⋆
⋆
ENG2604: Proficiency in English II
Creative Writing for Business and the Professions
⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆
[ English Studies – Public Relations & Business Writing [
_ Exam Revision Guide
ENG2604
Module Code:
Proficiency in English II
Module Name:
May/June 2025 & May/June 2024
Papers Covered:
Use this guide to revise thoroughly. Focus on understanding, not memorisation.
Practice writing — this module rewards doing.
Exam Revision Notes | ENG2604 |
,ENG2604 | Exam Revision Creative Writing for Business & Professions
PAPER 1: MAY/JUNE 2025
ENG2604 – Portfolio Examination, 100 marks, 72 Hours
Question 1
[30 marks]
Section A: Text Analysis and Understanding the Writing Process
1.1
[10 marks]
Question: Read the following media statement carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
MEDIA STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GreenEarth Solutions Launches Free Solar Panel Initiative in Soweto
Johannesburg, 15 March 2025 – GreenEarth Solutions, a leading renewable energy com-
pany, today announced the launch of its Community Solar Programme. The initiative
will provide free solar panels to 500 low-income households in Soweto, reducing elec-
tricity costs by up to 60%. “We believe every South African deserves access to clean,
affordable energy,” said CEO Thandi Dlamini. Applications open on 1 April 2025 at
www.greenearthsa.co.za.
(a) Identify and explain THREE characteristics of a media statement evident in the text
above. [6 marks]
(b) Identify the target audience of this media statement and justify your answer with
evidence from the text. [4 marks]
Answer: (a) Three characteristics of a media statement:
1. “For Immediate Release” tag (1 mark) + explanation (1 mark): A media
statement always indicates when the information may be published. “FOR IMME-
DIATE RELEASE” at the top tells journalists the story can be published right
away.
2. Dateline (1 mark) + explanation (1 mark): The dateline “Johannesburg, 15
Page 2 of 35
,ENG2604 | Exam Revision Creative Writing for Business & Professions
March 2025” provides the location and date, giving journalists the 5Ws context
(who, what, when, where, why) immediately. This is a standard structural feature of
all media statements.
3. Direct quotation from a key spokesperson (1 mark) + explanation (1
mark): The quote from CEO Thandi Dlamini adds credibility and a human voice.
Including a quote from the highest authority figure is a hallmark of professional
media statements because it gives journalists a ready-to-use soundbite.
(b) Target audience and justification:
The primary target audience is journalists and media professionals (editors, re-
porters), who will disseminate the story. The secondary audience is low-income house-
holds in Soweto who may benefit from the initiative.
Justification from the text:
• The “For Immediate Release” instruction is a conventional marker addressed to
journalists.
• The clear, news-friendly structure (headline, dateline, body, quote) is designed for
easy publication by a journalist without major editing.
• The inclusion of a contact URL (www.greenearthsa.co.za) serves both the journalist
who needs further information and the ultimate beneficiary applicant.
⋆ Exam Tip
Always cite TWO pieces of textual evidence for audience identification questions.
One piece alone typically earns only partial marks.
1.2
[10 marks]
Question: Explain the concept of the writing process as applied to professional writing.
In your answer, refer to the following stages: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and
publishing. Use an example from PR or business writing to illustrate your answer.
Answer: The writing process is a recursive, multi-stage approach that professional
writers follow to produce polished, purposeful text. Unlike casual writing, professional
writing requires deliberate planning and multiple revisions.
Page 3 of 35
, ENG2604 | Exam Revision Creative Writing for Business & Professions
1. Pre-writing: Gathering ideas, conducting research, analysing the audience, and
planning structure before writing begins. For example, a PR officer writing a media
statement first identifies the key message, checks facts, decides on the tone, and
plans the inverted pyramid structure.
2. Drafting: Producing a first version of the text without worrying about perfection.
The goal is to get all necessary content onto the page. A draft media statement
might be rough and overly long at this stage.
3. Revising: Reviewing the draft for content, logic, structure, and argumentation.
The writer asks: Is my message clear? Is the structure correct? Have I included all
required information? This may involve rewriting paragraphs or changing the order
of information.
4. Editing: Proofreading for language-level errors – grammar, spelling, punctua-
tion, word choice, and sentence variety. In professional PR writing, an error-free
document protects the organisation’s credibility.
5. Publishing/Distributing: Releasing the finished document to its intended au-
dience. A media statement is emailed to journalists or posted on the company’s
newsroom website.
Key Concept
The writing process is recursive, not linear. Writers often return to earlier
stages – for example, during revising they may realise they need more research
(pre-writing) before they can complete the draft.
¥ Example
A PR officer at Eskom writing a media statement about load-shedding schedules
would: (1) research the schedules and reasons (pre-writing); (2) write a rough
draft using the media statement format (drafting); (3) check that the key message
is clear and the inverted pyramid structure is followed (revising); (4) correct gram-
matical and factual errors (editing); and (5) distribute to news agencies and post
to the Eskom website (publishing).
