UPM-FBMK/SEM2/2010-11/BBI2421/A1

Writing Assignment 1

Task

 Select a newspaper/magazine report or article of your interest.

 Read and identify the issue(s) related to the report or article.
 Select a topic to focus on and then write a letter to the editor of a local
newspaper/magazine.
*You may write on any issue or aspect related to the news report/article/ editorial.

 Your letter should be between 180 to 250 words typed using Arial 11 or Times
New Roman 12 with 1.5 spacing.

 Use the letter format shown in the sample.

Portfolio Content

1. The newspaper/magazine article/editorial. State the source and date of

publication.
2. Paragraph outline
3. Draft 1
4. Peer Feedback Form 1
5. Draft 2
6. Self-editing Worksheet 1
*Your draft should show proof of editing done. A CLEAN draft (without any
comments or editing done either by you or your peer) shows that you HAVE NOT
DONE the editing process. Your mark may be deducted.
7. Final draft

*This is the one that will be graded by the instructors. Please make sure it is clean
and well presented.

Marks will be deducted if the portfolio is incomplete.

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I. Pre-writing

To help you decide what to include in your letter, ask yourself these questions:

a. Is the news report or article that you have selected interesting? Do you think
the readers would be interested to read your letter?
*If your answers are ‘yes’, you may proceed. If ‘No’, perhaps you may want to find
another news report or article.

b. What is the name of the newspaper/magazine from which you have taken
your article/report?

c. What is the date of publication of your article or report?

d. What is the main topic of the news report or article?
e. Are there any other issues related to the news report or article?

f. Which aspect of the news report or article do you intend to focus on?
g. What is your stand/attitude towards the issue?
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h. What is the issue that you want to highlight in the newspaper/magazine?

i. What details/explanations/reasons/descriptions can you offer to

interest/convince the readers?

j. What action do you want the readers to take after reading your letter?

II. Prepare an outline

(You may find referring to the Lecture Notes given during Perjumpaan Pertama
helpful)

What is the main topic of the news report or article?

Problems in organ donations

What are the topics (or other topics/aspects) that you can focus on?

How to solve or reduce the problems

Actions that can be taken by the government to increase
awareness
The importance of organ donations
Etc.

Brainstorm.
Then decide your what do you want to focus on. (Find the controlling idea)
Prepare your outline.

Opening sentence:
______________________________________________________

Topic sentence:
________________________________________________
Point 1 & Supporting details:
________________________________________________
Point 2 & Supporting details:
________________________________________________
Point 3 & Supporting details:
*It is not necessary to have 3 points. If your wish to provide more explanation
for the first 2 points, you may not need point 3.
________________________________________________

Conclusion/call for action:

________________________________________________
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Dear Editor,

I refer to your report / article …… (state the title) published …… (state

the source and date). State the specific issue or aspect of the news
report or article that you wish to react to. DO NOT summarise the news
report or article.

Write your paragraph

State your opinion or position on the issue. This is your topic sentence.
Then state your points. Ensure to provide adequate supporting details for
your points. (explanations/ examples, statistics, personal opinion, logical
reasoning, and etc.)

End your letter appropriately.

*You may give a recommendation or simply make a call for action.

Sincerely,

Sign your letter

State your name, address and contact number

III. Drafting and Editing

a. Write the first draft

Use the outline to help you draft your letter.

Connect your ideas with appropriate transitional words to form a coherent
paragraph (sentences that flow smoothly or make sense).
Expand your ideas by including specific details.
Ask your peer to read and comment your work.

b. Write the second draft of your paragraph

Based on your peer’s comment, write your second draft.

Then edit your letter using the Self-editing Worksheet 1.

c. Write the final draft of your paragraph

Submit your final draft together with all required items listed earlier.
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Peer Feedback Form 1

Peer Editor: ________________________________ Date: _______________________

Group: _________ Writer’s name: _____________________________________

Title: ____________________________________ Number of words in the letter: ______________

**************************************************************************************
1. Is the letter interesting? [] yes [] no
Write a comment about a part that is especially interesting to you.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

2. Do you understand everything? [] yes [] no

Circle or underline any part that you do not understand, and write a comment about it.

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

3. What is the topic sentence? Write it here.

_______________________________________________________________________________

4. The topic sentence is (well-focused/not well-focused) and (makes clear/doesn’t make clear) the
writer’s attitude towards the topic.

5. Make a prediction about what you expect to read in the rest of the letter based on the topic
sentence.

_______________________________________________________________________________

6. Was your prediction in (5) accurate? [] yes [] no

Comment.______________________________________________________________________

7. How is the topic sentence supported? ________________________________________________

8. Has the author related the supporting details to the topic sentence? [] yes [] no

9. Are there any supporting details that require more explanation to relate it to the topic sentence?
Comment:

_______________________________________________________________________________

10. Are there any irrelevant points/details in the letter? [] yes [] no

What are they?___________________________________________________________________

11. Are there any problems with format, grammar, punctuation and sentence structure?[] yes [] no
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Circle 3 instances of these problems, or copy them here.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Self-Editing Worksheet 1
Date: _______________________ Writer’s name: _____________________________________

Group: _________ Title: _____________________________________________

Number of words in the letter: ______________

**************************************************************************************

1. My letter fits the assignment. [] yes [] no

2. My letter has an opening sentence that refers to an article I have read. [] yes [] no

3. My letter has a topic sentence that states an important point related [] yes [] no
to the article I have read.

3. My topic sentence contains only one main idea. [] yes [] no

4. My topic sentence states a stand/offers a perspective that is of [] yes [] no

public importance.

5. I have supported my topic sentence with relevant supporting details. [] yes [] no

6. I have made sure all my supporting sentences relate clearly to my [] yes [] no

topic sentence.

7. I have written an appropriate concluding sentence calling for action/change. [] yes [] no

8. I have used the format for writing letters to the editor. [] yes [] no

9. I have used correct punctuation. [] yes [] no

10. I have checked my spelling. [] yes [] no

11. I have checked my sentences for subject-verb agreement [] yes [] no

.
12. I have checked my letter for fragments. [] yes [] no

13 I have made changes to my letter (revised my writing) after [] yes [] no

receiving feedback from my peer editor.

14. The 3 most important changes I have made to my letter are:

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________
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