Let me start with the best news you will hear all week. The formal letter in your English Language and Literature paper is worth 5 marks, it asks for only 100 to 120 words, and you get to choose one out of two situations. That is five marks sitting in the open, waiting for a student who knows the shape of a letter by heart. Not the cleverest student. Not the one with the biggest vocabulary. The one who knows the shape.
Think of the format as a school uniform. Before a single teacher hears what you have to say, they see whether the uniform is correct: shirt tucked in, tie straight, shoes polished. An examiner does exactly the same with your letter. In the first three seconds their eye runs down the left margin looking for an address, a date, a receiver, a subject line, a salutation and a signature block. If all six are there in the right order, you have already banked marks before they read your first sentence. If two are missing, they start reading with a red pen in hand.
So here is the plan for this chapter. We are going to make the uniform automatic, so automatic that you could draw it half asleep. Then we will fill it with sensible, polite, grown-up English. Then we will practise it across every situation the board has ever fancied: the editor, the shopkeeper, the municipal officer, the Principal, the institute you want details from, the firm you want to order from. By the end you should be able to read a situation, and within about twelve minutes hand in a letter that a marker cannot easily take marks off.
Go slowly. This is one of those topics where twenty minutes of proper attention now saves you a lifetime of vague guessing later. Do not move on from a section until it feels comfortable.
What You’ll Learn
- What The Board Actually Asks
- The Seven Parts And The Order They Go In
- Sender’s Address And Date Conventions
- The Receiver’s Block And Unnamed Officials
- Writing A Subject Line That Earns Its Mark
- Salutation And The Matching Complimentary Close
- The Three-Paragraph Body Plan
- Formal Register: Words To Use And Words To Avoid
- Letter To The Editor
- Letter Of Complaint
- Letter Of Enquiry
- Placing And Cancelling An Order
- Letter To A Government Or Municipal Authority
- Letter To The Principal Or School Authority
- Job And Internship Application Letters
- How The Five Marks Are Split
- Managing The 100 To 120 Word Limit
- A Six-Step Method For Any Unseen Situation
- The Last Sixty Seconds Proofreading Checklist
- Common Mistakes Students Make
Your Game Plan
- Memorise the seven parts in order until you can write the empty skeleton in under sixty seconds.
- Learn the three-paragraph body plan and the opening phrase that starts each paragraph.
- Build a small stock of formal phrases so you never have to invent polite English under pressure.
- Work through the sixteen model letters here, covering every letter type the board favours.
- Attempt the ten worksheet questions with the answers hidden, then compare honestly.
- Run the sixty-second proofreading checklist on every letter you write from today onwards.
Study Notes
What The Board Actually Asks
Section B of your paper is Writing Skills and carries 10 marks in total. It is made of exactly two tasks, and they are equal twins:
- Writing a formal letter based on a given situation, in 100 to 120 words. One out of two questions is to be answered. 5 marks.
- Writing an analytical paragraph in 100 to 120 words on a given map, chart, graph or set of cues. One out of two questions is to be answered. 5 marks.
This chapter is about the first of those two. Notice three details in that one line, because each of them is a gift.
First, the choice. You are shown two situations and you answer only one. That means if the first situation is about something you know nothing about, you are allowed to walk away from it. Read both before you write a single word. Students lose marks every year by starting the first one out of nervousness, realising halfway that the second was easier, and then having no time to switch.
Second, the word count. One hundred to one hundred and twenty words is short. It is roughly three tight paragraphs. It is not an essay. Many students panic and write two hundred and fifty words, which costs them time they needed elsewhere and does not add a single mark.
Third, the situation is given. You are never asked to invent a topic. The question hands you a role, a reader and a reason: You are Rohit Verma of 42 Nehru Road, Kanpur. Write a letter to the Editor of a national daily drawing attention to the poor street lighting in your colony. Everything you need is in that sentence. Your job is not creativity. Your job is packaging.
The Seven Parts And The Order They Go In
Every formal letter you will ever write in this paper has seven parts, and they always come in the same order, top to bottom, down the left-hand margin. There is no variation, no exception, no clever alternative. Learn this sequence the way you learned the alphabet.
- Sender’s address — where you are writing from.
- Date — the day you are writing.
- Receiver’s address — the designation of the person and their organisation.
- Subject line — one short line naming the matter.
- Salutation — Sir or Madam.
- Body — three paragraphs, 100 to 120 words in total.
- Complimentary close and signature block — Yours faithfully, then your name.
Modern CBSE letters use the full block style: everything begins hard against the left margin, nothing is indented, and there is a clear blank line between each part. This is by far the easiest style to reproduce under pressure, because you never have to think about where to start a line. You always start at the left.
Look at the diagram below until the shape is burned into your memory. Then close this page and draw the empty skeleton on rough paper. If you can do it in under a minute without peeping, you already own one of the five marks.
You are Rohit Verma of 42 Nehru Road, Kanpur. The street lights in your colony have not been working for weeks. Write a letter to the Editor of The Daily Chronicle, Kanpur, drawing the attention of the authorities to the problem, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Model Colony
Kanpur 208002
15 May 2026
The Editor
The Daily Chronicle
Kanpur
Subject: Poor street lighting in Model Colony
Sir
Through the columns of your widely read newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the poor street lighting in Model Colony, Kanpur.
For the past two months nearly half the lamp posts on our main road have stopped working. The lane turns completely dark after seven in the evening. Elderly residents avoid stepping out, students returning from tuition feel unsafe, and two minor accidents have already occurred near the crossing. Repeated complaints at the local office have brought no response whatsoever.
I therefore request the municipal authorities to repair the faulty lamps immediately and to inspect them every month. An early step will spare hundreds of residents from daily fear and danger.
Yours faithfully
Rohit Verma
Body word count: 117. Why this scores: all seven format parts are present and correctly ordered, so the format mark is safe. The content mark is earned because the letter names a specific place, a specific duration and three specific consequences instead of saying “there is a problem”. Expression is protected by full sentences, formal vocabulary and a clear request at the end. Accuracy is protected because every sentence is short enough to control.
Sender’s Address And Date Conventions
Your address sits at the very top left of the page. It is the first thing on the sheet, above everything else. Two questions worry students here, so let us settle both.
How many lines? Two to four. Three is ideal. A house or flat number and street on the first line, the locality on the second, the city with the postal code on the third. Something like:
Model Colony
Kanpur 208002
If the question gives you a school address instead, use the school:
Arera Colony
Bhopal 462016
Do I put my name in the address? No. Your name belongs at the bottom, under the complimentary close. The top block is only a place. Writing your name at the top and again at the bottom looks untidy and is not the convention.
Punctuation. Modern practice is open punctuation: no comma at the end of each line, no full stop at the end of the block. This is cleaner and gives you fewer chances to slip. If you prefer to put commas at the end of every line except the last, that is also accepted, but be consistent. Do not put commas on two lines and forget the third.
The date. Leave one blank line after your address, then write the date. Write it in a form nobody can misread. Any of these is fine:
- 15 May 2026
- 15 May, 2026
- May 15, 2026
Avoid 15/5/26 and 15.5.2026. A formal letter is not a form, and the numeric style can be read as May the fifteenth or the fifth of the fifteenth month depending on where the reader grew up. Also avoid 15th May 2026 with the superscript letters — it is not wrong, but the plain form is faster and safer.
