Writing Skills (Letters, Reports, Paragraphs, Notices)
Formats that earn marks
A formal letter needs the sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject, salutation, a body in two or three paragraphs, and a closing with the sender's name. A report needs a title, byline, date and place, a factual past-tense account, and a conclusion. A notice is boxed and contains the word NOTICE, the date, a heading, the body with what/when/where/whom to contact, and the writer's name and designation. A paragraph needs one topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.
Worked example
Task: Write a notice about a lost library book. Draft: NOTICE Date: 12 August 20XX Lost Library Book A copy of the Class X English textbook was lost in the school library on 11 August. Anyone who finds it should hand it over to the librarian or contact the undersigned in Class X-B. Aman Verma, Class X-B Reasoning: The notice names the object, place, date, and contact person. It uses a boxed format, a heading, and a signature. A notice does not need "Dear students" unless the question asks for a circular. The past tense is correct because the loss has already happened.
Traps
- Putting the date above the word NOTICE or omitting it.
- Writing a letter when the task asks for a notice.
- Using future tense throughout a report about a past event.
- Exceeding the word limit and losing format marks.
- Forgetting the subject line in a formal letter or the byline in a report.
- Writing a paragraph with several unrelated ideas instead of one controlling idea.