Writing Skills (Notice, Letter, Article, Report, Paragraph)
Formats worth memorising
Notice - inside a box: name of the institution, the word NOTICE, the date, a short heading, a body of about 50 words, then the writer’s name and designation. No salutation, no “Yours faithfully”. Formal letter - sender’s address, date, receiver’s address, subject line, salutation, three short paragraphs, complimentary close and signature. The subject line is a mark-earning element, not decoration. Article - title, byline, then three or four paragraphs: introduction, body paragraphs with reasons or examples, and a closing suggestion. Report - heading, byline, then what happened, when, where, who was involved and the outcome. Paragraph - one controlling idea: a topic sentence, supporting detail, closing line.
What examiners reward
A fixed format, a clear purpose, specific detail and correct register. A letter of complaint needs the exact problem, the date or bill number, and the remedy you want - not an outpouring of emotion.
Worked example
Task: a notice about a lost school blazer. Weak: “I lost my blazer. If anyone finds it please give it to me.” Better: “LOST - Navy blue blazer, size 34, name-tag ‘R. Sharma, X-B’, lost near the science block on 12 August. Finder please hand it to the class teacher, X-B.” Reasoning: item, identifying detail, place, date and return point - five facts in under 40 words.
Traps
Exceeding the word limit; omitting the date or designation in a notice; opening a formal letter with “I hope this letter finds you in the pink of health”; forgetting the subject line; leaving an article with a title but no conclusion.