Writing part 2: A report

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
- The aim of this report is to..................It is based on…
- This report is intended to....................It draws on
- This report looks at / describes............It uses..

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.

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: 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:
Reporting an observation:
- It seems/appears that..
- It was found that..
- The majority / minority of …
- It was felt that..
Quoting:
According to … As X said… In the words of…
Speculating: It may / could / might (well) be that ..
Generalising: In general On the whole In the main
Commenting: Interestingly, Curiously, Oddly, Strangely,
Surprisingly , Predictably, As might be (have been) expected, It is
interesting that......
Giving additional idea:
- Another point to consider is hat …
- Alternatively/ Moreover / Furthermore.
- Apart from this / In addition to this
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 …
In the last paragraph you:
- give the recommendations
- generalize
- express opinions impersonally
Phrases you can use:
Concluding and making recommendations
- All things considered,…
- We have no hesitation in recommending…
- I would suggest the following:
- … might like to consider the following:
- The following are highly recommended
- It is recommended that..
- (Perhaps) it would be (highly) advisable for X to (do)
- (Perhaps) X might /should consider
- To sum up, To summarise, On balance, In short,
- Study the following example carefully,
- I would strongly / highly recommend …
- My first / second recommendation would be to ..
- If my recommendations are followed, then …
- The best solution / ideas would seem to be …

Task 1: 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.
Sample answer:
Report on Proposed Visit by 50 Overseas Students
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.
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.
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.
Conclusion and recommendation
Clearly, the group might cause some practical difficulties but on the whole everyone
thought that the visit should be seen as an opportunity not to be missed.

Task 2: Write a report suggesting improvements to classes at Today School.

Introduction
The aim of this report is to compare different ideas to make classes in Today School more
enjoyable for students while learning at the same time. A large number of students were
interviewed to find out differing opinions.
Classroom Activities
 Some of the students suggested using more videos and songs during the classes and some
even mentioned that parties with alcohol would be a good idea. A few of them gave
reasons why they preferred these activities:
Pop music and films are interesting and topical
Alcohol makes people relax and talk more.
Outside Class
The majority of students mentioned that homework should be reduced drastically whereas
others expressed a preference for doing excursions in English, giving the following reasons:
Too much homework makes students stressed.
Excursions are a fun way of putting into practice what is learnt.
Recommendations
Some of the ideas have benefits, however, suggestions to allow alcohol and reduce
homework should be immediately discarded. On the other hand, it is felt the majority of
students would take advantage of more pop videos and excursions and so these
suggestions are recommendable.

Task 3: Your English teacher has asked you to write a report on where people can eat out
in your area. You should include the views of visitors and local people, comment on any
recent trends and dissatisfaction and make a recommendation.

Write your report in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

Local eating places

The main purpose of this report is to give an overview of the town's eating facilities. As
part of the survey, both tourists and local residents were asked their views.
Cafés, pubs and restaurants
There are a number of good quality restaurants in the area, which cater for most tastes:
pizza houses, sushi bars, exclusive French restaurants and gastro pubs. We are also
fortunate to have several cafés and sandwich bars, which are very popular in the
mornings with young mothers and children and with office workers at lunchtime.
Recent trends/Dissatisfaction
It was reported that in recent years most of the fast food restaurants had extended their
hours, with most open until midnight. It was also stated that prices had gone up
dramatically in some of the better restaurants and, as a consequence, people are going
out less than they used to or eating at cheaper restaurants.
Room for improvement/Recommendations
The main area of concern among a number of people interviewed was the lack of
vegetarian meals available in many of the restaurants and it is recommended that
restaurants are made aware of this view.
Task 4: You work for the Student Travel Agency of your college. The principal of the
college is interested in the experiences of students who have worked abroad during their
summer holidays. She has asked you to write a report on the advantages and
disadvantages of such work. In particular, she wants to know whether the college should
recommend "working holidays" to its students.

Write your report in 140-190 words in an appropriate style.

