ENG 224 Advanced English Composition II October 2020 PDF

COURSE GUIDE ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II Course Team Moji Olateju (Ph.D) (Course Developer/Writer) - OAU Christine I. Ofulue Ph.D (Programme Leader) – NOUN Mr. Theodore Iyere (Course Coordinator) – NOUN NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA © 2017 by NOUN Press National Open University of Nigeria Headquarters University Village Plot 91, Cadastral Zone Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway Jabi, Abuja Lagos Office 14/16 Ahmadu Bello Way Victoria Island, Lagos e-mail: [email protected] URL: www.nou.edu.ng All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed 2008, 2017 ISBN: 978-058-965-1 CONTENTS PAGE Introduction…………………………………………….. …… ii Course Aims………………………………….………… …… ii Course Objectives……………………………………… …… ii Working through this Course………………………………… ii Course Materials ……………………………………………… ii Study Units …………………………………………………… ii Textbooks and References ……………………………………. iii Assessment……………………………………………………. iii Tutor-Marked Assignment…………………………………… iii Final Examination and Grading………………………............. iii Course Marking Scheme ……………………………………... iv Course Overview …………………………………………… iv How to Get the Most from this Course……………………… v Facilitators/Tutors and Tutorials……………………………… v Summary……………………………………………………… v INTRODUCTION ENG 224 is a one-semester course of two credit units. It is designed for English language students and others in other related departments involved with studies on communication. The course has fourteen units which cover almost all the different kinds of compositions, i.e. minutes of meetings, reports, memoranda, letters, invitations etc., and the technical details involved. You are expected to go through this course guide carefully to know what the course is all about, the course materials you need, the tutor-marked assignments and some other needed information. Please attend your tutorial classes for practical discussion of some of the various compositions. By the time you are through with the course, if you were crowd-shy before, you would be confident enough to face the crowd. You should also be able to present specialised writings in the form of reports, speeches, letters, minutes of meetings, memoranda, etc. Going through this course will equip you specially for this purpose. Let me encourage and assure you that this course is a very interesting one. Welcome on board. COURSE AIM This course is designed to expose you to the different kinds of compositions. Its goal is to: a) enable you to have a broad understanding of the various types of compositions in English. b) introduce you to the technical details involved in the different compositions. c) encourage you (through tutor-marked assignments) to write some of these compositions. d) equip you with specialised skills for different kinds of compositions. e) make you an effective communicator who will be able to contribute to national development in all areas of human endeavour. COURSE OBJECTIVES The objectives of a course are the things you are expected to be able to do at the end of the course. These objectives will guide you when going through the study and they will also help you in self-assessment and where you need to improve on your learning and study habits. By the end of this course, you will be able to:  identify the different kinds of advanced compositions that you have been taught in the course.  discuss the stylistic varieties in the different forms of compositions depending on the context.  describe the technical details involved in the different kinds of compositions.  attempt the practice exercises that will enable you to demonstrate your acquired skills on composition writing. WORKING THROUGH THIS COURSE In this course, you have fourteen study units to go through. In each of the study units, you are expected to study the contents very well before attempting the questions. You should pay attention to the objectives of each study unit so that you can be properly guided through the unit. You should be prepared to do a lot of thinking and writing in this course because it is designed to make you do so. The assessment will be through tutor-marked assignments which you are expected to do and turn in at the appropriate time. You are also expected to write a final examination at the end of the course. The time for the examination will be communicated to you. COURSE MATERIALS The major components of the course are: 1. The course guide 2. The study units 3. The textbooks 4. The assignment files 5. The presentation schedule. STUDY UNITS There are three modules which are divided into fourteen units in this course. Each study unit is a week’s work and this is heralded by the objectives which you are expected to study before going through the unit. In each study unit, you also have the reading materials and the self- assessment exercises. The tutor-marked assignments, the study units, the tutorials, all put together, will help you to achieve the stated objectives for this course. The Modules and Study units are as follows: Module 1 Unit 1 Some Basic Principles of Good Writing Unit 2 Minutes of Meetings I Unit 3 Minutes of Meetings II Unit 4 Letter Writing I (Formal Letters) Unit 5 Letter Writing II (Informal Letters) Module 2 Unit 1 Public Announcements Unit 2 Memoranda Unit 3 Report Writing I Unit 4 Report Writing II Module 3 Unit 1 Speech Making I Unit 2 Speech Making II Unit 3 Long Essays I Unit 4 Long Essays II Unit 5 Invitations TEXTBOOKS AND REFERENCES Each unit has a list of recommended textbooks and materials. Go through them for necessary assistance while going through the unit and before attempting the exercises. ASSESSMENT You will be assessed in two ways in this course – the tutor-marked assignments and a written examination. You are expected to do the assignments and submit them to your tutorial facilitator for formal assessment in accordance with the stated deadlines in the presentation schedule and the Assignment file. Your tutor-marked assignments will account for 30% of the total course mark. TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT ENG 224 is a course that involves a lot of writing, so there are tutor- marked assignments at the end of every unit which you are expected to do. You are expected to have practised writing the different kinds of compositions and if possible, rehearse some of them in class before your tutorial facilitator. You will be assessed on the different kinds of compositions but only four of them will be selected for continuous assessment. Send the completed assignments (when due) together with the tutor-marked assignment form to your tutorial facilitator. Make sure you send in your assignment before the stated deadline. FINAL EXAMINATION AND GRADING Assessment Marks Assignments Four Assignments; best three marks count as 30% of course work. Final Examination 70% Total 100% Unit Title of Work Week’s Assessment Activity (End of Unit) Course Guide 1 Module 1 1 Some Basic Principles of Good 1 Assignment 1 Writing 2 Minutes of Meetings I 2 Assignment 2 3 Minutes of Meetings II 3 Assignment 3 4 Letter Writing I 4 Assignment 4 5 Letter Writing II 5 Assignment 5 Module 2 1 Public Announcements 6 Assignment 6 2 Memoranda 7 Assignment 7 3 Report Writing I 8 Assignment 8 4 Report Writing II 9 Assignment 9 Module 3 1 Speech Making I 10 Assignment 10 2 Speech Making II 11 Assignment 11 3 Long Essays I 12 Assignment 12 4 Long Essays II 13 Assignment 13 5 Invitations 14 Assignment 14 Revision 15 Examination 16 The final examination for ENG 224 will be a two and a half hour paper during which you are expected to answer three questions. Each question carries twenty marks, giving you a total of sixty marks for the examination. The thirty marks for the course work and the seventy marks for the examination give a total of one hundred marks (i.e 30+70=100). The pattern of the questions will not be too different from those you have responded to in the tutor-marked exercises. Revise the different kinds of compositions properly before the examination date. HOW TO GET THE BEST FROM THIS COURSE The study units in this course have been written in such a way that you can easily go through them without the lecturer being physically around and this is what happens in Distance Learning. Each study unit is for one week. The study units will introduce you to the topic for that week; give you the objectives for the unit and what you are expected to be able to do at the end of the unit. Follow this religiously and do the exercises that follow. In addition to the above, unlike other courses where you just read and jot notes, ENG 224 is basically a writing course. You are expected to do a lot of writing. For you to be equipped adequately to be able to write and present specialised writings in the different compositions, you need a lot of practice which you should try to do. FACILITATORS/TUTORS AND TUTORIALS There are 12 tutorial hours for this course. The dates, times and location of these tutorials will be communicated to you as well as the name and phone number of your tutorial facilitator. You will also be notified of your tutorial group. As you relate with your tutorial facilitator, he/she will mark and correct your assignments and also keep a close watch on your performance in the tutor-marked assignments and attendance at tutorials. Feel free to contact your tutorial facilitator by phone or e-mail if you have any problem with the contents of any of the study units. SUMMARY ENG 224 is designed to introduce you to the different types of advanced compositions in English and improve your proficiency in composing and presenting them. On completion, you should be well equipped with all the necessary skills needed to compose any type of specialised writing in English. I wish you the best as you go through this course. MAIN COURSE CONTENT PAGE Module 1 …………………………………………………… 1 Unit 1 Some Basic Principles of Good Writing……….…… 1 Unit 2 Minutes of Meetings I……………………….……… 10 Unit 3 Minutes of Meetings II……………………………… 18 Unit 4 Letter Writing (Formal Letters) I……………….…… 27 Unit 5 Letter Writing (Formal Letters) II…………………… 35 Module 2 …………………………………………………… 42 Unit 1 Public Service Announcements……………………… 42 Unit 2 Memoranda………………………………………….. 48 Unit 3 Report Writing I……………………………………… 57 Unit 4 Report Writing II…………………………………….. 63 Module 3 …………………………………………………….. 72 Unit 1 Speech Making I…………………………………….. 72 Unit 2 Speech Making II……………………………………. 79 Unit 3 Long Essays I………………………………………... 87 Unit 4 Long Essays II……………………………………….. 