Unit 13 — Letter to the Newspaper Editor

Complete Solved Exercises

Textbook: English 9, KP Textbook Board — Unit 13, pp.123–133
Theme: Role of media
Form: A formal letter to the editor of The Frontier Post, Peshawar, written by Abrar Khan (27 November 2017)
Grammar: Transition words; quotation marks; dash and hyphen
Writing: Application, formal letter, formal & informal email

THE ARGUMENT OF THE LETTER — quick revision

COMPREHENSION (p.128)

A. Answer the following questions

1. What is media? Explain with references from the text.
According to the letter, **"the term media is derived from Medium, which means carrier or mode. Media denotes an item specifically designed to reach a large audience or viewers."** In other words, media is any means or channel through which information is carried to a large number of people.

The letter also traces its growth: "The term was first used with the advent of newspapers and magazines. However, with the passage of time, the term broadened by the inventions of radio, TV, cinemas and Internet."

Its importance is stated thus: "The media has the power of educating people, the good and the bad. Since it affects the eyes, the ears and the mind simultaneously nothing can overcome the influence of the media." Its duty, the writer says, "is to inform, educate and entertain the people."

2. What is meant by misuse of media? How can it be stopped?
Misuse of media means using the power of media for wrong or selfish purposes instead of for the public good. From the letter, misuse includes:

• Inducing baseless ideas through advertisements, so that "people are forced to buy harmful or substandard products."
• Developing "unnecessary sensation and distortion of truth to attract attention."
• Spreading sectarian, communal and divisive trends instead of discouraging them.
• Using its power to build public opinion in order to "make or break the government" unfairly.
• Following a purely money-making approach, so that little work is done in spreading education.

How it can be stopped:

• Media houses should follow a strict code of ethics and verify news before publishing it.
• The government should frame and enforce fair regulations without curbing genuine freedom of expression.
• Advertisements should be checked so that harmful or substandard products are not promoted.
• Media should devote a fixed share of its resources to education and public awareness rather than only to entertainment and profit.
• The public should be educated to think critically, check facts, and refuse to be swayed by sensational reporting.
• As the letter concludes, both "the Government and the general public" must "try their hardest to use media positively."

3. How should students take benefits from the internet and avoid its bad effects?
To take benefit:

• Use it for study and research — as the letter says, media "can be used to educate people with very little cost."
• Watch recorded lectures and educational videos on subjects they find difficult.
• Look up dictionaries, encyclopaedias and reference material.
• Keep informed about current affairs in weather, politics, health, science and finance.
• Learn new skills such as computing, languages and design.

To avoid the bad effects:

• Fix a time limit for internet use and keep study hours free of it.
• Avoid useless entertainment, games and endless scrolling on social media.
• Verify information before believing or forwarding it, remembering the media's tendency towards "distortion of truth."
• Do not be misled by advertisements into buying "harmful or substandard products."
• Protect personal information and never share passwords or private pictures.
• Use it in a common family space rather than in secret, and seek elders' guidance.

4. Do you think television is a useful source of information? Why?
Yes, television is a very useful source of information, for several reasons drawn from the letter.

Firstly, "it affects the eyes, the ears and the mind simultaneously," so its message is far stronger and easier to remember than print alone. Secondly, one of the major duties of media today is "to inform the people about the latest happening around them and the world," and television covers "all aspects of our interest like weather, politics, war, health, finance, science, fashion, music." Thirdly, dedicated news channels mean that **"people can listen, watch and read latest news whenever and wherever they want."* Fourthly, authorities use it to spread informative messages such as warnings against a storm or an epidemic. Finally, it is cheap and reaches even the illiterate, who cannot read a newspaper.

However, its usefulness depends on honest reporting. When channels chase ratings, they create "unnecessary sensation and distortion of truth." Therefore television is a useful source of information provided the viewer watches it critically.

5. How can media bring about religious harmony?
The letter says that the media "should perform a noble mission of enlightening people and discourage sectarian, communal and divisive trends." Media can bring about religious harmony in the following ways:

• By broadcasting the true, peaceful teachings of religion — such as the tolerance of the Holy Prophet (S.A.W) and the Madina Charter, which guaranteed every community freedom of worship.
• By refusing to give airtime to hate speech and to preachers who spread sectarian bitterness.
• By highlighting positive examples of different communities helping one another.
• By arranging discussions and programmes in which scholars of different schools of thought speak to each other with respect.
• By avoiding sensational reporting of religious incidents, which inflames feelings.
• By educating people that difference of opinion is not a crime, and that all citizens are equal.

Since media "has a strong social and cultural impact upon society" and is "widely used to convey message to build public opinion and awareness," it is perhaps the most powerful instrument for creating harmony that exists today.

6. Find out the transitional devices in the text.

VOCABULARY (p.128)

A. Find the meaning from the dictionary and identify the part of speech through the abbreviation used

Note: all six are nouns. Notice the noun-forming suffixes — -ship (ownership), -tion (anticipation), -ity (authority), -ment (enhancement, advertisement), -ing (marketing). Recognising these suffixes is the quickest way to identify a noun in the examination.

B. Consult a thesaurus and find out the antonyms of the following words

WRITING (pp.129–131)

1. Writing Applications — the specimen given in the book

The Principal,
Government High School,
Hayatabad Peshawar.

Subject: Request for a Recreational Trip

Sir,

With due respect I request you to allow our Grade 9th-A to go to Nathiagali on a recreational trip. Since exams are over, we want to enjoy and relax.

It is requested to kindly arrange a recreational trip for us.

I shall be very grateful for this act of kindness.

