REPORTS

A report is an informative formal piece of writing concerning a particular person, place,

situation, plan, etc; it is addressed to one's superior/colleagues, members of a committee, etc, and is
written in response to a request or instruction.
There are various types of reports, such as:
a) assessment reports which present and evaluate the positive and/or negative features of a
person, place, plan, etc; they also include your opinion and/or recommendation
b) informative reports which present information concerning a meeting that has taken place,
progress made on a project, etc;
c) survey reports which present and analyse information gathered from door-to- door
surveys/questionnaires, including conclusions drawn from this information and suggestions or
recommendations
d) proposal reports which present plans, decisions or suggestions concerning possible future
courses of action for approval by one's superior at work, a bank manager, members of a committee,
etc.
A successful report should consist of:
a) an introductory paragraph which clearly states the purpose and content of the report;
b) a main body in which the relevant information is presented in detail under suitable subheadings;
c) a conclusion which summarises the information given, and may include an opinion and/or
suggestion/recommendation
Note that before you start writing your report you should give information indicating who the report
is written to (name/position/ company, etc), who the report is written by (name/position), the subject
of the report, and the date:
e.g. To: Peter Roberts, Chairman, Grosvenor & Sons
From: Lindsay O'Neill, Assistant Manager
Subject: Appraisal of Thompson Distribution Co.
Date: 19th March 1997
POINTS TO CONSIDER
• Reports should be written in a formal style (complex sentences, non-colloquial English,
frequent use of the passive, linking words/phrases).
• Before you write your report you should think of who the report is being written and who the
report is addressed to.
• Give your report an appropriate subject title, then carefully plan the information you will
present. Think of suitable subheadings, then decide on the information you include under each
subheading. Use linking words to join your ideas.

USEFUL LANGUAGE
To begin reports:
 The purpose/aim/intention of this report is to …
 As requested, this is a report concerning/regarding …
 This report, contains/outlines/examines/assesses …
To end reports:
 To conclude/To sum up/In conclusion/On the whole …
 On the basis of the points mentioned above, it would seem that …
 It is (therefore) felt/believed/apparent/obvious (that) …
 I/We conclude/recommend/would suggest (that) …
 My/Our recommendation is that … should be …
A television production company is planning to make a series of programmes on social conditions in
different countries of the world. Your English class has been taking part in a project on social issues
and your teacher has now asked you to write a report based on your country.
Read the note below from your teacher, the original advertisement from the TV company on which
you have made some notes, and the comments that have been made by your fellow students. Then
use this information to write your report in about 250 words.
Could you please put together the information
Show & Tell
gathered from our discussions and write a report
Productions
to send to Show and Tell Productions.
in its continued efforts to make realistic
programmes, invites you to contribute to its
It would be good for us and the whole country if
forthcoming series entitles
we could get on this programme, so remember to
“Living in the Real World”
keep it as realistic and accurate as possible!
Please send us a report on the current
conditions in your country and we promise
to try to include as many different
viewpoints as we can. We are particularly
interested in your opinions on:
 Poverty → remember to
compare with other countries
 Equal opportunities → mention
job opportunities
 Attitudes towards animals → be
positive!

Class Comments

Poverty is a real problem in certain parts of the country

We should be careful what we say about human rights

because it would be easy for other countries to judge us
unfairly.

Women are STILL not equal in the workplace!

There’s a big problem with stray dogs – especially in the city

centres. If that appeared on a TV programme, maybe we
could finally get something done.
To: Show & Tell Productions
From: Peter Perkins, student at Mountain High
Subject: social conditions in Greece
Date: 17 May, 2008

Purpose
The purpose of this report is to present the current social conditions in Greece.

Poverty
The poverty level in Greece has unfortunately reached a point that has caused Greek people to be
seriously concerned. In a recent survey that was conducted, one third of Greeks are very close to the
poverty line. This is mostly because although the prices for everything are going up, people's wages
are not. Also, the welfare system is not capable of supporting those in need, creating in this manner a
lot of financial strain for mostly the elderly and young people just out of university.

Equal Opportunities
Equal opportunities in Greece are becoming more and more predominant. In the past, for example,
job opportunities used to come along only if you knew the right people and it was also an advantage
if you were a man. Today, the situation has improved greatly and more qualified people are getting
hired to serve the public or private sector, including women.

Attitudes Towards Animals

People's attitudes towards animals in Greece are changing as the years go by. People are learning to
live with animals and to respect them more than they did in the past The one thing that needs to
change, as far as animal protection is concerned, is the government's attitude concerning stray
animals. Simply saying that we care about animals is not enough, the government needs to do
something about it.

Conclusion
Overall, the social conditions in Greece are slowly changing. In the future, I hope that the poverty
problem will be dealt with more effectively. It is a serious issue and the government has to do
something about it fast, before it is too late.

(282 words)