COMPOSITION TIPS

1. Short compositions of 50 words

They include:
Advertisements,
Notices,
Posters,
Formal invitations and replies, and
Informal invitations and replies.

Advertisements are of two types:

(i) Classified (Wanted/Situation vacant, sale/purchase of property/ vehicles/ goods; business proposals,
educational institutions, matrimonial, lost & found, pets & livestock, and appeals)
(ii) Display (Educational institutions, consumer goods, launch of new product, advertising an event)

Classified Advertisements: Points to remember

(i) Should be brief
(ii) Prefer short words/phrases
(iii) Graphics/ designs —not required
(iv) The first one or two words may be capitalized
(v) The ad may be given in a box so that it stands out
(vi) Exceeding word limit will lead to deduction of mark

A FEW SAMPLES OF CLASSIFIED ADS

1. SITUATION VACANT T
Requirements:
*Opening statements
WANTED for ABC Corporation, a Secretary with a Bachelor’s
*Name of advertiser
Degree in Law, pleasing personality, excellent communication
*Post advertised
*Qualification/experience required and correspondence skills, and proficiency in shorthand and MS
*Pay/perks Office. Free accommodation. Salary and perks negotiable. Apply
*Contact address/Phone No. with biodata within 15 days to: The Administrative Officer, ABC
Note:- Many ads. of this type Corporation, Gemini Circle, Hyderabad.
appear in newspapers every day.
Critically analyse a few of them.
2. SITUATION WANTED D
Requirements:
*Qualification/experience
B.Tech (Computer) rank holder of Madras University with 5
*Personal preference
*Other details years experience in an MNC seeks a job in/around Hyderabad.
*Pay/perks expected Proficient in Mainframe, C++, Java. Salary expected Rs. 40000
*Contact address/Phone No. p.m. Contact: Gopichand Bhupathi, 547, Jubilee Nagar,
Note:- Critically analyse ads Bengaluru. Mobile: 1234567891
of this type in newspapers and
make yourself familiar with the
essential ingredients.
3. PROPERTY FOR SALE E
Requirements:
*Heading
HOUSE FOR SALE, at Sreekariyam, Trivaandrum. 2800 sq.ft,
*Location
*Size/floor, no. of rooms single-storey, on 15 cent land, main road frontage, 3 BHDK, car
*Surroundings porch, electricity, water supply. Clean and peaceful surroundings.
*Other attractions Schools, colleges, hospitals nearby. No brokers. Reasonable price.
*Selling price Contact: Dr. Abcd Gupta at 0471-1234567.
*Contact details

4. TO LET T
Requirements:
*Heading HOUSE AVAILABLE ON RENT, at Sreekariyam, Trivaandrum.
*Location
2800 sq.ft, single-storey, on 15 cent land, main road frontage, 3
*Size/floor, no. of rooms
*Surroundings BHDK, car porch, electricity, water supply. Clean and peaceful
*Other attractions surroundings. Schools, colleges, hospitals nearby. Rent Rs.7000
*Rent expected p.m. No brokers. Contact: Dr. Abcd Gupta at 0471-1234567.
*Contact details
5. HOUSEHOLD GOODS FOR SALE E
Requirements:
*Heading FOR IMMEDIATE SALE at Sreekaryam, Trivandrum, a three-
*Location
*Details of goods
month-old Sony TV 29” and LG Washing machine model ABC
*Price expected 63. Excellent condition. 60 % of market price. Owner going
*Contact details abroad. No brokers. Contact: Dr. Abcd Gupta at 0471-1234567.

