Choose the register from two facts: who will read the piece, and what form the task names. Then keep that register from the first line to the last.
This lesson opens the essay forms and register section. It supports the links in connecting paragraphs with penanda wacana, since the links must match the register.
How do I decide?
Answer two questions before writing.
- Who is the reader? A principal, an official or the public calls for formal Malay. A friend or sibling allows informal.
- What form does the task name? Reports, speeches and formal letters are formal. A diary or casual message can be informal.
When both questions point to formal, write formal throughout. When the task gives no signal, formal is the safer choice.
What changes between registers?
The changes are in word choice and sentence shape.
| Feature | Formal | Informal |
|---|---|---|
| I | saya | aku |
| Not | tidak | tak |
| Want to | hendak, ingin | nak |
| Already | sudah, telah | dah |
| At, in | di | kat |
| Sentence | complete, with subject and verb | may be short or drop the subject |
| Particles | avoided | lah, kan, ke |
Worked rewrite
Here is an original informal message.
Aku tak sempat nak hantar kerja tu sebab banjir kat kawasan rumah aku teruk sangat, cikgu.
A formal rewrite keeps the meaning.
Saya tidak sempat menghantar tugasan itu kerana banjir di kawasan kediaman saya sangat teruk, cikgu.
Check the changes one at a time: “aku” became “saya”, “tak” became “tidak”, “nak hantar” became “menghantar”, “kerja tu” became “tugasan itu”, “sebab” became “kerana”, “kat” became “di”, and “rumah aku” became “kediaman saya”. Every fact is still there.
The mistake that breaks the register
The usual slip is a single spoken word in an otherwise formal piece. Compare.
| Sentence | Problem |
|---|---|
| Saya tidak dapat hadir kerana sakit. | Consistent formal |
| Saya tak dapat hadir kerana sakit. | “Tak” is informal in a formal sentence |
| Saya tidak dapat hadir sebab sakit lah. | “Sebab” and “lah” slip in |
A marker reading quickly may take one slip for carelessness. Read each line once for register after you finish.
Check yourself
Rewrite this in formal Bahasa Melayu for a letter to the principal: “Kami nak minta kebenaran untuk buat pameran kat dewan sekolah hari Sabtu ni.”
Answer
A model: Kami ingin memohon kebenaran untuk mengadakan pameran di dewan sekolah pada hari Sabtu ini.
Changes: “nak minta” became “ingin memohon”, “buat” became “mengadakan”, “kat” became “di”, and “hari Sabtu ni” became “pada hari Sabtu ini”. The meaning is unchanged.
What to study next
Continue with writing an argumentative discussion with balanced reasoning, where register also matters. The original practice set mixes register with the other forms.
A teacher in online one-to-one SPM Bahasa Melayu tuition can mark the shifts in your own writing. The BM grammar contrast practice tool and the BM essay plan builder give free practice.