ICSE Class 8 Notices, Advertisements and Posters: Formats and Examples

What Notices, Advertisements and Posters is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no question paper or weightage for Class VIII English; your school sets and marks these tasks. In the ICSE Class X pattern a notice carries 5 marks.Source: CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII), RDCD 2016, English (Class VIII); CISCE Specimen Questions, English Language 2026

Key concepts

The CISCE notice: six lines

Write each element on its own line:
1. Creative title: a short, catchy phrase (not the event's name and not the word 'NOTICE').
2. Event: its full name.
3. Date: one date with day, month and year.
4. Time: start and end, with a.m./p.m.
5. Venue: the room or hall first, then the building and school.
6. Participation: who may take part, whom to give names to and by when (the only full sentence).
The deadline must fall after the notice is put up and before the event.

Worked example

Write a notice for an Inter House Spelling Bee for Classes VI to VIII.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Title without 'spelling' or 'bee'.
2. Event, date, time, venue.
3. Participation line with person and deadline.

Answer: Word Wizards Wanted!
Inter House Spelling Bee for Classes VI to VIII
on 20th January 2027
from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon
at the Audio-Visual Room, first floor, Main Block, Holy Cross School
Each house may send three pupils; names should be given to Ms Pereira, English Department, on or before 12th January 2027.

Classified advertisements

Classified adverts appear in newspaper columns under headings such as For Sale, To Let, Lost and Found, Situations Vacant. They are charged by the word or line, so they are compact: phrases, not full sentences. Include:

• what (item, room, job) with key features (size, condition, make, year);
• price or terms, where relevant;
• contact: name, phone number or address, best time to call.

Avoid unnecessary words such as 'We are pleased to inform you that'.

Worked example

Write a classified advert to sell a used bicycle.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Heading: FOR SALE.
2. Item, make, age, condition, extras, price.
3. Contact.

Answer: FOR SALE
Geared bicycle, 21 speeds, 2 years old, excellent condition, new tyres, with lock and bell. Price ₹6,500 (negotiable). Contact: Rahul, 98XXXXXX21, after 5 p.m.

Display advertisements

A display advert persuades. It usually has:

• a headline or slogan that grabs attention (rhyme, alliteration, a question);
• the name of the product, shop or service;
• features and benefits (what it does for the buyer);
• offers (discount, free gift) and dates if limited;
• contact or address.

Use persuasive language (fresh, exclusive, limited period), but keep claims believable. Layout matters: the slogan in big letters, details below.

Worked example

Write a slogan for a new stationery shop near a school.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Use alliteration or rhyme.
2. Link to pupils' needs.

Answer: 'Pens, Pads and Possibilities: everything your school bag needs!'

Posters

A poster informs or persuades a crowd at a glance. Plan it in four layers:
1. Slogan (big, top): short and memorable ('Every Drop Counts').
2. Visual idea: describe in brackets what picture or symbol you would draw (e.g. a dripping tap shaped like a tear).
3. Key information: three or four short points or the event details.
4. Appeal and issuer: a call to action and who has issued it ('Issued by the Eco Club, Delhi Public School').
Use capital letters, boxes and spacing to guide the eye. Avoid long sentences.

Worked example

Give the four layers of a poster on road safety for pupils.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Slogan; visual; three tips; appeal and issuer.

Answer: Slogan: 'Look Left, Look Right, Stay Alive Tonight.' Visual: a zebra crossing with a child holding a parent's hand. Tips: cross only at zebra crossings; never use a phone while crossing; wear reflective bands after dark. Appeal: 'Be road smart, every day!' Issued by: Road Safety Club, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bhopal.

Choosing the right form

The purpose and audience decide the form:

• To inform members of an organisation about an event or rule: a notice.
• To sell, buy, rent or find something, or announce a job: an advertisement.
• To spread awareness or promote an event to the public, with strong visual appeal: a poster.

The same event (say, a charity fair) can need all three: a notice for pupils who will run stalls, a poster to invite the public, and an advertisement in the local paper.

Worked example

Your school's Eco Club wants (a) to tell members about a meeting and (b) to persuade the neighbourhood to stop using plastic bags. Which form for each?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. (a) informs members: notice.
2. (b) persuades the public: poster.

Answer: (a) A notice; (b) a poster (it could be supported by a display advertisement in a local newsletter).

Notices, Advertisements and Posters in real life

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

Topics in this chapter

• Notice, Advertisement and Poster: Formats and Wording

How the school exam asks Notices, Advertisements and Posters

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Notices, Advertisements and Posters

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

• T-E-D-T-V-P

  Title, Event, Date, Time, Venue, Participation: 'Tiny Elephants Dance To Violin Players'.

  Use it when: Order of notice lines.

• Classified = Cost per word

  Imagine paying ₹10 per word: cut everything you do not need.

  Use it when: Classified advertisements.

• SVIA for posters

  Slogan, Visual, Information, Appeal (and issuer).

  Use it when: Planning a poster.

Notices, Advertisements and Posters: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.

Where students lose marks in Notices, Advertisements and Posters

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

• ✗Mistake: Writing 'NOTICE' as the title

  Pupils copy older formats.

