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FORMAT OF DIRECTED WRITING TASKS

FORMAL LETTER INFORMAL LETTER REPORT WRITING
Sender’s Address Sender’s Address To: [Name of Recipient]
[Position/Title]
Date Date From: [Name of Writer]
[Position/Title/Class]
Recipient’s Designation Dear _________ Date: 25 March 2014
Recipient’s Address Subject: [Title] (e.g. A Report On _________ Incident)
Introductory/Greeting Lines
Dear _________ Body (Three content points Underline the title (or it can be written at the
should be elaborated in beginning as well)
Subject Line separate/distinct paragraphs)
Introductory/Summarising Lines (what is it about)
Introductory/Greeting Lines Conclusion
Body (Three content points Body (Three content points)
should be elaborated in Yours truly Make three Paragraphs
separate/distinct paragraphs) Signature
Full Name Conclusion: Provide a clear conclusion and finish off
Conclusion strongly

Yours truly SAMPLE:

[Signature]
Signature [Name]
Full Name A 22, Street B
Green Town (write class and section if it is for the ‘Principal’)
Karachi
SAMPLE:
25 March 2014
A 22, Street B ACCOUNT AS A MEMOIR
Green Town Dear Ajmal
Karachi Heading (optional)
Introduction
25 March 2014 I hope you are having a
rollicking time in Sydney… Body (Three content points)
The Manager Make three Paragraphs
Flight Operations Convey my greetings to
Red Airlines everyone at home and please Conclusion
Karachi remain in contact this time.
Name (optional)
Dear Sir Yours truly Date (optional)

Grievance against Ahmed Ali ACCOUNT AS A REPORT

carelessness of the staff (should be treated as a report except for the fact that the
word ‘account’ be used instead of ‘report’, in order to be
With due regards, I would in line with the question)
like to…

I anticipate your kind

consideration and look
forward to getting a positive
response from you as soon as
possible.
Regards.
Yours sincerely
Ahmed Ali
Note: If the question contains a
‘starting’, it has to be followed strictly.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE
Central Headline
byline (Name of writer/city)
Lead/Introductory/Summarising
Para(contains main information)
Body (Three content points
distinctively elaborated)
Conclusion
Name can come here as well.
SPEECH WRITING
Addressing Line (use the words like,
honourable, dignified, worthy, meritorious,
respected et cetera)
Topic/Introductory Lines
Main Body (cover 3 points distinctively)
(use phrases like ‘Ladies and gentlemen’,
Respected/Dear audience/listeners every now and
then) Be persuasive/convincing.
Conclusion (you may end with ‘Thank You’)
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Directed Writing Questions From The Past Papers:

{starting of some of them is also mentioned along with a few guidelines}

“LETTERS”
1. October/November 2012
Your friend recently asked you to deliver an item of value to a relative. Unfortunately this item was lost during the journey.
You need to explain this in a letter to your friend.
Write your letter. You must include the following:
• when and how the item was lost
• your attempt to find it
• an offer to replace or pay for the item.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make your letter polite and apologetic. Start your letter ‘Dear (name)’, and
remember to provide a suitable ending.

Dear Salman Starting was given in the Q.

I hope you have all the fun and frolic in your life at London. Everything is “Item”, “relative”, “journey”, all
alright here and I am enjoying my vacation in the cool atmosphere of
Islamabad. The reason that I have chosen to write to you is an unfavourable these entities needed clarification
one. Do you remember your brand new Lenovo laptop that you gave me at the and a realistic touch. Apart from
Karachi airport, to hand over to your cousin Sajid at Islamabad? Well, you have this, check the frank tone of the
all the right to be angry with me, because I have lost that valuable gift while
travelling from Karachi to Islamabad. ‘informal letter’.
--95 words

2. October/November 2012
You return to your house one day to find it has been broken into and many of your possessions have been stolen. You decide
to write a letter to the police to report the robbery.
Write your letter. You must include the following:
• at what time and for how long you were away from the house when the robbery took place
• detailed information about the most valuable items taken
• any clues you have noticed and how you think the police might be able to catch the thieves.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make your letter informative and helpful for the police. Start your letter
‘Dear Sirs…’ and remember to provide a suitable ending.