Yours obedient student
Saad Inam
(Monitor) 9th-A
Date: Dec. 12, 2017

The parts of an application

Model application of your own

The Principal,
Government High School,
Peshawar.

Subject: Application for Fee Concession

Sir,

With due respect, I beg to state that I am a student of Class 9th-B in your school. My father is a labourer and the only earning member of our family of seven. For the last three months he has been ill and unable to work, and it has become very difficult for my parents to pay my monthly fee.

I have always stood among the first three students of my class and I do not wish my education to stop for want of money.

It is therefore requested that I may kindly be granted full fee concession for the current session. I shall work hard and try to bring credit to the school.

I shall be very grateful to you for this act of kindness.

Yours obediently,
Rehmat Ullah
Class 9th-B, Roll No. 21
Date: 10 October 2026

2. Writing a Formal Letter — Letter to the Editor

House # B-106,
Shah Jahan Complex,
Shami Road, Peshawar.
15 October 2026

The Editor,
The Frontier Post,
Peshawar.

Subject: Prolonged Load-shedding in Our Locality

Dear Sir,

Through the columns of your esteemed paper, I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities towards the acute problem of load-shedding in Shah Jahan Complex, Shami Road.

For the last two months the electricity in our area has been going off for ten to twelve hours a day, often without any schedule. Students preparing for their annual examinations cannot study in the evenings. Patients in the small clinics of the locality suffer greatly, and shopkeepers are losing their business. The water pumps of the area also depend on electricity, so a shortage of drinking water has been added to our difficulties.

Repeated complaints to the local office of the supply company have brought no result. We are regular payers of our bills and are entitled to a regular supply.

I therefore request the higher authorities, through your widely read newspaper, to look into this matter and provide the residents with a fair and announced schedule of supply.

Thanking in anticipation.

Yours sincerely,
Abrar Khan

3. Writing Formal and Informal Emails

The differences (as given in the book, p.130)

Golden rule from the book: Don't use slang, exclamation marks or smilies in a formal email.

Model FORMAL email

To: principal@ghsperhawar.edu.pk
Subject: Request for a Duplicate School Leaving Certificate

Dear Sir,

I am a former student of your school and passed my Secondary School Certificate examination in 2026 from Class 9th-A.

I regret to inform you that my original School Leaving Certificate has been lost during our recent shifting of house. I require the certificate urgently for admission to college.

I would therefore be grateful if you could kindly issue me a duplicate certificate. I am willing to pay any prescribed fee and to complete any formality required.

Thank you for your prompt response.

Yours faithfully,
Rehmat Ullah

Model INFORMAL email

To: saad_inam@gmail.com
Subject: Nathiagali trip!

Hi Saad,

Guess what — the Principal said yes! We're going to Nathiagali next Friday. I can't believe it, I'm so excited.

The bus leaves at 6 a.m. sharp, so don't be late like last time. Bring a jacket, it's freezing up there, and don't forget your camera.

Ring me tonight and we'll sort out who's bringing the snacks.

See you soon!
Rehmat

LISTENING & SPEAKING (p.132)

Expressing Agreement — practise the dialogue "With Parents" in pairs.

Mother: Well done Rani. We really didn't expect such a great performance from you.
Father: You acted very well. We are proud of you.
Mother: I liked the way you fell down. You were so natural.
Rani: Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad.
Father: I think Rabia could have put more life into her role.
Mother: Quite right. And what about Sadaf? Her dialogues were very ineffective.
Rani: We all tried very hard to improve her performance but I suppose the ability to act is inborn.
Mother: Yes, I quite agree.

Expressions of agreement and disagreement to memorise

GRAMMAR (pp.132–133)

A. Complete the sentences using the transition words given

Word bank: even so · furthermore · nonetheless · indeed · therefore · however · as a result · consequently

Note: the eight words do not match the eight blanks one-to-one — several blanks accept more than one transition. Teach students to identify the relationship first:

• Result: therefore, consequently, as a result
• Addition: furthermore, moreover, in addition
• Contrast: however, nonetheless, even so, nevertheless
• Emphasis: indeed, in fact

Punctuation rule: when a transition word joins two independent clauses, use a semi-colon before and a comma after — "The dog barked all night; therefore, the neighbours had no sleep."

B. Include quotation marks where needed

Rules to note:

• A comma comes before the quotation when the reporting verb comes first (items 1–3).
• The end punctuation goes inside the quotation marks.
• In item 4 the quotation is split, so it needs two pairs of quotation marks, and the second part begins with a small letter because it continues the same sentence.
• In item 5 the question mark belongs to the quotation, and inquired begins with a small letter because it is not the start of a new sentence — the book prints "Inquired" with a capital, which is an error.

C. Dash or Hyphen?

A dash is a punctuation mark used to separate a group of words, not parts of words like a hyphen. A dash is longer than a hyphen and can be used as a substitution.
A hyphen is a short, single-character line which connects word parts.

D. Insert hyphens where needed and state the rule

Rule to remember for item 6: a word may be divided at the end of a line only between syllables (won-der-ful, punc-tu-a-tion). A word of one syllable — parts, through, strength — must never be broken.

GLOSSARY (p.127 — as given in the book)

LIKELY EXAM QUESTIONS

1. What is media? From what word is the term derived, and what does it mean?
2. What are the duties of media according to the letter?
3. What is meant by the misuse of media? How can it be stopped?
4. How is media the "overseer of the political system"?
5. How can media bring about religious harmony?
6. Write the disadvantages of media as given in the letter.
7. Write an application to the Principal for fee concession / a recreational trip.
8. Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper about a problem of your area.
9. Distinguish between a formal and an informal email, with examples.
10. Distinguish between a dash and a hyphen. Give the rules for using quotation marks.