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Formal and Informal Letter 1
Formal and Informal Letter 1
Formal letter
Format
Sender’s address
Home or School: full address in 2-3 lines
Salutation
[Sir/Madam/ Dear Sir/ Dear Madam,]
Subscription
Yours truly, (for letters to editors)
/ (for all other letters) Yours faithfully,
Name+ Surname
An informal letter is written for personal purposes to a family member or a person known
to you outside of a professional setting. The language in an informal letter can be more
personal and the tone more intimate. Do remember, however, that an informal letter you
write as an assignment or in the examination is written for an academic purpose;
therefore, the language should not be too casual or colloquial, nor should the content be
inappropriate. An informal letter can be written for various purposes such as a birthday
invitation, asking about health of a loved one, sharing a piece of news or advice etc.
Format
Sender’s address
Home or School: full address in 2-3 lines
Salutation
Dear/ My dear ------- (Name or relation)
Subscription
Yours lovingly/affectionately or Your loving --------,
First name (in legible handwriting)
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Month in the date should be written in full, no short forms. (No marks are given if year is not written.)
Incorrect spelling anywhere in the format is penalized. (No marks are given if spelling is incorrect.)
Pay due attention to punctuation.
Divide the body of the letter into 3 paragraphs. (-2 in case of no paragraph division.)
Salutation and subscription as specified by the board should be strictly followed. No deviation is
accepted.
Do not use colloquial forms of address in the salutation in an informal letter (For example: Use Dear
Mother/ Father instead of Dear Mom/Dad).
A squiggle or signature in place of full name is not accepted in a letter.
The following link will guide you to the samples uploaded by the council for letter writing:
https://cisce.org/publicationdetail.aspx?id=47
Letter Writing is Question 2 in the ICSE English Language paper and carries 10
marks.
In the examination, there are two parts to the question of which you are asked to attempt any
one. There is a choice between formal and informal letter.
By following the format closely and paying due attention to accuracy in your expression, you can
easily score high in this question.
Marking Scheme:
A 4-4.5
B 3-3.5
C 2-2.5
D 1-1.5
E .5
Attempt the following questions in your register now. Follow the format shared with
you. To guide you in framing the content of the letter, the keywords- the information
that you must include in the body of your letter (and which carries marks for Content)-
have been highlighted.
1. Write a letter to the Principal of your school expressing your desire to start a new
club in the school. Explain your role in the club and also how it is going to be
beneficial for the students.
2. You recently came across an online course at a foreign university and found it to
be of use for your future college applications. You know that your friend would also
be interested in the same program. Write a letter to your friend explaining to
him/her the various features of the course and how you both could benefit
from it.