One of the most important parts of PSLE English is _situational writing_, which is a test of applied or practical writing skills. For example, students may be asked to write an Email, letter, postcard, etc. to a particular person. This counts for 15 marks. 6 marks are allocated for Task Fulfilment and 9 for Language and Organization. Students must show a very good understanding and clear awareness of the *PAC (Purpose, Audience and Context)*.  It is NOT enough to be able to answer all 6 content points now to score 6 marks, your awareness of the PAC will also add or subtract to the final score. 

 Students can even seek the help of English tutors from a PSLE English tuition online in order to master the techniques of writing a perfect informal letter. Here are some tips and tricks to remember while writing an informal letter:

Format

Whether it is formal or informal; a letter or an email, an invitation or a complaint, the format is pretty much the same. Everything in the format (Salutation and sign-off, paragraphing) should all be positioned on the left-hand side.

List Out and Number Your Points

Before you start writing, take a minute or two to jot down each piece of key information from the pictures in point form. You should number each point as you write them out – there should always be six points that you can find.

Always Start Correctly

For informal letters, set the tone immediately with a friendly greeting. Here's an example:

“Dear Tony,

How are you? Hope you’ve been doing well!…”

Sign Off Correctly

One error that students often make in Situational Writing is signing off incorrectly. This is something that is easy to overlook, so do be extra careful! For informal letters or emails, you should end with Best regards. Please make sure that you get the name of the writer correct. Other salutations you can sign off with are 'Love' or 'Your Friend/Pal'.

Arrange the Six Content Points into Paragraphs

The question paper will present six points of information, which must be covered in the letter. You should merge some of the points, in such a way that you do not exceed three paragraphs. 

Communicate' effectively

Numbering your written answers to the questions will help you as well as the person who grades your answer sheet. This helps you in checking for accuracy and, at the same time, sends a message that you are very organized in your approach.

Informal emails and letters tend to be a bit more difficult to write, ironically, as it is not EASY to get that kind of friendly, conversational tone, for some students. That is why it is important to practice and get your writing reviewed by a teacher or your tutor from the best English tuition, a few times so you get the hang of it. Despite the idea that informal writing can assume a friendlier tone, you should always use complete sentences and try to avoid subtle errors.