A book review describes, analyzes and evaluates. The review conveys an opinion, supporting it with evidence from the book.

Before reading, consider:

• Title - What does it suggest?
• Preface or Introduction - Provides important information about the author's intentions or the scope of the book. Can you identify any limitations? Has the author ignored important aspects of the subject?
• Table of Contents - Shows how the book's organized -- main ideas, how they're developed (chronologically, topically, etc.)

Points to ponder as you read the entire book:

• What's the general field or genre? Does the book fit?
• From what point of view is the book written?
• Do you agree or disagree with the author's point of view?
• Make notes as you read, passages to quote in your review.
• Can you follow the author's thesis, "common thread"?
• What is the author's style? Formal? Informal? Suitable for the intended audience?
• Are concepts well defined? Is the language clear and convincing? Are the ideas developed? What areas are covered, not covered?How accurate is the information?
• Is the author's concluding chapter, the summary, convincing?
• If there are footnotes, do they provide important information? Do they clarify or extend points made in the text?
• If relevant, make note of the book's format - layout, binding, etc. Are there maps, illustrations? Are they helpful?
• Is the index accurate? What sources did the author use -- primary, secondary? Make note of important omissions.
• What did the book accomplish? Is more work needed? Compare the book to others by this author, or books in this field by other authors. (Use the books listed in the bibliography.)

Writing the Review:

• Include title, author, place, publisher, publication date, edition, pages, special features (maps, etc.), price, ISBN.
• Hook the reader with your opening sentence. Set the tone of the review. Be familiar with the guidelines -- some editors want plot summaries; others don't. Some want you to say outright if you recommend a book, but not others.
• Review the book you read -- not the book you wish the author had written.
• If this is the best book you have ever read, say so -- and why. If it's merely another nice book, say so.
• Include information about the author-- reputation, qualifications, etc. -- anything relevant to the book and the author's authority.
• Think about the person reading your review. Is this a librarian buying books for a collection? A parent who wants a good read-aloud? Is the review for readers looking for information about a particular topic, or for readers searching for a good read?
• Your conclusion should summarize, perhaps include a final assessment. Do not introduce new material at this point.
• To gain perspective, allow time before revising

An obituary is often the first thing people read in the newspaper each day - and, for many, it will likely be the last thing written about their lives. More than merely a ‘goodbye’ to the deceased, it is a farewell detailing their life in chronological order.

What Should Be Included ?

Announcement

It is important to state the deceased's full name, along with their dates of birth and death. You may wish to consider placing a photograph (which can appear in black and white) along with the text for an additional charge.

Biographical Information

Recount, in a concise manner, the significant events in the life of the deceased. This may include the schools he or she attended and any degrees attained as well as their vocations or interests.

Survivors and Predeceased Information

It is customary to list family members who have survived the deceased, as well as immediate family members who predeceased him or her, including:

• Parents
• Spouse/partner and children (with their spouses’/partners’ names also noted in brackets, if applicable)
• Adopted children
• Stepchildren
• Siblings
• Half and step siblings
• Grandchildren
• Surviving in-laws

Scheduled Services

Provide details of the scheduled services, including the time, date and address. These may include the funeral, visitations, burial and memorial service as applicable.

Memorials

Give the name and mailing address of a foundation or society to which you wish to direct any memorial donations made in honour of your loved one. The decision as to which foundation or society to support may be based upon interests or values that your loved one expressed during life or related to a medical condition which he or she had. We recommend you refrain from using the phrase ‘ in lieu of flowers ’ when requesting memorial donations. Instead, start the final paragraph of the obituary with the words ‘ Memorial donations may be made to … .'

Final Considerations

All information included in the obituary should be verified with another family member. Have them assist you in confirming the dates, those who should be mentioned, correct spelling of names and the details of the scheduled funeral service.

Speeches are talks delivered in public on formal and informal occasions.

Sample question:

You are the head prefect in your school. At the beginning of the new school term, you have been asked to remind students about the school regulations. Write out your speech using the notes below:

When writing the speech, remember to;

• include all the points given
• elaborate on the points
• set out your speech correctly
• write in paragraph

INTRODUCTION

1) Greet the audience.

e.g: Good morning / afternoon / evening to

• boys and girls..
• our principal,
• teachers and fellow students… (at an official school function)
• Mr Chairman, ladies and gentlemen… (at an official function or society meeting)
• Yang Berhormat,
• Tan Sri Najib Abdul Rahman,
• ladies and gentlemen… (if there is a distinguished guest)

2) Introduce yourself to the audience- (your name, position held, department attached to)

e.g: I am Dr Fiqry Nasir from Assunta Hospital in Petaling Jaya.

3) Introduce topic

e.g: I am here to present a talk on the topic ‘Body Fitness.’

4) Purpose of speech

e.g: The purpose of my talk today is to make you realize the importance looking after your food intake and how your health can be maintained through exercising.

3) BODY

• Main points and their elaboration (facts, figures, examples)
• Elaborate 1 point in 1 paragraph or combine a few relevant points and elaborate in 1 paragraph

Conclusion

• The speaker’s hope
• Thank the audience. e.g: Thank you very much for your kind attention.

Dialogue is defined as the words that your characters say to each other or to themselves throughout the story. It can be used to reveal character traits and personality, and it can also be used to propel the plot forward and show things as they happen in the story.

Whenever you write dialogue, you must remember that each speaker/character gets his/her own paragraph.

Take a look at the examples below.

This first example is confusing to read because it is difficult to figure out when one character's speech stops and another's starts.

This is much clearer because it uses separate paragraphs to mark each speaker's words.

Whenever a different character speaks, you start a new paragraph. Also, whenever you start to write about a different character than the one who just spoke, you also start a new paragraph.

Read the next two examples. Examine the correct way to format the dialogue in the second.

Notice that in the first sentence, Jane was speaking. The second sentence switched to John and told that John was taking action by jerking it out of her reach. Since the second sentence only refers to John's action and is not part of Jane's speech or thoughts, we start a new paragraph.

Rule

When writing dialogue, only use one speaker's words or thoughts per paragraph. Any narration in that paragraph must directly correlate to the speaker's words, thoughts, or actions.

Speaker attributions can be defined as the act of establishing which character or speaker said what in a story. You use speaker attributions simply to tell the reader who said what and, sometimes, what they were doing when they said it. Speaker attributions are also called dialogue tags.

OR

In the sentence above, "Give me that hammer" was attributed to Jane because she is the one that said it. By adding 'Jane said' after the closing quotation mark, we let the reader know that Jane is the one who is doing the talking. Since we also want to show the action she is taking as she speaks, we add that also.

Speaker attributions give credit to whoever is speaking. They are not supposed to be used to do much more than that. However, new writers are prone to using speaker attributions to not only establish which character is speaking, but to also tell how they are saying it.

Example:

Writing a magazine, or feature, article differs from newspaper articles in that most magazines allow more space to develop a story (the article is longer) and more time to research it. Writing for a news magazine most resembles newspaper articles. In any case, it is still important in this form of journalism to answer the five questions:

• Who?
• What (or what happened)?
• When?
• Where?
• Why?
• How?