Writing Reports

REPORT

WRITING REPORTS

What is a report?


A report


● is a factual and precise description of an event, a situation, a study or a
project, usually based on practical work, a review of literature, survey, news, etc
● provides suggestions and recommendation for future action
● is written in a formal style by a person who has studied the issue
● is written for a "client"-somebody and it is therefore necessary to identify
who will be reading the report and what they want from it (that is, the needs of the readers). People who require information have some knowledge about the subject
● has a clear layout

The format or the structure

Reports should consist of

1. A TITLE which tells the reader exactly what the report is about:

(Subject)/ Report on: Gaslights restaurant

2. AN INTRODUCTION which

○ states the purpose and content of the report and says what the report will cover, how the information was collected, etc
○ gives the details about the time, place and people involved in the incident

Useful phrases: 

The aim/purpose/objective of this report is to summarize the findings of a recent survey among…/ This report is intended to give a brief summary of the findings of our recent survey on smoking among members of the local community. / 

The data was collected from newspaper reports and documents on the internet. / A survey was carried out among members of the local community. / As requested,…/ This report was written…. / The report gives / presents information on

3. A MAIN BODY which

○ presents each topic in detail under suitable subheadings
○ provides most of the information, develops the event in detail, gives
reasons, presents results
○ generalizes facts
○ gives positive and negative points
○ needs to be organized into paragraphs or smaller sections each with its
own heading/subheading
○ information should be based on facts and not opinion

Useful phrases: 

On the whole, smoking is a big problem. / The majority said that they were unhappy with the situation. / According to some members of our local community…/ One of the big(obvious) advantages of this proposal is…/ Compared with ten years ago…./ There has been a big increase in…./ This shows/illustrates/indicates that…./ Most people find this….

4. a conclusion / summary / A CONCLUSION which

○ summarises the information from the main body
○ should not introduce any new information
○ can give a personal view/opinions on the facts that you have discovered

Useful phrases: 

Our conclusion therefore…/In conclusion…/ The following conclusions can be drawn from the data:….The figures show that…/As can be seen from the findings of this report, the only option we have is…/ All things considered,…. /To sum up,…./ All in all, …/ From the research we can conclude that…. and/or….

5. recommendations
○ in which you suggest how things could be improved
○ are logical, realistic and are based on your conclusions
○ show any further action that is necessary


Useful phrases: 

The best solution is /would be (to)…/We recommend that…./ It is recommended that….

                                              

Sample report

  

Subject/Report on: The Metalcamp Festival

The purpose of this report is to give useful information and suggestions to the organizers of the Metalcamp Festival so that they may improve it.

The site: Being organized next to the river, the festival seems to be at a perfect site; however, some have expressed concern about the potential dangers a river can present. The area by the river could turn out to be too risky especially for drunk visitors; therefore some safeguards are necessary.

The programme: Metalcamp offers an interesting and varied programme with a lot of music for heavy metal fans. The bands are renowned for their outstanding performances and provide hours of pure entertainment for the listeners. The shows start at 5 pm and last till 1 am, and local performers alternate with the foreign artists.

The cost: In comparison to other music festivals around the world, the prices are not too high. The price for a ticket varies from £15-20. Students can get a 30% discount. However, there have been some adverse comments that the local people have to pay the same price, even though they provide the organizers with substantial help.

All things considered, the Metalcamp Festival appears to be a great annual festival, but eliminating a few shortcomings would make it an even more impressive cultural event.

                                          

                

“Any fool can know. The point is to understand.”
― Albert Einstein