Writing Skills
What this section tests
Writing tasks ask for a short composition, letter, notice, or message in Setswana. Marks reward clear structure, correct grammar, appropriate register, and relevance to the task - not length.
Concepts to master
- Text types: informal letter (mokwalo wa tsala), formal letter (mokwalo wa semmuso), notice (kitsiso), message (molaetsa), and narrative composition.
- Structure: greeting, opening, body paragraphs, closing, and name/signature.
- Register: formal letters use Dumela Mohlomphegi and Wa gago / Motlotlegi; informal use Dumela tsala.
- Cohesion: link sentences with mme, gonne, le fa go ntse jalo, morago ga moo (after that).
- Punctuation and spelling: consistent concords, capital letters for names and months.
Common traps
- Writing a formal letter with informal greetings, or vice versa.
- Forgetting the purpose statement in the first paragraph.
- Long, unstructured paragraphs with no clear opening or closing.
- Mixing tenses mid-narrative.
- Ignoring the word limit and losing time on one task.
Rule of thumb
Before writing, plan three lines: who I am writing to, why, and what I want. Then draft: greeting → purpose → two body points → closing → name. Check every sentence for a subject concord that agrees with its noun.
Worked example
Task: write a short letter inviting a friend to your birthday. Dumela Tshepo, Ke go laletsa mo moketeng wa matsalo a me ka Laboraro. O tla itumela gore o kopane le ditsala tsa rona. Ke solofela karabo ya gago. Wa gago, Neo. This shows informal greeting, purpose, one supporting point, expectation of reply, and closing - the full structure in four lines.