Report Writing Format

11th grade12th gradeHigh SchoolCollege

image: http://www.yourdictionary.com/image/articles/8716.Reports.jpg

Unlike an essay, which sets out and defends a writer's view about a topic and does not have to
feature headings, a report discusses a topic in a structured, easy-to-follow format. Reports are
divided into sections with headings and subheadings. Reports can be academic, technical or
business related, and feature recommendations for specific actions. Reports are written to
present facts about a situation, project or process and will define and analyze the issue at hand.
Reports relay observations to a specific audience in a clear and concise style.

Preparation and Planning

First, you should take some time to prepare and plan for your report. Before you start writing,
identify the audience. Your report should be written and tailored to the readers' needs and
expectations. When planning, ask yourself several questions to better understand the goal of the
report. Some questions to consider include:
 Who are the readers?
 What is the purpose of the report and why is it needed?
 What important information has to be in the report?
Once you identify the basics of your report, you can begin to collect supporting information,
then sort and evaluate that information. The next step is to organize your information and begin
putting it together in an outline. With proper planning, it will be easier to write your report and
stay organized.

Formatting the Report Elements

To keep your report organized and easy to understand, there is a certain format to follow. The
main sections of a standard report are:
 Title Section: If the report is short, the front cover can include any information that you
feel is necessary including the author(s) and the date prepared. In a longer report, you may
want to include a table of contents and a definition of terms.
 Summary: The summary consists of the major points, conclusions, and recommendations.
It needs to be short as it is a general overview of the report. Some people will read the
summary and only skim the report, so make sure you include all of the relevant
 information. It would be best to write this when the report is finished so you will include
everything, even points that might be added at the last minute.
 Introduction: The first page of the report needs to have an introduction. Here you will
explain the problem and inform the reader why the report is being made. You need to give
a definition of terms if you did not include these in the title section, and explain how the
details of the report are arranged.
 Body: This is the main section of the report. The previous sections needed to be written in
plain English, but this section can include technical terms or jargon from your industry.
There should be several sections, each clearly labeled with a subtitle. Information in a
report is usually arranged in order of importance with the most important information
coming first. If you wish, a “Discussion” section can be included at the end of the main
body to go over your findings and their significance.
 Conclusion: This is where everything comes together. Keep this section free of jargon as
many people will just read the summary and conclusion.
 Recommendations: This is where you discuss any actions that need to be taken. In plain
English, explain your recommendations, putting them in order of priority.
 Appendices: This includes information that the experts in the field will read. It has all the
technical details that support your conclusions.
This report writing format will make it easier for the reader to find what he is looking for.
Remember to write all the sections in plain English, except the body, which can be as technical
as you need it to be. Also remember that the information needs to be organized logically with
the most important points coming first.

Presentation and Style

You will want to present your report in a simple and concise style that is easy to read and
navigate. Readers want to be able to look through a report and get to the information they need
as quickly as possible. That way the report has a greater impact on the reader.
There are simple formatting styles that can be used throughout your report that will make it
easy to read and look organized and presentable. For example:
 Font: Use just one font in your report. An easy-to-read font such as Arial or Times New
Roman is best for reports.
 Lists: Use lists whenever possible to break information into easy-to-understand points.
Lists can either be numbered or bulleted.
 Headings and subheadings: You can use headings and subheadings throughout your report
to identify the various topics and break the text into manageable chunks. These will help
keep the report organized and can be listed in the table of contents so they can be found
quickly.
There are also some writing styles to consider:
 Keep it simple. Do not try to impress, rather try to communicate. Keep sentences short and
to the point. Do not go into a lot of details unless it is needed. Make sure every word needs
to be there, that it contributes to the purpose of the report.
 Use an active voice rather than passive where possible. Active voice makes the writing
move smoothly and easily. It also uses fewer words than the passive voice and gives
impact to the writing by emphasizing the person or thing responsible for an action. For
example: "Bad customer service decreases repeat business" is more concise and direct than
"Repeat business is decreased by bad customer service."
 Good grammar and punctuation are also important. Read the report aloud and have
someone proofread it for you. Remember that the computer cannot catch all the mistakes,
especially with words like “red / read” or “there / their.” You may even want to wait a day
after you write it to come back and look at it with fresh eyes.