If the question does not give a date, invent a sensible one. Nobody will mark you down for choosing 15 May 2026, but they will mark you down for leaving the date out entirely.
The Receiver’s Block And Unnamed Officials
Leave a blank line after the date, then write who the letter is going to. This is where a lot of students freeze, because the question rarely gives a person’s name. It gives a role: “the Editor”, “the Manager”, “the Municipal Commissioner”, “the Principal”. That is not a gap in the question. That is how formal letters actually work.
The rule is simple: write the designation, then the organisation, then the city. Two or three lines, same left margin, same open punctuation.
The Daily Chronicle
Kanpur
The Sales Manager
Bharat Electronics Store
Mall Road, Ludhiana
The Municipal Commissioner
Thrissur Municipal Corporation
Thrissur 680001
The Principal
Riverdale Public School
Lucknow
Notice the definite article at the start of each: The Editor, The Manager, The Principal. It is a small thing, but it is the mark of someone who has seen real letters. “Editor” on its own reads like a label on a door.
What if you genuinely do not know the organisation? Invent a plausible one. “The Editor, The National Herald, New Delhi” is perfectly acceptable if the question just says “a national daily”. Examiners expect you to fill sensible details into the frame the question gives you.
What if the question names a person? Rare, but if it says you are writing to Mr Sharma, the Manager, then write:
The Sales Manager
Bharat Electronics Store
Ludhiana
And in that case your salutation may become “Dear Sir” or “Dear Mr Sharma”, with “Yours sincerely” at the end. Keep this in the back of your mind but expect the unnamed version, because that is what the board almost always sets.
Writing A Subject Line That Earns Its Mark
The subject line is the shortest part of the letter and one of the easiest places to look professional. Leave a blank line after the receiver’s block, write the word Subject: and then a phrase that tells the reader in one glance what this letter is about.
Two golden qualities: it must be short and it must be a phrase, not a sentence. No full stop at the end. No verb doing the work of a main clause. Compare:
- Subject: I am writing this letter to tell you that the street lights in my colony are not working properly since two months. — far too long, and it is a sentence.
- Subject: Poor street lighting in Model Colony — six words, instantly clear.
A useful mental test: could this line be printed as a heading in a file? If yes, it is a good subject line. Six to ten words is the sweet spot.
You may underline it, embolden it, or leave it plain. All three are accepted. What matters is that the word Subject appears with a colon after it, and that the phrase names the actual matter.
Here is a ready reference for the letter types the board sets most often, showing the purpose of each and the kind of subject line that suits it.
| Letter type | Its real purpose | A subject line that works |
|---|---|---|
| Letter to the Editor | To place a public problem before readers and the authorities | Subject: Rising noise pollution during the festival season |
| Letter of complaint | To report a defect or poor service and ask for redress | Subject: Complaint regarding defective washing machine, bill no. 2187 |
| Letter of enquiry | To ask for information you need before deciding | Subject: Enquiry regarding summer certificate course in programming |
| Placing an order | To buy listed goods on stated terms and by a stated date | Subject: Order for sports goods for the annual tournament |
| Cancelling an order | To withdraw an order and recover any advance paid | Subject: Cancellation of order no. 774 dated 3 May 2026 |
| Letter to a civic authority | To get a public service repaired, restored or provided | Subject: Non-collection of garbage in ward number nine |
| Application to the Principal | To seek permission, leave or a facility from the school | Subject: Request for permission to attend the state quiz competition |
| Job or internship application | To offer yourself for an advertised post with evidence | Subject: Application for the post of Computer Teacher |
Salutation And The Matching Complimentary Close
These two are a pair. They must agree, like a key and a lock. Get one wrong and the other one looks wrong too.
Because CBSE formal letters are almost always addressed to somebody whose name you do not know, the pairing you will use in ninety-five per cent of cases is:
… body of the letter …
Yours faithfully
Rohit Verma
The logic behind the pairing is old and rather elegant. If you do not know the person’s name, you cannot claim to be their friend, so you end with faithfully — the promise of a stranger. If you do know their name, you may end with sincerely — the warmth of an acquaintance. Learn it as a couplet:
- Sir / Madam / Sir or Madam → Yours faithfully
- Dear Mr Sharma / Dear Mrs Iyer → Yours sincerely
Should it be “Sir” or “Dear Sir”? Both are accepted in CBSE answers. “Sir” alone is the crisper, more modern choice and I recommend it for consistency. Whichever you choose, do not mix “Dear Sir” with “Yours sincerely” unless you have actually named the person.
Capital letters. It is Yours faithfully, not Yours Faithfully. Capital Y, small f. The same for Yours sincerely. And there is no apostrophe: never write Your’s. That apostrophe is one of the most common accuracy slips in the whole paper.
The signature block. After the close, leave one line and write your name in full. If you have a role that matters to the letter — Head Boy, Secretary of the Science Club, Sports Secretary — write it under your name. It adds authority in two words.
Meera Joshi
Sports Secretary
The Three-Paragraph Body Plan
Here is the single most useful idea in this chapter. Every formal letter, no matter what it is about, has the same three-paragraph shape. Once you accept that, you never again stare at a blank page wondering how to begin.
Paragraph 1 — why you are writing. Two sentences at most. State the purpose immediately. Do not warm up, do not apologise, do not say “I hope this letter finds you in good health” — that is an informal letter habit and it wastes eight of your precious words.
Paragraph 2 — the details. This is the longest paragraph and it is where the content marks live. Give facts: how long the problem has lasted, what exactly is wrong, who is affected, what has already been tried. Three or four specific details beat ten vague complaints.
Paragraph 3 — the request. Say clearly what you want done. Ask for a specific action and, where sensible, a time frame. Close with one forward-looking sentence. Do not simply stop; a letter that ends without a request feels unfinished and the examiner feels it too.
Study the flow below, and note the opening phrase attached to each paragraph. Those phrases are your safety net. On a bad day, when your mind goes blank, you can start each paragraph with one of them and the letter will build itself.
Formal Register: Words To Use And Words To Avoid
Register is simply the level of language you choose. You already switch register a dozen times a day without noticing. You speak one way to your friends in the corridor and another way when the Principal walks past. A formal letter uses the Principal-walking-past voice, all the way through.
Three habits make English sound formal, and none of them require difficult words.
1. Full forms, never contractions. Write I am, not I’m. Do not, not don’t. Cannot, not can’t. This one change alone lifts a whole letter.
2. Complete sentences, no slang, no abbreviations. No etc. trailing off, no & for and, no pls, no info for information. And absolutely no exclamation marks. A formal letter does not shout.
3. Polite, measured verbs. You request, you do not want. You draw attention to, you do not tell about. You are grateful, you are not happy. You find something unsatisfactory, not rubbish.
