PSLE Situational Writing 5: Bicycle Racks
A report, not a letter. The syllabus names letters, emails and reports, and the report is the one that catches pupils out, because it is laid out differently.
There is no "Dear" and no "From". It has a heading, it states facts in order, and it ends with what you are asking for.
The situation
Two Primary 6 pupils stand beside the school bicycle rack, which is full again. Their classes have just finished a survey about cycling to school.
Visual source: the survey gives you numbers. Use them rather than saying "a lot" or "too many".
Text version of the survey notice
Class Survey: Cycling to School
Counted and surveyed by the six Primary 6 classes.
- 41 bicycles arrive at school on a normal day
- The bicycle rack holds 24 bicycles
- On a normal day, 17 bicycles are left against the fence
- 29 Primary 6 pupils said they would cycle more often if there were space
- The rack was last extended in 2019
Bicycles counted at the rack each morning in the week of 3 November. All 232 Primary 6 pupils were asked about cycling.
The two pupils are saying:
- "Forty-one bicycles and only twenty-four spaces. No wonder they end up on the fence."
- "Someone should tell the principal, and show them the numbers."
Your task
Imagine you are the Primary 6 level chairperson. Write a report to your principal, Mrs Hana Osman, on the shortage of bicycle parking.
Your report must include:
- a heading that says what the report is about
- who was surveyed, and when
- the problem, given in numbers
- why it matters
- what you are asking the school to do
Check your plan
Which opening is right for a report?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (B) Report on the Shortage of Bicycle Parking, prepared by the Primary 6 class chairperson
The correct answer is (B). A report opens with a heading that names its subject and says who wrote it. (A) and (C) are letter and email openings, and (C) is too casual for a principal. (D) is a formal letter opening for a stranger, and you know who you are writing to. Opening with a greeting tells the reader you have written a letter, however good the facts are.
Which sentence uses the survey best?
Show answer & explanation
Answer: (B) 41 bicycles arrive at school on a normal day, but the rack holds only 24 bicycles.
The correct answer is (B). It uses two figures from the survey and puts them side by side, so the gap is obvious without being argued. (A) and (C) say the same thing with vague words, which a principal cannot act on. (D) is true but the survey gives the year, 2019, so "a long time" throws away a fact you were handed.
Write your report
✍️ Your turn
Write the report to Mrs Osman. Use report format, not letter format: a heading, then the facts in order, then your request. Use the survey figures exactly.
The model
Open the model report
Report on the Shortage of Bicycle Parking For: Mrs Hana Osman, Principal From: the Primary 6 level chairperson, 12 November
Who was surveyed
The six Primary 6 classes counted the bicycles at the rack each morning in the week of 3 November, and asked all 232 Primary 6 pupils about cycling.
The problem
41 bicycles arrive at school on a normal day, but the bicycle rack holds only 24 bicycles. That leaves 17 bicycles leaning against the fence. The rack was last extended in 2019.
Why it matters
Bicycles left against the fence are not locked to anything, and they block the path to the side gate. The survey also found that 29 Primary 6 pupils would cycle more often if there were space, so the shortage is stopping pupils from cycling at all.
What we are asking for
We would like the school to consider extending the bicycle rack, or marking a second parking area near the side gate. We would be glad to hand our survey sheets to next year's Primary 6 classes so that they can count again and see whether the change has worked.
Why this scores
| What the model does | Why it works |
|---|---|
| Opens with a heading and who wrote it | Report format, not letter format |
| Uses short bold sub-headings | A principal can find each part at a glance |
| Gives 41 against 24, and 17, and 2019 | Every number comes from the survey, unrounded |
| Explains what the shortage causes | "Why it matters" is a required point |
| Ends with a specific request and an offer | The reader knows what to decide |
The easiest thing to get wrong here is the format. If you start with "Dear Mrs Osman" you have written a letter, however good the content is.
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