Writing in Indonesian: Structure, Register and Accuracy
What this domain asks you to do
You will produce short texts such as informal emails, formal letters, diary entries, articles, notices and opinion pieces of roughly 100–250 words. Marks reward task fulfilment, range of vocabulary and structures, accuracy, and appropriate register - not length alone.
Concepts to master
- Text conventions: an email has a subject line, greeting, body, and sign-off; a formal letter uses Dengan hormat, Yth., Hormat saya; an article has a title and paragraphs; a notice is short and imperative.
- Paragraphing: one idea per paragraph, with a topic sentence and supporting detail, linked by connectors (selain itu, namun, oleh karena itu, sebagai contoh).
- Affix accuracy: meN- vs di-, ber- vs meN-...-kan, ke-...-an nouns, and -nya used as a definite marker.
- Sentence variety: mix simple sentences with complex ones using ketika, karena, agar, meskipun, sambil.
- Register: aku/kamu for friends; saya/Anda, Bapak/Ibu, and passive forms for officials.
Traps that appear in questions
- Ignoring the task type: writing an essay when asked for a letter loses task-fulfilment marks.
- Missing required content points: prompts list what to include; tick each one off.
- Overusing the same connector: vary namun, akan tetapi, meskipun demikian.
- Direct translation from English: Saya sangat suka bermain sepak bola sangat banyak is unidiomatic; use Saya sangat suka bermain sepak bola.
- Tense and aspect errors: use sudah/telah for completed actions and akan for plans, rather than relying on adverbs alone.
Worked example
Prompt: Write an email to a friend inviting them to a study group. Model opening: Hai Dina, apa kabar? Semoga kamu sehat selalu. Aku menulis email ini karena ingin mengajakmu belajar bersama. Then give details: Kami akan belajar di rumah Rudi pada hari Sabtu pukul dua siang. Kami akan membahas soal-soal ujian matematika. Close: Kalau kamu bisa datang, kabari aku ya. Sampai jumpa! Notice the informal particles (ya), the future marker akan, and the clear invitation.
Rule of thumb
Before writing, spend two minutes planning: list the required content points, choose the register, and select three or four connectors. After writing, check every verb for correct affix and every sentence for a subject and predicate.