NEWS ITEM (BERITA)

NEWS ITEM

Structure: Newsworthy event – Background events – Sources

Geneva (AP): Indonesia has recorded another human case of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, raising its world-leading total to 117 cases, according to the World Health Organization.

The agency  said Friday night that the Indonesian Health Ministry had reported that a 16-year old girl from West Java Province has been hospitalized since Jan. 4 with symptoms of the disease. It said the strain had been confirmed as H5N1.

Of the total number of human cases in Indonesia, 94 have been fatal. WHO says that globally 349 people have been infected with H5N1 since the 2003 outbreak of the break. Of those, 216 have died.

After Indonesia the country with the next highest number of cases is Vietnam with 101, followed by Egypt with 43, according to the U.N. health agency.

(Adapted from The Jakarta Post, January 15, 2008)

Additional: Newsworthy Events (paragraph 1) - Background Events (paragraph 2 & 3) - Sources (paragraph 4)

 

NOTES:

A News Item is a piece of writing about an important event or situation that happens on a particular day. The communicative purpose of News Item is to inform the readers or listeners of the details of events, accidents or incidents that have happened. An example of News Item texts is an informative article.

NARRATIVE

Text NARRATIVE

Structure: Orientation – Complication - Resolution

Never Wants to Know

She lives in this village, a traditional village. Everybody knows that she is a daughter of an upstanding person in this rural place. Nobody dares to disturb her even just to make conversations. For the first time I knew her four months ago when I was on my way to school. Yes, I am a freshman here, moved from Surabaya because of my duties.

I knew her name from a man on the street at once. So, I called her name…Salma. Last week, yes, seven days ago, I called her name for the first time when I saw her at a shop, a traditional shop.

“Mmm… .Hi, Salma!” I greeted her.

“Hallo, do I know you?” she replied and asked.

“No, I don’t think so. I am a freshman here,” I said.

“Oh I see…,” she responded interpersonally.

“My name is Haq. Nice to meet you, Salma,” I introduced myself ridiculously.

“Okay. Nice to meet you, too, Haq,” she said tenderly.

Oh, my God! I never forget how she said that. She smiled at me so tenderly. She looked at me deeply in the very short moment. I couldn’t tell any words anymore. I think I love her. I don’t know why. The reason is never known.

Time goes on. Day after day, I think of her day and night. I see her in my imaginations, my dreams, and even I see her whenever I close my eyes. Sometimes I forced myself to make a call to her, with all of my strength, just want to hear her voice and feel what she feels. And I want her to know what happens in my head and what I feel. In the moonlighting night, I called her…

“Hallo. How’re you? So fine, right?” I started to chat.

“Hallo. It’s great. What are you doing, Haq?” she asked me back.

“I’m doing nothing, you know. It’s very boring. You?” I tried to keep on the conversation.

“Watching TV. Nothing to do, too. I’m happy you call me,” she said.

“Really? Are you happy because of my disturbance?” I was curious.

“Yap! This is not a kind of disturbance, Haq. Do you know what I mean?” she remarked innocently, trying to give me a clue.

“Mmm,… You mean we have the same feelings, right?” I tried to get the point.

“Very smart, Haq,” she said that at last.

I don’t know. Oh my God, I really don’t know how to treat her when it becomes clear that she loves me, too. She and I are very different one to another. Different ethnics, different languages, different studies, different societies, and may be different ways of thinking. Does she know who I was? Does she know what I’m searching for in this life? Does she know how the way I love her? I think she never wants to know.

Additional: Orientation (paragraph 1) - Complication (paragraph (2, 3, 4) - Resolution (paragraph 5)

NOTES

A Narrative is a piece of writing that tells a story. The story can be imaginary or based on a real incident. A Narrative always deals with some problems which lead to the climax and then turn into a solution to the problem. The communicative purpose of a Narrative is to tell a story about something or to amuse and entertaint the readers or listeners.