97 Unit 5 Invitations and Thank-You Notes…………………… 106 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II MODULE 1 Unit 1 Some Basic Principles of Good Writing Unit 2 Minutes of Meetings I Unit 3 Minutes of Meetings II Unit 4 Letter Writing (Formal Letters) I Unit 5 Letter Writing (Formal Letters) II UNIT 1 SOME BASIC PRINCIPLES OF GOOD WRITING CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Paragraph 3.1.1 How to Monitor the Growth of a Paragraph 3.1.2 Some Grammatical Connective Devices 3.1.2.1 Substitution 3.1.2.2 Conjunctions 3.1.2.2.1 Coordinating Conjunctions 3.1.2.2.2 Subordinating Conjunctions 3.1.2.3 Ellipsis 3.1.2.3.1 Types of Ellipsis 3.1.2.3.2 Anaphoric Referent 3.1.2.3.3 Cataphoric Referent 3.1.2.3.4 Ellipsis of Subject 3.1.2.3.5 Ellipsis of Subject and Auxiliary 3.1.2.3.6 Ellipsis of Predicate 3.2 Punctuation Marks 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION This unit will introduce you to some basic principles of good writing in English. This unit is more of a revision of most of the things you have learnt before. You will benefit a lot from this course if you try as much as possible to take note of the little things that make for good writing. In this course as a whole, your ENG 101 (Module 2) will be a very useful and good companion. In language learning in general, a lot of repetition 1 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II is necessary for good mastery of the relevant concepts and ideas. So, do not be surprised if you come across some things you have learnt before. Writing is societal. The stylistic varieties demonstrated in writing are contextual and depend on the communities, relationships or groups involved. For example, giving an eye-witness’ account of a situation, giving a speech before an audience, making a report of a case, writing an application letter for a job, taking down minutes of a meeting, all demand some level of competence which you have to demonstrate for you to be able to function as expected on specific occasions in the society. Your writing must conform to the conventions of form and style although; at times you may need to expand that to be able to accommodate some varieties of writing. A society is a complex institution with all kinds of practices and assumptions about behaviours. Writing in the society, for the society or about the society has a lot of social demands. To meet these demands, your use of language is very important. This unit is designed to remind you of some of the basic language principles of good writing which will help you in the various kinds of compositions that you have to write for this course and later in life. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to:  identify the essentials of good writing  construct good paragraphs  identify what linkers and conjunctions are in English  discuss how to use grammatical connective devices appropriately in your write-up. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT In this unit, you will learn about paragraphing and some grammatical connective devices which will help you in advanced composition writing. 3.1 The Paragraph Some of the things which a reader needs to know about a paragraph are the aesthetic, stylistic and functional aspects of it. A paragraph is aesthetic in terms of its appearance on the page and what it conveys is recorded in your mind as you read. The stylistics of a paragraph is seen in the internal patterns in terms of the sentence-by-sentence connections, management of ideas, sentence length and types, and how it is punctuated and arranged. The paragraph displays its functional value in 2 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II terms of the content and how the writer uses it to present his/her ideas on any issue. There is no hard and fast rule about the length of a paragraph. You are at liberty to determine the length and content of any paragraph you create while writing. You might have written a page and you feel it is too long for you or your reader to hold your thoughts together. At that point, you can look for a minor boundary where the separation of ideas can be easily done. You must however make sure that there is, at least, a major point that can hold the other minor points in the paragraph together. This can be said to be the edited type of paragraph development because you have already written a page or two before you start looking for convenient boundaries to separate the text into paragraphs. Forming a paragraph in this way can be said to be a retrospective approach to paragraph formation. The other way to form a paragraph is a concurrent one. That is, developing it as you think and write, having at the back of your mind the number of main points you want to develop along with the number of paragraphs that goes along with it. You arrange and group your points logically with appropriate connective devices. Some of these devices will be discussed in this unit as well. The concurrent system of paragraph development is a monitored one because you are deliberately watching the length, the development of ideas and how a paragraph is linked with another. In the tutor-marked assignments, since you are writing on your own and you are likely to be using a computer to write most of the time, you can use either of the two types, but in the examination, the concurrent one is better because of time constraint. The concurrent one is more natural in that you are conscious of the fact that you have to write with a monitored mind in the presentation of a logical and psychologically sound argument or presentation. 3.1.1 How to Monitor the Growth of a Paragraph In monitoring the growth of a paragraph, you need what is called compositional competence. First and foremost, your mind must be in what you are writing. There are also some rhetorical patterns that are instinctive and some of these have been acquired either through intensive reading or extensive reading. Some of these patterns which are linking expressions are also formally taught in classes at different levels of the educational ladder. 3 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II In writing, you need appropriate linking expressions to guide whoever is reading the write-up later. By using appropriate linking expressions, you will be able to engage in useful sentence connection and management of gaps between sentences through appropriate use of some structural devices. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE How do you monitor the growth of a paragraph? 3.1.2 Some Grammatical Connective Devices Connective devices can be referred to as syntactic or structural devices made up of structural items such as auxiliaries, prepositions, pronouns, determiners, demonstratives, articles etc. Functionally, the connections can be in the form of substitution, conjunction, ellipsis etc. Some of these are discussed below. 3.1.2.1 Substitution Substitution is a device for abbreviating and avoiding repetitions. Pro-forms such as; same, so, too, any, each, neither, same, none, then, and pronoun references such as he, him, she, her, hers, my, mine, we, ours, their, them can be used for substitution. Pro-forms and pronouns can be used within a sentence and across sentences and various parts of the sentence such as subject, object, verb, complement, adverbial, predicate, and whole sentences. Below are examples: a) Sule and Ismail pushed the car. They washed their clothes afterwards. (Subject of the first sentence is substituted) b) Bola broke the plate. Its broken pieces are still on the floor. (Object of the first sentence is substituted) c) Jane destroyed the wall pictures and did same to the window blinds. (Verb of the first sentence is substituted) d) The boy behaved irrationally. Such behaviour is unacceptable. (Adverbial is substituted) e) Moji drives a car. I think Tinu does so too. (Whole predicate is substituted) 3.1.2.2 Conjunctions Conjunctions see to the connection of sentences into meaningful units. They conjoin words or phrases or clauses within the larger pattern of the sentence. There are two types of conjunctions – coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. Coordinating conjunctions are known as 4 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II coordinators while subordinating conjunctions are known as subordinators. While writing, you will need all these connective devices and that is why it is important that you go through this section and master their use. 3.1.2.2.1 Coordinating Conjunctions Coordinating conjunctions are of three major types – and, but and or. They link items of strictly parallel grammatical status: The two items could be two nouns, two noun phrases or a noun and a noun phrase. Below are examples: And – signals a relationship of equal grammatical units. e.g. - Aduke and Foluke gave presents to Bose. (Aduke and Foluke are both nouns) - Razak washed his clothes and Karim did same to his. (Both sentences on either side of and are of equal status in terms of the subject and predicator) But – signals a relationship of contrast or difference between linguistic items. It is used to join contrastive clauses. e.g. - Tinu passed all her exams but her parents were not pleased with her grades. - The manager received a lot of encomiums from his staff members but got rebuked at the top management level. - We built our hope on him but he disappointed us. Or – signals a relationship of choice between two items. It can be used to join two items ranging from words to clauses. e.g. - Either Kola or Yesufu is expected to be at the meeting. - You can come to my house or meet me at the junction. Some other markers of coordination may be correlatives such as both, either---or, neither ---nor. These are referred to as correlatives because they function in pairs. For example: 1. Both Kola and Ajayi came. 2. We would prefer either Peter or Chima. 3. Neither Jane nor Bade came. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What do coordinating conjunctions do? 5 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.1.2.2.2 Subordinating Conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions e.g. because, therefore, although, yet, while, since, where, when, that, who, before, after, which, whom, etc. furnish us with reasons, conditions, provisions, concessions or attach some indication of time to what we write. Subordinators are used in the formation of non-simple sentences such as complex and compound-complex sentences. Examples are: 1. When I arrived, I met the little old man. 2. Before I say anything at all, I’ll like to introduce the chairman. 3. After completing his first degree at the University of Ibadan, he left for the United States of America. 4. The man who came in after you wrote The Gods are not to Blame. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE Mention some subordinating conjunctions. 3.1.2.3 Ellipsis This is the omission of linguistic items that have been realised elsewhere in the sentence. Ellipsis is used to avoid monotony or unnecessary repetition. 