Format of a Formal Letter

                                                                                                                  

SAMPLE OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

Techniques for writing Precis WITH EXAMPLES

A précis is another word for a summary but unlike a summary it is specific. Writing précis gives training in careful reading as it develops one's capacity to discriminate between the essential and the non-essential details.  One needs to describe as accurately and briefly as possible the substance or main ideas contained in a text. 

In the ICSE examination, you are to lift points from some specific parts of the passage. Remember, your précis has to be of 60 words only. Be careful in deciding which are the relevant parts and which not. Sometimes the question even mentions which paragraphs you are supposed to refer to.

Prepare a draft with pencil in a grid of 60 cells (5 columns x 12 rows). Make necessary edits and corrections. Then make a final copy in ink. Remember not to exceed 60 words. Nor should it be fewer than 58 words.

GUIDELINES

1. To write an effective précis, read the passage several times for a full understanding.

2. Note key points. It may, in fact, be helpful to underline these words.

3. Do not use abbreviations or contractions. Do not quote examples or figures.

4. When writing about the past, use the past tense. 

5. Use indirect speech. Never quote dialogues.

6. Only commas and full-stops are allowed. No other punctuation mark has to be used. These marks will be put in the cell of the preceding word.

7. Ensure a smooth, logical flow of points. Do not write very long sentences.

8. Finally, check your précis against the original to be sure that it is exact and retains the order, proportions, and relationships of the original. 

EXAMPLE 1:

One of our most difficult problems is what we call discipline and it is really very complex. You see, society feels that it must control or discipline the citizen, shape his mind according to certain religious, social, moral and economic patterns. 

Point(s): Discipline is a great problem in society. Society uses discipline to shape our minds.

Now, is discipline necessary at all? Please listen carefully. Don’t immediately say YES or NO. Most of us feel, especially while we are young, that there should be no discipline, that we should be allowed to do whatever we like and we think that is freedom. But merely to say that we should be free and so on has very little meaning without understanding the whole problem of discipline. 

Point(s): Discipline is necessary for us. Some, however, think it is not needed.

The keen athlete is disciplining himself the whole time, isn't he? His joy in playing games and the very necessity to keep fit makes him go to bed early, refrain from smoking, eat the right food and generally observe the rules of good health. His discipline and punctuality is not an imposition but a natural outcome of his enjoyment of athletics. 

Point(s): Discipline makes good athletes. They enjoy a disciplined life.

Final Précis (This is just an example of what to write. In the exam, it has to be presented in a grid.)

Though discipline seems to be a problem, it is necessary for all. Discipline shapes our mind and regulates our habits. Some want to be free and think that it is not necessary. Discipline and punctuality give enjoyment to athletes. 

EXAMPLE 2:

Soapy was homeless and usually in the pleasant summer nights, he slept on a bench in a park. However, as the nights got colder with approaching winter, he decided to move to his regular hangout during winter.  There were several charitable places for the homeless in the New York City where Soapy could sleep during the frosty winter. But these establishments had numerous strict regulations and the authorities were highly inquisitive of the personal life of its inmates. So Soapy chose the prison at Blackwell’s on the island as his winter haunt.

Points(s): Soapy, a homeless man, wanted a shelter for winters but not one of those charitable homes where his personal life would be scrutinized. He chose the prison on Blackwell’s island as his home.

(Note how 3 to 4 pieces of information have been organized and presented in one statement. This practice saves words. However, avoid unnecessarily long sentences.)

It was easy to get entry into his winter resort because all Soapy had to do is break some trivial law and he was inside with no questions asked. His plan was to go to an expensive restaurant have some exorbitantly priced dishes. When he could not pay the bill, the officials would escort him straight to his trusted winter abode. Having smartened himself up with a clean shave and a wearing a coat hand out to him long back by a philanthropist, he stealthily entered a restaurant hoping that none of the waiters would notice his tattered trousers and shoes. He decided to order a mallard duck with a bottle of White Burgundy and other luxuries. Regrettably for Soapy, as soon as he got into a grand restaurant, the chief waiter noted his ratty trousers and drove him out of the restaurant.