James Thomas, Loyola School

 6. MATRIMONIAL E

Requirements: WANTED a suitable match for a beautiful, cultured, convent-

*Age, education, caste, height
*Family background/ parents
*Qualities expected of the respondent
*Contact details
educated Christian MBA girl, 25/ 5’. 4” now in an MNC at
Hyderabad. Only daughter, both parents bank officers. The groom
must be professionally qualified and of sober habits. Box No.
1234, The New Indian Express, Mumbai

7. APPEALS 8. LOST AND FOUND E

A promising athlete with both kidneys badly
damaged in a car accident is on dialysis at MCH,
Delhi. Donors are appealed to offer one of their
kidneys to save his life. Contact immediately:
Superintendent, MCH, Delhi. Phone: 123456789
FOUND last Monday a briefcase on Venad
Express. It will be returned to the owner on giving
satisfactory details of its colour, approximate
weight, and content. Contact: Dr. Abcd Gupta, 25
Loyola Road, Madurai-18. Phone: 123456789

A FEW SAMPLES OF DISPLAY/ COMMERCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION LAUNCHING A NEW PRODUCT T
E

For Excellence in Free Trial Offer

IIT-JEE & CBSE-PMT

for

*Fights Dandruff
*Air-conditioned Classrooms
*Prevents Hair Fall
*Experienced Faculty
*Four Exotic Fragrances
*Printed Notes
*Prize Coupons
*Regular Tests
*Extensive Sales Network
*Best Results
For Trade Enquiries:
For free Prospectus and Guidance contact:
ABCDEF CORPORATION, MUMBAI
The Correspondent, Abcdef Academy,
Fax: 23456789 Phone: 123456789/987654321
Mumbai -28. Phone:123456789

NOTICE E
Requirements:
*Name of institution/Department Loyola School, Sreekariyam, Trivandrum
*Heading, underlined (Notice)
*Date of Notice NOTICE
*A short heading/Theme announcement
*Relevant details (Organiser, date, rules/
21 Sept 2010
conditions/ prize etc)
*Name of issuing authority
English Language Proficiency Test
*His designation in brackets. The English Club of the school is organizing an All Kerala
English Language Proficiency Test on 18 October 2010 as part of its
POSTER Golden Jubilee Celebrations. It will be a two-hour test starting at 10
Requirements: a.m. Winners of the First, Second, and Third places will be awarded
*A catchy title a cash prize of Rs.5000, Rs.3000, and Rs.2000, respectively.
*A sketch or simple graphic
Students interested in participating in the competition may
*Attractive layout
*Letters of different style and size please register their names with the undersigned latest by 28-9-2010.
*Theme/subject presented prominently sd/-
Special Note:
In case of matters of social relevance or Abcdef Varma
public interest (like AIDS awareness), the (Secretary, English Club)
issuing authority should be mentioned, and
the last line should be something like this:
*Issued in public interest by the Ministry
of Health/Education, Government of India. James Thomas, Loyola School
 FORMAL INVITATION E
The invitation may be to a:
Wedding Mr and Mrs Abcdef Singh
*Not Mrs and Mr
Birthday request the pleasure of the company of *No full stop after
House warming Mr and Mrs
Miss Ghijklmno Malhotra
Some special ceremony a
Full name with title
School function like Sports Day on the occasion of the fifth birthday
General Instruction of their son
*Written in third person
Stuvwxyz Singh
*Day, date, name of guest in full
at 6.30 p.m. on Friday, 5 January 2010 at Not first person
* No punctuation at the end of lines ‘our’, but third
their residence person ‘their’
* No signature required at the end
Réspondez Sil vous
*Subject matter is centre-aligned 168, Kripan Enclave plait (French),
Amritsar meaning: Please
* Simple present tense is preferred reply
*Special instruction at bottom left/right RSVP
054-1234567

FORMAL REPLY ACCEPTING THE ABOVE INVITATION E

Full name with title Miss Ghijklmno Malhotra thanks Mr and Mrs Abcdef Singh for
(Miss), not the first their kind invitation which she is delighted to accept.
person singular: ‘I’
FORMAL REPLY DECLINING THE ABOVE INVITATION E

Miss Ghijklmno Malhotra thanks Mr and Mrs Abcdef Singh for

their kind invitation but regrets her inability to accept it due to a
prior commitment.

