Situational writing

Candidates write a text of 250–350 words based on a given situation which will involve viewing a visual text. Candidates are required to write the text (e.g. an email, a letter, a report or a speech) to suit the purpose, audience and context.

Time Management

You should spend 45 minutes on section B

5 minutes: read Section B’s question and visual text

35 minutes: attempt Section B

5 minutes: proofread your final piece for section B

In situational writing,

you are presented with a task relevant to the world of study, work or community.

This online learning library will explore a variety of genres with sample essays and tips so that you will gain the confidence and skills required to successfully tackle situational writing. 

In situational writing,

Students tend to place less emphasis on situational writing.

However, situational writing carries the same mark weighting as continuous writing so the amount of time and effort devoted to situational writing should be comparable to that of continuous writing. 

You must address the Audience, Purpose, and Register wholly. It is imperative that you be sensitive to the language used (Mode and Register) befitting of the recipient of your writing (Tenor and Audience).

  • In systematic functional linguistics, tenor refers to the relationships of the participants in a piece of writing. While crafting your situational writing piece, you must pay heed to your relationship as the sender/writing and the recipient(s)

  • When we talk about mode in language, we refer to the methods of persuasion used. If you are writing a speech, you must use strong, persuasive words. If it is an informal letter to a good friend, you may use gentle, affectionate words.

  • refers to the depth of the matter in which you will need to tackle.

    If you are required to make a recommendation based on certain factors, your essay must include an in-depth dissection of the merits and drawbacks of at least the factors that were integral in allowing you to come to a decision. Merely skimming through the points will render little marks.

  • Nature of the essay:

    formal letter, informal letter, report, speech etc

  • There is no one particular template you must follow.

    However, there may be essential parts to be included in your response, which will be explained in this library.

  • If you are not personally acquainted with the recipient and have addressed them as “Dear Sir/Madam”, you will sign off with “Yours faithfully.”

    If you are personally acquainted with the recipient, at least sufficiently enough to know their name and hence have addressed them by “Dear Mr Lee” or “Dear Katherine”, then you may sign off with “Yours sincerely” or “Yours truly”.

    If it is someone personal to you, you may use other forms of valedictions like “Love” and “Best wishes”.

To sound convincing, each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence. Stay clear of flowery language and strive to be concise.

  • One benefit of staggering our recess timings is that there will be shorter queues at each canteen stall and students get to buy their food faster.

  • Staggering recess timings have many benefits, one of which is that shorter queues will result from less students around during each recess slot. Shorter queues will clear faster and each student will then be able to purchase the food essential in sustaining them throughout the day in a fast manner and they will then have even more time to devour (the word “devour” has too strong a connotation to be used in describing the act of eating food during recess) the food. 

The different categories