3.1.2.3.1 Types of Ellipsis 3.1.2.3.2 Anaphoric Referent With anaphoric referent, the omitted item is referring backward to an earlier referent. Below are examples: The empty spaces indicate where the linguistic items have been omitted. 1. The baby cries a lot at night but (…) sleeps well during the day. (the baby is omitted) 2. She can dance but I don’t think she should. (…) (dance is omitted) 3. I’m happy if you are. (…) (happy is omitted) 4. Kate is singing soprano because Joy won’t. (…) (sing soprano). 3.1.2.3.3 Cataphoric Referent With cataphoric referent, the omitted item refers forwards. Below are examples: 6 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 1. While (…) working for the professor, he became a good typist. 2. Although (…) told to stop, he kept on running. 3. Not knowing what else (…) to do, Ade resigned from the meeting. The omitted items could be nouns or pronouns like the ones in the second half of the sentences. 3.1.2.3.4 Ellipsis of Subject 1. He sang and (…) danced at the party. 2. Bola couldn’t come but (…) sent her secretary. 3. He walked along the corridor, (…) saw the coins on the floor, (…) picked them up and (…) went his way. The empty spaces indicate where the ellipted subjects should have been inserted. 3.1.2.3.5 Ellipsis of Subject and Auxiliary 1. Kola has worked and (…) (…) put everything in place. (Kola and has are omitted) 2. The chairman has written and (…) (…) presented the bill to the house. (The chairman and has are omitted) 3. He has done the work and (…) (…) cleaned up the mess. (He and has are omitted.) 3.1.2.3.6 Ellipsis of Predicate The predicate refers to the group of items in a simple sentence or clause after the removal of the subject. Below are examples: 1. Adeodu is playing baseball for his school and Peter (…) for his club. (is playing baseball is omitted) 2. Sade will cook the meals this morning and Bola (…) tomorrow. (will cook the meals is omitted) 3. Let’s meet the chairman today and (…) tomorrow. Other types of ellipsis are those of a. whole predication (group of items remaining when the auxiliary or operator has been taken away from the predicate) b. predicator c. subject and predicator d. adverbials e. direct object and subject complement 7 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II Details of these can be got in Asiyanbola (2005). See details of references in the reference section at the end of the unit. 3.2 Punctuation Marks This is an aspect that you have been exposed to since you were in the primary school. Nevertheless, you still need to go through the section to remind yourself of a few things you might have forgotten about them. Punctuation marks such as the Full Stop, Comma, Hyphen, Colon, Semi Colon, dashes, etc. are important for good writing. The purpose of punctuation is to help you present your ideas clearly and effectively. Punctuation marks must be used only when necessary. Please read up this section in Babalola (2005). See details by checking the reference materials at the end of this unit. 4.0 CONCLUSION We have been able to go through some of the basic principles of good writing in this unit. This will be a good reference point for you any time you need to do some formal or informal writing. 5.0 SUMMARY You have learnt from this unit that: i.the concept of a paragraph is aesthetic, stylistic and functional. ii.the internal structure of a paragraph is seen in terms of the sentence- by-sentence connections, management of ideas, sentence length and types, how it is punctuated, and arranged. iii.there is no hard and fast rule about the length of a paragraph. iv.forming a paragraph could be in two ways – retrospective approach and concurrent approach. v.compositional competence is important in monitoring the growth of a paragraph. vi.conjunctions conjoin words or phrases or clauses within the larger pattern of the sentence. vii.coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or) link items of parallel grammatical status. viii.subordinators are used in the formation of non-simple sentences. ix.substitution is a writing device where an item is replaced by another within or across sentences to avoid undesirable repetition. x.punctuation marks and capital letters are also important ingredients for good writing. 8 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT With adequate examples, explain what you understand by ellipsis and identify some parts of a sentence that can be omitted. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING Adedeji, E.O. (2005). “Grammatical Ties in English Discourse,” In, Moji Olateju & Lekan, Oyeleye. (Eds.). Perspectives on Language and Literature. Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press, pp 157-166. Aremo, B. (1995). An Introduction to English Sentences (1) Ibadan, Nigeria: Caltop Publications Nigeria Ltd. Aremo, B. (1997). An Introduction to English Sentences (2) Ibadan, Nigeria: Caltop Publications Nigeria Ltd. Asiyanbola, A.A. (2005). ‘Sentence Connective Devices as Linguistic Tools for English Reading Tasks in a Nigerian ESL.’ In, Moji Olateju & Lekan Oyeleye (Eds.). Perspectives on Language and Literature. Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press, pp 187-184. Babalola, E.T. (2005). The Grammar of Paragraphs and the Mechanics of Good Written English. In, Moji Olateju & Lekan Oyeleye (Eds.). Perspectives on Language and Literature. Ile-Ife, Nigeria: Obafemi Awolowo University Press, pp 269-284. Zandvoort, R.W. (1967). A Handbook of English Grammar. London: Longman Group Limited. 9 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II UNIT 2 MINUTES OF MEETING I CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Preparing to take Minutes 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION This study unit is an all-important topic to all and sundry because of its usefulness. You may be called upon to take minutes when you least expect. That is why you need to study this unit and get prepared for such a responsibility in future. Some people take up positions in organisations and parastatals or private institutions where they are appointed as secretaries of committees or where they are expected to stand in for the secretary. Some people are at sea as to what to do while some others do a shoddy job to the effect that the essentials of the meeting are not well taken. As prospective graduates, you may be asked to write minutes of meetings in future and you should be equipped to perform this function. In fact, when you tell people that you are a graduate, they assume you know how to do such things as writing minutes of meetings. That is one of the reasons, why you need to go through the next two study units on writing minutes of meetings and be well equipped to face any future challenge you may have as regards writing the minutes of meetings. Minutes of a meeting are the accurate summary of records of what is said and decided at the meeting, especially of a society or committee. Minutes can also be said to be a way of recording discussions, comments and decisions in a very clear, understandable and concise form. Minutes are written or should be written in plain language. In some places, minutes are usually entered into a minute book- usually a big book that could take many records of minutes. In some government offices, summaries of minutes of meetings are printed out and circulated to members. 10 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II You also need to know that minutes of meetings can be tendered as evidence before panels investigating some delicate issues at times. In fact, if the executive members of an association want to open an account with a bank, the bank usually asks for the minutes of the meeting where that decision was made and the individuals involved. Relevant details such as the attendance, the date, the decision to open an account, which bank to use and who the signatories should be will be requested for. Please go through the next two units and you will be glad you did. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to:  identify the essential features of minutes of meetings  state the features of different types of notice of meetings  write minutes of meetings using or exploring conventions of style. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Preparing to Take Minutes In preparing to take minutes of meetings, it is important to take note of the following. Before a meeting can hold, participants need to be informed about the meeting, otherwise the attendance will be affected. Apart from this, people usually want to know what the agenda is all about and why there has to be a meeting. Therefore, what is referred to as notice of meeting has to be sent round. If it is an institution, the notice of meeting can be put in people’s pigeon holes so that they can be informed. In a situation where people are connected to internet services, the notice of meeting and the agenda can be sent by e-mail to participants. In this era of mobile telephony, notices of meetings can also be sent through the short message services or telephone calls. The meeting for members of an association (e.g. students’ or other social groups) could have their notice of meetings pasted on notice boards in students’ halls of residence, on departmental notice boards, society’s hall or the place of meeting. As such, the people concerned will be notified of the meeting and all the relevant details involved. Below are examples of notice of meetings: 11 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE Mention some ways by which you could disseminate the notice of a meeting. TYPE A NOTICE OF MEETING IFE BOYS HIGH SCHOOL OLD STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (IFE BRANCH) PLEASE ATTEND A MEETING OF THE ABOVE-NAMED ASSOCIATION DATE: 29TH JANUARY, 2008 TIME: 4 PM VENUE: FAJUYI CAFETARIA AGENDA: 1. ELECTION OF NEW OFFICERS 2. AOB PLEASE BE PUNCTUAL SECRETARY TYPE B OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE IFE- NIGERIA DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH INTERNAL MEMORANDUM From:Ag. Head To: All Academic Staff Department of English Department of English Date: 29/10/07 NOTICE OF DEPARTMENTAL MEETING There will be a Departmental meeting on Thursday, November 1, 2007 Time: 10.00am Venue: Departmental Library 12 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II TYPE C OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE IFE- NIGERIA INTERNAL MEMORANDUM From: Ag. Head To: Faculty Secretary Department of English Faculty of Arts Date: 21/09/02 NASELS HOLDS ALUMNI RE-UNION The English Students Association (NASELS) holds the 1st Alumni Re-Union of the Department tomorrow- Saturday, 22 September, 2002 at Ogunbanjo Community Centre, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife. Please honour them with your presence. Thanks. Head of Department