Grammar and Writing Skills

Why This Chapter Matters

Grammar and Writing carries 20-25 marks in CBSE Class 10 boards. Letter writing, notice writing, and grammar sections (gap filling, editing) are predictable and fully learnable — guaranteed marks if you practice the format.

1. Formal Letter Writing

Format (Always follow this)

[Your address]
[Date]

The [Designation],
[Organisation Name],
[Address]

Subject: [Brief, specific statement of purpose]

Dear Sir/Madam,

[Opening paragraph — state purpose clearly]

[Body — details, reasons, specific request]

[Closing paragraph — what you expect, thank the reader]

Yours faithfully/sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Class/Designation if applicable]

Yours faithfully — when you don't know the person's name (Dear Sir/Madam)

Yours sincerely — when you know the name (Dear Mr. Sharma)

Types of Formal Letters

Letter to Editor: Complain about/highlight a social issue

Opening: "I am writing to draw your attention to..."

Letter of Complaint:

Opening: "I am deeply distressed to inform you that..."

Must include: specific date of incident, exact product/service, what went wrong, what you expect

Letter of Request/Application:

Opening: "I am a student of Class X and wish to apply for..."

Letter to Government/Municipal Body:

"I wish to bring to your notice the pathetic condition of..."

Sample Letter (Board Pattern)

Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper about the increasing noise pollution in your city.

45, Green Park Colony
New Delhi
15 June 2026

The Editor,
The Times of India,
New Delhi

Subject: Rising noise pollution in residential areas

Dear Sir,

I am writing to draw your attention to the alarming rise in noise pollution in our city's residential areas, which is severely affecting the quality of life of residents.

The constant noise from construction sites, loudspeakers, and vehicular traffic continues well beyond permissible hours. Many elderly citizens and students preparing for examinations find it impossible to concentrate. Medical experts have warned that prolonged exposure to such noise levels can cause hearing impairment and stress-related disorders.

I request you to publish this letter and urge the concerned authorities to enforce noise pollution guidelines strictly and take action against violators.

Yours faithfully,
Rohan Verma

2. Notice Writing

Format

[Name of Organisation/School]

NOTICE

[Date]

[HEADING IN CAPITALS]

[Body — Who, What, When, Where, Why]
Details should be brief and clear.

[Name]
[Designation]

Key rules: No more than 50-60 words. No personal pronouns (no "I", "we"). Include all 5 Ws. Box the notice or put it in a frame.

Sample Notice

GREENWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL

NOTICE
12 June 2026

INTER-HOUSE DEBATE COMPETITION

This is to inform all students that an inter-house debate competition will be held on 25 June 2026 in the school auditorium from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The topic is "Online Education vs Traditional Education." Interested students may register with their respective house captains by 20 June 2026.

Priya Singh
Head Girl

3. Grammar — Gap Filling and Editing

Common Grammar Rules Tested

Articles (a, an, the):

a: before consonant sounds (a book, a university — u sounds like "yu")

an: before vowel sounds (an apple, an hour — h is silent)

the: specific noun previously mentioned, unique things (the Sun, the Taj Mahal)

Prepositions:

at: specific time (at 5 PM), specific place (at the door)

in: inside, months, years, cities (in June, in Delhi)

on: surface, days, dates (on Monday, on 5 June)

by: not later than (by 5 PM), agent (written by Keats)

since: from a specific time (since 2020)

for: duration (for 3 years)

Tenses in Context:

Present Perfect: have/has + past participle (for experience, recent action)

Past Perfect: had + past participle (before another past action)

Active to Passive: Object + be(correct tense) + past participle + by + subject

Sentence Editing (finding errors):

Common errors: wrong article, wrong preposition, subject-verb agreement, wrong tense

Method: Read each sentence, identify which grammar rule is violated, correct it

4. Paragraph/Article Writing

Article format:

Useful phrases:

Introduction: "In today's world...", "It is a well-known fact that..."

Adding points: "Moreover...", "Furthermore...", "In addition to this..."

Contrast: "However...", "On the other hand...", "Despite this..."

Conclusion: "To conclude...", "In the light of the above...", "It is high time that..."

PYQs

2023: Write a letter to the Principal requesting permission to organise a science exhibition.

[Follow formal letter format: address, date, designation, subject, body with 3 paragraphs — purpose, details, request, signature]

2022: Write a notice for your school notice board about a yoga workshop.

[Follow notice format: school name, date, heading, 50-word body, name, designation]

2021: Fill in the blanks: "He has been working here ___ 2018." → since (specific year = since)

MCQ Practice

Q1. "She is __ honest girl." → (A) a (B) an (C) the (D) no article → B (honest starts with vowel sound)

Q2. "I arrived __ Monday morning." → (A) in (B) at (C) on (D) by → C (day = on)

Q3 (Hard). Edit the sentence: "She has went to the market yesterday."

Error: "has went" — past perfect/present perfect error + "yesterday" requires simple past.

Correction: "She went to the market yesterday."

Revision Notes

FORMAL LETTER FORMAT:
Address → Date → Designation → Subject → Salutation → Body(3 paras) → Closing → Name

NOTICE FORMAT:
Organisation → NOTICE → Date → HEADING → Body(50 words) → Name/Designation

ARTICLES: a(consonant) | an(vowel sound) | the(specific/unique)
PREPOSITIONS: at(point) | in(enclosed) | on(surface) | since(specific time) | for(duration)

TENSES TO KNOW:
Simple Past: action completed at specific time in past
Present Perfect: has/have + pp (experience/recent)
Past Perfect: had + pp (before another past action)
Passive: object + be(tense) + pp + by + agent

LETTER ENDINGS:
Faithfully → when Sir/Madam (unknown)
Sincerely → when name known