9.4.1 Functional Writing Notes, Quizzes & Revision
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9.4.1 Functional Writing — English (Age 15, Kenyan context)
This note explains formats and grammar for common functional writing tasks: reminders, short (newspaper/incident) reports, and questionnaires. It emphasizes clear sentence structures and use of the passive voice in reports for clarity.
Specific learning outcomes
- a) Describe the format of a reminder, short report, and questionnaire for information.
- b) Write reminders, newspaper reports, and incident reports for a variety of uses.
- c) Design questionnaires for gathering information from various sources.
- d) Use the passive voice in short reports for communication clarity.
- e) Appreciate the importance of functional writing in communication.
- f) Identify reminders, short reports, passive voice in reports, and questionnaires as categories of functional writing.
1. What is functional writing?
Functional writing gives information or asks for action. Examples: reminders, short reports (including newspaper and incident reports), and questionnaires. Language focus: accurate sentence structure and appropriate use of passive voice to report facts clearly.
2. Reminders — format & example
Purpose: remind a person or group about an event, payment, meeting or task.
- Date
- To: (recipient)
- From: (sender)
- Subject/RE: (short)
- Short message with the action required (who, what, when, where)
- Signature / contact details
15 March 2026
To: All Form 3 Students
From: Principal, Nyeri High School
Subject: Reminder — Parent-Teacher Meeting, 20 March 2026
This is a reminder that the Parent-Teacher Meeting will take place on 20 March 2026 at 3:00 pm in the hall. All students are required to confirm attendance with their class teacher by 18 March. Parents are encouraged to attend.
Signed: Mr. K. Mwangi — Principal
3. Short reports — format & grammar
Short reports present facts clearly and briefly. Types include newspaper (for the public) and incident reports (for records and action).
- Title / Headline
- Place and date
- Introduction: one sentence stating what happened
- Body: key facts in chronological order (who, what, when, where, why, how)
- Conclusion: outcome, action taken or recommendations
- Signature / reporter's name and position (for incident reports)
Using the passive voice in reports (grammar focus)
Passive voice puts the focus on what happened rather than who did it — useful when the actor is unknown, unimportant, or intentionally omitted for formality. Structure: object + be (am/is/are/was/were/been) + past participle.
- Active: "A suspicious package was found by a security guard." — already passive (good).
- Active: "The driver hit the lamppost." → Passive: "The lamppost was hit by the driver." (Use passive to focus on result: "The lamppost was hit.")
- Active: "Police arrested two suspects." → Passive: "Two suspects were arrested."
Title: School Science Fair Attracts Hundreds
Nyeri, 10 March 2026 — The annual county science fair was opened at Nyeri Primary School on Thursday. Over 20 projects were displayed, and prizes were awarded to top performers. The event was organised by the County Education Office and was attended by teachers and parents. The winners were announced at 4:00 pm and certificates were distributed.
Title: Incident Report — Classroom Glass Breakage
Place: St. Mary's Girls Secondary School — 12 April 2026
At approximately 10:30 am, a classroom window was broken during break time. No students were injured. The broken glass was cleared and the classroom was secured. Parents of affected students were informed and the matter has been referred to the maintenance officer for repair.
Reported by: Ms. A. Kamau, Deputy Principal
4. Questionnaires — design and grammar
Questionnaires collect information in an organised way. Language must be clear, neutral and simple to avoid bias.
- Title
- Purpose / brief instructions
- Demographic questions (age, class, gender — optional)
- Clear numbered questions (use closed or open questions depending on data needed)
- Thank you / contact for queries
Title: Questionnaire on Mobile Phone Use at School
Purpose: To gather opinions about mobile phones in class (for Form 3 students).
- Do you own a mobile phone? ( ) Yes ( ) No
- How often is your phone used during lessons? ( ) Never ( ) Sometimes ( ) Often
- Do phone distractions affect your learning? ( ) Yes ( ) No — please explain: __________
- Age: ______ Class: ______
5. How to write each piece — step-by-step checklist
- Reminder: Start with date and recipient; state purpose in one sentence; give action required and deadline; end with signature.
- Short report (newspaper): Lead with the most important fact, keep paragraphs short, use neutral language, use passive when the doer is not important.
- Incident report: State facts only, chronological order, include who reported it, actions taken and recommendations, sign and date.
- Questionnaire: Use clear short questions, avoid leading language, mix closed and open items as needed, pilot with a few students first.
6. Activities and suggested learning experiences (Kenyan schools, age 15)
- Class exercise — write a reminder: Teacher sets a task (e.g., sports tryouts). Students draft reminders for different groups (players, parents).
- Report writing drill — split class: half write a newspaper report about the recent school science fair; half write an incident report about a mock spill or minor accident. Swap and peer-assess for use of passive voice and clarity.
- Questionnaire design — groups create a 6-question survey on a school issue (canteen food, school bus, mobile phone policy). Test it on another group and revise.
- Passive voice practice — convert 10 active sentences from a news paragraph to passive. Discuss when passive is better in reports.
- Real-life task — collect data with questionnaires and write a short report summarising results using passive structures where appropriate.
7. Quick grammar tips on passive voice
- Form: Subject + auxiliary verb (be) + past participle. Example: "The announcement was made."
- Use present passive for general statements: "The form is signed by the parent."
- Use past passive for completed events: "The prize was awarded on Friday."
- Omit the agent when not needed: "Evidence was gathered." (Who gathered it may be unimportant.)
- Avoid overuse — passive makes text dull if used too often. Use where emphasis on action/result is needed.
8. How to identify these categories in texts
Look for these clues:
- Reminder: short, direct, has date, addressee and action/deadline.
- Short report: headline, place/date, facts in order, conclusion or recommendation.
- Passive voice in reports: forms of "be" + past participle (was, were, is, are + verb-ed).
- Questionnaire: numbered questions, instruction, tick boxes or short answer lines.
9. Assessment ideas
- Write a reminder and a short incident report in-class (mark format, accuracy, clarity, correct passive use).
- Design a questionnaire and collect 15 responses; present results as a short report (use passive where appropriate).
- Peer review: identify passive sentences and suggest when active might be clearer.
Note: Functional writing helps you communicate clearly in school and community life — from reminding parents and reporting incidents to collecting opinions. Practice the formats and use the passive voice where it improves clarity.