How To Write A Report

HOW TO WRITE A REPORT
SAMPLE QUESTION
Your college has been asked to accept a group of 50 students from another country
for two weeks. You have been asked by your principal to find out what the
advantages and disadvantages would be of accepting this group. Is it a good idea?
Write your report to the principal in 140- 190 words in an appropriate style on the separate answer
sheet.
Introduction
The purpose of this report is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of
accepting a large group of students from overseas for two weeks. I have discussed the
issue with all the senior members of college staff.

You start with Paragraph 1- Introduction
In the introduction you:
– use headings – this makes it easier to find the main info
– state the aim of the report and where you got/ collected the information
– don’t begin with Dear Sir/ Madam – it’s not a letter

Phrases you can use in the introduction:
* This report is intended to show / discuss / outline …
* The aim / purpose of this report is to …
* In this report I will
REMEMBER: It’s a formal piece of writing that means: use a formal, neutral style: no
contractions, no colloquial language, no direct questions, no informal punctuation such as
exclamation marks.
Advantages
All those I interviewed believe that for students this would be an exciting opportunity
to explore a foreign culture, both in the classroom and socially. Overall, they thought
the visit would be stimulating for the college at a quiet time of the year.
In the 2nd Paragraph you :

– balance the positive and negative points fairly
– you can use numbering or bullet points to highlight main points
– use a range of specific vocabulary or set phrases e.g. Some thought this was …../ other students
said they preferred…
– don’t use a lot of adjectives and dramatic language. A report gives factual information
Phrases you can use to in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph:

Suggesting additional ideas
Another option would be to …
I would also suggest …
Another point to consider is hat …
Alternatively,… Moreover. / Furthermore.
Apart from this / In addition to this
Making recommendations
I would strongly / highly recommend …
My first / second recommendation would be to ..
It would be (highly) advisable to …
If my recommendations are followed, then …
The best solution / ideas would seem to be …
Listing ideas
I would suggest the following: … might like to consider the following:
The following are highly recommended: 1….. OR 2. ……….
They gave/ suggested the following reasons:
They made the following points: 1….2…
Reporting findings
It appears that the majority of …
The only problem is that … .
Most …(students seem) … .
Not surprisingly, …
According to …
Disadvantages
Some members of staff are concerned that:
1 there would be insufficient seating in the library at bus times;
2 the visitors might be more interested in enjoying themselves than studying;
3 the restaurant queue would be very slow at lunchtime.
In the 3rd Paragraph you :

– balance the positive and negative points fairly
– you can use numbering or bullet points to highlight main points
– use a range of specific vocabulary or set phrases e.g. Some thought this was …../ other students
said they preferred…
Conclusion and recommendation

Clearly, the group might cause some practical difficulties but on the whole, everyone
thought that the visit should seem as an opportunity not to be missed.
In the last paragraph you :
– give the recommendations
– generalise
– express opinions impersonally
Phrases you can use to end the letter
Concluding and making recommendations
All things considered, …
Example
Improving Our Gym

Introduction
The aim of this report is to explain the main reasons why members are leaving the
gym. After interviewing some clients, we have identified some serious problems.
Limited opening hours

Some members have complained that the gym opens a little late for them. For this
reason, workers cannot exercise before going to work. If the gym opened at 7 a.m.,
clients could exercise easily before going to work.
The changing rooms

Many of the lockers are broken so customers cannot leave their belongings in a safe
place. Also, some of the showers are not working properly so members have to queue
before having a shower. In order to solve this, I suggest replacing all lockers and
showers immediately.
Lack of parking spaces

Some previous members have joined gyms which have a parking lot. Although we
cannot build a parking lot, we can offer a parking area for bicycles. As a result, this
might encourage members to use their bikes to come to the gym.
Conclusion
To sum up, I believe that if we take care of these problems, members will be happier
and will decide to stay with us.

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HOW TO WRITE A REPORT

– don’t begin with Dear Sir/ Madam – it’s not a letter

In the 2nd Paragraph you :

– you can use numbering or bullet points to highlight main points

Phrases you can use to in the 2nd and 3rd paragraph:

In the 3rd Paragraph you :

– you can use numbering or bullet points to highlight main points

Conclusion and recommendation

Improving Our Gym

Limited opening hours

The changing rooms

Lack of parking spaces

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