DIRECTED

WRITING
HOW TO WRITE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

LETS EXPLORE A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

What are the problem when using the road , and what I do to make my complaints heard?

Street light not working

Repair the street light

Have the drain

Deep drain uncovered covered

Enforcement on the
Students not wearing road rules
helmets

Problems
Overhead bridge is not used when using Control traffic flow

the road
Traffic lights at the
pedestrians
Zebra crossing lines have
faded

Build small humps

Vehicles do not slow down
 FEATURES OF A LETTER OF COMPLAINT

When we write a letter of complaint, we observe certain features. With your partner, tick (/) or cross (x) the
features that you think should be found in a letter of complaint and features that should not.

1. Senders address
2. Recipients address
3. Salutation / greeting
4. Date
5. Subject heading
6. Divider line
7. Purpose of the letter
8. Reasons of the complaint
9. Long explanation of problems
10. Rude and disrespectful tone
11. Suggestions to address problems
12. Request quick action to address problems
13. Ending
14. Closing
15. Senders signature

LOGICAL CONNECTORS AND FUNCTIONS

To state your complaints clearly, you need to use logical connectors. Match the logical connectors
found in the letter to their meanings.

1. However To add another idea

2. Firstly, secondly, thirdly To show an opposite idea

3. besides To show contrast

4. To show consequence or result

On top of that

5.
therefore To show a sequence of ideas
Here are some phrases you can use to open, suggesting points and close a letter of complaint.

OPEN

1. On behalf of , I wish to lodge a complaint about .

2. I would like to draw your attention to the ..

3. I wish to bring to your attention .

4. I hope you will take immediate action to..

5. I am writing to express my concerns about the.

6. I wish to complain the strongest .

7. I am afraid I have to express my dissatisfaction over.

CLOSE

8. We hope that our complaints will be looked into promptly.

9. I hope you will look into this matter at the earliest time convenient to you.

10. I hope you will take the necessary action ..

Your cooperation in this matter is greatly appreciated.

11. We would like you to look into this matter and take immediate action.

12. It is hoped that you will solve this problem soon.

13. I suggest that immediate steps be taken to ..

14. I hope the authorities concerned will take this matter seriously and take the necessary action to
stop this problem from becoming worse.

15. I hope you will look into these complaints and take prompt action to solve these problems.

SUGGESTING IDEAS / POINTS

16. I should also like to point out.

17. I suggest/ I propose..

18. It is my opinion that .

QUESTION

You are the Head Student in your school. You are concerned about the road safety of the students in the area
near the school. Write a letter to the principal of the school to complain about the problems you and the other
students are facing when using the road. Give suggestions to overcome the problems.

Problems faced Suggestions

Streets light not working Repair the street light
Deep rain uncovered Have the drain covered
Students not wearing helmets Enforcement on the road rules
Overhead bridge is not used Control traffic flow
Zebra crossing lines have faded Traffic lights at the pedestrians crossing
Vehicles do not slow down Build small humps

FORMAT ELABORATION MARKS

Senders address F1

Receivers address F2

Salutation F3

Title Taken from the question F4

Introduction You are the Head Student in your school. You are concerned about the
road safety of the students. Write a letter to the principal of the school to
( use the information from the complain about the problems you and the other students are facing
question to write) when using the road. Give suggestions to overcome the problems.

Content 2. Here are the problems that we face. Firstly, C1

Problem 1
C1-street lights are not working

Problem 2 Secondly, the drain C2

C2-drain is uncovered 3

Problem 3 Besides, the students C3

C3-students not wearing
helmets

Problem 4 Another problem is C4

C4- overhead bridge is not used

Problem 5 The C5
C5- zebra crossing is faded

Problem 6 The C6
C6- vehicles do not slow down

Suggestion S1 3. Here are some suggestions to overcome the problems. I suggest that C7
C7- repair the street light we

Suggestion S2 Then C8
C8- have the drain covered

Suggestion S3 There should be C9

C9- enforcement on the road
rules

Suggestion S4 Besides, we should C10

C10- control traffic flow

Suggestion S5 We can also have C11

C11- traffic lights at the
pedestrian crossing

Suggestion S6 Lastly, we C12

C12- build small humps

I hope you will take immediate action for the sake of the studentssafety. F6
Ending Thank you.
Yours faithfully, F7
Closing
( ) NAME
POST

NOW, LETS US WRITE A COMPLETE ESSAY..

DIRECTED WRITING: 35 MARKS : 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 take -give relevant examples of:
- health complication measures - roles of government and individuals

authorities generations hospitals prison penalise

burning dangerous awareness participate countries

forest government media elderly introduce

Haze: A Danger to Health

The haze is a constant phenomenon faced by Malaysia and her neighbouring ________. The
haze is basically pollution of atmosphere, which is clogged with pollutants and other substances
from_______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 _________ 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 _________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, _________ 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
_________ 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 ________.
The ___________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 __________sentence. Constant vigilance would ensure the perpetrators do
not repeat their offence.
The government should also raise the public __________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 ________like television, radio, newspaper and even via internet. The
authorities should also provide assistance to farmers and __________ more sophisticated forest
clearing methods.
In Malaysia, strict laws must be imposed to _________ 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 __________ 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 ____________. We must protect our world so that our grandchildren woulh have a healthy
earth to live.

Ahmad Harun bin Hashim

Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
DIRECTED: SPEECH 35 MARKS : 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 Taknak Campaign recently launched by the
government.

campaign tobacco cigarettes public number

friends However teachers sportsmen students
launched money morning TakNak Recently

TakNak Campaign

A very good __________ to our dear Principal, Mr.Hasnan bin Jaafar, teachers and students.
_________, our former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi _________ an anti-
smoking campaign called TakNak. You can now see this short and rhyming catch phrase TakNak
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 _________companies spend
to promote smoking.
But in this war against smoking, money definitely talks; it is necessary for the TakNak
__________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
__________ that states unequivocally Smoking is dangerous to your health.
What can the TakNak Campaign do to combat this? Their aggressive advertising creates media
awareness among the __________, 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 ________ are quitting now, or trying to reduce the
________of cigarettes they smoke per week.
_________, 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
_________.
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 _________ excel if
they cannot stop smoking.
Dear teachers and ________, thank you for your attention. Let me end my speech by reiterating that
smoking is a bad habit, so make TakNak your mantra. If you have started smoking, say _________ and
quit! And if you havent started smoking, say know that smoking not only damages your health but
you are also literally burning your ________.