LETTER

Text: LETTER

Structure: 

·        Sender's address

·         Sent date

·         Recipient's address

·        Greetings

·        Contents of the letter

·        Leave-taking

·        Sender's signature

Cikarageman Village District 002/006

Setu, 17320 Bekasi

November 6, 2010

ZANGFU Acupuncture Clinic

192-B, S. Parman Street

Padang

Dear my love,

Today should be your best day in this whole year. However, I feel your loneliness over there. Through this letter, I would like to tell you how I miss you all the time. Sometimes, I imagine to hold you as if I'm holding a fortune that heaven has given to me. And I'll try to show you, each and every way I can that now and forever I will be your man, my sweetheart.

On this special day, the day when an angel has been born to this world, which the beautiful little angel was you, and now you become more beautiful than before, then with your first hello you came into my life and made the living fine, I would like to say...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

Hopefully, you will become more beautiful, healthier, and wealthier!

May God bless you and make you wiser and lovelier!

May God give you long life and peaceful life!

Dear my sweetheart,

Now you can rest your worries and always be sure that you will not be alone anymore. You know I'll always love you wherever and whenever you are. I'll be there and stand by you all the time you need me, now and forever.

Faithfully yours,

Doel Mersault

Doel Mersault Sosrodiharjo

 Notes 
      Sender's address : Cikarageman Village District 002/006 Setu, 17320 Bekasi

      Sent date : November 6, 2010

      Recipient's address : ZANGFU Acupuncture Clinic 192-B, S. Parman Street,  Padang

      Greetings : Dear my Love,

      Contents of the letter : paragraph 1 and 2

      Leave taking : Faithfully yours,

      Sender's signature : Doel Mersault

DISCUSSION

Text: DISCUSSION

Structure: Issue - Arguments for (+) - Arguments against (-) - Conclusion

 The Pros and Cons of Video Games

Nowadays, the video games industry is developing rapidly. It becomes a multibillion dollar industry. Video games have become an important part not only in the children’s life but also the adults’. Nevertheless, there is an argument wheter video games bring good or bad influences on children.

People who have a pro argument claim that video games give a lot of benefits. Playing video games is a good way to kill children’s boredom. It can refresh the children’s mind after a tiring school day. Moreover, they also argue that video games can trigger children to be more creative because the games provide challenging ways to win. In other words, they believe that the video games can actually sharpen a human’s brain.

Conversely, some people believe that video games make children lazy. That argues that playing video games is addictive. Consequently, most of the children prefer playing video games to studying. These children find it hard to concentrate on their study because they always think about how to spend more time playing video games. In fact, there are also some children who skip their extracurricular lessons, just because they want to play video games. In addition, most of the video games often expose too much violence. Two years ago in USA, for example, a student shot his teacher and some of his friends. Newspapers said that the boy was deeply influenced by the action in the video games he used to play with.

It is obvious that video games have more disadvantages than advantages. Therefore, parents should be very careful in selecting the appropriate games for their children.

Notes

Issue : paragraph 1

Arguments-for / Positive arguments : paragraph 2

Arguments-against / Negative arguments : paragraph 3

Conclusion / Recommendation : paragraph 4

A Discussion is a piece of writing that explores the pros and cons or the advantages and disadvantages of an issue to allow the readers to reach a logical conclusion. A balanced view of the writer is reflected throughout the writing. The communicative purpose of a Discussion is to present arguments / opinions / information from different viewpoints.

DESCRIPTION

Text  DESCRIPTION

Structure:  Identification - Description

  

On the banks of the Chao Phraya, Bangkok's "River of Kings", lies a hotel that has already set new standards of hospitality for the celebrated city.

See in magnificently landscaped tropical gardens, the Shangri-La Bangkok provides guests with all the charm and warmth of the Orient, and at the same time, an unsurpassed range of facilities and leisure activities.

There is a choice of 12 superb settings to wine and dine, a large swimming pool that overlooks the river, convention center and meeting facilities for up to 2,000 people and a 24-hour business center. from every single guestroom and suite, there is a breathtaking view of all the exotic hustle and bustle of the fabled "River of KIngs".