Here is a translation table. Read the left column in your head, then train yourself to write the right column automatically.
| Informal (avoid) | Formal (use) | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| I wanna tell you about… | I would like to draw your attention to… | “Wanna” is spoken slang and is never written, anywhere |
| I’m writing coz… | I am writing because… | Contractions and text spellings cost expression marks |
| The stuff you sent is bad | The consignment received is defective | Precise nouns show command of business vocabulary |
| Please do something fast!! | Kindly take immediate action in the matter | Exclamation marks read as temper, not urgency |
| You guys never replied | No response has been received so far | The passive keeps the tone impersonal and civil |
| Tell me the fees and all | Kindly inform me of the total fee payable | “And all” is vague; an examiner cannot award marks for vagueness |
| I want a new one | I request you to replace the article | “Request” is the standard verb of formal appeal |
| Hope you got my point | I trust the matter will receive your attention | Ends on confidence rather than doubt |
| Thanx a lot | I shall be grateful for an early reply | Thanking in advance is fine; misspelling it is not |
| It’s been like 2 months | For the past two months | Spell out small numbers; drop fillers such as “like” |
Beyond single words, keep a handful of ready-made formal phrases in your pocket. Say them aloud a few times and they will come to you under pressure:
- Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper…
- I wish to invite your kind attention to…
- With reference to your advertisement dated…
- I shall be obliged if you could…
- Kindly treat this matter as urgent.
- An early reply would be highly appreciated.
Six phrases. That is all the formal English you need to memorise for this question, and between them they can open or close almost any letter the board sets.
Letter To The Editor
This is the type the board asks most often, so give it the most practice. The situation is always some version of: something in your locality or your country is going wrong, and you want the public and the authorities to know about it.
The one thing students misunderstand is who they are writing to. You are writing to the Editor, but you are not asking the Editor to fix the road. You are asking the Editor to print your letter so that the people who can fix the road will read it. That is why almost every such letter opens with a version of “Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper…”. That phrase does two jobs in eight words: it shows you know the convention, and it explains why the Editor is receiving a letter about street lights.
The shape of a letter to the Editor:
- Para 1: Through your newspaper, I wish to draw attention to X in Y locality.
- Para 2: How long it has gone on, exactly what is wrong, who suffers, what has been tried.
- Para 3: A request to the concerned authorities, plus one closing sentence about the good that action would do.
Common topics: pollution of every kind, water shortage, broken roads, stray animals, traffic and road safety, lack of parks or libraries, misuse of loudspeakers, wastage of electricity, plastic waste, the pressure of examinations, poor public transport. Notice that they are all civic problems with an obvious solution. If you can name the problem, name three of its effects and name the authority who should act, you have a letter.
You are Ananya Sharma of 17 Gandhi Nagar, Jaipur. Loudspeakers are being used late into the night during the festival season, disturbing patients and students. Write a letter to the Editor of The Rajasthan Times, Jaipur, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Jaipur 302015
20 October 2026
The Editor
The Rajasthan Times
Jaipur
Subject: Rising noise pollution during the festival season
Sir
Through your esteemed daily I wish to express my concern about the rising level of noise pollution in our city during the festival season.
Loudspeakers are played at full volume till late at night in almost every locality. Patients in nearby hospitals cannot rest, senior citizens complain of headaches, and students preparing for board examinations find concentration impossible. The permitted decibel limit is openly ignored, and organisers simply refuse to listen when residents object politely.
I request the district administration to enforce the existing rules strictly and to fix a firm deadline for amplified music. Celebration should bring joy to everyone, not sleepless nights to the sick and the studious.
Yours faithfully
Ananya Sharma
Body word count: 110. Why this scores: format is complete and the subject line is a clean noun phrase. Content is specific: three named groups of sufferers, plus the fact that the legal limit is being ignored. Expression stays measured — “express my concern” rather than “I am fed up”. The last sentence gives the letter a memorable closing thought, which lifts the expression mark.
You are Karan Mehta of 8 Tagore Lane, Nagpur. Your town has no proper public library. Write a letter to the Editor of The Central Express, Nagpur, urging the municipal council to provide one, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Nagpur 440012
3 August 2026
The Editor
The Central Express
Nagpur
Subject: Urgent need for a public library in our town
Sir
Through the columns of your respected newspaper I wish to highlight the urgent need for a well equipped public library in our town.
Nagpur has grown rapidly in the last decade, yet there is no reading facility for students who cannot afford expensive reference books. Young learners crowd around a single small reading room that shuts by five. Job aspirants have nowhere quiet to study, and children have almost no access to storybooks in either English or Marathi.
I earnestly request the municipal council to sanction a spacious library with newspapers, reference sections and internet access. Such a step would give hundreds of young people a fair chance to learn.
Yours faithfully
Karan Mehta
Body word count: 110. Why this scores: notice that this is a demand letter rather than a complaint letter, and the content adapts accordingly — paragraph two proves the need instead of describing a fault. Three different groups are shown to be affected, which is exactly the kind of detail content marks reward. Paragraph three names the authority and the specific facilities wanted.
You are Sneha Iyer of 23 Lake View Road, Coimbatore. Two-wheeler riders speed past your school gate at dispersal time. Write a letter to the Editor of The Southern Mirror, Coimbatore, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Coimbatore 641004
11 July 2026
The Editor
The Southern Mirror
Coimbatore
Subject: Reckless two-wheeler riding outside our school gate
Sir
Through your widely circulated newspaper I wish to draw attention to the reckless riding of two wheelers on the road outside our school gate.
Every afternoon young riders speed past the gate without helmets, often carrying three pupils on one vehicle. Junior children crossing the road are pushed aside, and last week a small girl narrowly escaped injury. There are no speed breakers, no signboards and no traffic warden anywhere near this busy stretch during dispersal hours.
I request the traffic authorities to install speed breakers, put up warning signs and depute a constable at dispersal time. Timely action can prevent a tragedy that everybody would later regret.
Yours faithfully
Sneha Iyer
Body word count: 108. Why this scores: paragraph two uses the strongest content device available in this letter type — a near-miss incident with a time reference. Paragraph three asks for three concrete, cheap, obviously reasonable measures. Asking for something achievable always reads better than demanding the impossible, and the marker notices.
Letter Of Complaint
A complaint letter goes to a shopkeeper, a dealer, a company or a service provider. Something you bought is faulty, or something you paid for was not delivered as promised, and you want it put right.
The temptation here is to be angry. Resist it. The most effective complaint letter in the world sounds calm and slightly disappointed, because calm is what makes a company act. Your tone should say: I am a reasonable customer, this is what went wrong, this is what I expect, and I am confident you will do it.
A complaint letter has three moving parts that must all appear:
- Identify the transaction. Date of purchase, bill or invoice number, model or item name. Without this the shop cannot even trace you.
- Describe the fault precisely. Not “it is not working” but “it stops midway through every wash cycle and water leaks from the base”. Two or three specific faults are ideal.
- Ask for a named remedy with a deadline. Replacement, repair or refund — say which, and say by when.
If you have already tried to sort it out, say so. “Your engineer visited once but no repair has followed” instantly explains why you are now writing, and it earns content marks for free.
You are Aman Gupta of 56 Rose Avenue, Ludhiana. The washing machine you bought last month is defective. Write a letter of complaint to the Sales Manager, Bharat Electronics Store, Mall Road, Ludhiana, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Ludhiana 141001
4 June 2026
The Sales Manager
Bharat Electronics Store
Mall Road, Ludhiana
Subject: Complaint regarding defective washing machine, bill no. 2187
Sir
I purchased a fully automatic washing machine, model number WM four hundred, from your showroom on the fourth of last month against bill number 2187.
