HOW TO WRITE A REPORT (CAE)

A report is a systematic, well organised document which defines and analyses a subject or problem, and which may include:

the record of a sequence of eventsinterpretation of the significance of these events or factsevaluation of the facts or results of research presenteddiscussion of the outcomes of a decision or course of actionconclusionsrecommendations

Reports must always be:

accurateconciseclearwell structured

Initial preparation

Always analyse your brief carefully, making sure that you fully understand the topic, question or case, that you know what the purpose of the report is, and who it is being written for. The clearer these things are in your mind, the easier the report will be to write and the more effective it will be.

When you are planning and eventually writing, continually ask yourself what the main purpose of the report is, what your objective is in writing it: is it to inform; to argue; to persuade; to evaluate? What does your reader want to see in the report and what will they do with it?

Report structure

Unlike essays, reports are written in sections with headings and sub-headings, which are usually numbered. It contains clearly differentiated paragraphs. Below are the possible components of a report, in the order in which they would appear.

Reason of writing (Introduction)

The aim/objective/purpose of this report is to compare/examine/evaluate/describe/outline (some suggestions)/analyse (some suggestions)/expose/present/give information on/regarding the/recommend/consider/suggest

This report aims to... etc. Nouns: information (remember: not informations), ideas, suggestions, situations, conditions,

comments in order to improve/decide In case of survey/discussion: It is based on a survey conducted among/It is the result of a

discussion which took place among This report is intended to….. / is based on………

Body (2 paragraphs maximum)

Headings from the task

It should be considered, it is worth considering The first observation to make is (concerns) First of all/Firstly Secondly/ Furthermore/Moreover

Lastly/Finally In fact According to (the majority of respondents) However, although, alternatively In spite of (the fact [that])/Despite (the fact [that]) + Noun, Pronoun or ...ing Predicting the future: The outlook for ... is (far from [+ing])

bright/optimistic/depressing/daunting The future looks bleak/remains uncertain/is promising This seems unlikely in the near/foreseable future It has been stressed that

Making/giving recommendations I would strongly recommend that ... should + bare infinitive In the light of the results of the survey I would advise against... I feel it would be to our advantage if... The best solution is/would be to... This will have an impact on + noun

Conclusion (s) As long as/provided that these recommendations are taken into consideration In conclusion... The reseach shows/demonstrates From the research/the evidence we conclude that

SAMPLE

You and a number of students from different countries have been working in an international company for a month as part of a work experience programme. The human resources manager of the company has asked you to write a report saying how useful the programme has been for the participants and including recommendations for future programmes. Write a report on the programme using the comments below which you collected from the students’ feedback forms.

Teamwork Great international mix

Some of the students need more language training

Pity we couldn’t finish the project!

Not enough time

I didn’t always understand everything

Working in different departments Very interesting. Staff very helpful and friendly

Would like more time in fewer departments

I learnt a lot about office work

In general Well organized

Not enough time for us to compare ideas and experiences

Made some really good friends

Report on the Spring 2010 Work Experience Programme

Introduction

This report is based on feedback collected from participants in the Spring 2010 work experience programme. I will summarise these comments and offer some recommendations for future programmes.

Organisation of the team

Most participants commented favourably on the international flavour of the team and enjoyed the opportunity of working closely with people from other cultures. Several people mentioned that they had forged close relationships with their co-workers. It was widely felt however that a number of students would have benefited from a specialized language course before beginning the programme, as some communication problems were experienced. It was also felt that more time was needed in order to complete the project.

Organisation of the work

In general, students appreciated the opportunity given to experience the work of the company at first hand, and commented on the helpfulness of the permanent staff. It was felt by some, however, that the experience would have been more productive if students had been given more time in each department, as this would have enabled them to gain a deeper insight into the workings of individual departments. It was also felt that more time was needed for the exchange of ideas and experiences.

Conclusion

Feedback was overwhelmingly positive and it is hoped that a similar programme can be put into place in future, taking into account the suggestions made above.