Make the Right Impression

Reports should be well organized and easy to follow. To achieve this, following a structured
format keeps your writing on track. How a report is presented to the reader makes not only a
lasting impression but also makes the writer seem credible and the information contained in the
report reliable. A finishing touch that can make a great impression on the reader is how you
package the report. Always print the final report on good quality paper. You may also want to
consider placing the report in a binder or a folder.
 LINK/CITE

Read more at http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/report-writing-

format.html#04EJfW0MeV9GygFJ.99
Writing Class: Report

Task Type: Report

Question
You recently attended an English language course. At the end of the course you were given
the following letter:

We hope you have enjoyed studying with us. In order to plan future courses we would be
grateful if you could write a short report giving us your views of the course. If you have
any suggestions we would also like to hear them.

Thanks in advance.

Mrs Galton
The Principal

Write your report for the Principal (around 140-190 words).

Makeover: Pablo
Read Pablo's answer to this question below. Try correcting the piece of writing yourself first:
use the marking codes to think about what might be wrong (or what's good) about the piece of
work. Then when you're ready, click the green buttons in the text for our feedback.

Introduction

This report is intended to evaluate the success of the six months WF English Course, which
I have assisted WW recently at the Academy Center in English.

LOW AREAS WW

First of all, as there were twenty of us in the class, we were a bit crowded, and also the
computer room was not big enough for all of us. Another thing to mention as a
drawback Gd is the cost of the course being too high.

PLUSES

As I had expected, /\ teachers were well-qualified and friendly, /\ what´s more, there were
a pleasant atmosphere among the other students. As a consequence, my English
improved a lot.
 CONCLUSION

To sum up, my only suggestion would be reducing the WW per class. Otherwise, the course
was great and interesting and I have enjoyed studying. I would recommend it to my
friends and I am sure I will be back in the future. Gd

Feedback
This is a very well-written answer to the task, Pablo. I like the way you have organised this
report and given each paragraph its own heading. This really helps the reader, doesn't it? You
have a good range of grammatical structures and you're ambitious in the vocabulary you use.
Another positive aspect is your use of linking phrases ('Another thing to mention...', 'As a
consequence...', 'To sum up....') which helps your writing to flow nicely. For the makeover, I
have commented on aspects of your English that wouldn't be considered too serious at FCE-
level but are points you may wish to remember for the future!
123

Marking Code
/\ Word(s) missing
- Omit word
C Capitalization
Gd Good
O Organisation
P Punctuation
PE Poorly expressed
R Register/Formality
SS Sentence Structure
S Spelling
T Tip
WF Wrong form
WO Word order
WT Wrong tense
WW Wrong word
FCE Info and Practice
FCE Home About FCESpotlight Paper 1FCE Writing ClassPractice TestsWord

BankFCE CommunityStudent Newsletter

FCE Resources to Buy

FCE Exam Success Plus Other Publishers
En qué consiste este ejercicio (Writing: report)
¿Qué es una informe (report)?

Un informe (report) del FCE, es un escrito que da la información recopilada por

su autor sobre un tema específico para, finalmente, dar una recomendación
sobre qué hacer, o no hacer, en relación con el tema planteado.

Número de palabras: 140 a 190 palabras. No importa si sobrepasas un poco este

número.

Tiempo: En total son 80 minutos para todo el writing. Como consiste en dos partes,
recomiendo 40 minutos para cada parte, aunque puede que la segunda parte te
cueste un poco más. En ese caso, piensa en dedicarle más tiempo a la segunda parte
que a la primera.