The machine has developed serious faults within three weeks of installation. It stops midway through every wash cycle, the drum makes a loud grinding noise, and water leaks steadily from the base, damaging the flooring of my utility area. Your service engineer visited once, admitted the defect, but no repair or replacement has followed since then.
I request you to replace the machine or refund the amount within seven days, as permitted under your warranty terms. Kindly treat this complaint as urgent and confirm your decision in writing.
Yours faithfully
Aman Gupta
Body word count: 113. Why this scores: the bill number appears in both the subject line and paragraph one, so the transaction is unmistakable. Three separate faults are named, plus the consequential damage to the floor. The remedy is specific (replace or refund), time-bound (seven days), and justified (warranty terms). Nothing here is angry, and that is precisely why it is strong.
You are Priya Nair of 12 Hill Street, Kochi. Your mobile handset was left for repair and has not been returned. Write a letter of complaint to the Customer Care Manager, Sunrise Mobiles, Kochi, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Kochi 682011
22 September 2026
The Customer Care Manager
Sunrise Mobiles
Kochi
Subject: Complaint regarding delay in handset repair
Sir
I am writing to complain about the unsatisfactory service I received at your authorised mobile repair centre on the twelfth of this month.
My handset was deposited for a simple screen replacement and I was promised delivery within two days. Ten days have now passed. Nobody answers the counter telephone, my job sheet number is not traceable on your system, and the staff at the counter repeatedly ask me to return the following week without giving any reason.
I request you to return my repaired handset immediately or hand back the original device in working condition. I would also appreciate a written explanation for this avoidable delay and discourtesy.
Yours faithfully
Priya Nair
Body word count: 109. Why this scores: this is a service complaint rather than a product complaint, and the details shift accordingly — promised time versus actual time, an untraceable job sheet, an unanswered telephone. Asking for a written explanation as well as the device shows a mature grasp of what a customer may reasonably demand.
You are Vikram Rathore, Librarian, Sunbeam School, 91 Station Road, Udaipur. A consignment of library books has arrived damaged. Write a letter of complaint to the Manager, Vidya Book House, Udaipur, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
91 Station Road
Udaipur 313001
18 April 2026
The Manager
Vidya Book House
Udaipur
Subject: Damaged and incorrect books against order no. 512
Sir
I refer to my order number 512 dated the eighth of this month for thirty reference books required by our school library.
The consignment reached us yesterday in a very poor condition. Eleven copies have torn covers, four books have several missing pages, and two titles supplied are entirely different from those ordered. The outer carton itself was damaged, which suggests careless packing. Such books cannot be issued to students and are of no use to us.
I request you to collect the defective copies and send correct replacements within ten days. Kindly also revise the bill accordingly and ensure sturdier packing for all future consignments.
Yours faithfully
Vikram Rathore
Librarian
Body word count: 106. Why this scores: the numbers do the heavy lifting — eleven, four, two, thirty. Each one is a checkable fact rather than an opinion. The letter also asks for three separate things (collection, replacement, revised bill) and adds a forward-looking suggestion about packing, which is exactly how a real institutional letter reads. The designation under the signature adds authority.
Letter Of Enquiry
An enquiry letter asks for information you need before you can decide something: a course you might join, a hotel you might book, a product you might buy, a camp you might attend. It is the friendliest of the letter types, because nothing has gone wrong. You simply want facts.
The structure changes slightly here, and it is worth noticing. Paragraph two is not a description of a problem; it is a list of questions rolled into flowing prose. That is the skill being tested.
Do not write your questions as a numbered list with question marks. Write them as polite indirect requests joined into two or three sentences:
- Weak: What is the fee? How long is the course? Who teaches it?
- Strong: Kindly let me know the total fee payable, the duration of the course and the qualifications of the instructors.
Aim for five or six pieces of information, grouped sensibly — practical details in one sentence, quality details in another, money and dates in a third. Then close by asking for a prospectus, brochure or tariff card and an early reply.
Useful enquiry verbs: Kindly inform me of… I would also like to know… Please mention whether… I shall be grateful if you could send…
You are Neha Bansal of 34 Civil Lines, Meerut. You have seen an advertisement for a summer certificate course in computer programming. Write a letter of enquiry to the Director, Techlearn Institute, Meerut, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Meerut 250001
28 March 2026
The Director
Techlearn Institute
Meerut
Subject: Enquiry regarding summer certificate course in programming
Sir
I have read your advertisement regarding the summer certificate course in computer programming and would like some further information before enrolling.
Kindly let me know the exact duration of the course, the daily timings and whether separate batches are available for school students. I would also like details of the syllabus covered, the qualifications of the instructors, the number of computers available for practice and whether the institute provides study material. Please mention the total fee and any concession offered.
I would be grateful if you could send a prospectus and the admission form to the address given above. An early reply would help me plan my summer vacation sensibly.
Yours faithfully
Neha Bansal
Body word count: 110. Why this scores: eight distinct pieces of information are requested, yet paragraph two reads as three flowing sentences rather than a shopping list. Content marks come from the range and relevance of the questions; expression marks come from the indirect phrasing. The closing paragraph asks for a document and gives a reason for urgency.
You are Arjun Deshmukh, Head Boy, Green Valley School, 5 Sunrise Colony, Pune. Your school is planning an excursion to Mahabaleshwar. Write a letter of enquiry to the Manager, Hillcrest Hotel, Mahabaleshwar, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
5 Sunrise Colony
Pune 411007
9 November 2026
The Manager
Hillcrest Hotel
Mahabaleshwar
Subject: Enquiry regarding group accommodation in December
Sir
Our school proposes to organise an educational excursion to Mahabaleshwar in the last week of December and requires accommodation for forty students.
Kindly inform me of the tariff for shared rooms, the concession offered to school groups and whether vegetarian meals can be arranged for all three sittings. I would also like to know about safety arrangements, the availability of a separate wing for girls, the presence of a resident caretaker and the distance of your hotel from the bus stand.
Please send your complete tariff card and booking terms at the earliest so that the proposal may be placed before our Principal for approval.
Yours faithfully
Arjun Deshmukh
Head Boy
Body word count: 105. Why this scores: the first paragraph gives the three facts the hotel actually needs — where, when, how many. The questions are then chosen intelligently for a school group: cost, food, safety, supervision, distance. Choosing relevant questions is what separates a four-mark enquiry letter from a five-mark one.
Placing And Cancelling An Order
These two are mirror images of each other and they share one quality: they must be precise. An order letter that is vague is useless in real life and loses marks in an examination.
Placing an order. Paragraph two is a specification, and it should contain quantity, item, and quality or size for every article. “Twelve leather cricket balls” is an order. “Some cricket balls” is a wish. Add the delivery date, the packing instructions if the goods are fragile, and the terms of payment and discount. Those extra clauses are where content marks hide.
Cancelling an order. Quote the order number and its date in the very first sentence, give the reason for cancellation honestly, and ask for the refund of any advance with a time frame. Keep the tone regretful rather than accusing; you may want to deal with this firm again.