One might expect such a well-equipped and positioned hotel to be miles away from the city center. But at the Shangri-La Bangkok, the business district and main shopping areas are minutes away.

For more than 200 years, Bangkok's grandeur has been reflected in the waters of the Chao Phraya. Today the Shangri-La Bangkok towers beside this majestic river offer its guests the golden promise of the East.

Notes

Identification : paragraph 1

Description : paragraph 2, 3, 4, and 5
 

 A Description is a piece of writing that lists the characteristics of a person, place or thing. It describes living and non-living things such as animals, towns, buildings, etc. The communicative purpose of a Description is to describe a particular person, place or thing.

EXPLANATION

Text:  EXPLANATION

Structure:  General Statement - Explanation

 

ENGLISH, THE LANGUAGE OF THE WORLD

The United Kingdom is the birthplace of the English language. Today, English is spoken in more parts of the world than any other language.

English is considered one of the world’s richest languages. It has well over a million words! Why so many? Because many different people settled in Britain over the centuries, and each group added their own words.

The United Kingdom has produced some of the greatest writers of the English language. You’ve heard of William Shakespeare, right? He has a great playwright and poet from England. Shakespeare wrote many famous plays, including Romeo and Juliet.

 

Notes

General statement : paragraph 1

Explanation : paragraph 2

An Explanation is a piece of writing that gives straightforward information. It explains the process related to the formation of natural, social, scientific and cultural phenomena, e.g. how volcano eruption occurs, or how we get chocolate from. The communicative purpose of an Explanation is to enable the readers to understand the processes involved in the formation or the working of natural, social, scientific and cultural phenomena.

HORTATORY EXPOSITION

Text:  HORTATORY EXPOSITION

Structure:  Thesis – Arguments – Recommendation

If you want to advance in your career, you will have to make some careful decisions about which jobs to take. Evaluate a job offer for the value it has to your career. It may mean sacrifice at first. You may have to move to a different region or a different country to get a job that is right for you. You may have to work late hours, at least temporarily. You might even have to take lower salary for a job that offers you the experience that you need. But you should never accept a job if it is not related to your career goals.

Accepting a job that is not within your career path will not give you the training or experience you need or want. You will find yourself frustrated in such a position and consequently will not perform your best. This will have an effect on the people around you who will not feel as if you are being part of the team. The best advice is to think carefully before accepting any position and make sure the job is the one you want to have.

Notes

THESIS : paragraph 1

ARGUMENTS : paragraph 2 (sentence 1, 2, and 3)

RECOMMENDATION : paragraph 2 (sentence 4)

ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION

Text  ANALYTICAL EXPOSITION

Structure:  Thesis – Arguments - Reiteration

To improve comfort and cleanliness at our school, a number of dustbins should be increased. When we look at classrooms, School corridors and school yard, there are papers, mineral water cups, straws and napkins here and there. The condition of uncleanliness and discomfort really hinders learning and teaching environment. Litters thrown carelessly cuse disease, especially empty plastic cups or glasses. They can be filled out with water coming from the rain. This can be places for dengue mosquitoes to spread out. Besides, this rubbish can deteriorate the scene. Well-painted wall and green school yard do not mean anything if litters are scattered everywhere.

I notice that most of the students in our school have responsibilities for their school environment. They put their litters on the proper places. But some are not diligent enough to find the dustbins. The number of dustbins in our school is not enough. Most dustbins should be put beside each of steps, outside the classrooms and some more along the corridors. Probably one dustbin should be in every ten meters. When students want to throw away their litters, they can find the dustbins easily.

When school is equipped with sufficient dustbins, we do not have problems of filth and discomfort anymore. Our school will be very clean and become a nice place to study.

Notes

THESIS : paragraph 1

ARGUMENTS : paragraph 2

REITERATION : paragraph 3

An Analytical Exposition is a piece of writing that tries to convince the readers to agree with the writer's viewpoint by analyzing a certain issue within the text. The communicative purpose of Analytical Exposition is to put forward a viewpoint about something.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN WITH ENGLISH!