3. June 2011: Zone 1

Your aunt has written to you asking how you are getting on at school. You reply, telling her about a recent incident which
upset you very much.
Write your letter. You must include the following:
• what happened
• why you were so upset
• how the situation was resolved.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make sure your Aunt will understand your feelings and sympathise with
you. Start your letter ‘Dear Aunt …’ and remember to provide a suitable ending.

4. Specimen Paper 2: 2011

Your Principal wants to make an award to a student who has done something special for the school. The award can be made
to any student and for any good reason. You are asked to write a letter recommending a particular student to be given the
prize. Write your letter. You must include the following:
• who the student is (such as name and other relevant details) so that the Principal knows exactly whom you are
describing
• what the student has done to deserve the award
• what would be an appropriate prize for that particular student and why it would be so suitable.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make your letter persuasive and helpful for the Principal. Start your letter
‘Dear Principal,’ and remember to provide a suitable ending.
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5. May/June 2010
You recently attended a wedding. Unfortunately, your aunt missed the occasion and she wants you to write her a letter to tell
her about everything that happened. Write your letter. You must include the following:
• the names of both of the people getting married and a description of where the wedding took place
• an account of the ceremony
• what you thought was the most interesting moment and what else you think your aunt would have liked.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make your letter friendly and
informative. Start your letter ‘Dear Aunt,’.

6. October/November 2009
Your school is holding a special event to mark an important anniversary for the school. Your class is helping to organise the
event. The Principal asks you, as a senior student, to write a letter to be sent to all local businesses asking for sponsorship or
help. Write your letter. You must include details of the following:
• what anniversary it is and what sort of event is planned
• the date and time the event is to take place and a request for sponsorship or help
• why the school needs the help of local businesses in this event.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make sure your letter is polite and
persuasive. You should begin ‘Dear Sir or Madam,’ and end your letter appropriately.

7. May/June 2008
Your Principal wants to make an award to a student who has done something special for the school.
You are asked to write a letter recommending a particular student to be given the prize.
Write your letter. You must include the following:
• the name of the student you want to recommend and the class the student is in
• what the student has done that is so special
• what the prize is to be and why this would be a suitable reward for the student.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make your letter persuasive and
helpful for the Principal. Start your letter ‘Dear Principal,’ and remember to provide a suitable ending.

8. October/November 2008
An exciting activity park for young people is about to be built in your area. Many older people have objected to this plan. You
and your friends are very unhappy about their objection and you decide to write to the local newspaper.
Write your letter. You must include details of the following:
• the location of the park and what will be provided in the park
• why the neighbours have objected
• what benefits you think the park will bring to young people
End your letter with a request for other people to write to the newspaper to support you.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make sure your letter is
persuasive. You should begin ‘Dear Editor,’ and end your letter appropriately.

9. October/November 2007
You recently saw a photograph of an important school occasion. In the photograph you saw something which surprised or
worried you. You decide to write a letter to your friend about this.
Write your letter. You must include the following:
• which occasion it was and where the photograph was taken
• what you saw in the photograph which surprised or worried you
• why you are so concerned about this and what you think should be done about it.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make sure your letter expresses your
feelings clearly. You should begin ‘Dear …’ and end your letter appropriately.

10. May/June 2006

As part of your extra-curricular activities, your Principal wants your class to hold a party for young school children. He asks
you to explain in a letter how you would organise the event.
Write your letter. In it you must include the following:
• When and where the party will be held and how you will decorate the place.
• Details of the refreshment and entertainment.
• How you would like your teachers to be involved.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make your letter polite but persuasive.

11. May/June 2005

While working on a school project you discover an old piece of paper hidden in a book. The paper has some very surprising
information about your school. You decide to write a letter to your Principal about the matter.
Write your letter to your Principal. You must include the following:
• how you found the piece of paper and who had written it and when it was dated
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• what it said about the school
• your reaction to the news and what you think should be done about it.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should also add further details if you wish. Your letter should be written in clear,
correct English and show how anxious you are to help your school. Start ‘Dear Principal,’.

12. October/November 2005

You have been chosen to represent your school in a general knowledge competition. You must choose one friend to be in
your team. Write a letter to your friend inviting him or her to be in your team. You must include the following points:
• when and where the competition will take place
• a request to your friend to join you in the team and why you think your friend is the best choice for your
team
• what preparation you should both do and the details of the prizes in the competition.
You must cover all five points in detail. You may also add further details if you wish. Make your letter friendly and
enthusiastic. Start with ‘Dear …’.