Puntuación: Todo el writing (Part 1 & 2 equivalen al 20% del examen).

Qué debe contener una buen informe FCE

Es importante que el informe:

 Conteste a la cuestión planteada en las instrucciones.

 Tenga una estructura clara y bien organizada, en la cual aparezca un título,
una introducción, subtítulos (headings), viñetas (para facilitar la comprensión del
tema) y, acabe en la conclusión con una recomendación.
 El lenguaje es formal, así que evita las contracciones (aren't, wasn't, etc.)
Cómo redactar un informe- How to write a report

Ejemplo de pregunta:

You have a part-time job at a pet shop. The manager wants to

have more clients and has asked you to write a report making
some recommendations.

Distribución de tiempos recomendada:

1. Leer instrucciones: 1 minutos
2. Preparar esquema: 2 minutos
3. Pensar el vocabulario y estructuras: 5 minutos
4. Redactar borrador: 7 minutos
5. Redactar texto definitivo: 20 minutos
6. Revisar y corregir texto definitivo: 5 minutos
Total = 40 minutos

1. Lee bien las instrucciones

Para redactar una buen informe, lo primero que debes hacer es leer bien las
instrucciones.

Ejemplo: Pregúntate qué tema tienes que tratar y qué es lo que debes recomendar.
En el caso que aquí presento sería "analizar en qué condiciones está la tienda de
animales y ver qué se podría hacer para atraer a más clientes."

2. Prepara un esquema utilizando frases útiles

Es muy importante en el informe conectar los argumentos en un orden determinado.
Te dejo ejemplos de frases que te serán útiles para este propósito.

Introduction
This report is intended for.../Este informe es para
The objective/aim of this report is to.../El objetivo de este informe es

Reporting results
Some people are saying...Alguna gente dice
Many people complained, suggested, recommended..../Mucha gente se quejó, sugirió,
recomendó

Presenting a list
The following items should be taken into account/Deberían considerarse los siguientes
puntos:
Please, consider the following points: Por favor, considere los siguientes puntos:
1.
2.

Making recommendations
Therefore, I would recommend that.. En consecuencia, yo recomendaría...
It would be advisable... Sería aconsejable...

Redacta un esquema (podrás escribirlo en el cuadernillo que te den), teniendo en

cuenta las instrucciones de arriba, y utilizando algunas de las siguientes frases útiles.

Aquí tienes un ejemplo de esquema :

How to get more clients for the pet shop "Meow" (Inventar un título)
1. Introduction: Poner cuál es el objetivo del informe y cómo recopilaste los datos.

2. Reporting results: Relacionar la información que los clientes han dado y lo que tú
mismo has observado.

3. Conclusion: Hacer una recomendación sobre cuáles serían las medidas a tomar
en tu opinión.

Nota: Este esquema te servirá para guiarte y no olvidar cómo debes contestar a la
pregunta.

3. Prepara el vocabulario que utilizarás

Con el esquema conseguimos tener organizada la información y asegúrarnos de que

estamos contestando la pregunta. Pero, tenemos que pensar en la forma de
completarlo con el vocabulario y las estructuras adecuadas. Para ello te sugiero que
visualices la pregunta.

Por ejemplo, imaginándote una tienda de animales (o cualquier otra tienda que
conozcas que tenga problemas para conseguir clientes. La vida real es tu mejor
fuente de inspiración).

La tienda está desorganizada. The shop is unorganised.

El veterinario que viene por las mañanas está siempre malhumorado. The veterinarian
that comes in the morning is always bad-tempered.

Los clientes piensan que algunos productos son demasiado caros.Clients think that
some products are too expensive.
Has observado que la gente pide algunos productos que nunca están en stock. You
have observed that people ask for some products that you never have in stock.

No tienes suficiente información sobre los animales para explicar a los clientes. You
don't have enough information about the animals to explain the clients.

Puedes utilizar Linguee para buscar más oraciones.