Type A This is usually for participants who can be reached easily in public places-especially among students. If a secretary is unable to distribute notice of meeting to members of the association, type A notice of meeting could be used to inform members of the meeting. Type B This type is used in institutions where people have different offices and attend to their primary assignments at different times. Notice of meetings need to be sent days earlier than the actual date so that people can be well prepared for the meeting. In secondary or high schools, the principal or vice principal may just inform the staff members of the need for a meeting verbally or where resources are available, the notice of meeting could be written and pasted on the staff notice board in the staff room. 13 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II Type C This is a kind of notification done on behalf of a group especially where the group wants some official backing for the meeting so that the meeting can be well attended and issues thrashed out. Type D (e- mail messages) Type D is the type done electronically by e-mail. This is quick and fast but in a situation where there is power failure and people can not access their mails, some people may use this as an excuse for not attending. Type E (text messages/phone calls) Text messages/telephone calls can be used to inform people of meetings- especially emergency meetings. There could be a problem where people’s handsets are switched off or gone off as a result of power failure or network problem. What is important however is to use every available means of reaching the participants for a meeting for effective deliberations. Type F (Notice of an inaugural meeting of an Association or group) This type of notice will have the title, the date, venue and tentative agenda. At times, if it is a pasted notice and since nobody has been elected, the convener’s name may or may not be there. If it is a circulated notice, the convener’s name has to be there. Below are some of the things you need to do while getting ready to take the minutes of a meeting 1. Get an outline prepared based on the agenda ahead of time and leave a lot of empty lines after each topic so that you can have spaces to write. Once you have the topics written down, you can quickly jump to any topic that is raised and begin to write down the important points immediately. 2. Prepare a list of expected attendees and mark their names as they enter. Or you pass round a list of their names where you can just ask them to sign against their names. In some cases however, you may not know the attendees, so you just pass round a sheet of paper for people to write down their names and sign. As a secretary or someone taking the notes, you should also take note of those who went out during the meeting and at what time. This is important because a dubious person can sign in at a meeting 14 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II and leave the meeting to go and commit a crime and still claim that he was at a meeting when the crime was committed. 3. You must not attempt to record or document everything that is said at a meeting. Just listen to the discussion very well and summarise by putting down the essential points. If you think you may miss some valuable discussions, you can take a tape/cassette recorder along to record the contributions at the meeting. 4. You can use any convenient method of recording that is comfortable for you. You can use a note pad, a big notebook, some sheets of paper out of which you will later transfer the essentials of the meeting. You can also use a laptop computer, a tape recorder, a steno pad or shorthand. Recording can be a good back-up for the notes you have already taken. It is important to note however that having to transcribe from already recorded material takes a lot of your time if you use this method. 5. If you have been asked to take notes as a staff member in an organisation, you are an active participant. You may want to contribute to the discussion and also take note at the same time. You should be able to balance these roles, otherwise you will lose some essential information or contribution by some of the speakers. Your participation here is different from when you are the secretary of an organisation taking minutes at a management meeting. You are not expected to contribute except when you want to ask for clarification of a participant’s contribution. Otherwise, you are expected to just listen and do a proper documentation of what is said at the meeting. 6. Occasionally, a meeting can get very hot and participants abuse or insult one another. As a secretary or someone taking the notes, you should not put down verbatim what is said. You must use your discretion to document issues by using the appropriate language for such situations. You can say: a. there was a heated argument between----- b. some of the participants disagreed on this point--- c. the chairperson intervened before the situation got out of hand--- Except in a situation where a person specifically asked you to quote him on a particular issue, you may not mention anybody’s name. 7. You need to request that people introduce themselves before they make contributions so that your records can be accurate. 15 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 8. Do not forget to write the names of people who were given specific assignments to perform. 9. Type out the minutes as soon as possible. In this way, you will remember most of the discussions. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What are some of the things to take into consideration while preparing to take minutes? 4.0 CONCLUSION From what you have gone through in this study unit, you will notice that for you to take down minutes of meetings and write them out requires adequate preparation. In study unit 3, you will be taken through the actual organisation of minutes of meetings so that you can be well equipped to do the exercise of writing out minutes of meetings any time. 5.0 SUMMARY In this study unit, you have learnt the following: i. Minutes of meetings are the accurate summary or records of what is said and decided at a meeting, especially of a society or committee. ii. Before a meeting can hold, a notice of the meeting ought to be circulated. This can be done verbally at times. iii. Notice of meetings can be circulated in different ways: a. pasted on notice boards b. distributed to participants c. sent by e-mail/telephone calls d. sent as text messages, etc. iv. Notice of an inaugural meeting of an association may not be signed by anybody because there are no elected officers at that point in time. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Write short notes on six things you have to do while preparing to write the minutes of an association’s meeting. 2. Prepare a notice of meeting for an association where you have just been elected as the secretary. 16 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING Aremo, B. (2001.) (Ed.). Advanced English Compositions. Lagos, Nigeria: Scribo Educational Books. envision.ca- Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador. 17 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II UNIT 3 MINUTES OF MEETING II CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Title 3.2 Attendance/Membership 3.2.1 Membership 3.2.1.1 Present 3.2.1.2 Absent (with permission) 3.2.1.3 Absent (without permission) 3.2.1.4 In Attendance 3.3 Preamble 3.4 Adoption of Minutes of the Previous Meeting 3.5 Matters Arising 3.6 New Items for Consideration 3.7 AOB (Any Other Business) 3.8 Adjournment 3.9 Endorsement 3.10 Sample Minutes of Meeting 3.10.1 Attendance 3.10.2 Preamble 3.10.3 Adoption of Previous Minutes 3.10.4 Matters Arising 3.10.4.1 Publicity 3.10.4.2 Cultural Activities 3.10.4.3 Children’s Programme 3.10.4.4 Lectures 3.10.5 New Items for Consideration 3.10.5.1 Topics for the Seminar Session and Keynote Speaker 3.10.5.2 Visit to the Vice-Chancellor 3.10.5.3 Date for the Next Meeting 3.10.6 Adjournment 3.10.7 Endorsement 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION In this unit, you will learn about the actual writing of minutes of meetings and you will be given an example. Minutes are expected to be 18 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II written in good and carefully chosen expressions in English. If they are hand written in the minute book, they should be written in clear handwriting that other people apart from the writer can read. It happens at times that the secretary or the person who took the meetings is unavoidably absent and someone else is chosen to stand in for the secretary by first reading the minutes. In such a situation, the person reading should have no problem reading the minutes in the absence of the writer. Minutes have their own organisational structure and this should be followed so that there can be adequate documentation of the report. In the next section, you will be introduced to the general organisation of minutes. Organising your minutes of meeting very well helps in the understanding and search for particular bits of information from the minutes. There are some things that should be in the minutes of meetings and these are the things that will be discussed in this section. They are: 1. Title 2. Attendance/Membership 3. Preliminary discussion 4. Adoption of the minutes of the last meeting 5. Matters arising 6. Items for consideration 7. Adjournment 8. Endorsement by the chairperson All these will be discussed under Main Content. 2.0 OBJECTIVE By the end of this unit, you will be able to:  identify the organisational structure of minutes  describe how minutes of meetings are arranged  write out a sample minutes of an imaginary meeting. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT A good format to follow in the writing of minutes is as indicated in the introduction and below. Just as mentioned in Module 1 Unit 2, a notice of meeting has to be passed round to the members before the meeting. This notice has to indicate the title, name of the club, society or institution, date, venue, time, convener, agenda etc. It is also important 19 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II to note that whoever is developing the section on matters arising, should number it e.g. Minute 1,2,3,4 etc depending on how the items were recorded. 