Questions answered
What is a formal letter? Give two examples of readers to whom you would write one.
A formal letter is a letter written for an official or business purpose, usually to someone the writer does not know personally, in a polite and impersonal style with a fixed layout. Examples of readers are the editor of a newspaper and the Municipal Commissioner.
Name the parts of a formal letter in the order in which they appear in the block format.
Sender's address, date, receiver's address, subject line, salutation, body (opening, middle and closing paragraphs), complimentary close, and the writer's name.
Which two parts of a formal letter are left out of an informal letter?
The receiver's address and the subject line.
Why should the date be written as "2 October 2026" rather than "2/10/26"?
Because the figures-only form can be read as different dates in different countries, while the full form cannot be misunderstood.
Give the correct complimentary close for (a) "Dear Sir," and (b) "Dear Ms Fernandes,". Explain the rule.
(a) "Yours faithfully," and (b) "Yours sincerely,". "Faithfully" follows a salutation that does not name the reader; "sincerely" follows one that does.
Correct the errors in this closing: "Your's Faithfully, Kabir".
"Yours faithfully," with no apostrophe and a small f, followed by the name on the next line.
Improve this subject line: "Subject: Problem".
A specific version would be "Subject: Frequent power cuts in Sector 12, Dwarka", which names the problem and the place.
What is tone, and why does the syllabus give it special attention in the letter question?
Tone is the attitude of a piece of writing towards its reader and subject, shown through word choice and sentence structure. The syllabus stresses it because the same message must be expressed politely and objectively to an official and warmly to a friend, and a mismatch of tone weakens the letter.
Past board exam questions
ICSE 2027 sample paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(i) Write a letter to your grandfather who has always encouraged you to play outdoor games. Tell him about a game you enjoyed playing with your friends. Share how the experience made you feel and what you learned from it.
Show answer
(Informal letter: format, content and expression are assessed. Thank grandfather for his encouragement; describe the game and how you enjoyed it; your feelings and what you learned.)
32 Hadapsar Road,
Hadapsar,
Pune - 411028.
14th February 2026.
Dear Grandfather,
I hope you are doing well and in good health. I am excited to share with you a wonderful day I recently spent playing outdoor games with my friends. I especially wanted to thank you and tell you about it because you have always encouraged me to go outside, be active, and enjoy sports instead of staying indoors all the time.
Last Sunday, my friends and I decided to spend the entire day at the playground in our neighbourhood. We …
ICSE 2027 sample paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(ii) You recently visited the Museum in your city and noticed the poor condition of some of the exhibits on display. Write a letter to the Director of the Museum, bringing the matter to his attention. Request him to take necessary action to ensure that these valuable objects are properly preserved.
Show answer
(Formal letter: format, content and expression are assessed. Name of the museum; specific description of the condition of the exhibits; steps to restore them - cleaning, stabilisation, repair.)
18 Cascade Enclave,
Diamond Harbour Road,
Kolkata - 700034.
14th February 2026.
The Director,
Rajgir Museum,
Rajgir Main Road,
Rajgir - 803116.
Subject: Poor condition of exhibits on display
Dear Sir,
I hope this letter finds you well. I recently visited the Rajgir Museum with my parents and was taken aback to find many of the exhibits on display in a poor state of repair.
Custodial neglect including overcrowding, deterioration from damp and fungus, fading from improper light exposure and …
ICSE 2026 board paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(i) Your examinations are drawing near, and you would like to form a study group. Write a letter to one of your classmates inviting him or her to join it. Give details of how you plan to revise and explain why it would be helpful.
Show answer
(Informal letter)
14, Park Avenue
Lake Town
Kolkata – 700089
5 February 2026
Dear Ananya,
I hope you are well and that your preparation is going smoothly. With the Board examinations only six weeks away, I have been thinking about how we can make the best use of the time left, and I would love you to join a small study group I am forming.
So far, Rohan and Priya have agreed to join, and with you we would be four. I suggest we meet at my house every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. My mother has kindly offered us the study room and, of course, snacks!
