B.2. Report writing & Factual Description
Report Writing
A report can be written for a news paper or a magazine. In a report an
event, which can be a planned one, an accident or a natural calamity, is
reported.
1) Classification of report
Report
Foreseen (Planned)
Unforeseen ( Unplanned)
- accident
- building
collapse
- fire in a shop
- terrorist attack
- robbery
2)School based activities
3)Social organization and its activities
4) Factual description on any object place, or person
5)Process writing
Essentials of writing reports
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Appropriate form of language
Past passive and past tense should be used while writing
Logical development of ideas
Factual description & process writing should be in present tense.
Report should be brief and clear
It should have a title date place of origin, time and name of the
reporter
Marking scheme
Formal
1 Mark
Expression
5 Marks
Content
4 Marks
Guidelines for writing an effective report
(i) Give a suitable attention-grabbing heading/preferably in the passive
voice)
(ii) Under the heading write the reporter’s name/ Designation.
(iii)Write the date and name of the city if you are writing the report for a
newspaper.
Begin with-when, what happened, where
(iv) Next (preferably in the second paragraph) give details of the event.
Also, quote a statement made by an eyewitness.
(v) Conclude (preferably in the third paragraph ) with the reaction of the
people/ victims/ spectators/officials- whichever is appropriate.
Note: Remember to use the correct tense. For an event that is already
over, use the past/ past perfect tense. For an event which is still
continuing use the present continuous tense. For situations expected
in the future use the future tense.
Value Points of Reports:
(a) Accident/ calamity / disease outbreak/ robbery
1. Catchy headlines- expansion of headlines in the first sentence
itself is highlighting what/when/where.
2. Give reasons, if any
3. Details in brief
4. eyewitness account
5. casualties damage etc (if any)
6. action taken, relief measures (if applicable)
7. conclusion/comments
(b) Cultural/sports events
1. Occasion/organizer / sponsor etc
2. Date, venue, time
3. Chief guest / special invitees
4. Objectives & main highlights of the programme
5. Prize distribution
6. Message by the chief guest
7. vote of thanks
8. Over all response.
(c) Competitions
1. Occasion/organizer / sponsor etc
2. Date, venue, time
3. Name of the competition, level, topic etc.
4. Participations
5. Inaugural ceremony/welcome
6. Chief Guest, judges etc
7. Highlights related to performances, result etc
8. Prize distribution
9. Special remarks, if any
10. Vote of thanks
(d) Workshop / seminar /Talk
1. What, by whom, for whom
2. Date, venue, duration
3. Guest speaker, panel of experts
4. Chief Guest, invitees
5. Activities undertaken
6. Aids used- audio visual, charts, documentary, films etc.
7. Literary or field activities, if any
8. Interactive session including question-answers
9. Experts comments
10. over all effect
(e) Rally/ campaign
1. What/by whom
2. Duration venue, places covered
3. Objectives/ motto
4. Activities undertaken
5. Any display / educational material used: eg. Placard, banner,
pamphlet etc.
6. over all success
(f) Camp/ visit /exhibition
1. Place, destination
2. Organizer, sponsor (if any)
3. Duration, date etc.
4. No. of persons/ visitors etc.
5. Description:
(i) Theme of exhibition, type
(ii) Places of sight seeing, food, scenic beauty etc.
(iii) Purpose & nature of camp, activities undertaken
6. over all response
Sample 1:
Q. Five persons including two women and two children died when the car
skidded and fell into a pond near Noorpur village adjoining the road. The
pond was so deep that the car completely drowned into it. Write a report
on the same in 100-125 words. You are Suman/ Sohan a reporter, ‘The
Tribune’.
Five killed as car falls into Village Pond
A Report
th
Ambala, 19 , January ‘2011
Five persons including two women and two children died when the car
they were traveling in fell into a pond near Noorpur village. The deceased
were identified as Jaswinder Singh (40) , Preet kaur (37), Manpreet kaur
(30) , Aryan (14) & Manish ( 10). Jaswinder Singh, who was basically
belonged to Patiala. He was going to his village to visit a religious place.
The incident took place when he was crossing Noorpur village and his car
skidded and fell into a pond adjoining the road. The pond was so deep that
the car completely drowned into it. Villagers reached there and informed
the police. A crane was summoned to the site. Four youths of the village
entered the pond and traced the car. Later, the crane pulled out the car,
which remained in the water for two hours. One of the villagers Jagtar
Singh said, “The footpath along road is broken for the past two months
which leads to the accident. I had reported the matter to the SDO of the
PWD Department several times, but to no avail.
