1. Features, Structure, Tone and Register
REPORTS

2.  By the end of the lesson you will learn to:
 Understand what are reports
 Identify the features of a report
 Be familiar with the format of a report
 Plan and write a report (based on an actual assignment)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN TODAY!

3.  A report is concerned with everything that you hear,
see smell, touch or taste. Anything that can be verified
as real and concrete.
 Usually written for the following reasons:
 Document an action, fact or observation
 Provide proof of something or to account for some activity.
 Recommend a course of action to address problems or issues
highlighted by your observations
WHAT ARE REPORTS?

4.  Tone & register:
 Formal…no such thing as a informal report!
 Formal because it might need to be authoritative and/or convincing.
 Language Features:
 Reports are written in the passive voice
 Reports make use of clear concise verbs
 Reports make use of pronouns (not personal pronouns)
 Reports are written in paragraphs.
FEATURES, TONE AND REGISTER OF
A REPORT

5.  Feature 1: Use of Passive Voice
 The focus of the sentence is on the recipient of the action or the
“object” of the sentence.
 E.g. “The tree was cut down by the lumberjack”.
 Purpose of passive voice: To place emphasis on the issues,
activities or processes that are being addressed.
 Gives the report a sense of objectivity.
LANGUAGE FEATURES OF A
REPORT

6.  Feature 2: Clear concise verbs
 Reports are not written in a casual manner – this means that
there are no verb phrases in the writing. E.g. of a verb phrase
is:
 “…data management systems can help out users in diagnosing
problems with data storage…
 Reports are written in a formal manner – this means
replacing verb phrases with a concise (single) verb rather
than a phrase:
 “…data management systems can assist users in diagnosing
problems with data storage…”
LANGUAGE FEATURES OF A
REPORT

7.  Feature 3: Use of Pronouns (other than personal
pronouns)
 The use of personal pronouns makes the writing more
informal – The writer wants to build a personal relationship
with his/her readers.
 For effective reports, the writer must sound a bit more
detached and not directly involved with the matters being
raised by the report.
 E.g. “We have estimated that about 80% of mobile phone
users use the Short Message Service (SMS) to communicate
with their friends and relations…”
 Can you change it to a third person pronoun?
LANGUAGE FEATURES OF A
REPORTS

8.  Feature 4: Write in paragraphs
 All reports (and for that matter) any written piece of work should
be written in paragraphs. Here is the structure of a standard
paragraph:
 Topic sentence: The main idea or theme the writer wants to convey.
 Supporting sentence(s): Add a point or points to support the stand or
the main idea expressed in the Topic sentence.
 Concluding paragraph: Write a sentence that summarises or concludes
the main idea
LANGUAGE FEATURES OF A
REPORT

9.  Written in paragraphs:
 Logical sequence to improve understanding -
 First paragraph clearly states what the report is going to be about.
 Second paragraph through to the end must focus on the facts arranged in
systematic order. (Chronologically if required)
 Conclusion:
 Clearly summarises what is the main idea behind the report and;
 recommendations you are prepared to make
 (check your question to see if you have covered all the areas)
STRUCTURE OF A REPORT

10. To:(the name of the person the report is sent to)
From:(the person writing the report)
Date: (the date when the report was written)
Title of Heading (Not indented but must be underlined)
Body of the report
(No need for signature line)
FORMAT OF A REPORT

11.  Candidates must be able to select what is important
and relevant from the mass of ideas and information
provided in the question.
 The points selected should be then included in their
report.
PLANNING A REPORT