Paper 1 – Directed Writing:
Format:
First of all, let’s discuss the format.
1. Address the (concerned) person
This is going to be the first thing that you will do – Address the concerned person
properly. For example: “Dear Sir” or “Dear Madam”.
Note: If you are asked to start in a specific way, then you will follow the guidelines. For
example, if you are asked to start your letter with “Dear officer”, then you should start in
that way.
This takes us straight o the next point, writing the subject.
2. Write the subject:
After greeting, you are going to write the subject. But, what does this mean? Let me
explain.
In simple words, a subject is a brief one-line summary (10-20 characters) that defines
the purpose of the letter. Here are a couple of examples for you.
Example 1: “Letter to the editor about mistakes in the magazine”.
Example 2: “Letter to the transport supervisor complaining about the bus conductor”.
After writing the subject, you are going to write the introduction.
3. Introduction:
This is going to be the first paragraph of your letter.
Here, you are going to introduce the purpose (reason for writing). In other words, you
are going to tell what the letter is about.
You may also give some background information (if necessary).
4. Body Paragraphs:
After the introduction, you are going to make three body paragraphs. But why?
Take a look at a question. You will notice that the examiner gives you three content
points. You are going to make one paragraph for each point.
In these paragraphs, you are simply going to provide (relevant) details about the topic.
5. Conclusion:
This is going to be the last paragraph of your formal letter. In this paragraph, you are
simply going to summarise your points.
Note that you should not introduce new points (ideas) in the conclusion.
After the concluding paragraph, you are simply going to end with:
Yours sincerely,
Note: You may also use: Yours faithfully, Yours truly and Best Regards
Name
Signature
Date