Report - Model answer 3

Working holidays for students

Introduction
The purpose of this report is to consider the advantages and disadvantages of working
holidays abroad. In order to obtain this information, I interviewed more than 30 students
who had worked in different countries.
The benefits of working holidays
A large number of the students I spoke to said that they had enjoyed working abroad
and had become more open-minded as a result. Apparently, they felt they had learnt a
lot about the local people and their way of life by working side by side with them.
The disadvantages of working holidays
Not surprisingly, many students complained that they had worked too hard in certain
countries. They believed that they had been exploited by their employers, who paid them
very little money. According to some students, there had also been problems with
documents such as work permits.
Conclusions and Recommendations
It appears that the majority of students found the experience of working abroad very
beneficial. Therefore, I believe that the college should recommend "working holidays" to
its students. However, it should also warn them about the problems they could face and
the precautions they need to take.
[+/- 190 words]

Task 5: 20th anniversary

Introduction

The aim of this report is to give you ideas about what can be organised in order to
celebrate your 20th anniversary.
Suggestions

One of the most appropriate events for this celebration is a concert. I am of the opinion
that you will not only enjoy yourselves at this party but will also meet a lot of new
people. We intend to invite all sorts of people so that you can share your happiness with
them.
Another option is to go to a fancy restaurant. It will be a good place where you can have
a nice conversation with your colleagues. What is more, there will be all kinds of dishes
and we hope that you will appreciate such a variety.
Organisation

If you choose the first idea, we can invite singers who you like and will enjoy listening to.
We will also hire an agency, which will take care of the lights on the stage and of the
sound. If you go for the other suggestion, we will immediately make a reservation at a
restaurant, which you will choose. We will also take care of everything in order for you to
have a good time – music, DJ, nice food.
Conclusion

To sum up, I want to point out that whatever you decide to do, I am absolutely positive
that you will have an amazing time and you will not regret your choice.

Task 6: Competitive sports

Introduction:

The aims of this report are as follows:

1. Indicate why the members of the sports centre are not taking part in competitive
sports.
2. Suggest ideas for encouraging them to participate.
As a preparation for this report, I interviewed students in my college and other young
people who have attended the sports centre recently.
Current situation:

The most common opinion among the people, who were interviewed, appeared to be
that most youngsters enjoy taking part in team sports as they find them social events.
Unfortunately, it turned out that a lot of them like competitive sports, as well, but they
find the price unreasonable. In addition to this, the changing rooms are considered not
large enough, and the young people complain they don’t have enough space to change.
Recommendations

In my view, changes to improve the situation, should be made.

1. The price of participating in competitive sports should be reduced. That way more
people will be able to afford it.
2. A greater variety of sports should be included in the programme, such as: football,
volleyball and handball. Thus the sports centre will become a place which gathers
youngsters with different interests.
3. The gyms and the changing rooms should be repaired and enlarged, so that everybody
will be pleased while practising or preparing for the work-out.
Conclusion
In my view, these recommendations will lead to the popularisation not only of
competitive sports, but of the sports centre as s whole.

Task 7: environmental conference

Introduction:

The aim of this report is to assess the usefulness of the environmental conference to
future students. To prepare it, I attended the conference, which I was paid for by the
college.
What the conference did well:

On the whole, the conference was very interesting and some aspects of it were quite
good. For instance, there were a lot of very useful handouts containing additional free
information about isses discussed in the seminars.
How it could be improved:

However, there are various improvements that could be implemented which would make
the conference more effective:
The seminars were overbooked so it would probably be better if they are held in bigger
rooms.

There were also no interpreters. It would be good if you employ some the next year
because they will certainly be of great use to the students.

Also, there was very little time to speak to representatives and that is why there should
be fixed time slots for the attendants to talk to them next year.

The Future:

Overall, it is probably worthwhile sending students in the future, especially if

improvements can be implemented, and therefore I would recommend this conference
to them.