Notice and Email Writing

What this chapter covers

• The notice and e-mail question in the ICSE paper
• What a notice is and where it is used
• Notice format and layout
• Heading, date and issuing authority
• Essential details: what the body must contain
• Writing the body of a notice
• More notices for practice
• What an e-mail is and when it is formal
• E-mail format: To, Cc, Bcc and Subject
• The body of a formal e-mail
• Formal e-mail conventions
• Turning the notice into an e-mail on the same content
• A complete answer from one situation
• Common errors and a final check

Key points

• Question 3 asks for (a) the text of a notice from given directions and (b) an e-mail on the same content.
• A notice is a short, formal announcement displayed in a public place for a group of readers.
• Notice layout: institution's name, NOTICE, date of issue, heading, body, name with designation, all inside a box.
• The heading is a short, specific label in capitals; the date is the date of issue, written in full.
• The issuing authority must have the right to make the announcement and is shown by name and designation.
• The body answers what, when, where, who and how, and names a contact; it leaves out opinions and decoration.
• Notices use formal, impersonal language, often in the third person and the passive voice.
• A formal e-mail has To, Cc and Bcc where needed, a subject line, a salutation, a short body, a closing and a signature block.
• The subject line is specific, short and has no full stop; it often matches the notice's heading.
• E-mail conventions: polite, direct tone; standard spelling; short paragraphs; no capitals for emphasis, slang or emojis.
• Same content means the same facts in a new frame and voice, never a word-for-word copy of the notice.
• Before finishing, check both parts against their format lists and compare the facts line by line.

Questions answered

Past board exam questions