Suman
Reporter, The Tribune
Sample 2:
Q. Write a report on a musical night organized by your school in about
100-125 words for school magazine. You are Naveen, Cultural Secretary of
Air force Public School, Agra.
Musical Bonanza / Night
A Report
A musical night was organized by our school on the evening of December
20th at the School Auditorium. The air was charged and the atmosphere
electric, as the auditorium reverberated with the cheering and clapping of
excited students who had gathered to witness the much awaited musical
show. The SDM of the city was invited to be the chief Guest at the
function. The show was inaugurated by the Chief Guest. The participants
presented a colourful variety of items like a dance, drama, song, an
orchestra and fancy dress etc. The one act play based on Tagore’s story
attracted everyone’s attention. All this was followed by fancy dress shows
by the students which added the colour and liveliness to the evening. The
popular singer, Kapil of the school made a special appearance and
enthralled the audience with his melodious voice. At the end of the Musical
Night, the chief guest congratulated the students who performed very well
and blessed them. The Principal gave the vote of thanks.
Naveen
Cultural Secretary
Air Force Public school
Sample 3:
Q. You were a member of your School Quiz Team which won the Heritage
Quiz Contest at the National level. The Heritage Centre organized a
national level inter school Quiz Contest at Shimla. Draft a report about it
to be published in school magazine. You are Rehan.
Heritage Quiz Contest
A Report
th
Shimla:20 January ‘2011
I feel proud and happy to have been a member of our School Quiz Team
which won the Heritage Quiz Contest at the National level. The Quiz
contest was organized by the Heritage Centre in Delhi Public School,
Shimla on 21st January ‘2011. The mega event had twelve teams taking part
in it with four out station teams. This contest was to test the General
knowledge of the school students of Secondary and Senior Secondary level.
The rounds had variety of questions on science, literature, music and
general knowledge. We had a tough competition. Some teams were also
very strong. But our school team was well prepared with all the answers.
Thus we answered almost all questions. Our team secured seventy five
points while the other team could get only sixty points. Myself (Rehan XII)
and Sumit of X were the winners of the quiz and won a cash prize of ten
thousand each. The prizes were given away by the manager of the Heritage
Centre.
Rehan
Member of School Quiz Team
Sample 4:
Q. N.D. Institute recently organized a ‘ No Tobacco’ Workshop. Write a
report on the same to be published in the newspaper in about 100-125
words. You are Namita, Secretary of Health Club.
No Tobacco Workshop
A Report
New Delhi, 20th January ‘2011
A ‘No Tobacco’ workshop was held at N.D. Institute under the aegis of
Anti-Tobacco cell of Delhi Government. “Most people start smoking at the
age of fifteen. About 8-9 lakh die of tobacco use every year,” Said Mrs.
Aparna Ghosh, Medical Officer, Vishal Institute. She also conveyed the
recent statistics show that about 5 million people -which is 1 in 10
adults - die each year due to chewing tobacco and smoking: mostly
from heart disease. She had presided over the ‘No Tobacco’ Workshop as
the Chief Guest. Pictures, poster, and cartoons depicting harmful effects of
smoking were displayed all along the corridors of the Institute. A skit,
directed by the famous theatre personality, was presented to highlight the
miserable state of tobacco addicts. A panel of experts from the renowned
medical institutes of Delhi gave an illuminating discourse on the diseases
caused by tobacco consumption, measures taken by the government to
check the proposed ban on films glamourising smoking. A documentary
film was also screened showing the plight of patients dying of throat and
lung cancer.
Namita
Secretary of Health Club
Other examples:
Blood donation camp
A----------------- was held in our school on (date) ---------- at(place)-------------(give more detail)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (conclusion) --------.
By xyz
An old man runs over by bus
Place and date
An old man was run ----------------------- .The accident occurred------------------------- (reason) -----------------. He was rushed to hospital--------------.
The police ------------------------- (action taken).
N.K. Verma
Practice tasks:
1. You are Sangeeta. As a member of the Blood Bank Society, you
helped to organize a blood donation camp that was held in your
school. Write a report to be published in your school magazine.
2. Your school recently held a Book Fair to promote the habit of
reading among its students. You are Ali/Anita, the school pupil
leader. Write a report on the event.
3. write a report on the fire accident that took place in shahtri market.
You are Salina/
salim, a reporter for ‘The Times of India’, New Delhi.
4. You are Ravindra working for the Sunday Magazine. Last week, you
attended a
seminar on ‘The Importance of Awareness of AIDS’,
organized by the Healthway Medical Institute, Delhi. Write a report on
the seminar for publication in the magazine you represent