards the uncollected rubbish and clogged drains in our area.

2.         The rubbish in our area has not been collected for more than a week. The rubbish is supposed to be collected on alternate days but this has not been the case. The town council workers collect the rubbish according to their own whims and fancies. The uncollected garbage has attracted not only flies and mosquitoes but also wild dogs which had attacked the residents on several occasions. These stray animals also scatter the rubbish and make the roads dirty and smelly. As a result, residents have to bear the discomfort of stench from the garbage and risk their health.

3.         We are also disappointed with the town council workers for not clearing the clogged drains which are filled with rubbish. The drains would usually overflow when there is heavy rain and the rubbish would then flow into the compounds of our houses. Besides, putting up with the unbearable stench emitted from them, the residents have to spend hours cleaning their compounds of rotten vegetables, food leftovers and other rubbish.

4.         Due to dengue outbreak recently, we are really concerned about the residents’ health especially the children. Fogging service also was not done accordingly to the schedule. The fogging authority only did their job whenever a case of dengue aroused. They even fogging the neighbourhood late at night that caused us to leave the residents. They need to consider the residents who have babies and also to those who need to wake up early in the morning for work. The fogging also caused the people to have breathing problem when we were not told the exact time of fogging.

5.         We have made numerous appeals to the Municipal Council to look into our complaints but to no avail. We have been putting up with this predicament for more than a week. We hope the health authorities would do something to check these health hazards.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Raju

(RAJU a/l MANIAM)

380 words

Write a letter of application together with curriculum vitae to the manager.

In your letter, include the following:

-       your curriculum vitae

-       the reasons for your interest in the job

-       your ability to work independently

-       pursuing a degree in Accountancy

Do remember to:

-       use the formal letter

-       use all the points given

-       elaborate each points given

Chong Mei Lin,

40, Jalan Templer,

Taman Hati Bersih,

76 000 Seremban,

Negeri Sembilan

_________________________________________________________________________

The Manager,

Lim and Sons Manufacturing Sdn. Bhd.,

Lot 123, Interstate Industrial Area,

76 001 Nilai,

Negeri Sembilan                                                                                             18 JULY 2010

Dear Sir / Madam,

Application for the Post of Accounts Assistant

I wish to apply for the post of Accounts Assistant as advertised in The New Strait Times dated 15^th July 2011.

2.         I have the necessary qualifications as stated in my curriculum vitae which is attached to this letter. I have experience working in both food manufacturing and also auto manufacturing fields. I am currently working in Lazat Ice Cream Sdn. Bhd. in capacity of an Accounts Assistant and have been here since January 2008. Before this, I was working in TFR Auto Enterprise as an Accounts clerk. Since my present position offers little prospect for career advancement, I would like to be attached to a fairly large organisation such as yours.

3.         I would like to work in Nilai as I intend to further my studies and get professional qualification. I have registered with a college in Nilai to do ACCA on part-time basis. With this high additional education level and knowledge, I can perform better in applying the accounts knowledge in the future job.

4.         I can assure you that I am capable person who can work independently. I am able to handle full sets of accounts, up to three sets at a time. I am interested in working with a company like yours as I feel I can grow well with the company. I am a team player, adapt easily to any working environments and can work with people from all works of life.

5.         I was active in extra-curricular activities and was considered as responsible and dedicated worker. I led and organised many activities for the school clubs so I am confident that I can be an asset to your company in this capacity. Furthermore, i have a good command of English.

6.         In view of my qualification and experience, I would expect a salary more than RM 2 000. And since I have my own car, I would have no problems travelling outstation should the job require.

7.         I look forward to hearing from you and I am fully prepared to attend an interview at any time convenient to you.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

Raju

(RAJU a/l MANIAM)

358 words

DIRECTED: INFORMAL LETTER

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 friend’s cousin
• news about the situation
• steps taken authorities
• present situation

Do remember to:

• use the informal letter format
• use all the points given
• expand each of the points given
• write in paragraph

No. 34, Street of Fame,

Taman Bukit Bintang,

Bukit Bintang,

67500 Ipoh,

Perak

14 January 2011

Dear John,

           

            How are you? I’m 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 neighbour’s 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 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, don’t worry. You can bring your family for a holiday here in June. I’m looking forward to seeing them again.

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

Yours sincerely,

Harun Din

387 words

DIRECTED: SPEECH

Your school is having a month-long ‘A Healthy Body Campaign’. As President of the Health Club of your school, you decide to give a speech on the ‘Tak nak Campaign’ recently launched by the government.

Tak Nak Campaign

            A very good morning to our dear Principal, Mr. Hasnan bin Jaafar, teachers and students.

            Recently, our former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi launched an anti-smoking campaign called “Tak Nak”. You can now see this short and rhyming catch phrase “Tak Nak” everywhere – on billboards, posters, TV ads, and sometimes I even hear it on the radio. Though some people have criticised our government for setting aside a staggering sum of RM100 million over 6 years for the campaign, it is nothing compared to the huge amounts that tobacco companies spend to promote smoking.

            But in this war against smoking, money definitely talks; it is necessary for the Tak Nak Campaign to constanly remind us of the hazard of smoking because about 50 Malaysian teenagers light up for the first time every day. In fact, some of these youth progress steadily from this to regular use, with addiction raking hold within a few years. And this is despite the warning on every pack of cigarettes that states unequivocally “Smoking is dangerous to your health”.

            What can the Tak Nak Campaign do to combat this? Their aggressive advertising creates media awareness among the public, especially among the fashionable young crowd, that smokers have yellowed teeth and suffer from shortness of breath and tells them that it is not cool to smoke. It is also not responsible of them to affect non-smokers with second-hand smoke.

            Also, there is a succession of infomercials on TV and in the papers showing the debilitating effects of tobacco addiction on the body and gruesome statistics of smoke-related deaths. We are now familiar with the graphic pictures of damaged lungs on billboards which should scare people into not smoking. This works, as I know some of my friends are quitting now, or trying to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoke per week.

            However, I feel any anti-smoking campaign is more effective if other people and organisations are actively involved too. Yes, the first step has been taken by the top, but sad to say, many of our politicians smoke themselves. Nearer to home, so do some of our parents and teachers.

            These adults have to be good role models by not smoking themselves. If they do smoke, they should tell their children and students that they regret that they ever started, and then take steps to quit smoking as soon as possible. They must practise what they preach.

On a more positive note, I commend the Malaysia Amateur Athletic Union for its zero-tolerance of smoking because they know that smoking and health just do not mix. How can our sportsmen excel if they cannot stop smoking.

Dear teachers and students, thank you for your attention. Let me end my speech by reiterating that smoking is a bad habit, so make Tak Nak your mantra. If you have started smoking, say Tak Nak and quit! And if you haven’t started smoking, say know that smoking not only damages your health but you are also literally burning your money.

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