You are Meera Joshi, Sports Secretary, Sunrise Public School, Arera Colony, Bhopal. Write a letter to the Manager, Champion Sports House, Bhopal, placing an order for sports goods needed for the annual tournament, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Arera Colony
Bhopal 462016
2 December 2026
The Manager
Champion Sports House
Bhopal
Subject: Order for sports goods for the annual tournament
Sir
Our school is preparing for the annual inter house tournament and wishes to place an order for sports goods from your firm.
Kindly supply twelve leather cricket balls, six badminton rackets, four volleyballs, two carrom boards and thirty skipping ropes of standard quality. All items must carry the manufacturer guarantee and should reach us before the twentieth of this month, as our practice sessions begin immediately afterwards. Please pack the fragile articles separately to avoid damage in transit.
We understand that you allow schools a discount of fifteen per cent. Payment will be made by cheque on delivery of the goods against a proper bill.
Yours faithfully
Meera Joshi
Sports Secretary
Body word count: 105. Why this scores: five items, each with an exact quantity, so the order could genuinely be fulfilled. Paragraph two also carries the quality condition, the deadline and the packing instruction. Paragraph three settles discount and payment. Every sentence does commercial work, which is exactly what the content mark rewards in an order letter.
You are Rahul Saxena of 27 Green Park, Varanasi. The furniture you ordered a month ago has still not arrived. Write a letter to the Proprietor, Kashi Furniture Mart, Varanasi, cancelling the order and asking for a refund, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Varanasi 221005
31 May 2026
The Proprietor
Kashi Furniture Mart
Varanasi
Subject: Cancellation of order no. 774 dated 3 May 2026
Sir
I regret to inform you that I wish to cancel my order number 774 dated the third of this month for a study table and a bookshelf.
Your salesman had assured me delivery within ten days, and I made an advance payment of five thousand rupees on that understanding. Almost four weeks have gone by without any communication from your side. Since I needed the furniture before my examinations began, this delay has defeated the entire purpose of the purchase.
Kindly treat the order as cancelled and refund my advance within a week. I shall be obliged if you acknowledge this letter and confirm the date of refund.
Yours faithfully
Rahul Saxena
Body word count: 108. Why this scores: the order number and date appear in the subject line and again in the opening sentence, so there is no ambiguity. The reason for cancellation is given fairly rather than angrily. The request is double — cancel and refund — with a deadline and a request for acknowledgement, which is what a careful adult would actually ask for.
Letter To A Government Or Municipal Authority
Sometimes the question sends you straight to the official rather than through a newspaper: write to the Municipal Commissioner, the Health Officer, the Superintendent of Police, the Station Master, the Electricity Board. The subject matter looks like a letter to the Editor, but the handling is different in two ways.
First, you drop the newspaper opening. There are no columns to go through. You go straight in: I wish to invite your urgent attention to… or I write on behalf of the residents of…
Second, you may speak for a group. Officials respond to numbers. “I write on behalf of the residents of Palm Grove” carries more weight than “I am unhappy”, and it costs seven words. Where the situation allows it, represent your locality, your society or your parents’ association.
Also useful: mention the ward number, the road name or the locality precisely, because an official letter is meant to be actionable. And where a health or safety risk exists, name it — disease, accident, fire — because that is what moves a file forward.
You are Divya Menon of 63 Palm Grove, Thrissur. Garbage has not been collected in your locality for three weeks. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner, Thrissur Municipal Corporation, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Thrissur 680001
7 July 2026
The Municipal Commissioner
Thrissur Municipal Corporation
Thrissur
Subject: Non-collection of garbage in ward number nine
Sir
I wish to invite your urgent attention to the failure of garbage collection in Palm Grove locality, ward number nine, for the last three weeks.
The municipal van, which earlier came every morning, has stopped visiting our lane altogether. Refuse now lies piled at the street corner, stray animals scatter it across the road, and the stench has become unbearable. Several children in the locality have already fallen ill with fever, and residents fear an outbreak of dengue once the rains begin.
I request you to restore daily collection immediately, arrange for the removal of the accumulated waste and provide covered bins at two suitable points in our locality.
Yours faithfully
Divya Menon
Body word count: 109. Why this scores: the ward number turns a vague grievance into an addressable file. Paragraph two moves from fact to consequence to risk — piled refuse, stray animals, illness, feared outbreak — which is the strongest possible ordering for a civic letter. Paragraph three asks for three specific actions, one of which is preventive rather than merely corrective.
You are Ishaan Chopra of 14 Model Town, Ambala. Traffic outside your school gate has become dangerous at dispersal time. Write a letter to the Traffic Superintendent, Ambala, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Ambala 134003
16 August 2026
The Traffic Superintendent
Traffic Police Headquarters
Ambala
Subject: Dangerous traffic congestion outside our school gate
Sir
I write on behalf of the residents and parents of Model Town to report the serious traffic congestion outside the gate of our school.
Between one and two in the afternoon, private vehicles are parked on both sides of a narrow road, leaving barely enough space for a single car. Buses cannot turn, ambulances have been held up twice, and small children weave between moving vehicles to reach their parents. No traffic personnel are posted anywhere near this stretch.
I request you to declare a no parking zone near the gate, mark a safe crossing and depute a constable during school hours. Prompt action will protect hundreds of children daily.
Yours faithfully
Ishaan Chopra
Body word count: 110. Why this scores: writing “on behalf of the residents and parents” immediately raises the weight of the letter. The time window “between one and two in the afternoon” tells the officer exactly when to send someone. Three requested measures are all within the traffic department’s own power, which is the mark of a well-aimed letter.
Letter To The Principal Or School Authority
This one is often called an application, and it has a slightly softer feel because you are asking a favour from someone who already knows you. But it is still a formal letter, with all seven parts.
Two conventions are worth knowing. First, your address at the top may simply be your school’s address, since that is where you are writing from. Second, it helps to identify yourself in the opening line: I am a student of class ten, section B… The Principal cannot act on a request from an unidentified pupil.
Typical situations: leave of absence, permission to attend a competition, a request for extra classes or coaching, a duplicate identity card or certificate, permission to organise an event, a request for better facilities, or a plea to reduce homework during examinations.
The tone is respectful but not grovelling. And there is one lovely finishing move available in almost every application: offer something in return. “I assure you that I shall complete all missed lessons promptly.” “The entire class assures you of full attendance and discipline.” It shows maturity, and markers reward it.
You are Tanvi Rao of class X-B, Riverdale Public School, Lucknow. You have been selected for a state level inter-school quiz. Write an application to your Principal seeking permission and leave, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Gomti Nagar
Lucknow 226010
25 June 2026
The Principal
Riverdale Public School
Lucknow
Subject: Request for permission to attend the state quiz competition
Madam
I am a student of class ten, section B, and I have been selected to represent our school in the state level inter school quiz competition.
The competition will be held at Lucknow from the fourteenth to the sixteenth of next month. Our subject teacher has kindly agreed to accompany the team, and my parents have given their written consent. I shall need leave of absence for three working days and permission to use the school library after hours for preparation.
