Writing Skills: Format, Purpose and Register
What the section tests
Writing Skills tests purposeful composition in prescribed formats: formal and informal letters, reports, notices, paragraphs and essays. Examiners reward correct format, clear purpose, logical order, appropriate register and grammatical control.
Formats and control
- Formal letter: sender's address, date, receiver's designation/address, subject, salutation, body in paragraphs, subscription. Keep tone impersonal; avoid contractions.
- Report: title, byline, date/place, factual account in past tense, third person, short concluding recommendation only if asked.
- Notice: the word NOTICE, date, bold heading, body answering what/when/where/who/why, issuer's name and designation; no salutation or address.
- Paragraph: one controlling idea, topic sentence, supporting details, closing link; no unrelated examples.
- Essay: introduction with thesis, body paragraphs with one point each, conclusion that returns to the question.
Worked example
Task: as Head Girl, write a notice about an inter-class debate. Reasoning: a notice is a public announcement, so include NOTICE, date, heading 'Inter-Class Debate', date/time/venue, classes eligible, topic, registration deadline and issuer. Do not add 'Dear students' or a postal address; those belong to a letter. A compact body is stronger than a paragraph of general enthusiasm.
Traps
Using letter layout for a notice; omitting date or signature; shifting tenses in a report; writing an essay without a thesis; and exceeding the word limit by padding rather than adding relevant detail.