3.1 Title At a glance, there should be a clear indication of the group holding the meeting, at what place, and time and for what purpose. Below is an example. MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF UNIVERSITIES – (ASUU) AGBA OSELU UNIVERSITY BRANCH, ILE-IFE, NIGERIA HELD ON TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2007 AT AUDITORIUM 1, HUMANITIES BLOCK 1, AGBA OSELU UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE. 3.2 Attendance/Membership This section is a highlight of the names of all those who were present at the meeting. It also indicates those who were absent (with or without permission). If there are new members/observers etc, this will be indicated here as well. Below is an example: 3.2.1 Membership 3.2.1.1 Present 1. Mr. J.A. Adigun Chairman 2. Mr. O.O. Ogungbe 3. Mr. J.S. Otunbo 4. Mr. J.B. Jumbo 5. Mr. O.B. Jegede 6. Mr. A.A. Fabusuyi 7. Mr. O.O. Adeojo Secretary 3.2.1.2 Absent (with Permission) 1. Mrs. J.A. Oni 3.2.1.3 Absent (without Permission) 1. Engineer O.O. Alebiosu 2. Chief O.O. Ogunleye 3. Mr. O.O. Adelaja 20 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.2.1.4 In Attendance 1. Mrs. J.O. Bolarinwa (Town planner) 2. Mrs. O.O. Ojo (Business woman) It could also be a list of all the members, indicating absentees with abs, abswa or *, **, *** in the margin. Abswa means absent with apology. 3.3 Preamble This is not a compulsory part or feature of minutes of meetings. It can be included in the minutes if the chairperson makes some preliminary remarks by welcoming members, introducing a new member or visitor, giving apologies for lateness or apologies sent in by members, etc. Remarks on a member’s new status, addition to a family or news of bereavement could also be included in this section. The preamble usually takes place before the meeting proper. 3.4 Adoption of Minutes of the Previous Meeting There are two ways of distributing the minutes of a previous meeting. The first one is by getting it ready and sending it to members before the day of the next meeting so that members will enable to go through and have their comments ready for the meeting. In this way, time will not be wasted reading through the minutes. The chairperson calls for any observation on the minutes. If there are none, he then calls for the adoption of the minutes. The other way which is common in most organisations, societies, or high school staff meetings is the method of reading the minutes of the last meeting while members are seated. The members are advised to listen attentively while the secretary or any other designated person reads the minutes. While going through the minutes or having gone through the minutes, observations such as the following can be taken and addressed: a. omission of a member’s name b. misspelt names c. mis-representation by the secretary, etc. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE Discuss three important sub-headings that have to be in the minutes of meetings. 21 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.5 Matters Arising In this section, the chairperson does a follow-up on the assignments given to members or report on actions taken on some issues that had been previously discussed. This section emphasises the need for members to work on the implementation of decisions taken at meetings so that the society or organisation can move forward. For example, the following can be part of what is discussed at a meeting: Chairperson: Mr Adagunodo was asked to see to the purchase of a new piece of land for the building of a new business office complex for the society. Can you please give us a report on that? Mr Adagunodo: Thank you Mr Chairperson. I visited the surveyor and he promised to release the land on the condition that we pay the amount for the land once. Chairperson: Do we all agree to do that? Members: Yes. In taking the minutes of such a meeting, the secretary can write that the members agreed to pay for the proposed piece of land upfront. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What is the importance of the section on matters arising? 3.6 New Items for Consideration In this section, the chairperson takes the members through the new items listed for discussion and consideration at the meeting (that is, the list of items to attend to). These may include, for example: a) members’ participation at their old students’ founder’s day celebration (for an association) b) application for sabbatical leave for some members of a department (institution) c) discussion of the new year budget (Ministry or parastatal) d) promotion cases (institution, etc.) 22 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.7 AOB (Any Other Business) At times members have some observations, contributions or requests which have not been listed as part of the agenda for the day. Such comments or contributions can be discussed and recorded in this section. 3.8 Adjournment This is a move to bring the meeting to a close. After all items on the agenda might have been discussed, the chairperson can then call for an adjournment of the meeting. This should be moved by a member and supported by at least another member. For example, the secretary could write: The adjournment of the meeting was moved by Mr. A.O. Ajayi and supported by Mr. A.K. Akamo. The meeting came to a close at exactly 6.45pm. 3.9 Endorsement Spaces must be created at the end of the minutes for the secretary and chairperson to put their signatures and date. Below is an example: Signature/Date Signature/Date Secretary Chairperson 3.10 Sample Minutes of Meeting MINUTES OF MEETING OF THE LOCAL ORGANISING COMMITTEE OF THE NIGERIA NATIONAL BOOKFAIR, WESTERN ZONE, HELD AT AGBA OSELU UNIVERSITY PRESS, ODE-IRELE ON JANUARY 19, 2007 3.10.1 Attendance Mr. Ade Fatomilola Chairman Dr. G.A. Adeowo Mrs. O.M. Olaoba Mr. T.A. Agbakuru Secretary Dr. M.A. Adetayo Mrs. B.J. Adeojo Mr. O.M. Bintu Alhaji O.T. Balewa 23 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.10. 2 Preamble The meeting started at 12.15p.m with a prayer by Mrs Olaoba. The Chairperson reported that Mrs Dada and Dr Adetayo sent in apologies for their absence. He also reported that Mr Olorunwa would join us at the Vice Chancellor’s office at 2.00 p.m. 3.10.3 Adoption of Previous Minutes The minutes of the meeting held on July 20, 2007 were read through by members. The motion for the adoption was moved by Mrs Olaoba and it was seconded by Mr Bintu. 3.10.4 Matters Arising 3.10.4.1 Publicity Mr Jide Omisola was being expected to give details of his plans. Members reiterated the earlier decisions on publicity to go out early enough, get more posters pasted and handbills well distributed aside the usual newspapers, TV and radio advertisement. 3.10.4.2 Cultural Activities Dr Kola Adeowo apologised for not being able to attend the last meeting. He brought and submitted his plans as well as the financial implication of the programme he drew up. It was being planned that Irele Outreach Performers would perform at the opening ceremony while a full length play would be fixed for one of the nights during the Book Fair. The total cost was put at about N95, 000. 3.10.4.3 Children’s Programme Mrs Olaobaju said that she was still working on the activities for the children’s programme. She promised to package it up and submit soonest. 3.10.4.4 Lectures Prof. Eniayekan and others would be contacted on the lectures as planned. It was also reported that Mrs Odunsi already saw the Principal Personal Secretary (PPS) to the Odia State Governor, and that there was every hope that the government would be adequately represented at the Book Fair. The Ministry of Education had also been contacted. 24 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.10.5 New Items for Consideration The following items were listed for consideration 3.10.5.1 Topics for the Seminar Session and Keynote Speaker Members discussed the need to inform the keynote speaker and other discussants concerning the following topics: a) The Role of Children in Functional Education. b) Children and Functional Education. c) The Role of Government in Functional Education. 3.10.5.2 Visit to the Vice Chancellor The visit to the Vice Chancellor scheduled for 2.00pm was discussed and finalised. Members agreed to visit the Vice Chancellor at the appointed time to discuss the possibility of getting some financial support for the programme. 3.10.5.3 Date for the Next Meeting The date for the next meeting was tentatively fixed for January 21st 2007 3.10.6 Adjournment In the absence of any other thing to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 1.40 p.m. to give members enough time to prepare for the visit to the Vice Chancellor. 3.10.7 Endorsement ……………………………. ………………………. Secretary Chairperson 4.0 CONCLUSION We have tried to take you through the writing and the organisation of minutes of meetings in this unit. We have also presented an example of minutes of an imaginary meeting which is expected to guide you while trying to write yours. 25 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 5.0 SUMMARY In this study unit, you have learnt that: i. minutes are expected to be written in good and carefully chosen expressions in English ii. anybody reading the minutes of a meeting should have no problem reading it in the absence of the writer. iii. organising your minutes very well helps in the understanding and search for particular bits of information from the minutes. iv. minutes of meetings have a format which can be adjusted occasionally for convenience v. a notice of meeting has to be sent out before the actual meeting. vi. endorsement of minutes of meetings by the secretary and the chairperson after it has been adopted is important. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT You can practise writing the two questions in this tutor-marked assignment but submit only one to your tutorial master. 1. Using examples of your own, illustrate how minutes of meetings should be organised. 2. Is it true that minutes of meetings are verbatim reports of meetings? 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING Aremo, B.(Ed.).(2001). Advanced English Composition. Lagos, Nigeria:Scribo Educational Books pp. 99-115. envision.ca- Community Services Council Newfoundland and Labrador. 26 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II UNIT 4 LETTER WRITING I (FORMAL LETTERS) CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Writer’s Address and Date 3.2 The Addressee’s Address and Date 3.3 The Salutation and Subject Heading 3.4 The Opening Paragraph 3.5 The Body of the Letter 3.6 A Final Paragraph 3.7 Closing 3.8 Letters on the Internet 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION This unit introduces you to the essential details of formal letters in English. All forms of writing are important because they can easily be kept and documented. As a result of the importance of letters, even the unlettered employ the services of people who can write to help them write to their loved ones, children and relatives in far away places or when they need to apply to establishments as supporting staff etc. At one point in time or the other in life, you may need to write formal letters or help someone do so. Do you know that many applications for jobs, appointments and requests end up in the trash can because of the inability of the applicant to fulfil the writing requirements and standard? Some unknowingly write formal letters the way they speak while some are simply very rude in their use of language while writing. As you go through this study unit under the following subheadings, you will be taken through some of the things you need to know. This study unit will remind you of some of the things you need to know and some of the things you have probably forgotten, taken for granted or counted as unimportant. You will soon graduate and you will discover that you need some of these skills when applying for jobs, when you become a chief executive in an establishment or when you start or own a business and when you need to write to clients, other business associates or the government. 