A report is a factual description of an issue or a problem.

A report
is written for a clear purpose and for a particular audience.
Various forms of reports are: newspaper reports, inquiry reports,
progress or action taken report, a police report, a report of a
meeting, etc., each having a distinct character and format.

What is Report Writing?

A report is a short, sharp, concise document which is written for a
particular purpose and audience.

It generally sets out and analyses a situation or problem, often

making recommendations for future action.

It is a factual description, and needs to be clear and well-

structured. Reporters write about newsworthy occurrences such as
political rallies, visits of celebrities, business closings, accidents,
foreign affairs, crime, education, health, sports, theatre and
religions.

Components of Report Writing:

The main components of a report writing include (1) the heading
which should be catchy and attention-grabbing, (2) the
introductory paragraph which introduces the topic about which
the report is written, (3) the body which contains detailed
information about the event discussed in the report followed by a
conclusion which concludes the story in a logical manner. (4) The
conclusion should be convincing and must make adequate for
making recommendations.

Focus:
 1. The reports relating to current events are more appealing
since it holds the interest of the reader.
2. The report should always be written in past tense.
3. Report should always be clear and concise.
4. It is ideal to put all relevant information in the summary as
most of the readers prefer to read only summary section.
5. While preparing a report make sure that you use active voice
rather than passive.

Sections of Report Writing:

 First section should contain the title, name of the writer,

place and date.
 Next section would be the body of the report.
 Here the first sentence should state the purpose of the
report so that the reader is quite clear what is the report all
about.
 In simple terms, it explains what the problem statement is.
 All the information should be organised in a logical manner
in short paragraphs.
 Once the problem statement is clear, we need to explain the
information, which we had collected from the analysis we
had done.
 Next step of report writing is to validate the information on
data, we can give some facts and figures.
 Finally we should suggest on how to mitigate the problem.
You are Ankit, staff reporter of a national daily. You were asked to
cover a District Science Exhibition. Write a report mentioning all
relevant details.

Science holds India’s future – Kalam

(by Ankit)

Agra, Sep 20.

It is science that holds the destiny of India’s future says Dr. A. P. J.
Abdul Kalam. Inaugurating a science exhibition in one of the
schools here, Dr. Kalam said that students will have to study
science for its own sake and not for becoming a doctor or an
engineer. “The development of the country much depends on the
Scientists who could help to solve problems faced by the nation in
different fields.” The dream of every citizen to see India as a super
power will soon be fulfilled if the students’ energy and enthusiasm
are properly channeled.

The exhibition was organised under the aegis of Lion’s Club of

Agra. Earlier during the day, he visited an orphanage and spoke to
the children for over an hour and had lunch with them.

A. Write a news report on a road accident that you witnessed.

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
An article is an expression of one’s thought on an issue or a
subject logically and coherently written in meaningful paragraphs.

♦ Points to Remember:

 Give a title that catches the attention of the reader.

 Begin with a striking opening sentence which addresses the
readers and gets them interested in the topic.
 Present a strong argument for your ideas supporting it with
evidence or elaboration.
 Use linking devices (‘however’, ‘therefore’, ‘although’, ‘even
though’, ‘in order to’) to make the composition appear a whole.
 Introduce a new point at the beginning of each paragraph that
follows to strengthen your ideas.
 Develop your ideas as much as you can to make them
interesting and substantial.
 Conclude with your strongest point.
 Use passive voice, humour, emotive language, rhetorical
questions to provide a specific effect. Split-up of marks:

♦ Marks will be awarded for:

 Format (Title + Writer’s name)

 Content (logical organisation, relevance)
 Expression (Accuracy + Fluency)

♦ Previous Years’ CBSE Examination Questions

♦ Very Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
The number of women in the police force seems insufficient
especially when we see the increasing involvement of women in
terrorist activities. Write an article in 150-200 words for The
Hindustan Chronicle’, on the need of having more women in the
police force. (2010)
Answer:

Need Of Having More

Women In The Police Force

Women empowerment and participation has seen a radical

improvement in the recent few decades. Women are no longer
confined to their homes and have come forward to excel in almost
all fields, at par with men. But it has been observed that the
number of women in the police force seems insufficient especially
when we compare their increasing number in terrorist activities.
Women are sure to prove their worth in the police force as they
are more committed to the cause they work for and less corrupt,
two qualities that are lacking in policemen. The government
needs to increase the reserved quota for recruitment of women in
the police force. Women need to be given incentives to join the
police force and this is sure to prove favourable as they bring with
them a distinctly different and valuable set of skills that is bound
to change the way the police is perceived in our community. As
the job description of the police expands beyond crime-fighting
into community service the presence of more women in the police
force is sure to help to burnish the tarnished image of the police
officers, improve community relations and foster a more flexible
and less violent approach to maintaining law and order.

Question 2.
In many parts of our country girls are still discouraged from going
to school. Consequently, a sizable section of the population is
deprived of education. Schemes like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan,
CBSE scholarship to the single girl child and the Government’s
policy of giving free education to girls have come as a boon to our
society. Write an article in 150-200 words on the education of the
girl child in the country. (Delhi 2010)
Answer:

Education Of The Girl

Child In The Country

Education of girls has been a high priority with the Government of

India. In the new millennium, India has consolidated its earlier
educational reforms with increased resources and stronger policy
commitments for achieving elementary education, particularly for
girls. Reaching out to the girl child is primary to the efforts to
universalise elementary education. ‘Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan’ or
‘Education For All’ programme recognizes that ensuring the
education of the girl child requires changes not only in the
education system but also in society’s norms and attitudes.

A two-pronged gender strategy has hence been adopted to make

the educational system responsive to the needs of the girls
through targeted interventions which serve as a pull-factor to
enhance access and retention of girls in schools on the one hand
and generate community demand for girls’ education through
training and mobilisation on the other hand. The CBSE has also
come up with the novel scheme of providing free education from
the sixth standard onwards to the single girl child. The need of the
times is that the government should further improve the
educational infrastructure and make it more accessible and
meaningful for the girl child.

Question 3.
Advertisements have become a big business. They are promoted
by celebrities drawn from various fields like films, sports, etc.,
leaving their influence on all people specially the young. Write an
article in 150-200 words on ‘The Impact of Advertisements on the
younger generation’. (Delhi 2010)
Answer:
 Impact Of Advertisements On
The Younger Generation

The advertisement industry has a tremendous impact on the

younger generation. As citizens of the modern world,
advertisements have become a part of the daily lives of
youngsters and they have got used to being bombarded with
numerous advertisements over the course of their day.

Advertisements have become so common for them that they often

do not even realize that they are hearing or viewing them. So they
have a pervasive influence on the youth. In the ever-expanding
world of consumerism and advertising, companies are constantly
looking for new ways to sell their products to the youngsters by
making their commercials and campaigns more memorable, to
leave an impact on their minds. The younger generation has
become their prime target because they have more spending
power than ever before and increased avenues at their disposal.
Therefore companies spend enormous amounts of money to rope
in popular film stars, cricketers, musicians etc. to endorse their
products.