Point(s): He planned to break some law and land up in jail. He smartened himself up and went to an expensive restaurant where, showing his inability to pay, he would be imprisoned. The chief waiter noted his ratty trousers and turned him out.

(Note: Appropriate adjectives and phrases can be lifted from the passage, but you should avoid lifting entire sentences.)

Combine the above points extracted from the passage to write your final precis.

INFORMAL LETTER- FORMAT AND RULES

(CLICK ON THIS FORMAT AND IT WILL OPEN AS A CLEAR PICTURE. RIGHT CLICK AND SAVE IT THEREAFTER.) 

Keep in mind the following things.

1. The letter must begin with the sender’s address: a three-line address in the above format. (House no., Area, City.) Punctuation must be taken care of.

2. The date should be written as either July 8, 2016 or 8^th July, 2016.

3. The salutation should always be ‘Dear ____(first name of the receiver)’. In case of parents, ‘Dear Father’ or ‘Dear Mother’ must be used.

4. Write 3 to 4 paragraphs. The first paragraph must include an informal greeting and reference to the purpose of the letter briefly.         

5. The second and third paragraphs must include the main content. One must strictly adhere to what has been asked in the question. There are marks reserved for closing sentence too.

6. The subscription could be one of these:

            Yours lovingly, Yours affectionately, Your loving son/daughter, Your loving friend, etc.

7. The letter must be signed with the first name of the sender only. No surname allowed.

Answers to Transformation Exercise posted on 12.09.2017

1. No sooner did she finish cooking than her son shouted he was hungry.
OR
No sooner had she finished cooking than her son shouted he was hungry.

2. She asked John whom he had met the previous day.

3. Rohit exclaimed that he had done very/extremely well.

4. Nothing but hard work can help you achieve the best.

5. The movie was too bad to be sat through till the end.
OR
The movie was too bad for me to sit through it till the end.

6. Two final witnesses were heard by the judge before writing the sentence.

7. In all probability, it will rain today.

8. It is said that he is wrongly accused.

9. This bicycle is not only strong, but also stylish.

10. Few other diseases are as deadly as cancer.

11. Before adding the concentrate, (you should) stir the mixture well.

12. Steps for preserving the monuments are being taken by the government.
OR
Steps for preservation of the monuments are being taken by the government.

Some practice in Transformation

Solve this worksheet yourself:

1. Hardly had she finished cooking when her son shouted he was hungry. (No sooner...)

2. She said to John, "Whom did you meet yesterday?" (She asked...)

3. Rohit said, "How well I have done!" (Rohit exclaimed...)

4. Only hard work can help you achieve the best. (Write as a negative sentence)

5. The movie was so bad that I couldn't sit through it till the end. (Use 'too...to')

6. The judge heard two final witnesses before writing the sentence. (Two final witnesses...)

7. It will probably rain today. (In...)

8. People say that he is wrongly accused. (It...)

9. This bicycle is both strong and stylish. (This bicycle is not...)

10. Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases. (Few...)

11. Add this concentrate after stirring the mixture well. (Before adding...)

12. The government is taking steps to preserve the monuments. (Steps for...)

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(Answers will be posted on the morning of 14.09.2017)

Essay and Letter Writing

Instructions for Essay Writing

1. Read the topic carefully. Cover each part of the question properly. Each part has a definite weightage. Do not leave any part unanswered.

2. Choose your topic carefully. All kinds of essays are given due weightage and marks. Never think that a particular choice will result in loss of marks. Story writing for example is as advisable as argumentative or visual-based. But be careful enough to write a story like a story. 4-5 characters, a twist, a lesson in the end, 1st person point of view, some dialogues are needed.