  ✓Do this: Begin with a creative title; CISCE's format has no 'NOTICE' heading.

  Usually costs: The title mark.

• ✗Mistake: Full sentences in a classified advert

  Pupils write it like a letter.

  Wrong working

  We would like to inform you that we have a bicycle that we want to sell.

  Right working

  FOR SALE: geared bicycle, 2 years old, ₹6,500.

  ✓Do this: Compact phrases; cut every word that adds nothing.

  Usually costs: Marks for format and conciseness.

• ✗Mistake: Poster as a paragraph

  Pupils write an essay on the topic.

  ✓Do this: Slogan, visual, three or four short points, appeal, issuer: nothing longer than a line.

  Usually costs: Layout and impact marks.

• ✗Mistake: Missing contact or issuer

  Pupils focus on the message and forget the practical details.

  ✓Do this: Every advert needs a contact; every poster needs an issuer; every notice needs a person to register with.

  Usually costs: Content marks.

• ✗Mistake: Vague venues and incomplete dates

  Pupils write 'in school' or 'on 5th'.

  ✓Do this: Room, block, school; day, month, year.

  Usually costs: Venue and date marks.

Practice questions on Notices, Advertisements and Posters

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 · MCQExam level

   Which is the best creative title for a notice about a Clean-Up Drive? (a) Notice (b) Clean-Up Drive (c) Sweep It, Keep It! (d) All students must come

   Hint

   Short, catchy, not the event's name.

   Answer

   (c) Sweep It, Keep It!

2. Q2 · 5 marks · Short answerExam level

   Write a notice for your school's Annual Sports Day trials for Classes VI to VIII.

   Hint

   Trials may run over two or three days.

   Answer

   Value points: creative title (e.g. 'Ready, Steady, Go!'); event; dates with year; time; specific venue (e.g. Main Playground, [school]); participation: pupils to register events with the PE teacher by a deadline, bring sports uniform.

3. Q3 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Draft a classified advertisement for a room to let near a university, suitable for a student.

   Hint

   Heading TO LET; size, furnishing, facilities, rent, contact.

   Answer

   Value points: 'TO LET'; furnished single room, attached bathroom, near [university], Wi-Fi, meals optional; rent per month and deposit; suitable for students; contact name, phone and time to call.

4. Q4 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Write a display advertisement for a bakery that has just opened in your area.

   Hint

   Slogan, products, opening offer, address.

   Answer

   Value points: catchy slogan (e.g. 'Fresh from Our Oven to Your Table'); name; products (breads, cakes, cookies, eggless options); opening offer with dates; timings; address and phone.

5. Q5 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   Design a poster on 'Save Electricity' with a slogan, a visual idea, three tips and an issuer.

   Hint

   Slogan at the top in capitals; describe the visual in brackets.

   Answer

   Value points: slogan (e.g. 'SWITCH OFF, SAVE MORE'); visual (a bulb with a sad face turning into a smiling earth); tips: switch off lights and fans when leaving, use LED bulbs, unplug chargers; appeal; issued by [club, school].

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   A pupil's notice says the event is on 5th March and the last date for names is 8th March. What is wrong, and how would you fix it?

   Hint

   Notice date, deadline, event: in which order?

   Answer

   The deadline falls after the event. Set the deadline a few days after the notice is put up and well before 5th March, e.g. 25th February.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

   Explain two differences between a classified and a display advertisement.

   Hint

   Length and style; purpose and layout.

   Answer

   Any two: classifieds are short and factual in compact phrases while display adverts are persuasive and eye-catching; classifieds use standard headings (For Sale, Lost) while display adverts use slogans and pictures; classifieds are cheaper, priced by word or line, while display adverts take more space.

8. Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   A poster says: 'It is the duty of every responsible citizen to ensure that the environment is kept free of plastic waste at all times.' Rewrite it as an effective poster slogan and explain why yours works better.

   Hint

   Posters are read in a few seconds.

   Answer

   e.g. 'Ditch the Plastic, Go Fantastic!' It is short, rhythmic and memorable, uses a direct command, and can be read at a glance, whereas the original is a long, formal sentence that passers-by will not stop to read.

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.Name the six elements of a CISCE notice.Show answer

   Creative title, event, date, time, venue, participation details.

2. 2.Which line of a notice is a full sentence?Show answer

   The participation line.

3. 3.Name four headings used in classified advertisements.Show answer

   Any four: For Sale, To Let, Lost and Found, Situations Vacant, Wanted, Tuition.

4. 4.What are the four layers of a poster?Show answer

   Slogan, visual idea, key information, appeal and issuer.

5. 5.Which form would you use to tell club members about a meeting?Show answer

   A notice.

6. 6.Why are classified adverts written in phrases?Show answer

   They are charged by word or line, and readers scan them quickly.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Can you write a six-line notice with logical dates?
• ☐Can you invent a creative title that avoids the event's words?
• ☐Can you write a classified advert under the right heading in compact phrases?
• ☐Can you write a display advert with a slogan, benefits and an offer?
• ☐Can you plan a poster in four layers?
• ☐Can you choose the right form for a given purpose and audience?

Notices, Advertisements and Posters: frequently asked questions