INFORMAL INVITATION E

They are: 168, Kripan Enclave

*Meant for personal occasions Amritsar
*Written in first person (I/ we) and 27 Jan.2010
in very informal language
*Not expected to be replied to
(though it is polite to reply), and My dear Ghijklmno,
*They may be left-aligned
We have much pleasure in inviting you to the
fifth birthday party which we plan for our son
Requirements: Stuvwxyz, at 6.30 pm next Friday at our
residence.
Address (without name) on top left
Date below address We very much hope that you will be able to
come.
Salutation (My dear/ Dear +Name)
Yours sincerely,
Body of letter (in two paragraphs)
Conclusion Mr and Mrs Abcdef Singh
Sender’s name
No apostrophe please. Your’s

James Thomas, Loyola School

 REPORT / FACTUAL DESCRIPTION
(Length: 100-125 words; Marks:10)

REPORT NEWSPAPER REPORT

Requirements: Requirements:
*Title (eg. Loyola Sports Day: A Report) *Place of origin
* Byline (i.e., Name of the writer to the *Date of news
riright side below the title/ headline)
*Attractive headline not exceeding 6 words)
*Preferably written in:
* Byline (i.e., Name of the writer to the
(i) Third person rrright side below the title/ headline)
(ii) Indirect speech *Should have 3-4 paragraphs:
(iii) Passive voice, and (i) The first paragraph briefly answers
questions like who, what, where,
(iv) Neutral (impersonal) language
when, why.
*The main body of the Report explains:
(ii) The second paragraph gives a
(i) When ? detailed description of the incident.
(ii) Where? (iii) The third paragraph may include
(iii) Why? comments by eye-witnesses.

(iv) How? (iv) The fourth paragraph may describe

thecourse of action being planned.

FACTUAL DESCRIPTION FACTUAL DESCRIPTION OF A FACTUAL DESCRIPTION OF

It could be of a:
Place, Person, Object, Process, Visit
General Instruction:
*Emphasis is on relevant details and
fafactual accuracy
*Presentation/ sequence must be
lllogical
*Use of connectors/linkers is
llessential. (eg. and,but, since, therefore,
llhowever, in addition to, in conclusion)
PLACE A PERSON
Requirement: Requirement:
*Name *Name
*Location *Relationship with the writer
*Dimension (shape, extent, design) *Social status/role/profession
* General atmosphere (sights, sounds) *Physical features (like height)
*Purpose/use *General appearance (clothes)
*History/ importance of the place *What others think about him
*Summing up *Any other striking point (could be
brought out by narrating an incident)

FACTUAL DESCRIPTION OF FACTUAL DESCRIPTION OF FACTUAL DESCRIPTION OF

A VISIT/ JOURNEY A PROCESS AN OBJECT/ PRODUCT

Requirement: Requirement:
*Date, occasion Requirement: *Name
*Place/ places involved *Dimension (shape, design, colour etc)
*Purpose of visit Name/ title *Make/Model (Year of manufacture)
*Group/individual Steps in sequential order *Purpose/ use
*Scenic beauty/historical *Operational details
llimportance/other attraction Facts observed *Functions/ importance
*Interaction with locals/ other tourists Conclusion drawn *Material
*Interesting incident *Availability/ Price/ Loan facility
*Problem faced, if any ***** *After-sales service/ consumer care
*Like/dislike the place? Say why. *Present tense and passive voice
*Conclusion preferred

James Thomas, Loyola School

 LETTER WRITING

Letter types include:

(1) Business/ Official Letters for
(i) Making enquiries
(ii) Registering complaints
(iii) Asking for/ giving information
(iv) Placing orders
(v) Sending replies
(2) Letter to the editor (Giving suggestion on an issue)
(3) Application for a job

