Writing Skills (Likhat): Essay, Letter, Report and Précis
What Likhat tests
Writing carries format, content, organization and language marks. The paper may ask for an essay (ਲੇਖ), a letter (ਪੱਤਰ), a report (ਰਿਪੋਰਟ) or a précis (ਸੰਖੇਪ).
Formats and rules
- Essay: a short introduction stating the focus, two or three body paragraphs each with one idea and an example, and a conclusion that returns to the question. Do not use memorized filler.
- Letter: sender's address, date, salutation, body, closing, name. Formal letters avoid ਤੂੰ and casual idioms; informal letters may use them.
- Report: headline, dateline and place, lead answering what, when, where, who, why and how, then factual detail in past tense. Keep opinion out.
- Précis: about one-third of the original, in your own words, third person, retaining the main argument and omitting examples.
Worked example
Original: "The village council met on Monday. It decided to repair the school roof before the monsoon. Funds will come from voluntary donations; work begins next week." Précis: "The village council decided on Monday to repair the school roof before the monsoon using voluntary donations, with work starting next week." Reasoning: the précis keeps agent, decision, deadline, funding and start date; it drops no essential information and is shorter than the original. It does not add comment.
Traps
- Writing an essay as a list of points without links.
- Mixing formal and informal pronouns in one letter.
- Putting personal opinion in a news report.
- Copying sentences into a précis.
- Ignoring the word limit or the required format.