COMPOSITIONS

RULES FOR WRITING COMPOSITIONS

1. Stick to the word limit of 300 to 350 words. If the Composition is too long

or too short, you could be penalized in terms of marks.

2. Embellish your Composition with appropriate vocabulary suited to the

theme.

3. Use Simple Past tense as far as possible.

4. Write a quotation or idiom to reinforce what you wish to highlight.

5. Avoid using superfluous words to impress the examiner.

6. No slangs or colloquialisms must be employed – (for example words in

your local dialect or native language) must never be used.

7. Short forms, contractions and abbreviations must be avoided.

8. Avoid grammatical or spelling mistakes as far as possible.

9. Don’t begin with Conjunctions like ‘and’ or ‘because’. Use transitional

words like Consequently, Subsequently instead.

10. Don’t write numbers in digits, instead write them in words.

11. Do not digress, deviate from the topic or write irrelevant things.

12. Nothing derogatory must be written as you will be penalized by deduction

in marks.
 SAMPLE COMPOSITIONS

TYPES:

A) DESCRIPTIVE COMPOSITIONS

Description of Places

1) Description of the Winter Season

The weather was gloomy at this time of the year. The trees looked withered and
leafless due to the heavy snowfall that had lashed against the window panes.
Carcasses of leaves adorned the pathway in front of my house. The birds had
become a frozen garland, cocooned in their nests. The days had an ominous
stillness as the crisp air blew in strong gusts. The ghostly nights overhung like
nightmares.

2) A Cold Winter Day

It was a crisp winter morning with extremely chilly winds piercing through my
skin. My hands and feet were benumbed with cold. My nose and ears were frigid
as ice and I could see smoky vapour emanating from my mouth every time I tried
to speak. I was chilled to the marrow. My legs became stiff as wood due to the
severe cold. Not a bird chirped outside my window. All the birds lay huddled
together in their nests.

The air was thick with fog and my misty windowpane gave me no hint of
sunshine. The temperature almost touched freezing point. Nothing was visible.
The grass was covered with frost. Frost had killed all the flowers and vegetation.
The trees stood naked, their leaves withered and dead in the hostile winter.
I hastened home, took a cup of simmering hot coffee. I covered myself with a
quilt but I was still shivering. My hands almost paralyzed so I sat near the fire. I
warmed my hands for about half an hour. It was then that I was able to restore
movement to my hands.

Office-goers had a very hard time. They could not drive due to poor visibility.
Fog had enveloped their cars and they couldn’t see two metres ahead. An icy cold
wind blew into their faces. Consequently, they had put on woollen suits, pull-
overs, over-coats, socks and gloves, yet they felt cold and uncomfortable.

The poor were the most adversely affected. They had no woollen clothes and had
no choice but to work in the chilling cold. They shivered and their teeth chattered.
Their miserable condition excited pity. Even the children who are full of the wine
of life did not stir out. They covered themselves with quilts to keep themselves
snug.

All of a sudden, the sky was overcast with clouds. Clouds began to thunder and
lightning began to flash. It began to rain incessantly and the ground was soon
white with hail-stones. The weather became intensely cold. All out-door activities
were suspended. I sat by the fireplace and waited for the rain to cease. As soon as
the rain stopped, I made for the school on my cycle. The biting cold wind made
it difficult for me to keep good grip on the handle bar and maintain balance. To
my surprise, a ray of sunshine suddenly kissed my hand and I felt so relieved,
introspectively affirming to myself that every dark cloud does has a silver lining.

2) Description of a Morning Walk

Morning air is fresh, pure and beneficial for the lungs. The crimson rays of the rising
sun are a necessary for healthy skin. Doctors also recommend a morning walk for
maintaining sound health. At a distance of about one kilometer from my house there
is a big park. I accompany my friends and we walk or jog in the park. We even take
nature walks through the city in the early hours of the morning. This is the best time
of the day as one gets to see a pristine view of the surroundings.

The green belt around the Sukhna lake is a paradise for walkers and it takes about
twenty minutes from my place. I have to meander through a lot of markets to reach
it. At 6.30 a.m., there is a serenity prevailing in the entire area. Two or more street
dogs can be seen near the garbage heaps looking for crumbs thrown by the people
the night before. One or two auto rickshaws can be seen flying on the road. It seems
people travelling by rail or bus have moved out early from their houses to catch their
transport well in time.