27 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 2.0 OBJECTIVE By the end of this unit, you will be able to: identify the essential features of formal letters  describe how to write formal letters based on the features of formal letters that you have learnt. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT Formal letters are meant to serve some official purposes and these are needed almost all the time. Formal letters also have features which unlike informal letters, must be adhered to strictly. 3.1 The Writer’s Address and Date As we have in informal letters, the address and the date are compulsory and these usually appear at the top right hand corner but recently as mentioned in informal letters, some people have shifted the address and date emphasis to the left. Thus, you have people using the traditional method of writing the address and date on the right while some use the latest one which starts all on the left. The all-left style is, however, not yet popular with many people. 3.2 The Addressee’s Address and Date This section is not required in informal letters and it has always been on the left hand margin about two lines below the date. Usually, the official designation of the person being addressed is used. But occasionally the name is included. For example, B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State. 18/2/08 The Managing Director, Opec Engineering Company, Oregun. Eruobodo State. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State 18/2/08 The Managing Director, Opec Engineering Company, Oregun. Eruobodo State. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The addressees’ name and address could be written thus if the letter is written personally to him. * Please note that the addressees’ address could also be written at the top right hand corner. B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State 18/2/08 Mr. James Erhabor, The Managing Director, Opec Engineering Company, Oregun. Eruobodo State. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.3 The Salutation and Subject Heading The normal salutation for people in their official capacity is Dear Sir, if the person is known to be a man, and Dear Madam, if the person is known to be a woman. The salutation is always written close to the left hand side of the margin about two lines below the last line of the addressees’ address. 29 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State. 18/2/08 Mr. James Erhabor, The Managing Director, Opec Engineering Company, Oregun. Eruobodo State. Dear Sir, APPLICATION FOR THE POST OF A CLERICAL ASSISTANT --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The subject heading usually comes between the salutation and the opening of the letter. If you receive a reply to your letter with an official heading as the one above, the heading, preceded by Re- is used in the reply. For example, Re- Application for the post of a clerical Assistant SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE Imagine that you have to write to the manager of a company who wants to sell some used cars that you are interested in, how will you write your own address and the manager’s? You can also include the salutation and subject heading. 3.4 The Opening Paragraph The opening paragraph states the reason for the letter. Below are some ways by which you could start the letter. a) I wish to apply for the post of ----advertised recently in the The Nation. b) It gives me great pleasure---- to inform you that--- c) I am writing this letter in response to your advertisement for the sale of---- d) With reference to your letter dated------ e) This is to thank you for your response to my request on----- f) I regret to inform you that---- 30 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II g) You may remember telephoning me on the issue of the accommodation of your office staff last -----etc. You should try to avoid some outdated usages such as a) I beg to apply--- (You do not have to beg. You may just simply apply) b) I acknowledge the receipt of--- Remember to quote any reference number that is used to write to you in your response to such a letter. For example, a) With reference to your letter dated---- b) I wish to refer to your letter dated---in which you referred to --- c) With reference to your letter, R/101/ATO of 16/10/2001 --- SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE Write the opening paragraph to a letter of application for the post of the Deputy Manager of a textile industry. 3.5 The Body of the Letter The body of the letter must be divided into paragraphs just like informal letters. Any subject matter that is not of relevance to the topic should not be included. Make yourself clear and go straight to the point. Points should be made as briefly as possible. Most official letters are written to fit on one page. Chief executives and business people do not have too much time to start going over pages and pages of writing. They are very busy people so the shorter your letter the better for maximum attention to be given to it. There is really no time for lengthy letters. Make sure you use very simple language. Do not think you can impress your reader by writing very complicated sentences and expressions. The simpler you make your language, the better. 3.6 A Final Paragraph A final paragraph is important to convey your expectation. You can make statements such as: a) Looking forward to hearing from you b) I would be grateful to have an answer as soon as possible c) Thank you for your attention d) Awaiting your favourable response e) I look forward to--- 31 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 3.7 Closing The complimentary closing of Yours Faithfully is common in formal letters. This is followed by the signature and the full name of the writer which is written close to the right hand or to the left in some cases. You must create enough space for the signature between the closing and the full name of the writer. In the past, ladies were enjoined to put Mrs, Ms (used by a woman when she does not want to disclose her marital status) or Miss in bracket after their full name. But recently, some of the advocates for gender equality noted that such was not necessary since men do not put Mr in bracket after their own names. The official title should be put under the full name when letters are written in one’s official capacity. Below is the sample of a short official letter with all the features. * Please note that the address of the addressee, the closing, the signature and the full name could also be written on the right hand side of the portions they occupy. Opec Engineering Company, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State. 18/2/08 M.A. Obajo The Managing Director, Ajab Engineering Company, Oregun. Eruobodo State. Dear Sir/Madam RE-REMOVAL NOTICE Thank you for your letter dated 13th February 2008 in which I was informed of the company’s intention to take over the ownership of the premises at No 15 Oko Oba Street, Ode Irele. I wish to state that prior to the notice, I had informed the landlord of my intention to buy the property but I did not know that the landlord was not willing to release the property to my company. Now that the property has been officially allocated to you, I will try and arrange for my company to relocate to another place within the next two weeks. I am sorry for the inconveniences this may cause you. Thank you very much indeed. 32 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II Yours Sincerely, [Signature] Mr James Erahbor Managing Director, Opec Engineering Company. 3.8 Letters on the Internet Correspondences on the internet are called e-mails. No matter how long or short they are, they do not have the structure of letters that have been discussed in this study unit. They look like memos. They already have a set web page which cannot be changed. Even though recently, interviews for some jobs are conducted via telephone in some cases, hard copies of written applications will still continue to be relevant in our society. 4.0 CONCLUSION In this study unit, we have been able to outline the essential features of formal letter writing. We have also been able to present examples of the different sections. 5.0 SUMMARY In this study unit, you have learnt that: i.formal letters are meant to serve some official purposes. ii.formal letters have a structure which should be adhered to strictly. iii.the address and the date are compulsory and these usually appear at the top right hand corner, even though these days they appear on the top left hand corner. iv.the opening paragraph states the reason for the letter. v.the body of the main letter must be divided into paragraphs just like informal letters. vi.the simpler you make your language, the better. vii.the complimentary closing of Yours Faithfully is common in formal letters. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT 1. Write a letter to your Head of Department informing him/her of complaints by other students in the Department against some of the lecturers who have been accused of absenteeism, lateness to classes, failure to prepare and give lecture notes to students etc, 33 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II and the need to do something urgently to avert an impending riot or protest by students. 2. Write a formal letter to the police giving an account of a crime you witnessed. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING Aremo, B. (2001). “Letters.” In, Aremo, B. (Ed.). Advanced English Compositions. Lagos, Nigeria: Scribo Educational Books. pp 14- 45. 