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ISC Class 12 Directed Writing: Formats, Amplify

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English LanguageISC Class 12 · Directed Writing

Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats (ISC Class 12 English Language)

Updated 18 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

Directed writing is Question 2(i): one piece of 250-300 words for 15 marks, based on all the points given. Each guideline point must appear and be amplified with a reason, example or detail, inside the right format: feature article, book review, blog, newspaper report or statement of purpose. Listing points, omitting one or retelling at length loses marks.

Fewer guideline points means more words each: after a 30-word intro and close, 220 words are shared equally so every point gets a reason or example.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats

1. The task. One piece of 250-300 words worth 15 marks, based on the information and all the points provided. It tests amplifying, describing and re-stating, and the format is taken into account together with language. The advised time for Question 2 as a whole is not more than 55 minutes, so about 33 minutes for this part.

2. Amplification. Each point in the list must appear and be expanded with a reason, an example or a detail. Examiners reported that some points were often omitted, that candidates wrote generally on the topic instead of expanding the specific points, and that they listed points or became wordy. The words per point depend on how many points there are: roughly 30 to 45 words each, with more words per point when there are fewer points.

3. A word budget (imaginary). With 6 guideline points and a piece of 280 words: opening 30 + closing 30 leaves 220 for the points, i.e. 220 / 6, about 37 words each. With 5 points: 220 / 5 = 44 words each.

4. The formats (standard conventions)

  • Feature article: headline, byline, opening hook, body paragraphs taking the points in order, a conclusion that leaves a thought. A lively tone, first person and rhetorical questions are allowed.
  • Book review: title for the review; the book's title, author and genre; a brief summary without the ending; comments on characters, setting, themes and style, each supported by a detail; a verdict with recommendation and often a rating. Keep the summary to one paragraph.
  • Blog: title, writer's name and date, an opening that speaks to readers, short paragraphs, personal experience and tips, and a closing line inviting response. Informal but grammatically correct, with no text-message spellings, emojis or hashtags in place of sentences.
  • Newspaper report: headline in the present tense, byline, dateline, a lead paragraph answering who, what, when, where and why or how, body paragraphs in decreasing order of importance, a quotation, and a line on what happens next. Third person, past tense, no opinion.
  • Statement of purpose: a formal personal statement of one's aims, background and reasons for applying, covering each point given, in the first person and formal tone.

5. Checking. Before finishing, tick each guideline point against your paragraphs, check the format elements, the tense and person, and the word count.

Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats: key facts

Directed writing task
  • 250 to 300 words
  • 15 marks
  • All points amplified
  • Correct format
About 33 minutes.
Amplify a point
  • State the point
  • Give a reason or example
  • Link to the topic
About 30 to 45 words, depending on the number of points.
Report lead
  • Who
  • What
  • When
  • Where
  • Why or how
In the first paragraph.

How to answer Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats questions

Follow this routine for any directed writing question.

  1. 1Identify the form and list its format elements.
  2. 2Number every guideline point and plan a paragraph for each.
  3. 3Divide 250 to 300 words: opening, one paragraph per point, closing.
  4. 4Write with the right tense, person and tone for the form.
  5. 5Tick each point and check the format and word count.

Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats 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.

Amplifying a point

Suppose the guideline point reads 'builds teamwork' in an article on school sports.

Amplify it in about 40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. State what the point means.
  2. Give a concrete example.
  3. Link it back to sports.

Answer: In a relay race no runner wins alone. Each must trust the next to be ready for the baton, and the team succeeds or fails together. Such moments teach students to depend on others and to accept responsibility, qualities that classrooms and workplaces also demand.

Memory hook: Point, proof, link.

Report lead

Imagine your school held a tree-plantation drive on Sunday with 80 volunteers and 150 saplings.

Write the dateline and the lead paragraph for a newspaper report.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Dateline: place and date.
  2. Lead: who, what, when, where and one key figure.

Answer: Kolkata, 3 March: Eighty volunteers from Lakeview School planted 150 saplings on the campus and the adjoining road on Sunday, in a drive organised by the Eco Club.

Memory hook: Facts first, in the first paragraph.

Tricks to remember Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats

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

  • HBHCC

    Feature article: Headline, Byline, Hook, body in order, Conclusion.

    Use it when: Feature article format.

  • 5 Ws in the lead

    Who, What, When, Where, Why in the first paragraph of a report.

    Use it when: Newspaper report.

Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats: solved examples

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

Example 1: Required length · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The required length of the directed writing piece is:
(a) 150 to 200 words
(b) 250 to 300 words
(c) 350 to 400 words
(d) 400 to 450 words

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The syllabus requires 250 to 300 words.

Answer: (b)

Example 2: Spot the format · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

Name the form each opening belongs to: (i) 'Hi everyone, welcome back to my blog! Today I want to share why my best ideas arrive in the bath.', (ii) 'Mumbai, 9 June: Heavy rain flooded...', (iii) 'In this novel, set in a coastal village, the author...', (iv) 'I am applying for the programme because...'

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. (i) Blog: addresses readers directly.
  2. (ii) Newspaper report: dateline and facts.
  3. (iii) Book review: names the setting and author.
  4. (iv) Statement of purpose: first-person aims.

Answer: (i) blog, (ii) report, (iii) book review, (iv) statement of purpose.

