What is a practical text?
A practical text is writing that does a job. A person reads it and then acts: gives leave, offers a place, or makes a decision. So it must be clear, polite and complete. Always ask: Who is the reader? and What do I want them to do?
Letters and e-mails
Parts of a formal letter: greeting (Dear Sir or Madam), purpose in the first lines, details (dates, reasons), and a closing (Yours sincerely) with your name.
An e-mail has the same parts plus a short subject line such as "Leave request for 12 and 13 March". Keep sentences short and the tone polite. Add the date and your class or phone number if the reader needs it.
Application statements
An application statement (a statement of purpose) tells a school, club or job why you are a good choice. Use four parts: who you are, why you want this, proof (a project, a prize, a task you finished) and your goal.
Write about yourself with facts, not big words. "I built a rain gauge and logged rainfall for 3 months" is stronger than "I am very hard-working".
Reports
A report tells readers what happened or what was found. Parts: title, aim (why you looked), findings (facts, numbers, a chart), and a conclusion (what it means, and one recommendation).
Use headings, short paragraphs and the past tense for what you did. Keep your own opinion for the conclusion, never in the findings.
Try it
- Write a 4-line e-mail asking a teacher for a meeting. Add a subject line.
- Check: is the purpose in the first line?
- Ask 5 friends how they come to school. Write a 3-part report: aim, findings (a count), conclusion.
Key formulas and definitions
- Letter / e-mail: Greeting + Purpose + Details + Closing (+ subject line for e-mail)
- Application statement: Who I am + Why + Proof + Goal
- Report: Title + Aim + Findings + Conclusion
- Choose by RPD: Reader, Purpose, Do
Worked examples
1. You must ask the principal to open the library 30 minutes earlier. Which text type, and what is its first line about?
A formal letter. The first lines state the purpose: "I request that the library open 30 minutes earlier."
2. Write a subject line for an e-mail asking for leave on 12 March.
"Leave request for 12 March" (short and says exactly what the mail is about).
3. In a report, you counted that 18 of 30 students come by bus. Which part holds this?
The findings. Conclusion could then say: "Most students use the bus (18 out of 30, or 60 per cent)."
4. Which sentence is better in an application statement? A) "I am a very good leader." B) "I led a team of 6 in our science fair and we won second place."
B. It gives proof (a fact) instead of only a claim.
Common mistakes
- Hiding the purpose at the end of a long letter.
- Writing "I am hard-working" without any proof.
- Putting opinions in the findings part of a report.
- Using friendly slang in a formal letter or e-mail, or leaving the subject line empty.