On one particular occasion, near a crossing, I was lucky to escape colliding with a
car moving at break neck speed. I was moving at the side of the road but since it was
foggy and the car was at high speed, the driver missed seeing the cow crossing the
road to save collision; he swerved the car to his left and missed hitting me by a few
inches. I yelled at him and at the same time thanked God that I was safe. The park
was just around hundred metres and I could hear the twittering of the birds, parrots
and pigeons were flying from one branch of a tree to another. The butterflies flitted
from one flower to another. Amidst the blanket of paper white fog, the colourful
flowers in the park gave a solace to the heart and were a feast to the eyes. The sweet
fragrance emitted by the flowers filled my mind with a freshness which cannot be
compared to anything in the world. The park was filled with people of various age
groups. The cold winter had not prevented these health conscious individuals from
staying in their warm beds and putting off going for the morning walk. The pure fresh
air of the morning devoid of the poisonous gases inhaled by the droning vehicles
running to and fro in the city streets rejuvenates the body to battle the days hectic
schedule. Words are insufficient to describe the feelings and one must go for a
morning walk to experience this incredible feeling.

3) Description of an Island

The first thing that hit me when I landed on the island were the sounds. The
sounds of birds, the sea lashing against the craggy rocks, crawling onto the sand
and of course the fishermen who were getting the dinghies ready for their
morning mission. I felt million grains of sand underneath my feet and the cool
breeze against my face. Moreover, the tantalizing scent of the washed-up waves,
coconut, and pineapple are all mixed into one. As I opened my eyes, I was
amazed by how easily fantasy and reality intertwined at that moment. It was like
continuing a dream after waking up. So I dragged myself up and turn my head to
the east. While the sky in the opposite direction was still dark, the dawn on the
east side already broke. A mixture of yellow and orange on the horizon beneath a
dark neon blue ocean of night had begun to peek out. As the sun continuously
rose, all of the purple and deep blue faded away, and the sun took its mighty
position at the top of the sky, shining so very blindingly beautiful.

After I watched the sunrise, my mood lifted. Notwithstanding, I still feel

threatened for I got trapped on an island. I stood there for a moment and tried to
figure out how I got to this island. A series of quick flashback of a shipwreck, and
a big storm. Consequently, I have a severe headache, so I decided to sit down in
the sand. While sitting down, I observe the island and find that I was surrounded
by water and some other islands. The water around the island was as clear as
crystal, to the point I can see the depths of the sea. Again, I dragged myself up
and turn to the back; it seemed like a tropical paradise. There were multitudes of
greenery, lush foliage that looked like they were painted on.

I walk deeper into the island. Nowhere, the sound of the birds started to raise up.
It brought freedom and happiness to the mind. Beautiful flowers in reds, yellows,
purples, and pinks lounged happily along the banks of small streams. Following
the streams, it allowed me to hear the playful sound of the water lapping on the
rocks, and the sound of leaves rustling when the wind blew gently, bringing with
it a feeling of serenity. Ambling through the trees, my stomach started growling
like a monster who is ready to eat its prey. I was famished beyond words.
 B) Descriptions of People
1. A Girl
Her thick, wavy, long black tresses glided gracefully down to her shoulders and
encircled her diamond-shaped face. A tawny suntan brought out her smooth,
clear complexion and high cheek bones. Her slightly arched chestnut brown
eyebrows highlighted her emotions by moving up and down as she reacted to
her world around her. Her large deep blue eyes, reminded me of a lake on a
stormy day. Her curved nose gave her a little girl look that made me want to
smile. And her mouth was accentuated by pouted lips. When she smiled, which
is often, her well shaped, white pearly teeth brightened up her whole face.

2. A Fat Man:
Before him, at a little distance, reclined a very large and very fat man, with a
wide, pulpy face, and a stern expression. His large head was very grey; and his
whiskers, which he wore only around his face, like a frame, were grey also. His
clothing was of rich stuff, but old, and slightly frayed in places.

3. A Young Man: His skin was white, mottled and peeling from exposure to the
sun. He had a strange appearance, almost as if it was contrived. His hair
was wizened and straw-like, nearly fossilized it was so dry. He had sad, pewter
grey, way worn eyes and a distinctive beard. It wasn’t a thick, captain Ahab
beard but rather something a lunatic might have: straggly, unkempt and spittle
flecked. His face was toil worn and tanned from exposure to the elements and
he walked with a weary, lethargic air until he would suddenly explode in a burst
of rage. His fingers were gnarled and knobbly and the clothes he wore
were musty, judging by the reaction of the people he passed. Their noses would
crinkle in disgust and they would peel away from his presence. I don’t want to
sound pass remarkable and over critical in all this but he was a truly unpleasant
character. What made it worse is that he made a beeline to where I was
standing.