Example 3: Word plan · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

A book review of 280 words must cover five guideline points: summary, characters, setting and themes, style, and recommendation. The opening and closing take 30 words each. Calculate the words available for each point if shared equally, and the maximum for the summary if the other four points each get 45 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Words for the points = 280 - 30 - 30 = 220.
  2. Equal share = 220 / 5 = 44 words.
  3. Four points at 45 = 180 words.
  4. Summary maximum = 220 - 180 = 40 words, so the summary must be brief.

Answer: 44 words each; summary at most 40 words.

Example 4: Amplify and convert · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

Convert this bare point into a developed blog paragraph of about 50 words: 'sleep helps exam performance'. Keep the tone conversational and the grammar correct.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Address the reader and open with a personal touch.
  2. Give a concrete example of the effect.
  3. End with a practical tip.

Answer: Here is what I learnt the hard way: sleep is not wasted study time. After a night of five hours, I misread two questions in a mock test; after seven hours I finished early. Switch off by eleven, and let your brain do the revision for you.

Example 5: Plan a newspaper report · 8 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

The question gives these points for a report on a school science fair: date and venue, number of exhibits, the chief guest's remarks, the winning project, and a plan for next year. Plan the headline, byline, dateline, paragraph order and one quotation, and state the tense and person.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Headline in the present tense: 'Young Scientists Impress at School Fair'.
  2. Byline: By Our Staff Reporter; dateline with place and date.
  3. Lead: who organised, what, when and where (date and venue), with the most newsworthy point, the winning project, mentioned briefly.
  4. Body: keep the order of the question's points, so the number of exhibits first, then the chief guest's remarks with a quotation, since the winning project is already in the lead.
  5. Closing line: the plan for next year.
  6. Third person, past tense, no personal opinion.
  7. Each guideline point gets its own paragraph or clear sentences; keep to 250-300 words.
  8. Check that all five points appear.

Answer: Headline: 'Young Scientists Impress at School Fair'. Byline: By Our Staff Reporter. Dateline: Pune, 12 January. Lead: the school's Science Club held its annual fair on 12 January in the school hall, where a water-purifying device built by Class 11 students won first prize. Body paragraph 1: the number of exhibits, e.g. 60 working models, grouped by theme. Body paragraph 2: the chief guest's remarks, with a quotation such as "Curiosity is the first step to invention," said the chief guest. Body paragraph 3: further detail on the winning project, if words remain. Close: the Science Club plans a larger fair next year. Third person, past tense, no personal opinion.

Where students lose marks in Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats

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

  • Mistake: Omitting a guideline point

    Examiners reported that points were often omitted.

    Wrong working

    Five of six points covered.

    Right working

    Tick every guideline point against a paragraph.

    Do this: Number the points.

    Usually costs: Content marks.

  • Mistake: Listing points without amplifying

    The task is amplification.

    Wrong working

    Sport builds discipline, teamwork and fitness.

    Right working

    A paragraph on each with an example and a link.

    Do this: Point, proof, link.

    Usually costs: Content marks.

  • Mistake: Wrong format elements

    Format is marked with language.

    Wrong working

    A report with a personal opinion and no dateline.

    Right working

    Headline, byline, dateline, lead, body in decreasing importance.

    Do this: List the format elements first.

    Usually costs: Format marks.

Exam tips

  • Spend about 33 minutes on directed writing.
  • Use the order of the points given in the question.
  • A long plot summary in a review swallows the word limit.
  • A newspaper report is in the third person, past tense.

Practice questions on Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats

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 · Very short answerBoard level

    How many marks does directed writing carry?

    Hint

    Question 2(i).

    Answer

    15 marks.

  2. Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level

    Name the five forms of directed writing for 2027.

    Hint

    Feature, review, blog...

    Answer

    Feature article, book review, blog, newspaper report and statement of purpose.

  3. Q3 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Why should a newspaper report not contain the writer's opinion?

    Hint

    Purpose of a report.

    Answer

    A report gives the facts of an event objectively; personal opinion belongs to an article or editorial and would break the format.

  4. Q4 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    A student's feature article has 7 guideline points and 290 words. If the opening takes 35 words and the closing 35, how many words remain for each point if shared equally, and what is the risk of equal sharing?

    Hint

    Subtract opening and closing.

    Answer

    Remaining = 290 - 35 - 35 = 220 words. Per point = 220 / 7 = 31.4, about 31 words. The risk of equal sharing is that important points get too few words, so they are only listed and not amplified. A better plan gives more words to the major points and fewer to the minor ones, while still covering every point.

  5. Q5 · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    A student writes a statement of purpose in the third person with a humorous tone, listing the points in bullets of five words each. Evaluate it against the requirements.

    Hint

    Form, tone, amplification.

    Answer

    It fails on several counts. A statement of purpose is a formal first-person piece; humour and the third person do not suit it. Bulleted five-word points do not amplify the guideline points as required, and listing points loses content marks. It should be rewritten in formal first-person paragraphs, each developing one point with a reason or example.

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.Word limit of directed writing?Show answer

    250 to 300 words.

  2. 2.Which form has a dateline?Show answer

    The newspaper report.

  3. 3.What does a book review end with?Show answer

    A verdict with a recommendation.

  4. 4.What was added to the list in 2027?Show answer

    Blogs (speech writing was dropped).

Amplifying Guideline Points and the Five Directed Writing Formats: frequently asked questions

Is there a fixed layout printed by CISCE?

The chapter page says CISCE has not printed a fixed layout; the formats are standard conventions.

Can a blog use emojis?

No, it must remain grammatically correct.

Is the order of points fixed?

Follow the order given in the question.