📌 Notice Writing — the format

Tell a group of people one thing they need to know, in the fewest words that still answer every question they would ask.

Writing for: Everyone who will walk past the noticeboard. They will read it in about five seconds.

Which are you writing?

Length: Usually 50 words or fewer. Brevity is the skill being tested.

Audience: Everyone who will walk past the noticeboard

The format, in order

1
Issuing body
Who is putting up the notice, at the very top.
ST ANDREW'S SECONDARY SCHOOL
2
The word NOTICE
Centred and capitalised, so the form is unmistakable.
NOTICE
3
Date
The date of issue, left-aligned under the heading.
14 March 2026
4
Heading
A short, bold subject line naming the event or change.
INTER-HOUSE ATHLETICS MEET
5
Body
One short paragraph answering WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHO and HOW. Nothing else.
6
Signature block
Name and position of the person issuing it.
A. Fernandes Sports Secretary

What the marks are for

Content

✓All five Ws answered — what, when, where, who, how
✓Nothing included that a reader does not need
✓Correct, complete format with every element present

Language

✓Impersonal third person throughout
✓Short declarative sentences
✓No descriptive or persuasive flourish

What loses marks

✗Omitting the word NOTICE or the signature block — each is a format mark
✗Writing in first person ('I am pleased to announce')
✗Adding persuasive or descriptive detail, which wastes the word limit
✗Leaving out one of the five Ws, usually 'how to register'
✗Exceeding the word limit, which is penalised directly

Phrases that work

All students are informed that…
This is to inform all members that…
Interested students may register with…
Attendance is compulsory for…
For further details, contact…

Before you hand it in

0 / 8

Issuing body named at the top
The word NOTICE is present and centred
Date included
Heading names the subject
What, when, where, who and how all answered
Signature block with name AND position
Within the word limit
No first person, no emotion, no description

Command words cheat sheet

Where this is examined

· Cambridge IGCSE ESL (0510) — short writing tasks
· Cambridge O Level English Language (1123)
· School and board-specific functional writing tasks

Word counts, paper numbers and mark allocations are set by the syllabus for your session and change between series. Always check your current syllabus and your teacher's guidance before relying on a length or a mark split given here.

Other writing formats

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