ICSE Class 9 Letter Writing: Formal and Informal Letters with Examples

What Letter Writing is about

Weightage: Question 2: one letter out of two (formal or informal). In the board pattern it carries 10 of the 80 marks of Paper 1, about 20 minutes. Class IX papers are set by schools on the same syllabus.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 English syllabus (Paper 1, Question 2); CISCE ICSE 2027 Specimen Question Paper, English Paper 1

Key concepts

Informal (friendly) letter layout

Write to family members and friends. In CISCE's sample the parts are, in order:
1. Your address (house, street, locality, city with PIN), each line ending with a comma and the last with a full stop.
2. Date in full, e.g. '16th September 2025'.
3. Salutation: 'My dear Mother and Father,' / 'Dear Kabir,'.
4. Body in paragraphs: a warm opening, the points the question asks for, a closing paragraph.
5. Subscription: 'With love,' / 'Yours affectionately,' (no apostrophe in 'Yours').
6. First name only.
There is no receiver's address and no subject line.

Worked example

Put these jumbled parts of a friendly letter in order: 'Yours lovingly,'; '14, Lake View Road, Dhakuria, Kolkata – 700 031.'; 'Dear Didi,'; 'Tanvi'; '3rd March 2027.'; body paragraphs.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Sender's address first, then the date.
2. Salutation, then the body.
3. Subscription, then the first name.

Answer: 14, Lake View Road, / Dhakuria, / Kolkata – 700 031. / 3rd March 2027. / Dear Didi, / body / Yours lovingly, / Tanvi

Formal letter layout

Write to officials, editors, principals, companies. CISCE's sample has:
1. Sender's address and date (as above).
2. Receiver's designation and address: 'The Municipal Commissioner, / Kolkata Municipal Corporation, / ... / Kolkata – 700 126.'
3. Salutation: 'Dear Sir,' or 'Dear Madam,' (or 'Dear Sir/Madam,' when you do not know).
4. Body: purpose in the first paragraph, details and suggestions in the middle, a polite closing ('I look forward to your cooperation in this matter.').
5. 'Thanking you,' (optional) and 'Yours faithfully,'.
6. Full name.
No subject line appears in CISCE's formats, and your name never goes above your address.

Worked example

Write the receiver's block for a letter to the Principal of your school, Green Valley School, Sector 21, Noida.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Designation first, not a personal name.
2. Then the institution and its address, ending with the PIN.

Answer: The Principal,
Green Valley School,
Sector 21,
Noida – 201 301.

Salutation and subscription must match

The pair you choose shows whether you understand the letter's mode.

• Formal: 'Dear Sir,' / 'Dear Madam,' → 'Yours faithfully,' + full name.
• Informal: 'Dear Grandpa,' / 'My dear Riya,' → 'Yours affectionately,' / 'Yours lovingly,' / 'With love,' + first name.

CISCE examiners have repeatedly listed 'Respected Sir' and 'Yours sincerely' in formal letters, 'Your humble servant', and 'Your's' (with an apostrophe) among format errors.

Worked example

Correct this ending of a complaint to a bank manager: 'Your's obediently, Rahul'.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Formal letter, so 'Yours faithfully,'.
2. No apostrophe in 'Yours'.
3. Full name, not first name only.

Answer: Yours faithfully,
Rahul Menon

Content: cover every point and develop it

Each question names its points: 'how you felt', 'why you think', 'what your plans are'; or 'complain' and 'offer suggestions'. Underline each one and give it at least two specific details. A complaint letter, for instance, needs the problem described concretely (since when, where, its effects) and practical suggestions that the reader can actually carry out. CISCE examiners (2025) criticised answers that only asked the official to 'look into the matter or take necessary action', and those that offered just one obvious solution.

Worked example

Develop the point 'the street lights do not work' into two specific sentences for a formal complaint.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Say where and since when.
2. Say what harm it causes.

Answer: 'Six of the eight street lights on Gandhi Marg, between the post office and the bus depot, have not worked since 2nd July. Since then two two-wheelers have skidded on the potholes after dark, and parents no longer allow their children to walk back from tuition alone.'

