Bahasa Inggeris notes, unit 1

Reading short texts: notices, messages and signs

Textbook English Form 1 KSSM (2016, older edition) — skills-based units for the UASA, pages Skills unit (UASA Paper format)

What this chapter covers

I know what Paper 1 Part 1 looks like - 8 short texts, 3 options each, about 15 minutes (1.1)
I can say what kind of text I am reading (sign, notice, label, advertisement, note, text message or email) and where I would see it (1.2, 1.3)
I can work out who is writing to whom and why - to invite, remind, warn, say sorry, ask for help or change a plan (1.3, 1.4)
I can find small details such as times, dates, prices, places and rules, and do simple sums with them (1.5)
I can understand rule words such as must, only, before, until, except, free, postponed and out of order (1.2, 1.5)
I can spot the common traps in the options - same words, wrong meaning; opposite; too strong; wrong person; true but not the answer (1.6)
I can use a five-step method to answer a Part 1 question and check my answer (1.7)

In this unit you will learn to read the short texts in Paper 1 Part 1: signs, notices, labels, advertisements, notes, text messages and short emails. You will learn to find the main point, the purpose and the small details, and to avoid the traps the examiners put in the options.

1.1Paper 1 Part 1 at a glance

Two Form 1 pupils reading a school notice board — Short texts are everywhere at school: notices, signs and messages.

Paper 1 (Reading and Use of English) has five parts. Part 1 is the first and usually the easiest place to get marks.

What	Details
Questions	8 questions (questions 1 to 8), 1 mark each
Texts	8 short texts, one for each question
Options	3 options: A, B or C. Only one is correct.
Time	About 15 minutes, so a little less than 2 minutes for each question
Skills	Understand the main point of a text (LS 3.1.1) and find specific details (LS 3.1.2)
Text types	Signs, notices, labels, posters and advertisements, notes, text messages and chats, short emails, simple charts and short dialogues

Short text: a text of about 10 to 70 words with one clear job. Each text in Part 1 has its own question, so you start fresh every time.

The question stem usually has one of these shapes. Learn them so that you know what to look for before you read.

Question stem	What it asks	Look for
Rani writes to Mei Ling to ... The purpose of the message is to ...	Purpose (why)	The request or the main sentence, often near the start or the end
From the notice, we know that ... Which is correct about ...?	Main point or one true fact	Check every option against the text
A visitor who ... will ... Pupils who have paid ...	Detail for one group	Rules, conditions, numbers
Who will ...? Where should ...?	One detail	Names, places, times

Read the question stem first, then the text. If you know the question, your eyes know what to look for.

1.2Know your text: signs, notices, labels and advertisements

These texts are written for everybody who passes by. They are short, so every word matters. Most of them do one of four jobs.

Job	Typical words	Example
Tell you a rule (you must / must not)	Do not ..., No ..., ... only, must, Please ...	No food or drinks in the lab.
Warn you about danger	Caution, Danger, Beware of ..., Mind the ...	Caution: wet floor.
Give information (time, place, change)	open, closed, until, from ... to ..., postponed, moved to	The canteen is closed until 10 a.m.
Sell or offer something	sale, % off, free, buy 1 get 1 free, discount, special offer	All bags 30% off this weekend.

A sign

Keep off the grass
New grass is growing.
Please use the footpath.

Job: a rule. Meaning: do not walk on the grass; walk on the path.

A notice

Notice to all pupils

The school hall will be closed from 3 to 5 March for painting. The Form 1 assembly on 4 March will be held in the canteen. Please bring your own chair.
Encik Rahim, Senior Assistant

Job: information about a change. The main point: the assembly moves from the hall to the canteen. A detail: pupils bring their own chairs.

A label

Fresh milk, 1 litre
Keep refrigerated (below 4 °C).
Best before: 18 OCT 2026
Once opened, use within 3 days.

Job: instructions and information. If you open it on 10 October, you must finish it by 13 October, even though the date on the box is later.

An advertisement

Kedai Kasut Laju
School shoes: buy 1 pair, get the 2nd pair at half price!
Saturday and Sunday only
Jalan Pasar, Kuantan

Job: selling. Detail: the second pair costs 50% of the price. The offer is only on the weekend.

