Directed Writing Question - SPM 2005

Question:

You have just returned from a three-day outdoor activity camp. You have decided to write a letter to a friend about your experience at the camp. Write your letter based on all the notes below.

- Who organized the camp
- Date of the camp
- Transport to the campsite
- Number of participants
- Location of the camp
- Accommodation
- Give two relevant examples of :

- activities
- benefits
- problems

When writing the letter you should remember:

- to layout the letter correctly
- to use paragraphs
- that your letter is to a friend

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Sample Answer

Shirley Lim,
No. 9, Jln Mesra,
47600 Subang Jaya,
Selangor.
10 December 2005

Dear Shanti,

Hi, there! How are you? I am sorry I was not able to reply your letter earlier. I was at a camp. T he camp was called ‘Discover Yourself’. It was an enriching experience as I have never attended such camp before. My uncle, who is one of the organizers, roped me in. At first, I was very apprehensive about the whole thing. But later I realized I needed some motivation to boost me for the coming SPM examination.

Let me give you some details. The organizers are a group of people who call themselves 'The Millennium People’. They are basically teachers, trainers and leaders from various social groups who have come together to help young people to excel. The camp was from 1st of December to 9th December. It was a three day outdoor activity camp. We went to the camp by bus and later got into a ferry that took us to the Pangkor Island. There were about 120 participants with 12 trainers. The camp was conducted in the west of Pangkor Island. It was so quiet and peaceful, overlooking the beautiful hills. It was a superb place for us to unwind and discover ourselves. There were little chalets reserved for us.

We enjoyed many interesting activities. I can describe them all but I need to tell you some of the interesting activities. The first activity was called ‘Loosen Up’. We got to know each other in this ice-breaking session. Then came the difficult section. It was called the ‘Bear the Brunt’ session. Here we were practically yelled at and scolded by the trainers. The purpose was to break our egos. After this we were given a series of motivation guidance for studying, self improvement and time management. I greatly benefited from this camp. I have discovered my own potentials. Now I know that I have a good memory and can socialize easily. I also have identified my weaknesses. My greatest weakness is procrastination. But we have learnt to deal and overcome our weaknesses.

However, the camp had its own problems. Some participants did not co-operate because they refused to participate in the hiking and jungle trekking activities. Another problem was that, we did not have water supply on the first day. But these are all small matters compared to the benefits and the lifelong experience that I have gathered in the camp. In the next camp, I will surely take you along.

That’s all for now. I hope to hear from you soon. Take care.

Your friend,

Shirley

Shirley Lim