Tone and vocabulary

A friendly letter may use contractions, questions and feelings ('I can't wait to see you!'). A formal letter is polite, factual and impersonal: no contractions, slang or rows of exclamation marks, and precise words ('inconvenience', 'request', 'kindly consider'). Never write a formal letter as a list of angry demands; firmness comes from facts.

Worked example

Rewrite in formal tone: 'The canteen food is super bad and we're totally sick of it!!'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Remove slang and contractions.
2. Replace emotion with a fact.

Answer: 'The quality of food in the school canteen has declined, and several pupils have complained of stale snacks over the past month.'

Opening and closing paragraphs

The first paragraph states the purpose at once. Formal: 'I am writing to bring to your notice ...' / 'I wish to request ...'. Informal: a warm link ('Thank you for your lovely birthday card. I have some exciting news ...'). The closing paragraph rounds off: formal, 'I hope you will take prompt action in this matter.'; informal, 'Give my love to Chachi. Do write soon.' Avoid the stale opening 'I am fine and hope you are also fine'.

Worked example

Write a one-sentence opening for a letter to the Editor about stray cattle on the roads.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. State the purpose.
2. Name the place.

Answer: 'Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw the attention of the authorities to the danger caused by stray cattle on the main roads of Civil Lines.'

Letter Writing 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

• Formal and Informal Letter Layout, Tone and Content (ICSE Class 9)

How the school exam asks Letter Writing

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

Tricks to remember Letter Writing

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

• Faithful to strangers

  'Dear Sir' writes to a stranger, so stay 'faithful'; family gets 'love'.

  Use it when: Matching salutation and subscription.

• PCS for complaints

  Purpose, Complaint details, Suggestions, then a polite Sign-off.

  Use it when: The four paragraphs of a complaint letter.

• No apostrophe in Yours

  'Yours' is like 'his' or 'hers': possessive pronouns never take an apostrophe.

  Use it when: Avoids a format error examiners list every year.

Letter Writing: 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 Letter Writing

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

• ✗Mistake: Mismatched salutation and subscription

  Pupils mix formal and informal conventions, or use forms learnt in lower classes.

  Wrong working

  Respected Madam, ... Yours sincerely, Neha

  Right working

  Dear Madam, ... Yours faithfully, Neha Joshi

  ✓Do this: Learn two pairs only: 'Dear Sir/Madam' + 'Yours faithfully' + full name; 'Dear [relation/name]' + 'Yours affectionately/lovingly' + first name.

  Usually costs: Format marks.

• ✗Mistake: Incomplete addresses and dates

  Pupils write just a city name, leave out the PIN or the receiver's designation, or write a numeric date.

  Wrong working

  Chennai
  12/1

  Right working

  4, Second Cross Street,
  T. Nagar,
  Chennai – 600 017.
  12th January 2027.

  ✓Do this: Memorise one full address of your own and write it the same way every time.

  Usually costs: Format marks.

• ✗Mistake: Adding a subject line or putting your name at the top

  Pupils copy layouts from other boards or from office letters.

  ✓Do this: Follow CISCE's published format: no subject line; your name appears only after the subscription.

  Usually costs: Format marks for layout.

• ✗Mistake: Thin content: repeating the question

  Pupils restate 'there is a problem, please solve it' without details.

  Wrong working

  'The park is in bad condition. Please do something.'

  Right working

  'Three swings have broken chains and the lamp posts have not worked since November, so children cannot play after five.'

  ✓Do this: Two concrete details (where, when, how many, what effect) for every point named in the question.

  Usually costs: Most of the content marks.

• ✗Mistake: Wrong tone

  Pupils write formal letters as they speak, or make friendly letters stiff.

  ✓Do this: Formal: no contractions, slang or exclamation marks. Informal: natural and warm, but still grammatical.

  Usually costs: Expression marks.

Practice questions on Letter Writing

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

1. Q1 · 10 marks · Long answerExam level

   Write a letter to the Editor of a newspaper about the increasing use of plastic bags in your town, suggesting ways to reduce it.

   Hint

   Problem with effects, then two or more practical suggestions.