3. High-flown language isn’t needed. Well-phrased sentences and use of appropriate vocabulary is what is given credit. Essays based on personal experiences are always welcomed by examiners.

4. A descriptive essay requires details of sensory perception. Use plenty of adjectives to add weight to your description.

5. In argumentative essays, views for or against the motion are to be accepted. Credit is to be given for a cohesive, well-constructed, logical argument and ideas and reasoning based on personal experience.  Do not sit on the fence. Write either in favour or against.

6. When you are supposed to begin or end with a particular line or phrase, do not alter it at all. Nor should you change its position.

7. In picture compositions, a wide range of interpretations is accepted. Do not, however, write an itemized description. Take the whole picture as one setting or theme.

Instructions for Letter Writing

Be careful about formats. Answer each part of the letter giving equal importance to each.
Practise the format of letter. Underline the part of the question that you are supposed to address.

Formal Letter:
*From address (Home/school)
*Date
*To address [spelling counts]
*Salutation [Sir/ Madam/ Dear…]
*Subscription [Yours faithfully, / Yours truly, (for letters to editors)]
*Name + surname/initial

Informal letter:
*Address (Home/school)
*Date
*Salutation- Dear/My dear [-name]/(relation-Dad, Mom, Aunt…)
*Subscription- Yours lovingly, /Yours affectionately, /Your loving..., /affectionate...,
*First name only

Ensure that the format is correct and that the points of each letter are clearly brought out.

Précis Writing

Précis writing basically means to write a summary with a limited number of words as specified in the question. The number of words may vary from 40 —100. In the ICSE examination, you are required to write a précis of 60 words. The following points should be kept in mind while answering the compulsory précis questions.

• According to the number of words specified in the question, two sets of lines and columns (meaning two grids) should be drawn first.
• Each line and column has to be numbered accordingly.
• Only one word is to be written in each box as has been shown to you.
• After the grids are ready, the headings ‘Rough Précis’ and ‘Fair Précis’ should be written above each grid.
• While completing the Rough Précis, words may exceed the number specified in the question. E.g. If you are asked to write a précis in not more than 60 words, the rough précis may exceed the number to 65 or 68.
• Keeping the question in mind. Choose the points needed for your answer from the passage. Details not asked should be left out.
• Do not lift or copy exact sentences from the passage. The précis should be in your own words, just like the answer to all the comprehension questions and should be written in indirect speech.
• After completing the Rough Précis, you will have to read through it to check and see where you can fit in the important words by cutting out useless words in the Rough Précis. All corrections will be done by you only in the Rough Précis.
• After making all the necessary changes in the Rough Précis, copy the corrected précis into the fair grid already numbered by you.
• Most important- After writing the Rough Précis, draw a diagonal line across the Rough Précis to ensure that the examiner corrects and marks on the right précis.
• Do not erase the lines and columns drawn and numbered by you.

SUPERLATIVE DEGREE

There are two kinds of superlative degrees.

ABSOLUTE SUPERLATIVE
This superlative describes the best thing/person in a class.

He is the most disciplined boy of the school.
No other boy of the school is as disciplined as he is/him.
No other boy of the school is more disciplined than he is/him.

This book is the best among all books.
No other book is as good as this.
No other book is better than this.

NON-ABSOLUTE SUPERLATIVE
This superlative describes one of the best things in a class, but not the absolute best.

He is one of the most disciplined boys in the school. (This means he is one among the best boys but not the only one. Remember to use a plural noun like 'boys'.)

He is more disciplined than many other boys in the school.
Few (or Not many) boys in the school are as disciplined as him.
Few (or Not many) boys in the school are more disciplined than him.

Transformation of Sentences Part 4-- SOME MISCELLANEOUS TRANFORMATION STRUCTURES

1. CONSISTS OF VS. COMPRISES
With consists we use 'of' but not with 'comprise(s)'.

The team consists/consisted of eleven players.
The team comprises/comprised eleven players. (NO 'OF')

2. OWING TO
Owing to is used for mentioning reasons for something that has happened. It means 'on account of'.

We cancelled the match owing to the heavy rain.
His reading was hesitant owing to a stammer.