Words you must know in signs and notices

Word or phrase	Meaning
Out of order	The machine is broken. You cannot use it.
Staff only / Authorised persons only	Only workers (or people with permission) may go in.
Admission free / Free of charge	You do not pay.
Sold out	There are no more. All have been sold.
Postponed	Moved to a later date. It will still happen.
Cancelled	It will not happen.
Until 5 p.m.	Up to 5 p.m., then it stops or changes.
Valid until 31 May	You can use it up to 31 May, not after.
Best before / Expiry date	Eat or use it before this date.
Fine RM300	You must pay RM300 as a punishment.
Limited places	Only a small number of people can join.
Register / Sign up	Give your name to join.
Venue	The place where an event happens.

Common mistakes.

Fine on a sign is not "okay". "No littering. Fine RM500." means you will pay RM500 if you throw rubbish.
Out of order does not mean "in the wrong order". It means "broken".
Postponed and cancelled are different. A postponed trip still happens, later.
Book now does not mean "read a book now". It means "reserve a place or a ticket now".

What does each sign mean? (a) "Lift out of order. Please use the stairs." (b) "Admission free for children under 12." (c) "Sports day postponed to 20 July."

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(a) The lift is broken, so walk up the stairs. (b) Children under 12 do not pay to go in. (c) Sports day will still happen, but later, on 20 July.

1.3Messages: notes, text messages, chats and emails

A student at his study desk reading a message on his phone — Reading a message: who wrote it, and what do they want?

A message is written by one person to another person (or a small group). Before anything else, find three things:

Ask	Where to look
Who is writing?	The name at the end (note, email) or the name next to each bubble (chat)
Who is reading?	The name at the start: "Hi Arul", "Dear Puan Lim", "To: ..."
Why are they writing?	The request (Please ..., Can you ...?, Don't forget ...) or the subject line of an email

A note

Danish,
I've gone to the clinic with Atuk. Your lunch is in the fridge. Please feed the cat at 2 p.m. and don't forget to lock the back door.
Mama

Writer: Mama. Reader: Danish. Purpose: to tell Danish what to do while she is out (feed the cat, lock the door).

A text message chat

Kavitha: Are we still going to the night market tonight?

Aishah: Sorry, I can't. I have a fever. Can we go next Friday?

Kavitha: Sure. Get well soon!

In a chat, read every bubble, and keep track of who says what. Aishah's purpose: to cancel tonight's plan and suggest another day.

An email

From: wong.jiahui@mail.com
To: nurul.a@mail.com
Subject: Our History project

Hi Nurul,
I can't find the photos of A Famosa for our project. Could you send them to me tonight? I need to print them tomorrow morning before class.
Thanks,
Jia Hui

Writer: Jia Hui. Reader: Nurul. Purpose: to ask for help (send the photos). The subject line gives the topic, not always the purpose.

Purpose words

The options for a purpose question start with a verb. Match the verb to the clue in the text.

Option verb	Clues in the text
to invite	Would you like to come ...? Please come to ...
to remind	Don't forget ... Remember to ... As planned ...
to ask for help / a favour	Can you ...? Could you ...? Please help me ...
to apologise (say sorry)	I'm sorry ... I didn't mean to ...
to thank	Thank you for ... It was very kind of you ...
to change a plan	... instead, not ... but ..., Let's meet at ... instead
to warn	Be careful ... Don't ... because it is dangerous
to inform / tell	I just want to let you know ... The ... will be ...
to offer or sell	I can lend you ... Do you want to buy ...?

Common mistake: mixing up the writer and the reader. "Jia Hui asks Nurul to send the photos" is right; "Nurul asks Jia Hui ..." is wrong. Always check the names in the option.

Look at the chat above. Which is correct? A Kavitha is sick. B Aishah wants to go another day. C They will go to the night market tonight.

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B. Aishah has a fever (not Kavitha, so A is the wrong person) and asks to go next Friday (so C is wrong).

1.4Reading for gist and purpose

Gist: the general idea of a text, what it is mostly about. Purpose: why the writer wrote it.

