Notice Email and Report Writing
ICSE Class 8 · English · Chapter 11
What this chapter covers
- Writing for a purpose and a reader
- Notice writing
- E-mail writing
- Report writing
- Advertisements and posters
- Travelogues and features
- Checking your work
Key points
- Functional writing is writing done for a practical purpose and a particular reader; the reader and purpose decide the layout, length and language.
- A notice is a short, formal announcement for a group: institution, NOTICE, date, heading, body of 50 to 60 words, name and designation, usually in a box.
- The body of a notice answers what, who, when, where, and what the reader must do.
- An e-mail has From, To, Date and Subject lines, followed by a salutation, body, closing and signature; Cc and Bcc lines are optional and added only when a copy is sent.
- A formal e-mail is polite and complete, with no slang or abbreviations; an informal e-mail is friendly but still correctly written.
- A report is a factual account of a past event, written in the past tense and the third person.
- A newspaper report has a headline, byline, place and date line, the most important facts first, then details and a closing.
- A school event report has a heading, byline, the event details in order, and a short closing.
- Classified advertisements are brief and in note form; display advertisements use slogans, design and offers to persuade.
- An awareness poster has a slogan, a few tips, a picture idea and the name of the issuing group.
- A travelogue describes a journey in the first person, using sensory language; a feature explores a topic in depth with an engaging opening.
- Check every piece for purpose, format, facts, length, register and accuracy before you finish.
Questions answered
Name four parts of a school notice.
Any four of: the name of the institution, the word NOTICE, the date of issue, the heading, the body, and the name and designation of the issuer.
Why should a notice be short and placed in a box?
It is read quickly by people passing a board, so it must give the key facts at a glance. The box separates it from other notices on the board.
What is the difference between Cc and Bcc in an e-mail?
People in Cc receive a copy, and every receiver can see their addresses. People in Bcc also receive a copy, but their addresses are hidden from the other receivers.
Improve this e-mail subject line: "Subject: Hello".
It does not say what the e-mail is about. A better line names the purpose, for example "Subject: Request for extra time to submit the history project".
Give two features of a formal e-mail that an informal e-mail need not have.
For example, a formal salutation such as "Dear Sir" and a formal closing such as "Regards" with full name and details; no contractions or slang.
What are the five Ws and one H, and where are they answered in a newspaper report?
What, Who, When, Where, Why and How. Most of them are answered in the opening paragraph.
Why are newspaper reports usually written in the past tense and the third person, while headlines often use the present tense?
The report describes an event that has already happened, from a neutral reporter's point of view. Headlines use the present tense to save words and to make the news feel immediate.
Name two ways in which a classified advertisement differs from a display advertisement.
A classified advertisement is short, written in note form and grouped under a heading such as "For Sale"; a display advertisement is larger, uses a slogan and design, and is meant to persuade.