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ICSE 10 Letters: Formats, Points and Opening Lines

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English LanguageICSE Class 10 · Letter Writing

ICSE Class 10 Letter Writing: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines

Updated 18 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Question 2 offers an informal and a formal letter and you write one, for 10 marks in about 20 minutes. Use the CISCE format (address, full date, receiver block if formal, salutation, body, subscription, name), cover every point the question names with two developed ideas, keep the tone suitable, and write a clear opening and closing sentence.

Both letters run address and date, salutation, body, closing, name; only the formal one has a receiver block, and neither has a subject line.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10)

Question. The chapter page says the letter carries 10 marks, with a choice of an informal and a formal letter, and that format, content and expression are marked.

Informal format. Sender's address, full date, "Dear Grandfather," as the salutation, the body, "Yours lovingly," and your first name. CISCE's formats have no subject line.

Formal format. Sender's address (no name above), full date, the receiver's designation and address, "Dear Sir," or "Dear Madam,", the body, "Yours faithfully," and your full name.

Content. Each question names two or three things. Give each its own paragraph with two developed ideas. A complaint states the problem exactly (where, how long, effects) and gives at least two practical suggestions. A request states what is wanted and why it benefits others.

Opening and closing lines. An informal letter opens by linking with the reader ("I hope you are well. I have been eager to tell you about...") and closes warmly ("Do write soon."). A formal letter opens with the purpose ("I am writing to draw your attention to...") and closes politely ("I shall be grateful for your action.").

Tone. Informal: warm, personal, contractions allowed. Formal: polite, precise, no slang, no contractions.

Common types. A letter to a relative about a game or a thank-you; a complaint to an official or a museum director; a request to a theatre manager. The details in these pages are invented examples.

Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10): key facts

Question
  • 10 marks
  • About 20 minutes
  • One of two letters
Per the chapter page.
Informal order
  • Address
  • Date
  • Dear Grandfather
  • Body
  • Yours lovingly
  • First name
No subject line.
Formal order
  • Address
  • Date
  • Designation and address
  • Dear Sir
  • Body
  • Yours faithfully
  • Full name
No subject line.
Marked on
  • Format
  • Content
  • Expression
Opening and closing lines count.

How to answer Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10) questions

Use this for any letter question.

  1. 1Decide the mode from the receiver.
  2. 2List the points the question names.
  3. 3Write the format correctly with the full date.
  4. 4Open with a purpose line and develop each point in a paragraph.
  5. 5Close politely, sign correctly and check tone.

Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10) in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A complaint about poor exhibits

Suppose a visitor notices dusty and faded labels in a local museum and decides to write to its director.

Which mode should the letter use and what must it include?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The receiver is an official: formal.
  2. State exactly which exhibits and what is wrong.
  3. Add at least two suggestions.

Answer: It should be a formal complaint giving specific details of the poor condition and at least two practical suggestions.

Memory hook: Detail, then suggestions.

Tricks to remember Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10)

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • Two ideas per point

    Each named point needs two developed ideas.

    Use it when: Content.

  • Purpose line

    Formal letters open with their purpose.

    Use it when: Opening.

  • Faithfully to officials

    Officials get Yours faithfully.

    Use it when: Subscription.

Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10): solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Full formal letter (10 marks) · 10 marks · Long answerBoard level

You visited the Heritage Museum in your city and found the exhibits badly kept. Write a letter to the Director complaining about: (i) the condition of the labels and the gallery, (ii) the effect on visitors, (iii) what should be done. Write the whole letter in about 200-250 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Format: sender's address with no name, full date, receiver's designation and address, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully, full name, and no subject line.
  2. Opening: the first sentence states the purpose.
  3. Content: one paragraph for each named point, with the exact place, the faults and at least two suggestions.
  4. Expression: a polite, formal tone with no slang or contractions, and a courteous closing line.

Answer: 24 Rose Colony,
Jaipur - 302 004.
16th September 2025.

The Director,
Heritage Museum,
8 Fort Road,
Jaipur - 302 002.

Dear Sir,

I am writing to draw your attention to the poor condition of the exhibits in the Textile Gallery of your museum, which I visited with my family on 9th September.

The labels on nearly half the exhibits are faded and covered with dust, so the names and dates cannot be read. Several glass cases have not been cleaned for a long time, and a few cloth exhibits are discoloured by dampness near the windows. The gallery lights also flicker, which makes it difficult to see the fine embroidery.

These faults spoil the visit. Students cannot learn about the exhibits without proper information, and tourists who have paid the entry fee leave disappointed. A museum that exists to preserve our heritage should not look neglected.

I therefore suggest that all labels be reprinted in clear, large letters and checked every month. A cleaning schedule should be fixed for the glass cases, and the damp walls should be repaired and the lights replaced. Until the labels are corrected, trained guides could be asked to help visitors.

I trust you will look into the matter at once, and I shall be grateful for your action.

Yours faithfully,
Anita Rao

Example 2: Receiver block (2 marks) · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Write the receiver block for a letter to the Director of the Heritage Museum, 8 Fort Road, Jaipur - 302 002.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Designation first (1)
  2. Address lines (1).

Answer: The Director,
Heritage Museum,
8 Fort Road,
Jaipur - 302 002.

Example 3: Formal opening (3 marks) · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

Write an opening and closing line for a letter to a museum director about faded labels.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Purpose line (1)
  2. Polite close (1)
  3. Formal tone (1).

