Composition: Essay, Letter, Application and Report Writing
What is marked
Composition carries a large block of marks: an essay (nibandh), a letter, an application and a report. Format marks are awarded separately from language, so a well-written letter missing its date or signature still loses. Match the form to the purpose before you write a single line.
Formats at a glance
- Essay: introduction, two or three body paragraphs each carrying one point and one example, conclusion. Types set are varnanatmaka (descriptive), vicharatmaka (reflective) and kathanatmaka (narrative).
- Formal letter: sender's address, date, salutation, subject, body in two or three short paragraphs, closing and signature.
- Application: addressed to the Principal or Headmaster, subject line stating the request, the reason, the request restated, respectful close.
- Report: headline, place-and-date line, opening sentence giving the news, details in order of importance, closing line.
Worked example
Topic: the school's drinking-water supply. If the piece is addressed to the Principal asking for repair, it is an application - no personal news, no enquiries about family, a clear subject line. If the same material is addressed to a friend describing the problem, it is an informal letter - a personal opening is allowed, but the piece must still hold one central point. Choosing wrongly costs format marks even when the language is correct.
Traps that cost marks
Writing an essay inside a letter. Omitting the date or the signature. Placing the subject line after the salutation. In a report, writing an opinion piece whose first sentence contains no event. Padding an essay with general statements and no example.