34 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II UNIT 5 LETTER WRITING II (INFORMAL LETTERS) CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 The Writer’s Address 3.2 The Date 3.3 The Salutation 3.4 The Body of the Letter 3.5 Ending the Letter 3.6 Sample Question on Informal Letters and how you are Expected to Respond to it 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION Writing letters in this electronic age is no less important than what it used to be in the past. We still need to write letters to friends, relatives, colleagues, etc. It is still important to write well constructed letters for communicating our personal, official, consumer and political interests. There are two types of letters – formal and informal letters. In study unit 4, you learnt about formal letters. In this study unit we shall learn about informal letters. It is interesting to note that as easy as informal letters seem to be, may people do not know how to write interesting and heart-warming letters. Some have even written letters that have eventually denied them their needed pocket money, housekeeping allowances or the needed peace around them just because of inappropriate language use and structure of the letters they have written. A young man even said some years ago that he felt like jumping into the river when he received a letter from his so-called lover. Letter writing is a skill. You can make or mar yourself or someone else if care is not taken while writing. We know you have been writing letters before, but going through this study unit will remind you of some of the things you already know or need to know. We shall start this study unit by going through the subheadings below. Letters can be used to make a case, express a point of view, express feelings, register an opinion or present a need. Writing in general demands the use of specialised skills for different kinds of writing. Communicating using letters also demands precision and appropriate 35 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II use of language. Letters also have a structure and as a writer, you should follow the structure so as to get the desired result. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to:  identify the essential features of informal letters  write informal letters of your own using appropriate language & and structure. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The Writer’s Address Informal letters are letters to friends and relatives. Below are the features of informal letters: The writer must have an address and this could appear at the top right hand corner. Recently however, some people have started using the top left hand corner for the writer’s address which makes all writings start on the left. This is however not so popular yet. The name of the country need not appear if the letter is not going outside the country. It is also not necessary to write the name of the writer on top of the address as some people used to do. Below is an example. 1 2 Department of English, Department of English, Oba Awon University, Oba Awon University, Ode-Irele. Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State Eruobodo State. Both styles (straight and slanting types) are acceptable but number 1 is the one most frequently used. If you are writing manually make sure you write clearly so that you can be well understood in terms of the address you have written. Many people have not received replies to letters they have written because their writings were not clear and the person responding copied the wrong address. 3.2 The Date The date is important in any document including letters and it could be written in several ways. Do not forget to include the date whenever you have to write a letter to someone or for examination purposes. Below are examples. 30th June, 2008 36 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II June 30th, 2007 27 Jan., 2005 March 30, 1999 30/7/2008 30:7:06 3.3 The Salutation In writing letters to friends, relatives and loved ones, the salutation (or opening) is usually Dear--- or My Dear ---- followed by the first name of the friend or by some other familiar name. Some people write only the first name of the addressee. The salutation should be written close to the left hand margin and you should make sure it is a line or two below the date. Some other variants for salutation are what we have in love letters such as: Honey, Sweetheart, Dear, Treasure, Darling, Sweetie, etc. Letters to older relatives, friends or colleagues can have the following salutations which are common practice by the Nigerian user of the English language: Dear Daddy/Dad, Dear Mummy/Mum, Dear Mama Kemi, Dear Auntie Toowo, Dear Uncle, Dear --- followed by the person’s title (i.e. professional or social) are salutations used for people that we know but are not necessarily our friends. Dear Chief, Dear Alhaji, Dear Sir, Dear Ma, Dear Doctor, Dear Professor/ Prof, Dear Pastor, 37 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II Dear Mrs, Dear Mr, Dear Ms, Dear Miss, (without a name) is not used as salutation. The layout therefore looks like this: B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State. 18/2/08 Dear Uncle Ade, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE How important are the writer’s address, the date and salutation in an informal letter? 3.4 The Body of the Letter After the salutation, you can start the letter with a form of greeting which you know the addressee will be happy with. For example, a) How are you over there? b) This is Moji saying hello to you. How are you and the children? You must be warm in your approach. Nobody wants to be threatened, insulted in a letter or addressed rudely or be made to have a feeling of insecurity. Such a letter will not get the needed response. Even if you have bad news to break, you must do it cleverly in such a way that it will not be too much of a shock for the addressee. The body of the letter should be written in paragraphs. Each main point should be written and the supporting sentences developed along with the paragraph. Letters should be written in simple everyday language. There should be no complications that can make the letter difficult to understand. Whenever people read from their loved ones, they want to enjoy reading the letter. They want to hear details of good things happening at home or around the writer. If peradventure the addressee finds it difficult understanding the letter, then, something is definitely wrong either with the mode of communication or with the language in general. 38 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What are some of the things to consider while writing the body of an informal letter? 3.5 Ending the Letter After completing the body of the letter, you need to bring your letter to a close by being warm at the end. You can end the letter by asking about some familiar names or people that you have not asked about at the beginning of the letter, the progress of a member of the family, the health condition of a friend, etc. This will make the reader happy that someone cares because everyone wants to feel loved and cared for. (See the example below) B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State 18/2/08 Dear Uncle Ade, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yours truly, Dele The common type of ending or final salutation in informal letters is; Yours sincerely, followed by the name of the writer. For example, Yours sincerely, Ayo. As mentioned earlier, some people prefer the all left style where all writings start on the left. Invariably too, in such letters, the final salutation is written on the left as seen below: B 44 Surulere Quarters, Aba Iyagani, Ode-Irele. Eruobodo State. 18/2/08 39 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II Dear Uncle Ade, --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yours truly, Biola. 3.6 Sample Question on Informal Letters and how you are Expected to Respond to it Question Write a letter to your brother on how the relationship between you and your best friend got soured. This is a personal letter to a brother telling him how the relationship between you and a close friend got soured. In writing this letter, you have to show what led to the deterioration of the relationship. You probably want to write because you are not happy that a relationship which was a close one stopped like that or that you felt relieved because of what the continuation of such a relationship can cause. That is why you want to write your brother telling him about it. You must give a series of events that culminated in the break-up. You should also express your disappointment or relief. This is an informal letter meant to explain some form of action and reaction to a particular issue. The language of informal letters usually demonstrates some form of repetition, contracted forms, rhetorical questions, mixture of long and short sentences, slang, expressions in the local dialect or language, code switching, etc. Some of these should be made use of in this type of letter. Below are some examples: a) I never, never expected to see my own close friend---- b) when I accosted him, he said, “you don’t understand and you won’t ever, ever understand.” c) Brother Kunle, can you imagine someone doing that? d) What of Tayo alias ‘Orube’? e) Greetings to little ‘Eba o waste’. f) Bye for now. g) Send some of the left-over chicken for Christmas. h) Olorun a wa pelu wa o (God will be with us all)! i) ol’ boy ki lo nsele over there?(Old boy, what is happening over there?) 40 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II In informal letters, a lot of emotions can be demonstrated and feelings expressed. The writer of this kind of letter expects a response sympathising with him on the broken relationship and giving suggestions on how it can be restored. The reader on the other hand can congratulate him depending on what the cause of the broken relationship was. 4.0 CONCLUSION In this study unit, we have been able to discuss the formal features of an informal letter, what to consider while writing an informal letter by giving a sample question and hints on how to answer it. 5.0 SUMMARY In this study unit, you have learnt that: i.informal letters are letters to friends, relatives, etc. ii.they are more relaxed than formal letters. iii.salutations can be of different kinds depending on who is being written to. iv.you can start the letter with a form of greetings. v.the body of the letter should be written in paragraphs. vi.the language is not formal, there can be repetitions of words, contracted, forms, mixture of long and short sentences, slang, code switching, expressions in the local dialect, etc. vii.the closing should be warm ad friendly. 6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT Answer one of the following questions. 1. Write a letter to your married sister who has just given birth to her fourth baby, congratulating her on her safe delivery and giving at least three reasons why she should not have any more children. 2. Write a letter to your aunt inviting her to the Speech Day celebrations in your school. 