FORMAT OF A BUSINESS/ OFFICIAL LETTER R

*Sender’s address (House no. followed by locality, city)
*Date
*Receiver’s designation (eg. The Director/ The Manager/ The Proprietor etc)
*Receiver’s address
*Subject statement (eg. delay in payment of DA arrears – regarding)
*Reference no. if any (eg. No and date of Letter received/Govt. Order No. and date)
*Salutation (eg. Sir)
*Introductory paragraph
*Details
*Concluding paragraph
*Complimentary clause (Yours faithfully)
*Name
Special Note:-
*Be brief and to the point
*Do not use contractions (like I’m, I’ve, won’t, we’ll etc)
*Begin by introducing yourself
*Clearly state the purpose of writing
*Provide relevant details (Do not force the receiver to guess anything)
*Be polite even if you are complaining
*Prefer a plain (not literary) style
FORMAT OF A LETTER TO THE EDITOR R
*Sender’s address
*Date (eg 12 September 2010)
*The Editor (Designation, not name)
*The Hindu
Receiver’s address
*Mangalore
* Subject statement
*Salutation (eg. Sir)
*Statement of problem (Paragraph 1)
* Result of problem (Paragraph 2)
*Solution (Paragraph 3) *Complimentary close (eg Yours truly)
*Name
Special Note: Do not write: Your’s & truely)
James Thomas, Loyola School
 APPLICATION FOR A JOB R
SAMPLE COVERING LETTER
General Instruction
*Be very formal, precise and to the point
123, Gemini Arcade
*Focus on qualification/skills/experience Mangalore
*Enclose a Biodata/Resumé/Curriculam Vitae
*Enclose a covering letter 21 June 2010
*See below the standardized format of Biodata

The Principal
Loyola School
Covering Letter: Requirements Mangalore
Applicant’s address (minus name) on top left Sub: Accountant—application for the post of
Date of application
Sir,
Designation (not name) & address of receiver
This is with reference to your advertisement in The
Subject statement
Hindu dated 15 June 2010 for the post of an
Salutation Accountant.
Reference statement I am at present working as accountant with Abcdef
About present engagement Company, Bangalore. My parents, stationed in
Details of experience, if any Mangalore, are old and ailing and they require
constant medical aid. I am looking for a job near my
Complementary clause
ancestral home so that I could be of better assistance
Signature to them.
Name
I have five years’ experience and can assure you of
my best services if given a chance.
I am enclosing my Biodata for your consideration
Yours faithfully
(Rahul Vijayakumar)
Biodata: Requirements
Headline (underlined) BIODATA
Name Name…………...Rahul Vijayakumar
Mailing address Address……........123, Gemini Arcade, Mangalore 654321
Date of birth…….15 June 1984
Date of birth Marital status….. Unmarried
Marital status Educational qualification
Make sure that your
date of birth, year of Educational Qualification
passing different S.No Exam School/College/University Year Marks
exams, years of
experience etc are
1 SSLC St Xavier’s School, Madurai 1999 95%
reasonable. If you
were born in 1999 you
2 HSS St Jude’s School, Madurai 2001 90%
are unlikely to be a
3 B.Com Loyola College, Madras 2004 78%
graduate by 2002!
Experience………Working as accountant with ABCDEF Company,
Experience Bangalore for the last five years
Salary expected (if not specified in the ad) Salary expected…Rs. 15,000 per month
Hobbies Hobbies………….Reading, Music
Reference(s) Reference……….(1) Mr Xyzklmn Malhotra, Head Accountant,
ABCDEF Company, Bangalore 8- Phone1234
Signature
In addition to the above (2) Mr Jklmnop Singh, Administrative Officer,
Name
minimum requirement, ABCDEF Company, Bangalore 8- Phone1234
you may add ‘Languages
known,’ preferably
below ‘Experience’ (Rahul Vijayakumar)