Answer: Opening: I am writing to draw your attention to the faded and dusty labels on several exhibits in the Textile Gallery. Closing: I trust you will look into the matter and I shall be grateful for your action.

Example 4: Develop a point (4 marks) · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

The question says "Tell your grandfather about a game you enjoyed and what you learned." Write the paragraph on what you learned (about 50 words).

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Two ideas (2)
  2. Warm tone (1)
  3. Accuracy (1).

Answer: I learnt that losing a point does not mean losing the match. Our team lost the first set, but we kept encouraging each other and won the next two. I also learnt that a calm mind helps the body play better, just as you always told me.

Example 5: Improve a weak letter (4 marks) · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

A student writes a complaint: "The bus stop is missing. We have problems. Please do something." State two faults and rewrite in two sentences.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Vague (1)
  2. No suggestions (1)
  3. Rewrite (1)
  4. Formal tone (1).

Answer: Faults: details are vague and no suggestions are given. Rewrite: Our locality, Rose Colony, has had no bus stop on Station Road since March, so children stand in the sun or rain. I request that a shed and a bench be constructed near the school gate and that the stop be marked on the route.

Where students lose marks in Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10)

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Missing a point of the question

    Only part is answered.

    Wrong working

    Game described but no lesson.

    Right working

    Game, feelings and lesson.

    Do this: List the points first.

    Usually costs: Content marks

  • Mistake: Subject line added

    Not in CISCE formats.

    Wrong working

    Subject: Complaint

    Right working

    No subject line

    Do this: Follow the format.

    Usually costs: Format marks

  • Mistake: Vague complaint

    No detail.

    Wrong working

    Problems exist.

    Right working

    Missing bus stop since March.

    Do this: Give where and how long.

    Usually costs: Content marks

Exam tips

  • List the points the question names.
  • Two developed ideas per point.
  • Write the full date.
  • Match salutation and subscription.
  • Write a clear opening and closing line.

Practice questions on Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10)

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    A formal letter ends with:
    (a) Yours lovingly (b) Yours faithfully (c) With best wishes (d) Your friend

    Hint

    Match the subscription to the salutation (Dear Sir / Madam).

    Answer

    (b) Yours faithfully.

  2. Q2 · 10 marks · Long answerBoard level

    Your grandfather lives in another city. Write a letter to him about an inter-school badminton match you played, covering: (i) how the match went, (ii) how you and your team felt, (iii) what you learned. Write the whole letter in about 200-250 words. (10 marks)

    Hint

    Use the informal format with no subject line. Give each named point its own paragraph with two ideas, and add a warm opening and closing.

    Answer

    15 Lake View Apartments,
    Pune - 411 001.
    16th September 2025.

    Dear Grandfather,

    I hope you are well and that your morning walks have started again now that the rains have eased. I have been eager to tell you about the inter-school badminton match I played last Saturday.

    Our school met St. Mary's in the final. We lost the first set badly, and for a while I felt like giving up. The crowd was loud, my hands were shaking, and I made several silly mistakes. During the break our coach told us to breathe slowly and play one point at a time.

    That advice changed the game. We began to encourage each other after every point, and we won the next two sets. When the last shuttle landed, I was so happy that I could hardly speak.

    I learnt that losing a point does not mean losing the match. I also learnt that a calm mind helps the body play better, just as you always told me. Teamwork mattered as much as skill.

    Please give my love to Grandmother. Do write soon and tell me about your garden.

    Yours lovingly,
    Rohan

  3. Q3 · 4 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Write the opening paragraph of a letter to a grandmother about moving to a new house. (4 marks)

    Hint

    Warm link, then news.

    Answer

    Dear Grandmother, I hope you are well and that your knees trouble you less now. I am writing from our new house in Pune, and I cannot wait to tell you how the move went and how I feel about it.

  4. Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    Write two suggestions for a complaint to the Municipal Commissioner about an unlit park path. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Practical and specific.

    Answer

    Install solar street lights along the main path, and ask the park guard to patrol after dusk.

  5. Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

    Rewrite formally: "Hey, your theatre is always empty on weekdays, so show that book film!" (3 marks)

    Hint

    Remove slang, state the benefit.

    Answer

    I request you to arrange a screening of the film based on our prescribed book, as it will benefit students studying the text.

  6. Q6 · 4 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency

    Compare how an informal and a formal letter should open and close, with an example of each. Which has more freedom of tone? (4 marks)

    Hint

    Contrast purpose lines.

    Answer

    Informal opens with a link to the reader and closes warmly (I hope you are well... Do write soon). Formal opens with the purpose and closes politely (I am writing to... I shall be grateful for your action). Informal has more freedom, including contractions and feelings.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Marks?Show answer

    10.

  2. 2.Time?Show answer

    About 20 minutes.

  3. 3.Subject line?Show answer

    Not in CISCE formats.

  4. 4.Formal salutation?Show answer

    Dear Sir, or Dear Madam,.

  5. 5.Informal subscription?Show answer

    Yours lovingly, and first name.

  6. 6.What is marked?Show answer

    Format, content, expression.

Board Letters: Formats, Points and Opening and Closing Lines (ICSE Class 10): frequently asked questions

Block or indented?

Either is acceptable.

Which letter should I choose?

The one where you can cover all the points.

Can I use contractions?

Only in informal letters.