Writing reports

IN all reports, remember: Read the instructions very carefully; establish for whom the report is intended. Jot down a brief outline, indicating what you will cover in each paragraph; check that you have done all you were asked to do.

Provide a title. Make sure that the main facts are contained in the opening sentences (for example, if reporting an event, you would say what it was, where and when). Keep your expression simple, clear and concise.

Include the relevant material only but add information where it is necessary to make something clear (as long as the instructions do not specifically state the opposite).

Write in continuous prose, as a general rule, not in note form — but do not be over wordy or flowery. Questions on report writing could take various forms and may be based on notes, set situations, diagrams, statistical data or pictures.

I would like to believe that as teachers take you through various lessons, they do not forget to cover these stated areas. Questions set are usually straightforward, as long as you follow instructions and do not add ridiculous or incredible details. Also, it is obvious you need to be clear and factual as you are explaining something and that you should not allow your personal feelings to interfere.

For example, do not make accusations about whose fault the incident took place. When writing to your head teacher or subject teacher, your style and tone should be formal, that is, do not use slang or over-familiar expressions. Do not forget details like where, when, what and who.

Reports based on diagrams, statistical data and pictures. In many ways, these sort of reports are very similar to the reports based on notes and sometimes notes will be combined with a drawing, map and so on. The major difference is that the information you are given is presented in a different way and you need to transfer it into simple note-form before you write up your report.

Whenever you are writing a report, you are putting information into an organised, effectively expressed form. For example, if a report is based on statistical data, do not simply represent figures in word form. Interpret them in a more interesting manner, looking for general trends and perhaps reasons for these trends.

A report based on pictures. On such a question you study a series of pictures you might be given and then asked to give a lively account of what happened. You can also be asked to add your own details to make the incident more interesting. This kind of question follows the basic principles of report writing and it is important that you make a brief plan of the body of your account, as always.

However, you will notice that the instructions ask for “a lively account” to make the incident more interesting. Unlike the other report referred to above, it would be appropriate for you to add details, commenting perhaps on the feelings of the two characters or the fierce animal in the picture. Just make sure that you clearly keep to the framework given and do not add ridiculous and irrelevant material.

Report based on diagram. You are given a diagram to study and write a report on what you observe in the diagram.
In a question where you are asked to describe a process, it is important that you make notes first, checking that each step of the process is explained and put in the correct order.

Report based on statistical data — You might be asked to write a comparison on two issues, for example, how two families do their monthly budgets. In a question like this, your first step is to make note of your impressions. You look for the most obvious similarities and differences.

Try to group points and organise them into logical paragraphs. Remember that the figures themselves are meaningless — it is what they show, what patterns they reveal or impressions they create that count.

Other types of reports: Besides the types of reports that we have discussed so far, you may find that you are asked for other types of reports where you are simply given an instruction (for example, a magazine report for the debate club where you are expected to supply your own information or report for a newspaper (for example, a report on an accident, speech, social event, disaster).

When writing for a newspaper, remember that it is not the same as writing a report for your headmaster or manager — the public is your audience.

You must make sure that the date, place, event, person or whatever the article is about is clear to the readers in the first sentence or two. Also, you must always use reported speech (that is, the third person tense).
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