Writing: Guided Composition (Letters, Notices, Descriptions)
What the domain tests
Guided Composition tests whether you can turn supplied hints into a correct, coherent piece in a prescribed format: a formal or informal letter, a notice, or a description of a person, place, event, or process. Marks are given for format, content coverage, language, and brevity. The hints are not optional; every point must appear.
Core rules and concepts
- Formal letter: sender's address, date, receiver's designation and address, subject line, salutation ('Dear Sir/Madam'), body in clear paragraphs, closing ('Yours faithfully'), signature and name. Use formal register and no contractions.
- Informal letter: address and date, salutation ('Dear Ravi'), friendly body, closing ('Yours lovingly'), name. Contractions and personal detail are acceptable.
- Notice: institution name at the top, the word NOTICE, date, a short heading, body answering what, when, where, who, and whom to contact, then name and designation. Keep it within the word limit and enclose it in a box if the format asks.
- Description: organise by space (for a place) or time (for an event); use specific nouns and sensory adjectives; keep one tense as the base.
- Do not invent a long story when the task asks for a notice or a short description.
Worked example
Task: Notice for a lost library book. Reasoning: A notice gives facts, not an apology letter. The essential facts are the item, where and when it was lost, a description, and a contact point. The heading must be short, and the writer's name and class or designation must close it. Model content: 'LOST BOOK - A copy of the SSC English textbook was lost in the school library on Monday, 10 June. Finder may hand it over to the class teacher of X-A.' The model stays factual, includes all hints, and fits a 50-word limit.
Traps that cost marks
- Missing date, subject, or signature.
- Mixing 'Yours faithfully' with a named salutation.
- Writing a notice as a paragraph without a heading.
- Leaving out one hint from the question.
- Exceeding the word limit and losing brevity marks.