13. October/November 2003

You have been asked to raise money for a charity by organizing either a sports event or a concert. Write a letter to invite an
important guest to take part. You must include the following information in your letter:

needed
You may add further details if you wish. Your letter should be written in clear, correct English. It should try to persuade your
guest that this is a worthwhile cause.

“REPORTS”
1. May/June 2011: Zone 2
Your Principal wants to make sure that your school is doing all it can to encourage a healthy lifestyle for the students. The
Principal has asked you to write a report suggesting the changes you think are needed in your school to make this possible.
Write your report. You must include the following:
• what is wrong at the moment, so that the Principal knows exactly what has to be changed
• what improvements you would like to see, both in the curriculum and the school facilities
• how you think students and the school would benefit from these changes.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make your report informative and persuasive for the Principal. Start your
report ‘To the Principal,’ and remember to add your signature and a date.

To the Principal Starting was given in the Q.

By: Saad Khan
Date: 7 May 2014 The report must have a formal,
Subject: A report on the factors contributing towards a healthy lifestyle polite tone, with a summarizing
sentence in the beginning which
Most respectfully, I would like to put forth some of the suggestions for the should highlight what the report is
healthy lifestyle as instructed earlier by you. Being the head boy I have had a
lot of deliberation with my teachers and many senior students as well; finally, all about (not in the narrative
we think following aspects need a lot of attention: style).

The first and foremost factor that needs to be taken care of is the physical health The 1st or the 1st two paragraphs
of the pupils. Unfortunately, our school canteen and the filter water plant are not
helping maintain this phenomenon, since… should cover the first point only.
--107 words The rest of the two points should
be covered in the separate
paragraphs.

2. October/November 2010
There have been several accidents in your school recently. The Principal asks you to write a report on these accidents. In your
report include your suggestions on how to improve safety at school.
Write your report. You must include the following:
• the names of two pupils who have been involved in accidents in the school
• brief details of these accidents and other dangers at school that pupils have mentioned
• the improvements needed a suggestion as to how all pupils can be made more aware of keeping safe at
school.
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You must cover all five points in detail. You should add further details if you wish and make your report accurate and helpful.
Start your report ‘ To the Principal...’ and remember to add your signature and the date.

3. May/June 2004
There have been some unusual noises every night of the last five nights near where you live. They happened at the same time
and in the same way each night. Your family and neighbours are very upset. Last night you saw what happened and you now
decide to report to the police.
Write your report. You must include the following information:
• at what time and where this occurred
• what exactly happened and who was involved
• why your family and the neighbours are so upset and what you want the police to do.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should also add further details if you wish and make your report clear and
helpful.

“ARTICLES”
May/June 2013 1123/12
Recently, a foreign student spent one month as a member of your class in order to learn about your country. You decide to
write an article for your school magazine about the visit. Write your magazine article. You must include the following:
• the student’s name and other details about the student
• what the student did during the visit both in and out of school
• why you feel the visit was of benefit to the student and to your school.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make sure your article is lively and informative. Start your article with a
suitable headline.

A memorable visit Starting was given in the Q.

By Ashraf Ahmed
Class XI-B Articles have to be written with a
Life at school was becoming dull and drab and monotony was creeping in, tone of liveliness. A little frank
during the month of January, when one fine morning, Mrs Qadeer, our expression will do.
headmistress introduced Asad Bomani to us. He was an Egyptian and…
--44 words

May/June 2013 1123/11

Your class is organising a project to help some people in your community. You decide to write an article for your school
magazine to encourage other students to join in this project. Write your magazine article. You must include the following:
• details of the people you are helping and why you are helping them
• details of the project you are organising
• what other students can do to help.
Cover all three points above in detail. You should make sure your article is informative and persuasive. Start your article with a
suitable headline.

October/November 2004
Your school is holding a writing competition. You are asked to write an article about a person you would like to change
places with for a day. It could be a famous person or someone you know.
Write your article which will appear in your school magazine.
You must include the following:
• a suitable headline for your article and which person you would like to change places with
• what you admire about that person
• what you would do on that day and what you think you would learn from changing places with the
person.
You must cover all five points in detail. You should also add further details if you wish and make your article lively and
interesting for your fellow students.

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