To find the gist, ask: "If I had to tell a friend about this text in one sentence, what would I say?" Small details do not go in that sentence.

Worked example: gist

Gotong-royong at Taman Melati
Saturday, 8 a.m. Meet at the surau. We will clean the drains and the playground. Bring gloves. Drinks and nasi lemak will be served after the work. Everyone is welcome!

One sentence: "People in Taman Melati are invited to clean the area together on Saturday."

Gloves, the surau and nasi lemak are details. An option such as "to tell people about free nasi lemak" picks a detail, not the main point.

In a message, the purpose is often in the sentence with Please, Can you, Don't forget or I'm sorry. The other sentences give reasons or extra information.

Worked example: purpose

Hi Zul,
The football match is at 5 p.m., not 4 p.m., because the field is wet. Bring your boots. Coach says we will have a short meeting after the match.
Hakim

Hakim writes to Zul to
A ask him to buy new boots.
B tell him about a new time for the match.
C invite him to a meeting with the coach.

Answer: B. The main news is the new time (5 p.m., not 4 p.m.). A: "bring your boots" is not "buy new boots". C: the meeting is a detail and Hakim is not the one inviting.

What is the purpose? "Dear parents, Thank you for helping at our Hari Kantin. We collected RM2,450 for the new school library. Puan Lee, Headmistress."

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To thank the parents for their help (and tell them how much money was collected). The amount is a detail.

1.5Reading for detail: times, prices, rules and conditions

Many Part 1 questions test one small detail. The answer is usually not written in the same words as the option, so you must understand it.

Small words that change the meaning

Word	Example	What it tells you
only	Form 2 pupils only.	Form 1 and Form 3 pupils cannot join.
except	Open every day except Monday.	Closed on Monday.
before	Pay before 15 May.	Pay on 14 May or earlier. 15 May is too late.
by	Pay by 15 May.	Pay on 15 May or earlier (by = not later than).
after	RM5 per hour after the first hour.	The first hour is different (often free).
until	Closed until 2 p.m.	It opens at 2 p.m.
instead of	Meet at 8 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.	The new time is 8 a.m.; 9 a.m. is the old time.
not ... but ...	The talk is not in the hall but in the library.	The place is the library.
if / unless	We will cycle unless it rains.	If it rains, we will not cycle.
must / need not	You need not bring food.	Bringing food is not necessary.

Doing simple sums

Some texts give prices, times or dates and the option gives the result of a sum. Work it out on the question paper.

Worked example: a price

Bowling at Mega Bowl
RM8 per game
Students: RM2 off each game (show your student card)
Shoe rental: RM3

Siva shows his student card and plays 2 games. He rents shoes. How much does he pay?

Step	Working
Price of one game for a student	RM8 - RM2 = RM6
Two games	2 × RM6 = RM12
Add shoes	RM12 + RM3 = RM15

Watch out for trap options: RM19 (2 × RM8 + RM3, forgot the student price) and RM12 (forgot the shoes).

Worked example: time

"The bus leaves at 7.45 a.m. Please arrive 15 minutes early." When should you arrive? 7.45 - 15 minutes = 7.30 a.m.

Common mistakes.

Reading "before 15 September" as "on 15 September". Before means the 14th or earlier.
Picking the old time in "instead of" sentences. The new information comes first: "at 8 a.m. instead of 9 a.m." means 8 a.m.
Forgetting a condition: "Free for children under 7" does not mean free for everyone.

"Swimming class: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4.30 p.m. to 6.00 p.m. Fee: RM40 a month. Siblings pay RM30 each." (a) How long is one class? (b) Two sisters join. How much do they pay altogether for one month if the first pays the full fee?

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(a) 1 hour 30 minutes (4.30 to 6.00). (b) RM40 + RM30 = RM70.

1.6Common traps in the options

All three options look possible. Two of them are wrong in a clever way. If you know the traps, you can cross them out quickly.

