Which format does the task need - an email, a letter, a report or a speech - and what does each one look like?
Choose and lay out the correct format for a situational writing task, including the openings, sign-offs and features that each format requires
How to pick the correct format for a Situational Writing task (email, letter, report, speech) and lay it out properly with the right greeting, structure and sign-off.
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What this dot point is asking
SEAB wants you to choose the correct format for a Situational Writing task and lay it out properly. The task will ask for an email, a letter, a report, a speech or a notice, and each one has its own features: how you open it, how you organise it, and how you close it. Using the wrong format, or the right format laid out badly, loses easy marks, because Section B rewards a response that looks and reads like the real text the situation calls for. The good news is that the formats are predictable, so once you know them you can set up any task correctly in under a minute.
The answer
Spotting which format is needed
The task tells you the format directly ("write an email", "write a letter", "write a report") or through the situation. If you are writing to a named person, it is usually a letter or email. If you are presenting information to someone in authority, it may be a report. If you are addressing a group out loud, it is a speech. If you are putting up information for many people to read, it is a notice. Underline the format word in the question before you start.
Email and letter
An email needs a subject line, a greeting ("Dear Mr Tan," or "Dear Students,"), organised paragraphs, and a sign-off ("Best regards," or "Yours sincerely,") with your name. A letter is similar but has no subject line; instead it opens with a greeting and closes with a sign-off that matches how well you know the reader. Use "Yours sincerely" when you know the reader's name and "Yours faithfully" when you do not (for example "Dear Sir or Madam").
Report
A report is built around information rather than a personal message. It has a clear title and may use short headings (Aim, Findings, Recommendations). It is factual and organised, and it ends with the writer's name and class. It does not need a warm greeting or sign-off.
Speech and notice
A speech is meant to be heard, so it opens by addressing the listeners ("Good morning, everyone,"), uses a lively and direct tone, and closes with a strong final line. A notice uses a bold heading and gives the key details clearly (what, when, where, who), often in short lines so readers can scan it quickly.
Examples in context
Example 1. An email to a teacher. Because the task says "email" and names the teacher, you open with a subject line ("Request to Use the School Hall"), greet with "Dear Mr Lee,", write organised paragraphs, and close with "Best regards," and your name and class. The subject line and sign-off are what make it an email rather than a letter.
Example 2. A report on a survey. Because the task asks for a report to the Head of Department, you give it a title ("Report on the Student Canteen Survey"), use short headings such as Aim, Findings and Recommendations, write in a factual tone, and end with your name. There is no "Dear" and no warm sign-off, because a report is organised around information.
Try this
Cue. A task asks you to write to a company whose name you do not know to ask for sponsorship. Name the format and the correct greeting and sign-off. It is a formal letter, opening "Dear Sir or Madam," and closing "Yours faithfully," because you do not know the reader's name.
Cue. You must address your whole school at assembly about road safety. Which format is it, and how should it open and close? It is a speech, so it opens by addressing the listeners ("Good morning, everyone,") and closes with a strong, memorable final line.
Cue. Explain the difference between a notice and a report. A notice uses a bold heading and gives key details clearly for many readers to scan quickly, while a report has a title and organised factual sections written for one reader in authority.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SEAB exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Original10 marksYour school library is introducing new opening hours. Mrs Lim, the librarian, has asked you to write an email to all students informing them of the changes. Show the correct email format by writing a suitable subject line, greeting, and sign-off, and explain why each is needed.Show worked answer →
Subject line: "New Library Opening Hours from Next Term". Greeting: "Dear Students,". Sign-off: "Best regards," followed by the writer's name, class and the role ("on behalf of Mrs Lim, Librarian").
Why each is needed: the subject line tells readers what the email is about before they open it, so it must be short and clear. The greeting addresses the audience (all students) politely. The sign-off closes the email properly and shows who sent it, which matters because the writer is acting for the librarian.
What markers reward: an email that uses a real subject line, an appropriate greeting and a proper sign-off, with the layout matching an email rather than a letter or a report.
Original8 marksA task asks you to 'write a report to your Head of Department on a school event you helped organise'. Describe how a report should be laid out and how it differs from a letter.Show worked answer →
A report should have a clear title (for example "Report on the Class Charity Sale"), and may use headings to organise sections such as Aim, What Happened, and Recommendations. It is written in an organised, factual way and ends with the writer's name and class, but it does not need a personal greeting like "Dear" or a warm sign-off like "Yours sincerely".
How it differs from a letter: a letter is addressed to one named reader with a greeting and a sign-off and often a more personal tone, while a report is structured around the information, often uses headings, and stays factual and objective.
What markers reward: a report layout with a title and clear sections, a factual tone, and a clear understanding that a report is organised differently from a personal letter.
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