I therefore request you to grant me the necessary permission and leave. I assure you that I shall complete all missed lessons promptly and try my best to bring laurels to our school.
Yours faithfully
Tanvi Rao
Class X-B
Body word count: 114. Why this scores: the writer identifies herself at once, gives dates, and pre-empts the two questions any Principal would ask — who will accompany you, and do your parents know. Two clear requests follow, and the closing promise about missed lessons shows exactly the maturity examiners look for in an application.
You are Sahil Kapoor, Head Boy, Greenfield School, Indore. The class ten students want remedial classes in Mathematics before the board examination. Write an application to your Principal, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Vijay Nagar
Indore 452010
12 September 2026
The Principal
Greenfield School
Indore
Subject: Request for extra coaching classes in Mathematics
Sir
On behalf of the students of class ten, I wish to request the arrangement of extra coaching classes in Mathematics before the board examination.
Many of us find geometry and trigonometry difficult, and the regular periods are barely enough to finish the syllabus. Several students hesitate to ask doubts in a crowded class, and private tuition is beyond the means of a number of families. Two additional periods every week would allow steady revision and proper doubt clearing.
We therefore request you to permit remedial classes on Saturdays from nine to eleven. The entire class assures you of full attendance, complete discipline and sincere effort throughout these sessions.
Yours faithfully
Sahil Kapoor
Head Boy
Body word count: 108. Why this scores: the writer speaks for the class rather than for himself, which suits his role as Head Boy. Paragraph two gives three different reasons — academic difficulty, classroom size and family finances — so the request cannot be dismissed as laziness. The proposed timing in paragraph three makes it easy for the Principal to say yes, and the promise of attendance closes the deal.
Job And Internship Application Letters
This type appears less often, but it does appear, so give it twenty minutes. You are applying for an advertised post — teacher, clerk, librarian, receptionist, sales assistant — or for an internship at a newspaper, hospital or company.
The structure shifts a little, and it is worth learning as its own pattern:
- Para 1: Reference the advertisement. Name the newspaper, the date and the post. With reference to your advertisement in The National Herald dated 2 May 2026, I wish to apply for the post of…
- Para 2: Your qualifications and experience. Degrees first, then experience, then one thing that makes you distinctive.
- Para 3: Mention the enclosures (resume, testimonials) and offer to attend an interview.
Two conventions matter. Say “enclosed” for the resume and testimonials — that word signals that you understand how applications work. And do not beg. “I need this job badly as my family is poor” is honest, but a formal application sells competence, not sympathy.
Because the word limit is tight, you cannot list a whole life. Choose the two or three credentials that best match the advertised post and let them speak.
You are Ritika Chandel of 78 Mahatma Marg, Shimla. You have seen an advertisement for the post of Computer Teacher. Write an application to the Principal, Hillview International School, Shimla, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Shimla 171001
6 May 2026
The Principal
Hillview International School
Shimla
Subject: Application for the post of Computer Teacher
Madam
With reference to your advertisement in The National Herald dated the second of this month, I wish to apply for the post of Computer Teacher in your school.
I have completed a postgraduate degree in Computer Applications with distinction and a Bachelor of Education from Himachal University. For the past three years I have taught computer science to senior classes at a reputed public school, where I also designed a coding club for beginners. I am confident of handling both theory and laboratory work.
My detailed resume and testimonials are enclosed for your kind consideration. I shall be happy to appear for an interview at any date convenient to you.
Yours faithfully
Ritika Chandel
Body word count: 110. Why this scores: the advertisement is referenced by paper and date in the very first line, so the reader knows instantly which vacancy this concerns. Paragraph two gives qualification, experience and one distinctive achievement in that order. Paragraph three names the enclosures and offers flexibility for an interview. Confident, never pleading.
How The Five Marks Are Split
Knowing where the marks come from changes how you write. Most students spend all their energy on paragraph two and neglect the parts that are handed out almost free. Let us fix that.
The five marks divide into three heads: format, content and expression, with expression itself split into accuracy and fluency. The exact wording on a marking scheme varies a little from year to year, but the proportions have been stable for a long time and they are what your teachers will use when they mark your pre-boards.
| Head | Marks | What the examiner is looking for | How to protect it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Format | 1 | Sender’s address, date, receiver’s block, subject, salutation, body, close and signature — all present, all in order | Write the empty skeleton first, before you think about content. Then fill it. |
| Content | 2 | Every cue in the question addressed, with specific detail, in a sensible order, and a clear request | Underline every cue in the question paper and tick it off as you use it. |
| Expression — accuracy | 1 | Correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, subject-verb agreement and tense | Keep sentences short. A sentence you can control is a sentence you can spell-check. |
| Expression — fluency | 1 | Formal register, appropriate vocabulary, ideas linked smoothly, no repetition | Use your six memorised formal phrases and link words such as therefore, moreover, however. |
Read that table once more and notice something important: three of the five marks have nothing to do with the topic. Format, accuracy and fluency are awarded for how you write, not what you write about. Those three marks are available to you on any question, on any topic, on any day. Secure them first and the content marks become a bonus rather than a burden.
Managing The 100 To 120 Word Limit
The first thing to settle: the word limit applies to the body of the letter. Your address, the date, the receiver’s block, the subject line, the salutation and the signature are not counted. They are the frame, not the picture.
The second thing to settle: a small overshoot will not destroy you. Nobody sits with a counter and deducts a mark at word one hundred and twenty-one. But a letter of two hundred and fifty words tells the examiner you cannot select, and selection is part of the skill being tested. Treat 120 as a firm ceiling and aim to land between 105 and 115.
How to know how many words you have written without counting them all. Here is the trick that works in an examination hall. Count the words on one full line of your own handwriting. For most students it is eight to ten. Suppose it is nine. Then 110 words is about twelve lines. Count your lines, not your words. It takes three seconds instead of two minutes.
Do this once at home with a ruled sheet, learn your own number, and you will never again waste examination time counting.
If you are running over:
- Cut adjectives before you cut facts. “The extremely dangerous and highly unsafe road” becomes “the unsafe road”.
- Delete anything the reader already knows. You do not need to explain what a washing machine is.
- Merge two short sentences with “and” or a semicolon.
- Cut “I would like to say that” and its cousins. They are five words of throat-clearing.
If you are running short:
- Add one more consequence in paragraph two. Who else suffers?
- Add a time reference. How long has it been going on?
- Add one specific number. How many people, how many days, how many items?
- Add a closing sentence about the good that action would bring.
Notice that every way of expanding adds content, which earns marks, while every way of padding — repeating yourself, adding adjectives, restating the subject line — adds nothing at all.
A Six-Step Method For Any Unseen Situation
This is the routine I want you to run in the examination hall. It works on any situation, familiar or strange, and it takes about twelve minutes end to end.
- Read both options. Choose in thirty seconds. Pick the one where you can immediately think of three details. Not the one that sounds more impressive.
- Underline the cues in the question. Who am I? Who am I writing to? What is the problem or purpose? Each underlined phrase is a content mark waiting to be collected.
- Write the empty skeleton. Address, date, receiver, subject, salutation. Physically write them down before you think about the body. Format mark secured, and it took ninety seconds.
- Scribble three points in the margin under the headings PURPOSE, DETAILS, REQUEST. Two or three words each. This is your plan.
