How to write notice and circulars

Introduction

Notice   writing is an important part of English writing course in many education boards including CBSE. Notices are used in our life in many ways .Thus it is essential for us to understand utility, features and syntax of a good notice.

Utility

Suppose you lost your watch in school playground; you can place a notice on school notice board to appeal to return it to you. Your teachers can put a notice here to inform about exam dates, change in syllabus, essay competition or educational tour to Jaipur etc.

            You must have seen “public notice” in newspaper given by government, lawyers or some company. These bring public attention to some important issues. Interested viewer of a notice can be specific like student of a school or general like readers of a newspaper. Notices are actually needed to be pasted, clipped or published at a place where many interested persons visit to look for information. This place can be notice board of a school, reception desk of an office, bank, court, Websites of govt. department or any company, notice column of a newspaper or any other place where people come frequently.

   

Features

A good notice should have following features

1) Briefà a notice should provide information in minimum number of words .About 40 to 50 words are enough. Sentences should be short. No repletion; No introduction; only to the point information.

2) CompleteàNotice should provide complete information. If you are writing notice about sports competition, it should tell about participation criteria like age limit, fees if any, Date, venue, chief guest, prize etc.

3) Authority  à Notice must include name of authority who is issuing the notice. It can be you (as in the case of watch lost in school playground), teacher, principal, manager of bank, secretary of departments etc.

4) ClarityàThere should not be any ambiguity in the information. Message should be straight forward.

Thus brevity, completeness and clarity are the main ingredients of a good notice.

Syntax  à

A notice has three parts- head, body and authority /contact person

1)      Head à it is the eye catcher. It tells the main topic or issue of the notice.

Example:   a) notice- dance competition.

                  b) notice- Annual magazine of school

                  c) notice- sports competition.

                  d) notice- change in interest rates of bank.

2)      Body à all information is provided here

3)  Authority /contact person à Name or/ and signature of notice issuing authority should be included in the end. If notice requires meeting with someone to submit name, paper or other things, contact person name, phone and meeting place and time should also be included. Contact person is also required for further clarification and information.

Examples    

Q1) you are siddhart, head boy of KGIL international school. Your school is publishing annual magazine next month. Write a notice for your school notice board and invite write ups from the student.

Ans)

Notice – Annual Magazine Our school is publishing annual magazine next month. Interested students can submit their articles, stories, essays, poems, jokes, etc to the undersigned in room no 205, in 4th period before 15th of this month. Mention your name, class, roll no, and also submit one photograph. Write up should be original. In choosing content decision of selection committee will be final. Siddhart Head boy – KGIL international school

Q2) you are secretary of Mahatma Gandhi library. There are changes in membership fees and book rental charges from next month. Write a notice for library notice board to provide all these information to the members.

Ans)

Notice –change in membership & rental charges.             Our library is the oldest and the biggest in the city. We are increasing many facilities like Internet and online booking. We are committed for quality. So, in this atmosphere of inflation we are compelled to increase membership fees by 25% and book rental charges by 20% w.e.f . first day of the next month. I hope you’ll bear with us. Secretary Mahatma Gandhi library.

Q3)You are Rohit Saxena, head boy of Ram convent school. Your school is organizing a dance competition. Write a notice for your school notice board and invite names of interested students.

Ans)

Notice-Dance competition Our school is organizing a dance competition on 10-10-2011 in school auditorium. Minimum age limit is 13 years. No registration fees. Winners will get chance to represent school in inter-school competition in December. (Judges panel include principal and music teacher) Interested students meet undersigned in 5th period in room no-21. Rohit  saxena Head boy- Ram convent school

Circular

Circular and notice are similar. The only difference is that circular is not placed at a notice board or some public portal. It can be written in a register or file and circulated to all interested members. It is made sure that it is brought in the notice of every member.

From the examination point of view both, Notice and circular, are same.