4. An Old Man: He lives down the street is a reclusive character. He only comes
out of his house occasionally, usually to collect his pension. When I saw him
first, I thought his hair was very unusual. It is very long and lush with a salt and
pepper tint. He must read until late at night because he has crow’s feet under his
eyes. He has a clipped, Abraham Lincoln beard and that must be why everyone
calls him ‘The President’. I reckon he must be in his seventies because his face
is time chiselled and weather beaten. At times he can seem a bit spiritless, as if
life and old age are getting the better of him. The clothes he wears are
sometimes ragged and threadbare also, as if he is giving in to the passage of
time and is unconcerned about his appearance.
I’ve noticed that his hand becomes clenched when the cold winds of winter bite
the air. His fingers get knotty and then the hand forms the shape of a claw. I
don’t feel sorry for him because he probably wouldn’t want me too. He smiled
at me once when I met him on the street and there were a lot of megawatts in it!
It totally transformed his face and the years dropped away from his face. His
eyes shone a bright, cerulean-green and his teeth gleamed like piano keys.
Although his voice trembled when he said hello, I knew then that he hadn’t
given up completely on life.

Sample Short Stories (Excerpts)

A) Horror Genre: (Setting)

1)
Beyond the placid river, stood our desolate wooden cottage facing ridges.
There had been certain occurrences in the past that had compelled our family to
relocate to another cottage on the periphery of the village. We preferred to rent
the previous one out as a holiday hideout for adventurous tourists who were
keen to explore the dark and mysterious locales of the woodland.

2)
The house on Twenty-third Avenue in Seattle was gradually shutting down to
life in slow degrees. The lace curtains flitted across a window that nestled
numerous secrets within its wire meshing. A light flickered inside as candles
burnt into stumps. An odious atmosphere hung across the room while the wind
hissed outside on this chilly winter evening. The sky had enveloped itself in a
misty haze as the crescent moon peered through the clouds, staring at the
casement. Moonbeams hovered around the glass panes but they received the
frigid, unwelcome stare of the owner of the villa.

3)
The middle-aged man gazed out at the snowy expanse as if he were in a deep
trance. As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing but a snow-covered
landscape in front of him. Suddenly, the man snapped to reality, and his eyes
widened with surprise. His eyes bounced around frantically, and he started to
hyperventilate. Looking around the living room of the warm cabin, he saw a brown
sofa. The man rushed over to the sofa in a frantic hurry. He continued to look
around for any clues of where he was. Inside his head, his mind was running so
rapidly that he could keep up with the racing thoughts, and he suddenly blacked
out onto the rough brown sofa.
The man awoke on the uncomfortable sofa and sat up as he gazed around the warm
and quiet cabin. He jumped to his feet but suddenly noticed how cold the cabin
floor was. A freezing wind smashed against the man’s face sending a chill through
his entire body. He immediately slammed the door closed and walked over to the
window where everything began.
The landscape outside was flat but completely covered in snow. The man peered
out into the distance to see if he could make out anything familiar. To his
frustration, there was only the snowy expanse as far as the eyes could see. The sky
was clear and blue, with not a cloud in sight. The man walked to the center of the
living room and stared at a painting. The painting hung over the fireplace that was
opposite the sofa. As he looked at the image, he realized that it looked familiar.

4)
The cabin was a small, wooden structure, dark and dingy, dusty and cobwebbed. A
skylight let in the faintest hint of opalescent moonlight and it bathed the contents
of the upperfloor loft in a cold metallic glow; a wardrobe, a dressing table with a
large mirror, and boxes of junk piled two or three high. Outside snow fell
ceaselessly, dreamlike and surreal, the hibernal bluish-white frost juxtaposed by
the comforting warmth of the logfire inside the ramshackle hut.
A tall, solid, brachycephalic figure stood in the centre of the room, he was a bag of
sand with a homemade haircut, and he lit a fat brown cigar which glowed intensely
in the gloom, the nepheligenous figure was Bonzo.
Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip.
Bonzo was a psychopath, no empathy, no emotions, no fear. Maybe it was his
tormented childhood, maybe he was born that way, his brain worked differently to
others, every traumatic experience as a child rewired and recoded his brain until it
was a malfunctioning circuitboard in the chassis of his thickboned skull.