Trap	What it does	Example (text, then wrong option)
Same words, wrong meaning	Copies words from the text but changes the idea	Text: "Bring your umbrella, it may rain." Wrong: "to ask him to buy an umbrella"
Opposite	Says the reverse of the text, often with not / no / open / closed	Text: "Do not refreeze." Wrong: "put it back in the freezer"
Too strong	Uses all, every, always, never when the text has a limit	Text: "Discount on weekdays." Wrong: "a discount every day"
Wrong person	Gives the action to the wrong person	Text: Ali asks Ben to bring the ball. Wrong: "Ben asks Ali to bring the ball"
True but not the answer	States a real detail, but the question asks for the purpose or the main point	Question: "Why does Lily write?" Wrong: "Her earphones are broken." (true, but not why she writes)
Wrong detail	Mixes up two numbers, days or places in the text	Text: "opens at 7.00 a.m. instead of 7.30 a.m." Wrong: "opens at 7.30 a.m."
Not in the text	Sounds sensible but the text never says it	Text: a notice about a school trip. Wrong: "pupils will get lunch at the zoo"

For each wrong option, say why it is wrong ("opposite", "wrong person", "not in the text"). If you cannot give a reason, read that part of the text again.

Common mistake: choosing the option that has the most words from the text. The correct option usually says the same idea in different words (a paraphrase): "closed for painting" in the text may be "cannot be used" in the option.

Text: "Teh Tarik Corner: 50% off all drinks, Monday to Friday, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m." Name the trap in each wrong option. A Drinks are half price on weekday afternoons. B Drinks are half price all day every day. C Food is half price on Monday.

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A is correct (50% off = half price; Monday to Friday = weekdays; 3 to 5 p.m. = afternoon). B is too strong (all day every day). C is a wrong detail (drinks, not food).

1.7The five-step method

Step	What you do
1. Read the question stem	Is it asking for the purpose, the main point or a detail? Underline the key words (for example "Jack sends Aiman a text message to ...").
2. Name the text	Sign, notice, label, advertisement, note, chat or email? Who writes, and to whom?
3. Read the whole text	Underline the request, the rule, the change, and every number, day and place.
4. Test each option	Compare A, B and C with the text one by one. Cross out the wrong ones and name the trap.
5. Choose and check	Read your answer with the stem as one sentence. Does the text say this, maybe in other words? Then shade the answer.

Worked example: all five steps

Kelab Pencinta Alam: Mangrove planting trip

Date: Saturday, 23 August
Place: Kuala Selangor Nature Park
Bus leaves school at 7.00 a.m.
Members: free. Non-members: RM15 (bus and lunch).
Wear old clothes and shoes. You will get muddy!
Give your name to Cikgu Faridah by 15 August.

Question: A pupil who is not a member of the club
A cannot join the trip.
B must pay RM15 to go.
C needs to bring lunch.

Step	Thinking
1	The stem asks about one group: not a member. So it is a detail question.
2	It is a notice (a poster) from a club to pupils.
3	The line about this group: "Non-members: RM15 (bus and lunch)."
4	A: the notice gives non-members a price, so they can join. Opposite, so cross out. B: matches "Non-members: RM15". Keep. C: lunch is included in the RM15. Opposite of the text, so cross out.
5	"A pupil who is not a member of the club must pay RM15 to go." Yes. Answer: B.

Do not spend more than 2 minutes on one question. If you are stuck between two options, choose one, put a small mark next to the question, and come back at the end.

Use the notice above. A member wants to go. What must he do, and by when?

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Give his name to Cikgu Faridah by 15 August (on or before 15 August). He does not need to pay.

Summary

Part 1 has 8 short texts, each with one question and 3 options (A, B, C). Spend about 15 minutes.
Signs and notices give rules, warnings, information or offers. Know the key words: out of order, staff only, free of charge, postponed, cancelled, until, valid, fine.
For messages, find who writes, who reads and why. Purpose verbs: invite, remind, ask for help, apologise, thank, change a plan, warn, inform, offer.
Gist = the one-sentence idea. Details = times, prices, places and rules. Watch small words: only, except, before, until, instead of, unless.
Do the sums: prices, discounts, times and dates.
Traps: same words with a wrong meaning, opposite, too strong, wrong person, true but not the answer, wrong detail, not in the text.
Five steps: read the stem, name the text, read and underline, test each option, choose and check.