- Write the three paragraphs. Use your memorised opening phrase for each. Keep sentences short. Do not stop to admire or edit — just write.
- Close and check. Yours faithfully, name, then run the sixty-second checklist in the next section.
Practise this sequence until it feels like a routine rather than a decision. The whole point of a method is that it removes choices, and removing choices is what protects you when you are nervous.
The Last Sixty Seconds Proofreading Checklist
When the letter is written, do not turn the page immediately. Give it one minute. This is the cheapest mark you will ever earn, and the following list is short enough to memorise.
- Seven parts? Run your finger down the left margin and count them. Address, date, receiver, subject, salutation, body, close.
- Salutation and close agree? Sir or Madam with Yours faithfully. Check the capital letters: capital Y, small f. No apostrophe in “Yours”.
- Name signed at the bottom? The name from the question, spelled as the question spelled it.
- Three paragraphs visible? Not one block, not five fragments.
- Did I ask for something? Find the sentence beginning “I request” or “Kindly”. If it is not there, add it.
- Contractions? Scan for apostrophes. Any don’t, can’t, I’m gets expanded.
- Tense and agreement? Check the verbs in paragraph two, where students most often slip between past and present.
- Length? Count the lines, not the words. Twelve to thirteen lines of ordinary handwriting is about right.
Eight checks, sixty seconds. Do this on every single practice letter from today and it will become invisible — something your hand does without your brain being asked.
Common Mistakes Students Make
Every year the same handful of errors cost the same marks. Read this list slowly and be honest about which ones are yours. Naming a weakness is most of the work of fixing it.
- Writing an informal letter by accident. “Dear Editor, how are you? I hope you are fine.” The friendly opening belongs to a letter to a cousin. A formal letter never asks after the reader’s health.
- Leaving out the subject line. It is one of the seven parts and it takes eight words. Students forget it more often than any other element.
- Mismatching salutation and close. “Sir… Yours sincerely” or “Dear Mr Sharma… Yours faithfully”. Learn the pair as a couplet and the problem disappears.
- Writing “Your’s faithfully”. There is no apostrophe. None. Ever.
- Putting your own name at the top with your address. The address goes at the top; the name goes at the bottom.
- Using a numeric date. 5/6/26 could be five June or six May. Write the month in words.
- Being vague. “There are many problems in our colony and the authorities do nothing.” Which problems? For how long? Affecting whom? Vagueness is the single biggest killer of content marks.
- Forgetting the request. Describing a problem beautifully and then simply stopping. Every formal letter must end by asking for something.
- Getting angry. Sarcasm, threats and capital letters read as immaturity. Firm and courteous scores; furious does not.
- Ignoring the given details. The question names you Rohit Verma of Kanpur and the student signs as themselves, from their own town. Use what you are given.
- Writing far too much. Two hundred and fifty words for a five-mark question is a time-management error that damages the rest of your paper.
- Indenting some parts and not others. In block style, everything starts at the left margin. Half-indented letters look untidy and invite a closer look at your format.
- Using bullet points or a table inside the body. The question asks for a letter in continuous prose. Save your lists for the notes-making question.
- Contractions and text language. Don’t, pls, &, info, thanx. Each one nibbles at your expression mark.
Fourteen mistakes. If you can honestly say you no longer make any of them, you are writing a five-mark letter. Take one at a time; do not try to fix all fourteen this evening.
Practice Worksheet
Ten questions. Cover the answers, attempt each one on paper with a timer set to twelve minutes, and only then open the reveal. Comparing your letter with a model is where the real learning happens — not in reading the model first.
Q1. You are Kabir Malhotra of 19 Bank Colony, Patna. Single-use plastic bags are being handed out freely in your city despite a ban. Write a letter to the Editor of The Bihar Chronicle, Patna, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Patna 800001
14 August 2026
The Editor
The Bihar Chronicle
Patna
Subject: Open misuse of single use plastic in our city
Sir
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper I wish to draw public attention to the alarming misuse of single use plastic in our city.
Vegetable sellers, sweet shops and even small tea stalls hand out thin plastic bags without a second thought. These bags choke our drains during the monsoon, are swallowed by stray cattle, and lie scattered across the riverbank near the old bridge. The ban announced last year exists only on paper, as nobody inspects the market.
I request the municipal authorities to enforce the ban strictly, penalise repeated offenders and encourage cloth bags through awareness drives in schools and colonies. Citizens must also accept their share of responsibility.
Yours faithfully
Kabir Malhotra
Body word count: 111. Note how paragraph two names three kinds of shop and three separate consequences, and paragraph three asks for three measures. Threes are easy to remember under pressure and they fill the word limit neatly.
Q2. You are Aditi Bose of 41 Lake Road, Kolkata. The smartphone you bought last month is defective and the service centre has not helped. Write a letter of complaint to the Manager, Metro Mobiles, Kolkata, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Kolkata 700029
10 February 2026
The Manager
Metro Mobiles
Kolkata
Subject: Complaint regarding defective smartphone, invoice no. 3096
Sir
I purchased a smartphone, model Zen five, from your showroom on the ninth of last month against invoice number 3096, along with a one year warranty.
The handset has been defective almost from the beginning. It switches off on its own several times a day, the battery drains within four hours of normal use, and the camera refuses to open at all. Your service centre kept the phone for eight days, returned it unrepaired, and advised me to contact the showroom instead.
I therefore request you to replace the handset with a fresh piece or refund the full amount within seven days. Kindly confirm your decision in writing at the earliest.
Yours faithfully
Aditi Bose
Body word count: 111. The invoice number, the warranty, three named faults and the failed service visit together make this letter impossible to brush aside. That is exactly what the content mark rewards.
Q3. You are Nikhil Reddy of 6 Jubilee Enclave, Hyderabad. You have seen a notice about a winter adventure camp. Write a letter of enquiry to the Director, Trailblazer Outdoor Institute, Hyderabad, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Hyderabad 500081
19 October 2026
The Director
Trailblazer Outdoor Institute
Hyderabad
Subject: Enquiry regarding the winter adventure camp
Sir
I have read about the adventure camp organised by your institute during the winter break and would like fuller details before applying.
Kindly inform me of the dates and duration of the camp, the exact location, and the age group for which it is intended. I would also like to know the activities included, the safety measures and trained instructors provided, the type of accommodation offered and whether medical assistance is available on the site at all times.
Please also mention the total fee, the last date of registration and any group concession for school students. An early reply with a brochure would be greatly appreciated.
Yours faithfully
Nikhil Reddy
Body word count: 106. Every question is phrased indirectly — “Kindly inform me of”, “I would also like to know”, “Please also mention” — so there is not a single question mark in the letter. That is the correct formal register for an enquiry.
Q4. You are Farhan Sheikh of 88 Old Market Road, Bhopal. Your road is full of potholes and has not been repaired for years. Write a letter to the Municipal Engineer, Bhopal Municipal Corporation, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Bhopal 462001
26 July 2026
The Municipal Engineer
Bhopal Municipal Corporation
Bhopal
Subject: Deplorable condition of Old Market Road
Sir
I wish to draw your urgent attention to the deplorable condition of Old Market Road, which serves nearly two thousand residents of our locality.