4. Redacta un borrador
Con estas ideas en mente redactamos el borrador. Lo mejor es que lo escribas en
inglés directamente, pero si te resulta difícil, prueba primero en español. (Podrás
escribirlo en el cuadernillo que te darán).

How to get more clients for the pet shop "Meow"

Introduction
The aim of this report is to find ways to get more clients for the pet shop "Meow".

What the clients say

The interviewed clients said the following:

They did not like the veterinarian.

They could not find products.
Some products, were too expensive.

My observations
I observed that three clients left the shop without buying. Also, there were a couple of
clients who did not like our policies..
Recommendations
I would recommend writing and implementing some shop guidelines

5. Redacta tu informe
Aquí tienes el ejemplo de informe (report) con el anterior borrador.

How to get more clients for the pet shop "Meow" (1)
Introduction (2)
The aim of this report is to find ways to get more clients for the pet shop "Meow". I
have kept a record of relevant facts that I have seen during a two-week period and I
have asked some clients their opinion on the shop.
What the clients say (3)

The interviewed clients said the following:

 They did not like the veterinarian because he was sometimes rude to them.
 They could not find certain products for their dogs.
 Some products, like puppy-food, were much more expensive than in other
pet shops.
My observations (4)
I observed that three clients left the shop without buying anything because I could not
answer their questions about some of the new products. Also, there were a couple of
clients who did not like our policy of not returning their money when the fish they had
just bought died.

Recommendations (5)
In light of the above, I recommend writing and implementing some shop guidelines for
all the employees. These guidelines should, at least, include the following items:

 Protocol with clients: How to greet them, offer information, apologise, call them
when the product they want gets to the shop, etc.
 Shop organization: How to display the products, information about new
products.
 Returning policies regarding fish and other animals.
 Prices: Compare prices with shops around the area to offer better deals.
Cuidado con el número de palabras, ni te excedas ni te quedes demasiado corto. En
este caso tenemos palabras 233.

Análisis del informe/report

(1) Title. Este escrito no es una carta, así que debes pensar en un título teniendo en
cuenta las instrucciones. En este caso nos piden "Cómo incrementar el número de
clientes", por tanto, ese es el título al cual he añadido un nombre ficticio para la
tienda.

(2) Introduction. Primero digo sobre qué va el informe y luego apunto cómo he
conseguido la información para hacerlo.

(3) What the clients say. Utilizo subtítulos y viñetas (también pueden ser números)
para presentar la información. De esta manera, el lector puede comprender más
rápidamente la información. Observa, además, como casi todos los tiempos verbales
están en pasado

(4) My observations. He separado con otro subtítulo, la información que yo he

recopilado sobre la tienda.
(5) Recommendation: Con la frase "In light of the above" (En este contexto) conecto
toda la información suministrada, con mi conclusión y recomendación final. Decido
nuevamente utilizar viñetas para dejar más claro al lector qué debe hacer. Aunque,
esto no será siempre necesario y valdrá con una frase como "I would therefore
recommend..."

5. Revisa tu informe
Este paso es MUY importante. Una revisión de lo que acabas de escribir puede
evitar muchos errores. Además, procura escribir limpio y claro, evitando los tachones.

6. Lee informes para inspirarte

La mejor manera de aprender a escribir ensayos es leyendo ensayos. Aquí tienes
algunos ejemplos de ensayos del FCE.

Ejemplo 1

Ejemplo 2

Ejemplo 3

7. Practica escribiendo más informes

Aquí tienes ejemplos de ejercicios para practicar.

You belong to an association that promotes sports among children, and you have
received money from a sponsor to either organise a bycicle race or a football match.
You have been asked to write a report describing the benefits for the children of
both events and saying which one you think should be chosen and why.

You have a part-time job as a recepcionist in a big hotel. You have been asked by
the manager to write a report describing the problems that hotel guests report
having during the night and giving your recommendations on how to solve these
problems.