Composition and Writing Skills
What the composition section tests
Composition and Writing Skills tests sustained writing: essays, formal and informal letters, reports, notices, stories, dialogues and short speeches. The examiner looks for task fulfilment, organisation, register, grammar and mechanical accuracy.
Core rules
- Decode the task first: audience, purpose, format and word limit. A letter to a newspaper editor is formal; a letter to a cousin is informal.
- Plan three or four points before writing. Each paragraph needs one controlling idea.
- Use a clear opening, linked body paragraphs and a conclusion that does not introduce a new topic.
- Keep register consistent: no slang or contractions in a formal letter or report; no officialese in a personal letter.
- For a story, establish character, conflict and a turning point quickly; a twist must be prepared.
- For a report, use a headline, byline, date and place, then factual past-tense paragraphs.
Worked example
Task: Write a formal letter to the municipal commissioner about irregular water supply in your locality. Reasoning: The salutation is 'Sir/Madam', the tone is respectful and the complaint is specific: supply timings, duration, affected streets and the hardship caused. The letter should request a site inspection and a written reply, and close with 'Yours faithfully'. A good opening states the purpose in one sentence. The common failure is a rant without dates, locations or a clear request, which weakens the letter.
Traps
Wrong format; shifting from complaint to general essay; forgetting the word limit; mixing 'Yours sincerely' with 'Dear Sir'; and writing a story with no complication. In essays, avoid a title that merely repeats the question.
Exam habit
Leave two minutes to check subject–verb agreement, articles, spelling of proper nouns and paragraph indentations.