MESSAGE WRITING

A message is an informal means of communication. The receiver of the message has

to sift through the given message and pick out the most vital bits of information.
Then, he/she should be able to reproduce that information in order to convey it to
the person for whom it is intended.

Format:
• Date
• Time
• Name of person to whom the message is directed
• Body of the message
• Name of the writer
Points to remember:
While writing the body of the message, the following points have to be kept
in mind:
• Only the most important details should be written.
• No new information should be added.
• Grammatically correct sentences should be used.
• Indirect or reported speech should be used.
• The message should be presented within a box.
• The word limit for a message is 50 words (only the words in the body of the
notice are counted).
Marking scheme
Date and time of writing the message — 1 mark
Name of the person to whom the message is directed — ½ mark
Name of the writer — ½ mark
Content and language — 3 marks
Adherence to the word limit is important:
• If the candidate exceeds the word limit by 2 or 3 words, ½ mark is deducted.
• If he/she exceeds the word limit by 4 or more words, 1 mark is deducted.

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Sample messages:
1. You receive a telephone call from your mother’s office when she is not at
home. You have the following conversation with the speaker. But you
have to go for your tuition class. So you leave a message for your mother.
Write the message within 50 words using the information given below.
Do not add any new information.
Ambuj: Hello!
Mr Rastogi: Hello! May I speak with Ms Dixit please? I am Naresh Rastogi
from the office.
Ambuj: Mom’s not at home right now.
Mr Rastogi: In that case can you give her a message? It is urgent. Please tell her
that the meeting fixed for tomorrow has been rescheduled. Ask her to check
her mail as soon as possible for the details. Please don’t forget to inform her.
Ambuj: Don’t worry. I will tell her as soon as she returns.
14 Feb
3:30 pm
Mom
Mr Rastogi from the office called up to say that the meeting fixed for tomorrow
has been rescheduled. He wants you to check your mail as soon as possible for
the details. He said it was urgent.
Ambuj
2. Mrs Dayal wants to speak to her son, Rishi. As Rishi is not in his seat in
office, you take the call and speak with her. She wants to inform Rishi
that she will be coming to Delhi the next evening and that he should pick
her up from the airport. You want to know by which flight she will be
arriving. She replies that she would be coming by Jet Airways flight no.
DN78. She thanks you and asks you your name. You tell her that your
name is Ayan and assure her that you will convey her message to Rishi.
But you yourself have a meeting to attend. So you leave a note for Rishi.
Write this message in not more than 50 words.
15 June
3:30pm
Rishi
Your mother called up to say that she’s arriving by Jet Airways flight no.
DN78 tomorrow evening. She wants you to receive her at the airport.
Ayan

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 WORKSHEET 10

1. Read the following conversation between Rakesh and Mrs Sarkar.

Rakesh: Hello, may I speak with Dr Sarkar?
Mrs Sarkar: He has gone to the hospital to attend the OPD. May I know who
is speaking?
Rakesh: Yes. I am Rakesh Sood. My wife has been having a severe headache
since yesterday. Since this morning she has also developed a high temperature. I
would be very grateful if the doctor could come over to our place to examine
her.
Mrs Sarkar: Of course. Please let me note down your address.
Rakesh: It is B-49, New Colony.
Mrs Sarkar: I will give him your message as soon as he returns.
Rakesh: Thank you.
Mrs Sarkar had to leave for the school where she teaches. So she wrote a message
for her husband. Write the message in not more than 50 words.
2. Using information from the dialogue given below, write the message which
Amrita left for her brother, Sourajit. Do not leave out any vital information or
add any new information.
Shekhar: Is this 28473892?
Amrita: Yes. May I know who is speaking?
Shekhar: I am Shekhar. I want to speak to Sourajit. I am his friend from IHM,
Goa.
Amrita: I am his sister. Sourajit is not at home at the moment. Can you ring up
a little later?
Shekhar: I shall be a little busy. Actually, I have got a placement at the Taj,
Mumbai, and will have to join with immediate effect. So right now I am trying
to get all the formalities completed. This is the news that I wanted to give
Sourajit. Will you do that for me? Also tell him that I will let him know my
new cell phone number as soon as I get one.
Amrita: I’ll do that. Bye and all the best.
Amrita had to leave for office. So she wrote a note for Sourajit. Write her message
in not more than 50 words.

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3. You are Priyanka, personal assistant to Ms Sen. She was away attending a meeting
when Mr Garg rang up. You spoke to him and jotted down his message in your
note-pad. Write the message for Ms Sen using the information in your notes
given below.
Mr Garg—rang up—5pm—has received the CDs and the posters—coming
tomorrow—to thank Ms Sen and to personally hand over the check.
4. Read the following conversation between Aashna and Mr Singh.
Aashna: Hello, may I speak to Ranajit, please?
Mr Singh: Ranajit is getting ready for school. May I know who is speaking?
Aashna: My name is Aashna. I am Ranajit’s classmate.
Mr Singh: Hello, Aashna. I am Ranajit’s father. Is there any message?
Aashna: Yes. Please ask him to bring his biology notebook to school today. I
was absent from school due to illness. I would like to copy the notes which our
biology teacher gave to the class during my absence.
Mr Singh: I will definitely do that.
Since Mr Singh had to go for his morning walk he left a message for Ranajit.
Write that message in 50 words.
5. Rajat comes home from school and finds the door locked. Since he has a duplicate
key he enters and finds a note from his mother kept on the table. In it she explains
that she had to rush to the hospital with Mrs Manohar, their neighbour, who
had met with an accident. She has also written that he should have the rice and
curry kept on the dining table for lunch. He could heat the food in the microwave
oven if he wanted to, but he should be very careful while handling the switch.
Write the message which Rajat’s mother left for him.
6. Using the information given below, write the message which Manu left for his
sister, Renu. Do not add any new information. The message should not exceed
50 words.
Ruhaan rang up—book-reading session—‘Children Ask Kalam’—Dr A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam—compilation of letters received by him from children and his
answers—Oxford Book Store—8 pm, this evening,—pick you up—6:30 pm—
attend reading session together.