ICSE letter format — formal and informal, done right.

Letter writing is Question 2 on the ICSE English Language paper — 10 marks that are almost entirely about getting a fixed structure right. Here's that structure, exactly, with two full worked examples.

Last updated August 2026.

Marks breakdown — Question 2, 10 marks total

Formal letter

Format — ~3 marks
Content — ~2 marks
Expression & language — ~5 marks

Informal letter

Format — ~2.5 marks
Content — ~2.5 marks
Expression & language — ~5 marks

Target length: around 120 words. Splits can shift slightly year to year — always cross-check against the current year's CISCE specimen paper.

Formal letter format

Use a formal letter for anything addressed to someone in an official capacity — an editor, a principal, a company, a municipal officer. The structure, in order:

Sender's address — your address, up to 3 lines (house/street, area/city, PIN). Top left or top right, both accepted — just be consistent.
Date — written out, e.g. "15th August 2026."
Receiver's address — name/designation of the recipient, then the organisation, city, and PIN.
Subject line — one line stating the letter's purpose.
Salutation — "Dear Sir/Madam" if the name is unknown, or "Dear Mr./Ms. [Surname]" if it is.
Body — three short paragraphs: why you're writing, the details, what you want to happen next.
Complimentary close — "Yours faithfully" (unnamed salutation) or "Yours sincerely" (named salutation).
Signature — your full name.

12 Lake View Apartments Sector 9, Navi Mumbai Maharashtra – 400706 15th August 2026 The Editor Times of India Mumbai – 400001 Subject: Frequent Power Cuts in Sector 9, Navi Mumbai Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing through your esteemed newspaper to draw the attention of the concerned authorities to the frequent and unannounced power cuts affecting Sector 9, Navi Mumbai, over the past two months. Power supply has been disrupted almost daily, often during evening study hours, with no prior notice from the electricity board. Elderly residents and students preparing for board examinations have been particularly affected, and several small shops in the area have reported losses due to the erratic supply. I request that the electricity board be urged to investigate the cause of these outages and restore a reliable supply at the earliest, with advance notice given for any planned maintenance in future. Thanking you, Yours faithfully, Aarav Mehta

Informal letter format

Use an informal letter for friends and family. It's shorter to format (no receiver's address) but the "expression" marks still reward a warm, natural tone — not a formal one with the salutation swapped out.

Sender's address — yours only, 2–3 lines. No receiver's address at all.
Date, directly below.
Salutation — by relationship or first name: "Dear Ritu," "Dear Nani,"
Body — 2–3 conversational paragraphs.
Complimentary close — "Yours affectionately," "With love," or "Your loving friend," depending on who you're writing to.
First name only — no surname needed.

21 Green Park Colony New Delhi – 110016 3rd August 2026 Dear Ritu, I hope you're doing well! I've been meaning to write since our school trip to Manali last month — it's taken me this long just to finish sorting through all the photos. The trek up to the waterfall was easily the best part. Do you remember how Mr. Kapoor slipped on that muddy patch and everyone pretended not to laugh? I still can't believe none of the teachers caught us sneaking out for hot maggi that last evening. I've attached a couple of photos from the campfire night — you looked thrilled to finally beat Ananya at antakshari. Write back soon and tell me how your summer project is going. I still owe you that biology diagram you asked for! Your loving friend, Kavya

Format mistakes that cost marks

Mismatched salutation and closing

"Dear Sir/Madam" must close with "Yours faithfully," not "Yours sincerely." It's the single most common format error examiners flag.

Receiver's address in an informal letter

Informal letters never include one — only your own address and the date.

Missing subject line (formal)

A one-line subject after the receiver's address is part of the graded format.

No paragraph breaks

Running the whole body into one block loses structure marks even when the content is good.

Wrong register

Overly stiff language in an informal letter, or casual language in a formal one, costs expression marks either way.

Forgetting the date

An easy line to lose track of when you're focused on the body — write it right after the address, before anything else.

Frequently asked questions

How many marks is letter writing worth in ICSE?

10 marks, as Question 2 of the ICSE Class 9/10 English Language (Paper 1) exam. It typically splits as roughly 2.5–3 marks for format, 2–2.5 marks for content, and 5 marks for expression and language — the exact split can shift slightly year to year, so always check the current year's CISCE specimen paper.

How many words should an ICSE letter be?

Around 120 words is the commonly cited target for both formal and informal letters at Class 9–10 level. Examiners generally accept a reasonable range either side of that rather than penalising a handful of words over or under, but running significantly short costs content marks.

Do I need the receiver's address in an informal letter?

No. An informal letter has no receiver's address at all — only the sender's address and date at the top, then straight into the salutation. Including a receiver's address in an informal letter is a common format mistake that costs marks.

Yours faithfully or Yours sincerely — which one?

It depends on the salutation, not personal preference. If you don't know the recipient's name and wrote "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam," close with "Yours faithfully." If you addressed them by name — "Dear Mr. Sharma" or "Dear Ms. Verma" — close with "Yours sincerely." Mismatching the two is one of the most common format errors examiners flag.

Is a subject line required in a formal ICSE letter?

Yes — a one-line subject placed after the receiver's address and before the salutation (for example, "Subject: Complaint Regarding Irregular Water Supply"). It's a small line but part of the graded format, and skipping it is an easy mark to lose for something that takes ten seconds to add.

More on Paper 1

Letter writing is one of five questions on ICSE English Paper 1. See the full breakdown of composition, comprehension, and grammar too.

Read the full Paper 1 guide