3. ALL/ EACH/ EVERY

All the projects have been assigned. (plural verb)
Each of the projects has been assigned. (singular verb)
OR
Each project has been assigned to a responsible manager.
Every project has been assigned. (Every lays emphasis on completion of the task)

4. NONE/ NEITHER

None is used for more than two people or things.

None of the mangoes is sweet. (None of the mangoes are sweet is also accepted.)

Neither is used when we talk of two persons or things.

Neither of the doctors is skillful.
Neither doctor is skillful.

5. IN ALL PROBABILITY

It can replace 'probably' in a sentence.

Jasdeep has probably forgotten the date of his mother's birthday.
In all probability Jasdeep has forgotten...

6. ...AS HE IS/ ...THOUGH HE IS/ ...THOUGH HE MAY BE forms

Poor as he is, he is honest. (Though he is poor, he is honest.)
Poor though he is, ...
Poor as he may be, ...
Poor though he may be, ...

If past time is intended 'might have been' can be used.

Poor though he might have been, he was honest.

THE STOLEN BACILLUS

ENTERPRISE BY NISSIM EZEKIEL

‘Enterprise’ is an allegory of human condition on earth and of the frequent efforts, failure and frustrations which man is subject to by the very nature of his earthly life. The poet describes a pilgrimage where each pilgrim faces difficulties and disillusionment along the way and realizes that one’s own insufficiency is the root cause of all unaccomplished goals.

A group of men undertakes a journey moved by noble aspirations, but it all ends in failures and frustrations as is usually the case with human attempts for some noble achievement. The pilgrimage becomes a weary trek by the time the goal is reached. The goal is alluring but the process of reaching it empties its glamour and glory.

A number of people, including the narrator, decide to go on a pilgrimage. They are city dwellers and the journey they undertake is to some romantic, primitive hinterland. They start with hope, courage and determination, with their minds full of noble ideas and ideals. They are out to make some heroic effort, which will lead to some noble achievements. Their minds are exalted and they are not afraid of any dangers and difficulties. Their confidence is too high to be dampened by the fear of failure. This stage of the journey symbolizes the stage of innocence that man enjoys in his boyhood and early youth, when he is entirely unconscious of the frustrations and failures which life brings at every stage.

But this innocence is lost and in the next stage of the journey the pilgrims face dangers and difficulties. They continue their journey of exploration. The objects and forces of nature are out to frustrate human endeavour like the oppressive heat of the sun. The group of travelers is able to put up very well with the dangers and difficulties for sometime and continue to journey in hope. They note down the goods being bought and sold by the peasants and observe the ways of serpents and goats which stands for evil and good men respectively. They pass through three cities where a sage had taught, but do not care to find out what he had taught. These are the material and earthly distractions which dissipate their channelized energy. The difficulties and dangers posed by man’s physical environment are not as damaging as those that result from his own insufficiency.

Soon there are differences of opinion among the travelers and they begin to quarrel over petty matters. They had to cross a piece of wasteland a ‘desert patch’, and they could not agree as to the best way of doing so. One of their friends -- rather proud of his stylish prose -- was so angry that he left their company. The shadow of discord fell on their enterprise, and it continued to grow. Bickering over petty matters, needless quarrels over trifles, hatred of and hostility to those who hold different opinions is ingrained in human nature, and thus man carries the seeds of his failure and frustration within his own self. So do these pilgrims who, despite their quarrel, continue their journey further.