Here is my plan. Each of us will take charge of the subjects we are strongest in — you in Biology and English, …
ICSE 2026 board paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(ii) The drainage system in your locality needs repair. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner stating the problems caused due to this. Suggest solutions to improve the situation.
Show answer
(Formal letter)
42, Shanti Nagar
Andheri (East)
Mumbai – 400069
5 February 2026
The Municipal Commissioner
Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai
Mahapalika Marg, Fort
Mumbai – 400001
Subject: Urgent repair of the drainage system in Shanti Nagar
Sir,
I wish to draw your kind attention to the badly damaged drainage system in Shanti Nagar, Andheri (East), which has caused great hardship to the residents for the last several months.
Many of the drains in our locality are broken, uncovered or choked with plastic and silt. Dirty water overflows onto the roads and collects in pools near homes, shops and the municipal school. It gives off a foul smell and has become a breeding ground for …
ICSE 2025 board paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(i) Your grandmother has taught you a special skill. Write a letter thanking her. Explain how you will use that skill and why it is important to you.
Show answer
(Informal letter)
B-27, Green Park
New Delhi - 110016
10 March 2025
Dear Dadi,
I hope you are keeping well and that your knees are not troubling you in this changing weather. Everyone here misses you very much since you went back to the village.
I am writing to thank you with all my heart for teaching me how to knit during the winter vacation. When you first put those needles in my hands, I was sure I would never learn. I dropped stitches, tangled the wool and nearly gave up. But you sat beside me every afternoon, patiently guiding my fingers and telling me stories of how your own mother taught you. By the end of the holidays I had finished my first muffler, and I wear it proudly every …
ICSE 2025 compartment paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(i) A few friends in your locality had organised a clean-up drive. Write a letter to a cousin who lives in another city/town telling him/her why you think it was necessary, your specific role in it and what the outcome of your effort was.
Show answer
(Informal letter)
24, Shanti Nagar
Bhopal - 462016
12 July 2025
Dear Neha,
I hope you and everyone at home are well. I have exciting news to share: last Sunday a few friends and I organised a clean-up drive in our locality, and it turned out to be a great success.
You may remember the empty plot near our park. Over the past year it had become a dumping ground for plastic bags, broken bottles and kitchen waste. The drain beside it was choked, mosquitoes bred in the stagnant water and two children in our lane fell ill with dengue last month. We felt that instead of complaining, we should do something ourselves.
My specific role was to organise the volunteers and materials. I made …
ICSE 2025 sample paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(i) Your uncle was unable to attend your birthday celebrations but has sent you one thousand rupees as a gift. Write a letter thanking him, tell him how you will spend the money, and why you have made that particular choice.
Show answer
(Informal letter)
24, Lake View Road
Kolkata - 700029
12 August 2024
Dear Uncle Ravi,
I hope you and Aunt Meena are keeping well. Thank you so much for the generous gift of one thousand rupees that you sent for my birthday. It was very thoughtful of you, and I am truly grateful. We all missed you at the party, but your card and your kind words made me feel that you were with us.
I have already decided how I will spend the money. First, I am going to buy a good dictionary and two novels by Ruskin Bond. My English teacher says that reading regularly is the best way to improve one's vocabulary and writing, and I want to do well in my board examinations. Second, I shall buy a pair of …
ICSE 2025 board paper · 10 marks
(Do not spend more than 20 minutes on this question.)
Select any one of the following:
(ii) There is no bus stop in your locality. Write a letter to the Municipal Commissioner of your town/city complaining about the problem. Offer possible solutions.
Show answer
(Formal letter)
15, Sunrise Apartments
Sector 12, Kharghar
Navi Mumbai - 410210
10 March 2025
The Municipal Commissioner
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation
CBD Belapur
Navi Mumbai - 400614
Subject: Absence of a bus stop in Sector 12, Kharghar
Sir,
I am writing on behalf of the residents of Sector 12, Kharghar, to bring to your notice the serious inconvenience caused by the lack of a bus stop in our locality.
Sector 12 has grown rapidly in the last five years and is now home to over five thousand families. Yet the nearest bus stop is nearly two kilometres away on the highway. Students, office-goers, senior citizens and patients have to walk this distance along a busy road with no …
