Tiarra Ferdinandusz

I personally found it more natural to write the news report than in the other format. I enjoyed the format of answering the 5Ws and H and it seemed to be a puzzle with all the facts slots in place. Remaining objective has also assisted me in being kept firmly focused and did not over explain.

The opinion piece was what presented me with a problem in this unit. I tend to be opinionated, and I thought that putting these views into a persuasive argument wouldn’t be very hard. I needed to actually think over how to backup my opinion with sound reasoning and not just say what I feel. It provided me with the lesson of how structure and tone play a crucial part in persuasive writing.

These are obviously practical skills outside class. The area of opinion writing would assist me in writing convincing scholarship application or even social media posts that really matter. News writing is so good to arrange thoughts over email or produce announcements in which it is important to be clear in thoughts. This unit has assisted me to become a better communicator both at the workplace and in my personal lives.

In this unit, therefore, the news report style was easier since I like to exhibit the facts in a clear and factual manner. Formal process of addressing the 5Ws + H allowed me to have my thoughts well-arranged. Nevertheless, a more difficult task than the opinion piece was that I had to persuade the audience without making my writing long and more supported. Rhetorical questions were also something I had to work on a bit in the oral part but after some practice I did okay. These styles of writing are quite practical in the life--news writing has helped me know how to convey vital information in a manner that will be clear to all my audience, this is quite helpful both in both school and work. Writing of opinion is a skill that makes me speak with confidence and in a respectful way, which is required in arguing and in normal conversations. All in all, this unit has enhanced my writing and spelling and made me conscious of different styles of writing and how such styles are applied in different purposes.

I was able to better relate to opinion writing than to the writing of news pieces. I like developing a stance and arguing it using examples with the help of my own experiences. However, the news report presented me with a challenge since it had to be very objective and to the point; there is no place here to apply a personal voice, insights, or speculations. I needed to double-check all the information and make sure that it could answer all the questions related to a news article (5Ws + H) and not be a presentation of my opinion. 

The main problem was to create a professional tone and style of writing within the given time frame. I did not want the news report to sound like a narrative piece; however, I needed it to be interesting, descriptive, and engaging for the reader. To deal with that, I researched professional papers and found that they contain small and dense sentences and active voice. 

Practicing both forms of writing is useful in day-to-day life. Composing professional emails with a similar tone to news articles in the workplace may guarantee clarity in the message being presented. Opinion writing can also be useful when one needs to convince another person, such as when launching a job application or putting forward an idea before a group, where formulating and presenting your ideas and opinions persuasively and clearly, is extremely important.

By conducting the work related to this unit, I was able to refine my skills related to both these types of writing, which in turn helped to improve my literacy. 

Part 03

Haroon Mohammed Ifran

Among all the forms, the opinion format felt most natural to me as compared to the news report and the opinion piece. I liked addressing my point of view and proving the readers with the help of real life examples and rhetorical questions. The conversing tone allowed me to relate with the audience without necessarily making my writing to be unstructured.

The news report was the largest problem that I faced in this unit. It was a trick to remain objective and factual without the tendency to supplement personal opinion. It even made me think in terms of accuracy and order and it forced me to emphasize information through the inverted pyramid style which I had to train myself in doing.

These types of writing can be valuable to more than the school setting. The news style imparts to us the art and discipline of plain, terse and non-subjective communication that will also be needed in the professional email messages, reports or presentations. The opinion style develops persuasive abilities that can be used in debates, proposals as well as common conversations in which a person must lead others to conviction. Holistically this unit has made me a better thinker as well as having the capacity to alter my tone depending on what I am trying to say.

Harini Hiyoda Herath

Between the two formats, I felt most comfortable writing the opinion piece. It gave me the freedom to express my views openly while using persuasive techniques like rhetorical questions and strong evidence. I enjoyed crafting a clear stance and leading the reader step by step toward my conclusion. It felt more personal and expressive compared to the structured nature of news writing.

The news report was more difficult for me because it required strict neutrality. I had to focus on presenting only verified facts while keeping the information concise and engaging. It was a challenge to avoid slipping my own opinions into the narrative, but it helped me strengthen my ability to communicate objectively.

I believe both skills will benefit me beyond the classroom. News style writing can be used in professional reports, community updates, or school announcements, while opinion writing is powerful for advocating for ideas and inspiring change. This unit reminded me that effective communication means adapting my tone, structure, and language to match my purpose something that’s valuable in almost every part of life.

OLC4O Unit 4 Summative Conversation
Ahamed Hiraz Nazrul

Out of the two writing formats, I found the opinion piece to be the most enjoyable and comfortable to work on. It gave me room to express my thoughts freely and use techniques like asking thought-provoking questions and including convincing evidence. I liked being able to build my argument in a way that naturally led the reader to my point of view. Compared to news writing, it felt more creative and personal.

Writing the news report was harder for me because it demanded a completely neutral tone. I had to stick to proven facts and avoid letting my personal thoughts influence the piece. It was also important to keep the writing brief but still engaging. Although challenging, it taught me how to share information in a fair and balanced way, which is a useful skill to have.

I believe both styles will be helpful in the future. News writing can be useful for formal reports, announcements, or updates, while opinion writing works well for speaking up on important topics and encouraging action. This unit showed me that good communication isn’t just about what you say, but also how you adapt your style to suit the purpose and audience.

By Janmi Senaratne

Between the news report and the opinion piece, I found the opinion writing format came more naturally to me. Expressing my own ideas and supporting them felt straightforward and allowed me to be persuasive. The news report, however, was more challenging because it required an objective tone and a strict focus on facts without inserting personal feelings. It was tough to keep the language neutral while still making the story interesting.

One of the biggest challenges in this unit was balancing the 5Ws and H in the news report, making sure all important information was included clearly and concisely. Also, learning how to structure arguments effectively in the opinion piece took some effort.

These writing forms are useful beyond school. News writing helps in reporting events accurately, which is important in journalism or any professional communication. Opinion writing sharpens critical thinking and the ability to convince others, useful in debates, presentations, or everyday discussions. Overall, this unit has improved my confidence in adapting my writing style for different purposes.