James Thomas, Loyola School

 NOTE MAKING
General Instruction

You can write a structurally perfect article/ essay only if you organize your ideas well by jotting
down the important points and then by rearranging them in a logical sequence. Your note is like a skeleton
or framework, and it becomes an article when you breathe life into it by giving it the required flesh and
blood. Just as you develop your note into an article, you can reduce an article to a note. And more
importantly, if you hand over that note to another person, he must be able to reconstruct the same article.
For the Board examinations, the answer to the note-making question requires a few indispensable
elements like: (i) A short and appropriate title and (ii) the use of a minimum of four different and easily
recognizable abbreviations. For the sake of brevity, you may use some arbitrary abbreviations provided you
explain them at the end, under the caption ‘Legend.’ Humour the examiner by underlining four different
abbreviations you have used. (Make it easy for the examiner: you cannot afford to offend him/her)
Make the layout visually appealing by avoiding ugly cramming. The numbering system that you
follow should be consistent. (See the system used in the sample answer).
Reserve the margin for the main question number and make sure that the sub-numbering which
forms part of your answer never spills over to the margin. The examiner needs the margin for awarding
marks!
Sample Passage
The term earthquake is applied to any tremor or shaking of the ground. Many earthquakes are so
gentle as to pass almost unrecognized, others are sufficiently pronounced to excite general alarm, while
some spread enormous destruction. Destructive earthquakes are usually confined to limited regions. The
usual phenomena recorded in well-known earthquakes are first a trembling, next one or more severe shocks,
and then a trembling which gradually dies away. In most cases, each shock lasts only a few seconds, but the
tremblings that follow may continue for days, weeks, even months. Noises of various kinds usually
accompany each earthquake. They have been likened to the howling of storm, the growling of thunder, the
clanking and clashing of iron chains, or the rumbling of heavy wagons along a road. Such noises are
conducted through the ground, or they may travel through the sea or air, and are often heard at great
distances from the place where the shock is felt. Some earthquakes, however, are not accompanied by these
noises. At the time of the terrible shock which destroyed Riobamba in Ecuador on February4, 1797, a
complete silence reigned.
Many changes are produced on the earth’s surface by earthquakes. They cause landslips and cracks
in the earth, which will sometimes alter the drainage system of a country. They are frequently accompanied
by great sea-waves, which will often sweep rocks and sand great distances inland. Permanent elevations and
depressions of land are sometimes caused. After the great earthquakes of 1750, the coast of Chili was found
to have been permanently raised from three to four feet. Well-known examples of permanent depressions are
those of the Runn of Kutch and the coastlands near Chittagong, which suddenly sank during the Bengal
earthquake of 1762.
Earthquakes are most common in volcanic and mountainous regions, and many of them are no doubt
due to volcanic actions. These appear to originate in the sea, and may be due to the flashing into steam of the
water which finds its way down through cracks to the underlying heated rocks. Others appear to originate in
volcanoes themselves, due to the explosion of vapours which expand. Many other causes are ascribed, of
which two may be mentioned. Some earthquakes may be due to the collapse of hollows beneath the ground,
and others again to the snapping of the strata which has been subjected to too great strain. It is noticeable
that most earthquakes occur during the cold months of winter.
Among destructive earthquakes in modern times may be mentioned the one that altered the Straits of
Messina between Italy and Sicily in 1908, and the terrible upheaval in Japan in 1925, which destroyed
whole towns and caused the death of thousands of people.

James Thomas, Loyola School

 Answer
Earthquake

Q.No.
I (i) Definition: tremor or shaking of ground
q.
(ii) Kinds of eq /Intensity variation:
(a) gentle eq Students may remember that full
(b) prolonged eq (grammatically correct) sentences
are not required. You are free to
(c) disastrous eq
use the telegraphic sort of
II (i) Sequence of phenomena during eq language
(a) a trembling
(b) one or more severe shocks
(c) another fading trembling
(ii) Accompanying noise - comparable to:
(a) howling of storm
(b) growling of thunder
(c) clanking of iron chains
(d) rumbling of wagons on road
(iii) Silent eq: eg. Riobamba eq of 1797
III (i) Effect on earth
(a) landslips
leading to change in drainage system
(b) cracks
(c) permanent elevation → eg. Chili coast in 1750
(d) permanent depression→ eg. Runn of Kutch Cause: Bengal eq of
1762
Chittagong coastland
IV. Some important/assorted facts about eq:
(i) Eq-prone regions:
(a) in & around volcanoes
(b) mountain terrain 4 abbreviations are to be used.
(ii) Causes of eq Since ‘eq’ and ‘b/w’ are not
easily recognizable, they
(a) explosion of vapours in volcanoes should be expanded in the
(b) collapse of subterranean hollows Legend
(b) snapping of strata under excessive strain
(iii) Most eq-prone time → cold months of winter
(iv) Most destructive eqs in modern times + result:
(a) 1908 Messina eq →altered Messina Straits b/w Italy & Sicily
(b) 1925 eq in Japan →destroyed many towns & killed 1000s.

Legend: eq = earthquake; b/w = between

James Thomas, Loyola School