Composition and Letter/Report Writing (Insha)
What the composition paper asks
Insha tests format, register, and coherence. Typical tasks are a darkhwast (application), a dosti khat (friendly letter), a guzarish (report), and a short tahrir (essay) on a familiar topic. Marks come from correct layout, relevant content, and linking words - not from length alone.
Formats to reproduce
- Darkhwast: «به: مدیر محترم ...»، «موضوع: ...»، «با سلام»، body, «با تشکر»، name, class, date.
- Dosti khat: greeting, personal opening, two or three body points, closing wish, signature.
- Guzarish: title, what happened, when and where, who was involved, outcome, recommendation. Use formal pronouns (شما، جنابعالی) in applications; use intimate address in a friendly letter. Link paragraphs with اما، بنابراین، در نتیجه، از این رو.
Worked example
Task: write an application for three days’ leave. Reasoning: the subject line «موضوع: درخواست مرخصی» tells the reader the purpose immediately. The opening states the reason (illness in the family), the middle requests the exact dates, and the close thanks the principal and asks for approval. Each paragraph has one job. The register stays formal: «خواهشمندم» rather than «میخواهم».
Traps
Mixing informal and formal address; omitting the subject line or date; writing one unbroken block; translating English set phrases word for word; and padding with irrelevant sentences that weaken the structure.