B) Mystery Genre:

1)
She waited for 15 minutes after the sliver of light beneath her bedroom door
disappeared. Once she was sure her parents were asleep, Sadie slid the window up
and stole down the trellis. The autumnal air swished down into her lungs — crisp,
chilly, and delicious. She landed like a cat, crouched, hands on the floor. Sadie
didn’t need to jump the last of the way to the ground, but where would the fun be
in not doing that?
Her ten-speed leaned next to the bins — where she’d left it. With a glance up at the
droopy eyes of the house, she hopped on her bike and cycled off into the night.
After half a minute, she clicked her torch on and plopped it into the basket. The
beam sliced through the evening’s ink.
The streets were empty at this time of night, save for the high school kids. They
drove around, windows obscured with pot smoke, beers in one hand, steering
wheels in the other. Sadie didn’t bother to hide from these, but she did take caution
to avoid collisions. If only her father — who grumbled about their poor driving
skills — could see them now.
It didn’t take her long to reach Lisa’s house. Google Maps told her it was an 11-
minute journey, but she always raced to beat the time. She usually made it in seven
minutes or less. She flashed her light at Lisa’s window. On, off. On, off. On, off.
First, nothing. Then, the curtains stirred and the window clunked open. Sadie
caught wind of a sigh. The voice that whispered down to her was thick with
drowsiness.
2)
Snow came as heaven’s sunlit glitter to bring our world to a new shimmer. It
danced in the night; a choreographed ballet conducted in the freezing wind. Kids
imagined themselves roller-skating over the frozen surface of lakes and flapping
their arms and legs on the snow heap to resemble cute little penguins.
I cradled my hot mocha cup in my hands as smoky ghosts curled out of the liquid
and dispersed in the air. My mind wandered around to the distant hills where the
orange-gold stretched far and wide, the colours of fire hearths and tangerines, the
promise of the sun that’d rise again after the velvety night had had its say and the
land had rested once more.
Father rumbled into the rusty cabin with a bag full of groceries the house had
depleted with. It was enough to catch hold of his presence without turning my gaze
at the door. He had a thing with banging on it instead of knocking to announce his
presence. It was maddening. His impatience matched my insanity that lived a Devil
inside me, waiting for the perfect time to blow out.

LETTER WRITING

RULES OF AN INFORMAL LETTER

1. Only the Sender’s address is written. It is aligned on the left side,
2. In the Salutation we use the word ‘Dear’. So, you could write Dear
Mother/ Father, Dear Uncle/ Aunt. If you write to a friend mention the
name for example ‘Dear Arjun,' (CORRECT) and NOT Dear Friend,
(INCORRECT)
3. The date must not be written in numbers only for example:
24. 10. 2020 (INCORRECT)
24 th October 2020. (CORRECT)
4. Write in three paragraphs only.
5. No Mom or Dad to be used nor abbreviations like etc or eg.
6. No slang words nor colloquial words are to be used.
7. Mention at least five points in the Informal letter since the Content
carries 2/ 1/2 marks.
8. The Subscription must be aligned on the left side. It should have ‘Your’
with a capital ‘Y’ eg, Your loving sister, brother, nephew, niece, son,
daughter or friend.
9. Write ONLY your first name.

A) Informal Letter: Format

House Number 386,

Sector 45B,
Chandigarh 160045.

24 th April 2020.

Dear Kartik,
I received your letter last week in which you had mentioned…………..

…………………………………………………………………………..

Pay my regards to your parents and love to your brother.

Your loving friend,

Arnav/ Sandhya
B) Rules of a Formal Letter

1. In this letter, the Sender’s address is also written after the Receiver’s
address. (ON THE LEFT SIDE)
2. The Receiver/ Recipient’s address must be accurate followed by the
correct pin-code.
3. Salutation must have Sir/ Madam. ‘Dear’ is not required.
4. Mention at least four points in the Formal letter since the Content
carries 2 marks. Reason, effect and solution must be mentioned clearly in
the body of the letter.
5. In the Subscription please write: Yours faithfully, (CORRECT) not
Yours’ faithfully, (INCORRECT)
6. Also write your full name below that.

Types of Formal Letters:

1. Letter to the Principal

House Number 38,

Sector 33B,
Chandigarh 160045.

24 th April 2021.

The Principal,
St. Stephen’s School,
Sector 45B,
Chandigarh 160045.
Sir,

This is to request you to have my documents issued to me as I require them for

my passport verification. With all due respects I have been a meritorious
student of your esteemed school for ten years. My registration number is
[number]. I completed my studies successfully and am now looking to join a
higher institution for specialized studies. I was not able to collect my
documents due to some reasons I could not avoid at the time of completion of
studies.

Therefore, I would kindly wish to bring to your attention a humble request to

issue the original documents. They have been in this college since my
admission day.

Kindly treat this matter with urgency and I would be highly obliged if you
respond at the earliest.

