Letter Writing and Applied Writing: Conventions That Earn Marks
What the examiner tests
This domain tests functional writing with fixed conventions: formal and informal letters, applications, notices, invitations, emails and advertisements. Marks come from correct format, clear purpose, appropriate tone and precise details. The task usually supplies a role, audience and situation; use all three.
Core rules
- Formal letter: sender's address, date, receiver's designation and address, subject line, salutation ('Dear Sir/Madam' or 'Dear Mr Sharma'), body, complimentary close ('Yours faithfully' with unnamed recipient; 'Yours sincerely' with a named recipient), signature and name.
- Informal letter: address, date, salutation ('Dear Ravi'), relaxed but clear body, closing ('Yours affectionately' or 'Love'), name.
- Application: state the post or purpose, give relevant qualifications or facts, offer availability, close politely.
- Notice: the word NOTICE at the top, date, title, body answering what/when/where/who/contact, writer's designation and name. Use impersonal tone, no sender's address.
- Invitation: formal invitations use third person ('Mr and Mrs Rao request...'); informal invitations use first or second person.
- Email: clear subject line, salutation, short paragraphs, attachment reference, sign-off.
- Advertisement: headline, persuasive but factual copy, contact detail; avoid misleading claims.
Worked example
Task: as Literary Club secretary, write a notice for an inter-house debate. Format: NOTICE / 12 August 20XX / Inter-House Debate / The Literary Club will hold an inter-house debate on 'Digital reading has made us shallower' on 22 August at 10 a.m. in the school auditorium. Interested students should register with their house captains by 18 August. / Aarav Mehta, Secretary, Literary Club. Reasoning: the heading and date are present; the body covers what, when, where, who and how to register; the tone is impersonal; no personal address is included.
Traps
Putting a personal address in a notice; writing 'I' in a formal notice; omitting the subject line; mismatching 'Yours faithfully' with a named salutation; forgetting the date or designation; writing an overlong notice; using slang in a formal letter.