7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READING Aremo, B. (2001). “Letters,” In, Aremo, B. (Ed.). Advanced English Compositions. Lagos, Nigeria: Scribo Educational Books. pp 14- 45. 41 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II MODULE 2 Unit 1 Public Service Announcements Unit 2 Memoranda Unit 3 Report Writing I Unit 4 Report Writing II UNIT 1 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS CONTENTS 1.0 Introduction 2.0 Objectives 3.0 Main Content 3.1 Goals of Public Service Announcements (PSA) 3.2 The Message 3.3 The Language 3.4 Music 3.5 Length 3.6 Printed Announcements 3.6.1 Newspaper Announcements 3.6.2 Wall Posters 4.0 Conclusion 5.0 Summary 6.0 Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.0 References/Further Reading 1.0 INTRODUCTION A public service announcement can be said to be information about a past or on-coming event passed on to members of a particular community or group of people. It can be said to be a free commercial made available for a non-profit organisation. Public service announcements are usually transmitted through radio, television, posters or handbills. The electronic form may be for just a minute or two or even seconds. Radio stations are expected to donate a certain amount of airtime to serve the public and the community. Public announcements such as health and safety tips on immunisation for children, fire outbreak alerts, use of seatbelts, reasonable speed limit on major highways, etc. are usually transmitted through radio and television announcements and some other means which may be seen to be appropriate for any particular community. Public announcements always indicate who, what, where, when and why. If it is an event that is long gone by, you can make a video 42 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II recording of the event and get it aired. You can also give the radio station a recording of the announcement of the event to be aired either before or on the actual date. Different media outlets differ in operation. Some have specific number of days or weeks that the notice for public service announcement could be submitted before it can be aired. Except if it is a situation that possesses serious health hazard or risk. Each station has a PSD – Public Service Director or the equivalent – to whom all requests are sent. You should contact the PSD if you have any PSA – Public Service Announcement – to be aired so that you can be adequately informed about their specifications concerning Public Service Announcements. Don’t just send your PSA to a media house without asking for their specifications for such announcements and programmes. This will save you the embarrassment of not getting the programme aired when you so desire. 2.0 OBJECTIVES By the end of this unit, you will be able to:  mention the goals of PSA  describe the language of PSA  identify some of the essential components of PSA  prepare PSA on your own. 3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Goals of Public Service Announcements PSAs are aimed at getting someone to take an action, usually a positive one. The target is the audience and it is designed to get them to act in a particular way. For example, to stop cigarette smoking, to stop drinking contaminated water, to use treated mosquito nets always, to tell people to pay up their electricity/utility bills. In short, the action could be to give information, to warn people, to incite people, to order people to stop a habit, to advertise some goods and services (commercial) etc. For you to create a PSA, you have to identify a reason why you are doing it. You need to ask yourself what you intend to achieve and what kind of response you want from the public. At times, you identify a need that should be addressed or a danger that should be avoided. This need should be of common benefit and addressing it through PSA should yield results. You must include the dangers that neglecting such PSA can pose to the general public. In countries where response to such 43 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II public announcements is slow, you may need to include the fact that law enforcers would be on the look out for offenders. Occasionally, it is appealing to the general populace and not the presence of law enforcers that can be used to accomplish the goal. For example, if people are littering a particular place with refuse, law enforcers can be called in to make them desist from continuing the bad habit. But where people have refused to use the family planning method available at the health clinics, which has resulted in people having too many children, it is several appeals and health education that would probably help citizens to see the need to plan their families aright. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What is Public Service Announcement and who is it meant for? 3.2 The Message The message must be important and relevant enough to broadcast or else it will be a waste of time. Another important factor is that the message must concern majority of the people. Otherwise, the people concerned could be contacted by telephone, e-mail, fax, etc. Except the message is urgent and there may not be enough time to get through to all concerned, you may not have it aired. In preparing PSA, you must emphasise its relevance and importance to the target audience. In short, your PSA must: 1. address the audience in the language they understand most or that is commonly spoken in that area, 2. directly address and attract the attention of the target audience who are the most affected by the situation, 3. be clear and straight forward, 4. be relevant to their day-to-day living, 5. emotionally strong enough to move them to action or create favourable response in them. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What are the goals of PSA? 3.3 The Language Most commercial adverts on the television and the radio use very colourful expressions such as: a.our highly qualified staff 44 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II b.our efficient and friendly staff c.affordable prices d.esteemed customers e.highly valued customers. In writing PSA, you do not need highly colourful words. Use plain and simple language. People respond based on emotional reasons. Make a list of the positive and negative effects of people’s actions and responses. These will move them to action. For example, if you include the fact that a particular community still go about half naked publicly as a result of illiteracy and lack of essential clothing materials, you are likely to receive better response if you have phrases such as: a.Your generous donation of used clothes and materials will stop someone from having pneumonia and cough today in----community. b.You can be a part of the people the world is waiting for to help the people of ----------overcome guinea worm in their area. c.Donate generously for the anti-TB project for Adeojo community. d.Many families will go hungry tonight except you bring your widow’s mite to help the people of---. e.This little girl you see on the screen can overcome this problem and go back to school if only you can give some money to support her much needed heart surgery. f. The little girl you see on the screen is a victim of kerosene explosion. g.Your little donation is what she needs now for her plastic surgery. Occasionally in Nigeria, the guardian/parent of the unfortunate person is allowed to speak on TV and further appeal to the public for help. You need to work on people’s emotions to be able to get the needed reaction to the situation from them. A PSA can ask people to donate food, money, time or other essential materials. You can have adverts such as: Can you create time and place in your home one hour a week for a disabled child? (The picture of a disabled child, with eyes screened, on a wheelchair may be included.) Use simple tense forms. Most PSAs are constructed using simple present/future tenses. For written announcements, the graphology that is, the different types of letters used in writing the announcement. is very important. In writing your PSA, you can deliberately capitalise or make some letters bold for emphasis and the attention of the reader. Graphological devices can attract the attention of the reader and if they are wall posters they should be bold enough from afar and the letterings clear. The message should also be catchy enough to make readers move 45 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II near the poster to read it at a closer range and if it is a radio announcement, it should be interesting enough to make listeners desire to hear it again. SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISE What are some of the things you need to take into consideration while preparing a PSA? 3.4 Music Most commercials and some PSAs have music accompanying them. You can use music if it will enhance the impact of the message. At times the music makes the PSA more interesting. Do not use sound effect just for the sake of it. Use it only if it will increase the impact of what is said. 3.5 Length The length of a PSA is determined by the broadcast station that will air it. Usually it is between 30-60 seconds. It is important for it to be brief so that people do not get bored and so that it can meet the station’s requirement for PSA. 3.6 Printed Announcements There are different kinds of PSAs. Printed announcement is one of them. Osisanwo (2001:72) notes some form of printed announcements which are basically commercial. (See details in Osisanwo 200l). The following are some forms of printed announcements. 3.6.1 Newspaper Announcements Newspaper announcements can be in magazines and journals, public notice, announcements, special message, information to the public. Adverts in newspapers and magazines are mostly commercial adverts about products and article for sale to the public. This could include the notice given about existing vacancies in some establishments, etc. 3.6.2 Wall Posters This has to do with paper on walls in strategic places within an institution or area. Most of the people who paste these posters however contravene the rule on ‘No posters on walls’ or ‘Post no bill’ in some countries. Handbills, circulars and press releases are also some form of printed announcements. 46 ENG 224 ADVANCED ENGLISH COMPOSITION II 4.0 CONCLUSION We have been able to discuss the structure of public service announcements and types. We have also been able to discuss examples of some sections of PSA. 5.0 SUMMARY In this unit, you have learnt that: i.PSA can be said to be information about a past or on-coming event passed on to members of a particular community or group. ii.PSAs are aimed at getting someone to take an action – usually a positive one. iii. the target of PSA is the audience and it is design

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