Topics · Primary English · Situational Writing
Situational writing: the right form for the reader
A letter, an email or a report, written for a stated reader with stated points to cover. Unlike a composition there is nothing to invent — the marks are for covering every point in the right tone and the right format.
- 93 exam papers analysed
- appears in 47% of P6 English papers
- ~3 min read
01 Three things are given, and all three are marked
Purpose — why you are writing: to invite, to complain, to inform, to apply, to thank.
Audience — who you are writing to. A teacher, a principal and a friend get three different tones.
Points to cover — usually a bulleted list. Every bullet must appear in your answer, and missing one loses a mark however good the writing is.
So the first move is to tick each bullet off as you write it, then check them again at the end.
02 Formal or informal
Everything else follows from this decision, so make it first.
| Formal | Informal | |
|---|---|---|
| Reader | principal, shopkeeper, stranger | friend, cousin, classmate |
| Greeting | Dear Mr Tan / Dear Sir or Madam | Dear Ali / Hi Ali |
| Contractions | do not, cannot | don't, can't |
| Sign-off | Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully | Your friend / Love |
| Tone | polite, direct, no slang | friendly, chatty |
03 The format marks
These are free marks and they are lost every year.
- Email — a subject line that says what it is about. Leaving it blank or writing “Email” loses the mark.
- Letter — a greeting, paragraphs, and a sign-off matching the greeting.
- Report — a title, and usually headings.
- Always sign off, and use a name if one is given in the question.
- Use paragraphs. One block of text loses organisation marks whatever it says.
04 Covering a point properly
A bullet is not covered by a mention. It has to be developed — usually a sentence saying it and a sentence explaining or extending it.
“Say when the event is” is covered by “The concert is on Saturday 12 April, starting at 7 pm in the school hall.” — not by “It is in April.”
Add a little detail of your own where the bullet invites it. Reasons, times, and what the reader should do next all count as development.
Do not add points nobody asked for. Extra material is not rewarded and eats the time you need for the bullets that are.
05 How to say them
These are words most children have never said out loud, and a word you cannot say is a word you avoid using. Capitals mark the syllable you lean on. Tap the speaker to hear it.
- situational writing
Writing a letter, email or report for a stated reader and purpose, covering given points.
- formalsayFOR-muhl
Polite and careful, for someone you do not know well. No contractions, no slang.
- informalsayin-FOR-muhl
Friendly and relaxed, for someone you know well.
- salutationsaysal-yuh-TAY-shuhn
The greeting at the start: Dear Mr Tan, Dear Ali.
- sign-off
The closing: Yours sincerely, Yours faithfully, Your friend.
- subject line
The line in an email saying what it is about. It carries a mark of its own.
06 What each level is tested on
The same topic, asked differently as it goes up. The percentage is the share of papers at that level in which it appears.
- P5
Informal letters and emails, with a clear greeting, paragraphs and sign-off.
Practise P5 Situational Writing — 10 questions →25% of P5 papers
- P6
Formal and informal situational writing, covering every bullet in the right tone and format.
Practise P6 Situational Writing — 10 questions →47% of P6 papers
07 Mistakes worth knowing about
Each of these is wrong. Decide why before you open it.
“I covered most of the bullet points.”
Every one is marked. Missing a single bullet loses that mark whatever the rest is like.
“Dear Sir or Madam … Yours sincerely.”
Yours faithfully goes with Dear Sir or Madam. Yours sincerely is for when you used the person's name.
“I left the subject line blank.”
It carries a mark. Write what the email is about — Request to use the school hall.
“I wrote don't and can't in a letter to the principal.”
Formal writing spells them out: do not, cannot.
“I mentioned the date, so that bullet is covered.”
A bullet needs developing — a sentence stating it and a sentence extending it, not a passing mention.
Now try it
20 questions across 2 levels, marked as you go with the working shown.