   Answer

   Value points: formal layout with 'The Editor, [newspaper name], [address]'; 'Dear Sir/Madam,'; purpose ('Through the columns of your newspaper ...'); problem: blocked drains, cattle eating plastic, littered markets; suggestions: enforce the ban with fines, cloth-bag stalls at markets, school awareness drives, deposit schemes; polite close; 'Yours faithfully,' and full name.

2. Q2 · 10 marks · Long answerExam level

   Your cousin has just moved to a new city and is finding it hard to make friends. Write a letter giving her advice.

   Hint

   Sympathy first, then specific advice, then encouragement.

   Answer

   Value points: friendly layout; sympathise and share a similar experience; at least three specific tips (join a club or team, talk to a classmate who sits nearby, invite someone home, be patient); encouraging close; 'Yours lovingly,' and first name.

3. Q3 · 10 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

   Write a letter to the Manager of a courier company complaining that a parcel sent to your grandmother was delivered damaged and late.

   Hint

   Give booking details and dates; say what you want done.

   Answer

   Value points: formal layout with 'The Manager, [company], [branch address]'; booking number, date sent, promised and actual delivery dates; damage described; inconvenience caused; request a refund or replacement and an inquiry; 'Yours faithfully,' and full name.

4. Q4 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   List four format errors that CISCE examiners have reported in formal letters, and give the correct form of each.

   Hint

   Salutation, subscription, apostrophe, address.

   Answer

   (1) 'Respected Sir' → 'Dear Sir,'. (2) 'Yours sincerely' in a formal letter → 'Yours faithfully,'. (3) 'Your's' → 'Yours'. (4) Incomplete address (no PIN or designation) → full address ending with the PIN, and the receiver's designation first. ('Your humble servant' is also wrong; use 'Yours faithfully,'.)

5. Q5 · 10 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

   Write a letter to your friend who lives abroad describing a festival you celebrated with your family this year.

   Hint

   Your friend may not know the festival: explain, then describe with the senses.

   Answer

   Value points: friendly layout; brief explanation of the festival; preparations; the day itself with sensory detail (lamps, sweets, music); a special moment with family; invitation to visit next year; affectionate close; first name.

6. Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   A pupil writes a formal letter that opens: 'I am fine and hope you are also fine. I am writing this letter because I want to tell you something.' Explain what is wrong and rewrite it for a letter to a Principal requesting extra library hours.

   Hint

   Purpose first; no informal greetings.

   Answer

   It is an informal, empty opening that does not state the purpose. Rewrite: 'I am writing on behalf of the pupils of Class IX to request that the school library remain open until 4.30 p.m. on weekdays during the examination season.'

7. Q7 · 10 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

   You and your friends want the local municipal body to convert an empty plot into a playground. Write the letter.

   Hint

   A request is more persuasive with benefits and a practical plan.

   Answer

   Value points: formal layout to 'The Municipal Commissioner/The Chairman, [Municipal body]'; location of the plot and its present misuse (dumping, stagnant water); benefits of a playground (health, safety, community); a practical plan (levelling, fencing, a few benches, volunteers from the residents' association to maintain it); polite request; 'Yours faithfully,' and full name.

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.How many letters are offered in Question 2, and how many do you write?Show answer

   Two (formal and informal); you write one.

2. 2.What subscription goes with 'Dear Sir,'?Show answer

   'Yours faithfully,' followed by your full name.

3. 3.Does CISCE's formal letter format have a subject line?Show answer

   No.

4. 4.What are the three things CISCE's marking scheme says are important?Show answer

   Format, content and expression.

5. 5.Where does the receiver's address go in an informal letter?Show answer

   Nowhere: an informal letter has only the sender's address and date.

6. 6.What is the advised time for the letter in the board pattern?Show answer

   Not more than 20 minutes.

Quick revision checklist

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

• ☐Can you write your full address and today's date in CISCE style without thinking?
• ☐Can you name the correct salutation and subscription pair for formal and informal letters?
• ☐Can you write the receiver's block for a Principal, an Editor and a Municipal Commissioner?
• ☐Can you turn a vague complaint into two specific details?
• ☐Can you give two practical suggestions for any civic problem?
• ☐Can you rewrite an informal sentence in formal tone?

Letter Writing: frequently asked questions