The road has not been repaired for over three years. Deep potholes have appeared along its entire length, and during the rains these fill with water, making it impossible to judge their depth. Two scooter riders were injured last week, and autorickshaw drivers now refuse to enter the lane after dark, stranding many commuters.
I request you to sanction immediate repair of the road and arrange proper drainage alongside it. A site inspection by your engineer would show how genuine and pressing this demand is.
Yours faithfully
Farhan Sheikh
Body word count: 109. Notice the number in paragraph one — two thousand residents. A single figure like that changes the letter from a personal grumble into a civic case, and it costs three words.
Q5. You are Riya Sharma of class X-A, Vidya Mandir School, Jodhpur. Your school badly needs new sports equipment. Write an application to your Principal, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Shastri Nagar
Jodhpur 342003
8 January 2026
The Principal
Vidya Mandir School
Jodhpur
Subject: Request for new sports equipment for the senior section
Madam
On behalf of the students of the senior section, I wish to bring to your kind notice the shortage of sports equipment in our school.
Most of our footballs have lost shape, the badminton nets are torn, and only two cricket bats are available for over three hundred students. During games periods, many pupils simply sit on the ground because there is nothing for them to play with. Our inter house tournament is also scheduled for next month.
We therefore request you to sanction a fresh set of equipment from the school sports fund. This would encourage regular participation and help our teams prepare properly for interschool competitions.
Yours faithfully
Riya Sharma
Class X-A
Body word count: 108. The image of pupils sitting on the ground because there is nothing to play with does more work than any adjective could. Concrete pictures earn content marks; general complaints do not.
Q6. You are Manav Trivedi, Secretary of the Science Club, St. Xavier’s School, Surat. Write a letter to the Manager, Precision Lab Supplies, Surat, placing an order for laboratory apparatus, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Athwalines
Surat 395007
17 March 2026
The Manager
Precision Lab Supplies
Surat
Subject: Order for laboratory apparatus for the coming session
Sir
The Science Club of our school wishes to place an order for laboratory apparatus required for the practical sessions of the coming session.
Kindly supply twenty glass beakers of five hundred millilitres, fifteen test tube stands, ten spirit lamps, five digital weighing balances and two compound microscopes of standard laboratory quality. All glassware should be securely packed, and the instruments must carry the manufacturer warranty. The consignment should reach us within a fortnight of receiving this letter.
Please send the bill in duplicate along with the goods. Payment will be made by cheque immediately on delivery, subject to the usual educational discount allowed to schools.
Yours faithfully
Manav Trivedi
Secretary, Science Club
Body word count: 105. Five items, five exact quantities, one size specification, a quality condition, a packing instruction, a deadline and the payment terms — all inside continuous prose, with no list and no table.
Q7. Craft question. Write a suitable subject line for each of these three situations. (3 marks)
(a) You are complaining to a bookshop that a set of textbooks ordered on 12 April against order number 208 has not been delivered.
(b) You are asking a driving school for details of its weekend course.
(c) You are writing to the Editor about the shortage of drinking water in your locality during summer.
Model answers
(a) Subject: Non-delivery of textbooks against order no. 208 dated 12 April 2026
(b) Subject: Enquiry regarding the weekend driving course
(c) Subject: Acute shortage of drinking water in Shanti Nagar
Why these work: each is a noun phrase, none is a sentence, none carries a full stop, and each is between six and eleven words. In (a) the order number and date make the letter instantly traceable. In (c) the locality is named, so the Editor and the reader know exactly where the problem is. A subject line that could be a heading in a file is a subject line that scores.
Q8. Craft question. The opening of the letter below contains six format errors. Identify them and rewrite the opening correctly. (3 marks)
The faulty opening:
42 Nehru Road, Kanpur
The Editor
The Daily Chronicle
15/5/26
Dear Editor,
Sub — I am writing to tell you that the street lights in my colony are not working.
The six errors
- The writer’s name appears at the top. Only the address belongs there; the name goes at the bottom.
- The date has been placed after the receiver’s block. It must come immediately after the sender’s address.
- The date is written numerically. 15/5/26 is ambiguous and informal; write 15 May 2026.
- The receiver’s block is incomplete — the city is missing after the name of the newspaper.
- “Dear Editor” is the wrong salutation for an unnamed official. It should be “Sir”, which then pairs with “Yours faithfully”.
- The subject is written as a full sentence and abbreviated as “Sub”. It should read “Subject:” followed by a short noun phrase.
The corrected opening
Model Colony
Kanpur 208002
15 May 2026
The Editor
The Daily Chronicle
Kanpur
Subject: Poor street lighting in Model Colony
Sir
Q9. Craft question. Rewrite each informal sentence in formal register, suitable for a letter. (5 marks)
(a) I wanna know how much the course costs and all.
(b) Your shop sent me total rubbish and nobody’s replying.
(c) Pls do something about this fast!!
(d) It’s been like 2 months and the road is still bad.
(e) Thanx, hope you got my point.
Model answers
(a) Kindly inform me of the total fee payable and any other charges involved.
(b) The articles supplied by your shop were defective, and no response has been received to my earlier communication.
(c) I request you to take immediate action in the matter.
(d) For the past two months the road has remained in an unrepaired condition.
(e) I shall be grateful for an early reply, and I trust the matter will receive your attention.
What changed: contractions were expanded, slang and text spellings removed, exclamation marks dropped, vague fillers such as “and all” and “like” replaced with precise wording, and the angry adjective “rubbish” replaced with the neutral technical word “defective”. Notice that the formal versions are not longer or harder — they are simply cleaner.
Q10. You are Pooja Agarwal of 3 Temple Street, Guwahati. Apply for the advertised post of School Librarian at Brahmaputra Valley School, Guwahati, in 100–120 words. (5 marks)
Guwahati 781001
9 May 2026
The Principal
Brahmaputra Valley School
Guwahati
Subject: Application for the post of School Librarian
Sir
With reference to your advertisement in The Assam Tribune dated the fifth of this month, I wish to apply for the post of School Librarian.
I hold a bachelor degree in Library and Information Science from Gauhati University and have worked for two years as an assistant librarian in a senior secondary school. During that period I catalogued more than eight thousand titles, introduced a simple digital issue register and organised a reading club that met every fortnight.
I am familiar with library software and enjoy working with young readers. My resume and testimonials are enclosed, and I shall be glad to attend an interview whenever convenient.
Yours faithfully
Pooja Agarwal
Body word count: 107. Paragraph two follows the correct order for an application — qualification, then experience, then one distinctive achievement. The three achievements chosen (cataloguing, a digital register, a reading club) all relate directly to running a school library, which is why they persuade. The letter never pleads.
One Question Better Than Yesterday
You will not master the formal letter tonight, and you do not need to. Kaizen — the habit of getting a very little bit better every single day — would say this instead: write one letter today. Just one. Time yourself for twelve minutes, run the sixty-second checklist, and note the single thing you got wrong. Tomorrow, write another and get that one thing right.
Twenty letters written that way over three weeks will do more for you than two hundred read in a single anxious evening. One more correct question than yesterday, every day, is how five marks stop being a worry and start being a certainty.