Yours faithfully,

Ahna Gulati

2. Letter to the Municipal Commissioner

House Number 214,

Sector 45B,
Chandigarh 160045.

24 th April 2021.

The Municipal Commissioner,

The Municipal Corporation,
New Deluxe Building,
Sector 17,
Chandigarh 160017.

Sir,
This is with reference to the irregular cleanliness and the collection of garbage
in the city that leads to unhealthy and unhygienic conditions due to which a lot
of discomfort is faced by the general public. It is, therefore, requested that
suitable steps and actions by the concerned officials must be taken to collect the
garbage regularly and dispose it off at the right place.

The garbage in the city is not being picked up and properly disposed of on a
regular basis by the garbage pickers which leads to unhygienic conditions as the
garbage is simply left open on the roads, crossroads for the stray dogs to scatter.
Moreover, due to irregular cleanliness, there is foul smell and a high risk of the
spread of many deadly diseases. It is therefore suggested to the concerned
authorities that appropriate steps are taken to implement proper ways of waste
disposal. The garbage pickers must regularly come to collect the garbage at a
stipulated time. The people must be encouraged to properly segregate the waste
to make the work easier. Moreover, it must be disposed of safely and away from
the societies.

I will be grateful to you if the aforementioned problems, difficulties and

suggestions, are taken into consideration so that appropriate steps are taken by
the concerned authorities at the earliest to ensure regular cleaning of garbage so
as to maintain healthy and hygienic conditions are maintained in the city.

Yours faithfully,
Rishi Kohli

3. Letter to the Editor

House Number 214,

Sector 45B,
Chandigarh 160045.

24 th April 2021.

The Editor,
The Tribune,
Sector 29,
Chandigarh 160029.

Sir,
Though the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to bring this
problem to the attention of the municipal authorities ……….
Pot holes, (REASON)
Traffic congestion, difficulty in movement, serious accidents (EFFECT)
Immediate repairing and regular maintenance (SOLUTION)
I would be grateful if you could publish this in your newspaper so that prompt
action could be taken.

Yours truly,
Siddhant Vohra

RULES FOR NOTICE WRITING:

1. Creative title aligned in the centre and written in Block letters ONLY in
English
2. Name of the event must be written just below the creative title.
3. Date mentioned in the Notice must be a fortnight before the event.
4. Write the date as written in the Formal letter.
5. Venue from small to big eg Auditorium, St. Stephen’s, Chandigarh
6. Content- It must contain a sentence to invite participation and to whom
the candidates must apply.

NOTICE

BRAIN TEASER
Inter School Chess Competition

27th May 2020

9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Auditorium, St. Stephen's, Chandigarh

All the students from classes 9 and 10, who wish to participate in the event,
must give their names to the Sports In-charge latest by 13th May 2020.

NOTICE

TECHNO MANIA
Workshop on Robotics

30 th May 2020
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Auditorium, St. Stephen’s, Chandigarh

The students who wish to participate in the workshop must give their names to
their respective class teachers latest by the 15 th of May 2020.
CATCHY SLOGANS FOR NOTICE WRITING
1. Go Green
2. Think Smart Work Smarter
3. Donate To Save
4. Each Drop Counts
5. Waste Not Want Not
6. Lights! Camera! Action!
7. Win The Jackpot
8. Strike A Pose
9. Be The Change
10. Whizkids
11. Quizomania or Literomania
12. Beat The Heat
13. Whacky Wordsmiths

EMAIL
Rules for Email Writing
1. No personal email ids only official ids of sender.
2. In the Subject of your email, you must mention the word ‘Invitation’ if
you are inviting the sender for the event.
3. Content must include date, time and venue of the event. It carries marks.
4. The Subscription will be same as in formal letters
5. Language must be formal and official.

EMAIL
To : anandchess@gmail.com
Subject : Interschool Chess Competition
Sir,

On behalf of the Principal of our school, I extend a warm invitation to you, to

grace the Interschool Chess Competition to be held in our school and also judge
the Grandmaster or the best player in the game.

This event will be held on 27th May 2020 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the
Auditorium, St. Stephen's School.

Looking forward to a positive response and your kind presence.

Yours faithfully,
Falguni Sandhu

EMAIL

To :principalsaupinsschool@gmail.com
Subject: Workshop on Robotics

Sir,

This is with reference to the above mentioned subject. I extend a warm

invitation to you, the staff and students to kindly attend the workshop on
‘Robotics’ being organised and hosted by our school.

This event will be held on the 30th of May 2020, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at
the Auditorium, St. Stephen’s School, Chandigarh.
Looking forward for a positive response and your gracious presence.

Yours faithfully,
Komal Gupta