But none the less, they are divided into groups, each group attacking the other. Engrossed in their quarrel, they lose their ways and forget noble aspirations which had motivated their enterprise. Their goal and their purpose were forgotten and their idealism is all gone. Some of them decide to leave the group. Frustration and difficulties overwhelm the human spirit and many do not have the courage to face the realities of life. They seek relief in escape and withdrawal. Many of us are such introverts. Some try to pray and seek Divine assistance and blessings, forgetting that God help those who help themselves. Their leader feels that he smelt the sea and he feels that their goal is near (a reference to Moses who led Israelites back to their country and when he reached the Red Sea, he parted it with his staff and made way for everyone to pass by God’s intervention). He shares this realization with other pilgrims in a last attempt to inject hope into the group that has lost all its cohesion and is on the verge of becoming a ‘straggling crowd of little hope’.

Still they persist, though their journey has lost all its significance. They are dirty and shabby for they have been deprived of such common needs as soap, are broken in spirit and bent down physically. Such is the ultimate end of all human enterprise; this is the essential truth of human life. Absorbed in their pretty quarrels and tried and exhausted, frustrated and at bay, the travelers do not even hear the thunder and even if they do so, they ignore their significance. The thunder is symbolic of spiritual regeneration and fertility but they do not care for it. The extreme hopelessness of man at the end of life’s journey is thus stressed.
         

The pilgrims even come to doubt the very worth and significance of the journey when despite all odds they reach their destination. It seems to them to have been meaningless and futile. All their noble aspirations are forgotten, there is sorrow and suffering on every face, and they are conscious of the fact that their actions have neither been great nor even. Efforts to escape from the realities of human existence and achieve glory by doing rare acts are futile. We must accept the limitations of our lot and do our best within those limitations. Heroism means the acceptance of our lot in life and the doing of our best in the service of God and humanity. Therefore the poem concludes on a note of exultation and optimism when the pilgrims realize that it is not by undertaking long hazardous journeys but by doing the right deeds that everyone can receive God’s grace.

A SAMPLE OFFBEAT REPORT

As a part of your charitable initiatives, you want to establish an old age home. Write a note for the sponsors based on the following guidelines.

Reason for establishment – place – no. of old people that can be housed – facilities to be provided – grant required – people associated – working committee – finance needed on a continual basis – conclusion.

(As report writing is an exercise in amplification, the candidates are required to only expand the given guidelines well, with some useful facts, figures and information. THIS INFORMATION COULD BE PROVIDED BY IMAGINATION.)

As a part of our charitable initiatives, the Poorna Welfare Society, Gomti Nagar, is making efforts to establish an old age home ‘Karuna’ for the aged destitute, that will provide them with complete care and try to bring their lives out of loneliness. ‘Karuna’ will be constructed on a piece of land donated to the society last year. The land area is 3500 square feet and it is located in Viraj Khand, Gomti Nagar in front of Amity School.

The home will be a building of three floors that will accommodate about 250 people easily. With the aim of providing comfort and peace found in home, ‘Karuna’  will have special medical facilities for senior citizens such as mobile health care systems, ambulances, nurses and provision of well-balanced meals apart from basic food and shelter. Yoga instructors will be recruited to train residents in yoga exercises. Modern communication devices with internet facility will be launched within some days of its opening. There will be a day care centre to take care of the elderly during the day time only.

A grant of 2 crores 60 lakhs is required by the society for the establishment of ‘Karuna’, of which 60% has been promised by the state government. The remaining 40% is sought from private firms and companies or individuals.

Mr Amey Das, the President of the society, is the person behind the establishment of ‘Karuna’. Under the supervision of the treasurer, Mr Jagmohan Mohanty and Executive Officer Mr. Ashrit Nigam, a working committee of 12 members has been set up, with each member having different responsibilities and areas to look after.

After its establishment, the institute will need approximately 1 lakh 80 thousand rupees on a monthly basis for its expenses and services it will offer. Furthermore, another 2 lakhs will be required for the payment of salaries to the staff that will work for ‘Karuna’.

Generous contributions are sought from individuals and firms for the establishment and upkeep of this institute that is coming up for a thoroughly noble and charitable cause.

(341 words)