IGCSE PAPER 2 DIRECTED WRITING – HOW TO WRITE A FORMAL LETTER
Are you a student taking iGCSE this year or interested to learn how to write a formal letter? In today’s blog, we are sharing a model response for IGCSE 0500 PAPER 2 Directed Writing.
IGCSE ENGLISH 0500 PAST YEAR QUESTION PAPER 2 DIRECTED WRITING
(QUESTION IS CONTRIBUTED BY OUR STUDENT FROM HWA CHONG INTERNATIONAL)
SAMPLE ESSAY – DIRECTED WRITING FORMAL LETTER WRITING TO HEADMASTER WITH SUGGESTED RESPONSE
Sample IGCSE ENGLISH 0500PAPER 2 Directed Writing Question:
Imagine you are a pupil in a school who just heard a speech by your headmaster during assembly, announcing that the school will be banning the use of Wikipedia in school. This means that students will not be able to access Wikipedia on all Personal Learning Devices (PLD).
His main reasons are:
- Wikipedia is not a credible source as compared to printed books like Encyclopedia Britannica, which is a most respected reference book in the history of the world as the contents published have been checked by eminent professor
- Wikipedia is not a credible source as you do not know who writes the articles in Wikipedia and the writers lack credential. Additionally, the content on Wikipedia can be modified anytime and it can ‘be here today and gone tomorrow.’
- Students who use Wikipedia do not fact check and are not aware if the content they are reliable or not.
Task: Imagine you are a IGCSE student from Hwa Chong International. Your task is to write a letter to your headteacher on behalf of yourself and your fellow students, protesting against the ban and arguing why it should be lifted.
In your letter, you should
- Provide the pros and cons of using Wikipedia
- Explain with reference to the texts, why access to Wikipedia in school is necessary for your education
- Argue against the main points of your headteacher’s speech
Begin the letter with the following template:
Dear Headteacher,
On behalf of all students in the school, I am writing to you to reconsider your decision to ban Wikipedia from the school’s computer network.
APPROACH FOR WRITING DIRECTED WRITING IGCSE 0500 FORMAL LETTER RESPONSE
Subject: Request to Reconsider the Ban on Using Wikipedia in School
Dear Headteacher,
I am writing to express my concerns regarding the recent decision to ban the use of Wikipedia as a resource in our school. While I understand your concerns about students using Wikipedia, I believe that in today’s digital age, Wikipedia offers valuable benefits that should not be overlooked.
(Topic Sentence: Link Headmaster’s first concern here and explain your point of view) Wikipedia is a vast repository of knowledge on a wide range of topics, making it an invaluable resource for students like us when we are doing research for our coursework or seek a further understanding of certain topics. This provides students with a comprehensive overview of complex topics like science.
Topic Sentence 2 : Link Headmaster’s second concern here and explain your point of view) Although we recognise that Wikipedia may have been subject to skepticism in the past regarding the reliability and credibility of its content, Over time, Wikipedia has made significant efforts to enhance the accuracy and verifiability of articles on the platform. Take for instance, Wikipedia’s rigorous editorial processes, including the use of citations and references, help ensure the reliability of its content, making it comparable to traditional academic sources such as Encyclopedia Britannica.
Instead of an outright ban, the school can harness the educational potential of Wikipedia and empower our students to become critical thinkers who are equipped to navigate intelligently when confronted with a vast sea of information available in this digital age.
Conclusion
In light of these considerations, I respectfully urge you to reconsider the ban on using Wikipedia in Hwa Chong International. Instead of banning Wikipedia, the school can consider making this a teachable moment. The school can conduct media literacy workshops for HCI students, educating us about the importance of fact checking and to examine information provided from Wikipedia with a few other sources.
Thank you for considering my perspective on this matter. I am available to discuss this matter further.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[Your Position/Grade]
[Your Contact Information]
Important Note:
To get a better understanding of the question requirements, students need to refer to the inserts modified by the school / provided by iGCSE for this question. This suggested formal letter response was made with reference to inserts. Candidates are reminded to write about 250 to 350 words.
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