Tips to Master Writing Section in Class 10 English Board Exam

Preparing for the Class 10 English Board exam is not much of a challenge for most students. However, one section of the paper often surprises students. Not because it’s difficult, but only because it is one of the least practised areas. That’s right! We are talking about the writing section. Once you dedicate regular practice hours to writing, it becomes a highly scoring section pertaining to the formats that are asked in Class 10 English CBSE Board Exams.

Tips to master the writing section in Class 10 CBSE Board Exams:

Section–B: Writing: 10 Marks

As per CBSE Sample Paper, Section B (Creative Writing Skills) comprises Two Long Answer type questions, carrying 5 marks each with a word limit of 100-150 words. Let us understand both types of questions in detail.

Formal Letter Writing:

Distribution of Marks:

Format: 1 mark

Sender’s address, 

Date,

Receiver’s address, 

Subject 

Salutation 

Body, 

Complimentary close (largely accepted -Yours truly– editor & Yours sincerely- formal /business)

Content -2 marks

Organisation of ideas -1 mark

Accuracy-1 mark

Most students are unaware of the meaning of ‘Organisation of Ideas’. This 1 mark is allotted to students who have:

• Highly effective style capable of conveying the ideas convincingly with the appropriate layout of a formal letter viz. addresses, salutation, subscription, and ending  

• Carefully Structured Content with Organised paragraphing presented cohesively
• Highly effective register (formal tone, tense, and vocabulary), relevant and appropriate sentences for conveying the ideas precisely and effectively

In Accuracy – examiners check accurate use of Spelling, punctuation, and grammar that do not impede communication

To understand the scoring of a Formal Letter, let’s analyze an example from the Class 10 CBSE Sample Paper. 

Analytical Paragraph Writing:

An analytical paragraph is a form of descriptive writing on the basis of a given chart, graph, data, outline, clues, table, etc. The section must use clear and crisp language and provide complete details of the data given in the question. Keep in mind that an analytical section should

• describe the given chart, table, data, graph, cues, etc.
• be comprehensive and relevant
• state facts/inferences based on the data
• use simple and accurate language
• carry appropriate comparative phrases
• carry the same tense throughout the paragraph
• not mention any personal observation or opinion
• be preferably written in passive form

The distribution of marks is as follows:

Content – 2 marks

Organisation of Ideas – 2 marks

Accuracy- 1 mark

Most students are unaware of the meaning of ‘Organisation of Ideas’. 2 marks are allotted to students who have: 

• Highly effective style capable of conveying ideas convincingly

• Carefully structured content with an organized single paragraph presented cohesively.  
• Highly effective register (formal tone and vocabulary), relevant and appropriate sentences for conveying the idea precisely and effectively.

Accurate use of spellings, punctuation, and grammar is always assessed while giving 1 mark for Accuracy

To understand the scoring of the Analytical paragraph, let’s analyze an example from the Class 10 CBSE Sample Paper.

Read the following excerpt from an online post on a website on educational practices. 

Useful Tips for Writing an Analytical Paragraph Based on Data Interpretation:

• Introduction: Begin with suitable phrases such as-

• The chart summarises/describes
• The table points out / suggests
• The line graph shows/illustrates
• The given data provides information about
• The pie chart illustrates / points out

• Main Body: Comparative phrases should be used to show trends of growth, decline, levelling off, and stagnation, show relationship between quantities, and point out contrast/similarities between different segments. 
• Conclusion: Use phrases such as to sum up, consequently, therefore, hence, overall, in a nutshell, etc.

Key Tips to Remember:

• Learn the formats of Letters properly and stick to formal tone and expression.
• Do not use fancy, elaborate/verbose writing style. 
• Stick to a comprehensive, clear, and logical style of argumentation. 
• For analytical paragraphs, use comparative phrases while preparing the report based on bar graphs, pie charts, etc. 
• The conclusion of the report must be given in clear words, rather than using fancy quotes or idioms.
• Once you have finished writing, always read your answer to eliminate spelling and grammatical errors. This ensures your 1 mark of ‘Accuracy’ and helps you avoid silly mistakes.

Keep these pointers in mind while practicing the writing section and boost your final score in Board exams. 

Good luck!