Couple Foils Robbery Attempt - Sample Essay: Directed Writing

DIRECTED: ARTICLE / REPORT: Newspaper Article / Report
There has been an attempted robbery in your area. As a newspaper reporter, you have been assigned to write a report of the incident for publication in a local newspaper. Using the notes below, write out your report.

•     couple – taking a walk
•     two men approached them
•     ordered couple to give jewellery
•     a struggle – husband injured
•     one neighbour – taking a dog for a walk
•     heard shouts – went to investigate
•     robbers saw dog – fled
•     couple made police report

Couple Foils Robbery Attempt
PULAU PINANG, Thu – An elderly businessman and his wife foiled a robbery attempt by two men armed with a screwdriver and a knife. The victims were reported safe from any bad injury.

            Tan Ah Wok, 60 and his wife were taking a morning walk near their home in Helen Heights yesterday when two men on a motorcycle stopped them under the pretext of asking for directions. As Mr. Tan was giving directions, one of the robbers pointed a knife at him and ordered them to keep quiet. He then relieved Mrs. Tan of her jewellery and instructed Mr. Tan to hand over his ring and watch. When he refused, a struggle ensued. Meanwhile, his accomplice grabbed a helmet and hit Mr. Tan on the head with it. On seeing this, his wife started screaming.

            One of their neighbours, R. Subramaniam, who was taking his dog for a walk, heard the screams and when to investigate. On seeing Subramaniam and his dog, the robbers fled. “I was taking my dog for a walk when I heard someone shouting for help. Knowing that something was wrong, I ran there as fast as I could. Before I reached the scene, the robbers fled on a motorbike. They were probably afraid of my Rottweiler.”

            Mr. Tan, who suffered a small cut on his head, was given outpatient treatment at a private clinic. He said that it was a horrified experience as he never expected the two men would attack his wife and him. He thought that they were lost and needed help. He also mentioned that the guard who in charge nowadays easily allowed the strangers to enter their residents. State CID Chief Supt Harun Din advised him and the people to be more careful in giving help to strangers. The guard also must be stricter in letting people from entering any residents without proper permission.

            He added that the suspects, aged between 25 and 30, were believed to be illegal immigrants. He said there had been similar incident last week when two men approached a factory worker who was on her way home after work. The duo then relieved her gold chain and cash. He advised the residents to be alert and reports to police any suspicious-looking characters lurking in their area.

380 words

Source: SPM SAMPLE OF ESSAYS - DIRECTED WRITING @ English For All