Format Without Purpose: A Letter to the Editor
A student submits a letter to the editor for a 120-150 word task: 'Write a letter to the editor about the garbage problem in your neighbourhood.' The letter is 148 words. It has sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject line, salutation, body, closing, and signature. The body reads: 'Respected Sir, I am writing this letter to draw your attention to the garbage problem in our area. There is garbage everywhere and it is very bad. People throw waste on the road and it smells. Stray dogs tear the bags. Mosquitoes are breeding. Children are falling sick. The municipality is not doing anything. Please do the needful and take strict action. Thanking you.' The marking guide is: format 2, content 3, expression 2, word limit 1. The student receives format 2, content 1, expression 1, word limit 1, total 5 out of 8. The student asks why content is only 1 when five problems are mentioned.
1. Explain the content mark using the marking guide and the purpose of a letter to the editor.
Read the worked answer
Content marks reward relevant, developed ideas that serve the letter's purpose: to persuade an editor or public audience that a problem exists and should be acted on. The student names five problems, but naming is not developing. All five are packed into short, unsupported claims ('it is very bad', 'Children are falling sick') with no when, where, how often, or who is affected. The request is generic ('do the needful', 'take strict action'), so the editor cannot act on it. One mark is fair for a relevant topic; 2-3 would require at least one specific complaint with evidence and a concrete, feasible request. The letter also lacks a clear main complaint - five equal problems compete for attention.
2. Rewrite the body's opening and closing in 50-70 words to show a specific complaint, one piece of evidence, and a concrete request. Keep formal register.
Read the worked answer
Sir, for the past three weeks, garbage from the market has been dumped at the corner of 4th Cross, blocking the footpath. Residents, including elderly people and schoolchildren, are forced onto the road, and the stench is unbearable after rain. We request the municipal office to place two covered bins at that corner and to schedule a daily collection at 7 a.m. A prompt response will protect public health. (69 words)
3. The student says, 'But I used all the formal phrases we were taught.' Explain why formulaic phrases do not earn expression marks, and name two replacements.
Read the worked answer
Expression marks reward clarity, variety, and appropriateness - not the number of stock phrases. 'Respected Sir', 'do the needful', and 'take strict action' are formulaic; they signal effort but carry little precise meaning. They can even weaken a letter because they sound like a template. Replace 'do the needful' with a specific action ('place two covered bins and schedule a daily collection'), and replace 'take strict action' with a named consequence ('fine households that dump waste after 9 p.m.').