1.3
[10 marks]
Page 4 of 35
⋆
ENG2604: Proficiency in English II
Creative Writing for Business and the Professions
⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆
[ English Studies – Public Relations & Business Writing [
_ Exam Revision Guide
ENG2604
Module Code:
Proficiency in English II
Module Name:
May/June 2025 & May/June 2024
Papers Covered:
Use this guide to revise thoroughly. Focus on understanding, not memorisation.
Practice writing — this module rewards doing.
Exam Revision Notes | ENG2604 |
,ENG2604 | Exam Revision Creative Writing for Business & Professions
PAPER 1: MAY/JUNE 2025
ENG2604 – Portfolio Examination, 100 marks, 72 Hours
Question 1
[30 marks]
Section A: Text Analysis and Understanding the Writing Process
1.1
[10 marks]
Question: Read the following media statement carefully and answer the questions that
follow.
MEDIA STATEMENT – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GreenEarth Solutions Launches Free Solar Panel Initiative in Soweto
Johannesburg, 15 March 2025 – GreenEarth Solutions, a leading renewable energy com-
pany, today announced the launch of its Community Solar Programme. The initiative
will provide free solar panels to 500 low-income households in Soweto, reducing elec-
tricity costs by up to 60%. “We believe every South African deserves access to clean,
affordable energy,” said CEO Thandi Dlamini. Applications open on 1 April 2025 at
www.greenearthsa.co.za.
(a) Identify and explain THREE characteristics of a media statement evident in the text
above. [6 marks]
(b) Identify the target audience of this media statement and justify your answer with
evidence from the text. [4 marks]
Answer: (a) Three characteristics of a media statement:
1. “For Immediate Release” tag (1 mark) + explanation (1 mark): A media
statement always indicates when the information may be published. “FOR IMME-
DIATE RELEASE” at the top tells journalists the story can be published right
away.
2. Dateline (1 mark) + explanation (1 mark): The dateline “Johannesburg, 15
Page 2 of 35
,ENG2604 | Exam Revision Creative Writing for Business & Professions
March 2025” provides the location and date, giving journalists the 5Ws context
(who, what, when, where, why) immediately. This is a standard structural feature of
all media statements.
3. Direct quotation from a key spokesperson (1 mark) + explanation (1
mark): The quote from CEO Thandi Dlamini adds credibility and a human voice.
Including a quote from the highest authority figure is a hallmark of professional
media statements because it gives journalists a ready-to-use soundbite.
(b) Target audience and justification:
The primary target audience is journalists and media professionals (editors, re-
porters), who will disseminate the story. The secondary audience is low-income house-
holds in Soweto who may benefit from the initiative.
Justification from the text:
• The “For Immediate Release” instruction is a conventional marker addressed to
journalists.
• The clear, news-friendly structure (headline, dateline, body, quote) is designed for
easy publication by a journalist without major editing.
• The inclusion of a contact URL (www.greenearthsa.co.za) serves both the journalist
who needs further information and the ultimate beneficiary applicant.
⋆ Exam Tip
Always cite TWO pieces of textual evidence for audience identification questions.
One piece alone typically earns only partial marks.
1.2
[10 marks]
Question: Explain the concept of the writing process as applied to professional writing.
In your answer, refer to the following stages: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and
publishing. Use an example from PR or business writing to illustrate your answer.
Answer: The writing process is a recursive, multi-stage approach that professional
writers follow to produce polished, purposeful text. Unlike casual writing, professional
writing requires deliberate planning and multiple revisions.
Page 3 of 35
, ENG2604 | Exam Revision Creative Writing for Business & Professions
1. Pre-writing: Gathering ideas, conducting research, analysing the audience, and
planning structure before writing begins. For example, a PR officer writing a media
statement first identifies the key message, checks facts, decides on the tone, and
plans the inverted pyramid structure.
2. Drafting: Producing a first version of the text without worrying about perfection.
The goal is to get all necessary content onto the page. A draft media statement
might be rough and overly long at this stage.
3. Revising: Reviewing the draft for content, logic, structure, and argumentation.
The writer asks: Is my message clear? Is the structure correct? Have I included all
required information? This may involve rewriting paragraphs or changing the order
of information.
4. Editing: Proofreading for language-level errors – grammar, spelling, punctua-
tion, word choice, and sentence variety. In professional PR writing, an error-free
document protects the organisation’s credibility.
5. Publishing/Distributing: Releasing the finished document to its intended au-
dience. A media statement is emailed to journalists or posted on the company’s
newsroom website.
Key Concept
The writing process is recursive, not linear. Writers often return to earlier
stages – for example, during revising they may realise they need more research
(pre-writing) before they can complete the draft.
¥ Example
A PR officer at Eskom writing a media statement about load-shedding schedules
would: (1) research the schedules and reasons (pre-writing); (2) write a rough
draft using the media statement format (drafting); (3) check that the key message
is clear and the inverted pyramid structure is followed (revising); (4) correct gram-
matical and factual errors (editing); and (5) distribute to news agencies and post
to the Eskom website (publishing).
1.3
[10 marks]
Page 4 of 35
