Report
A report usually tells the reader about an _______________________________________. The writer
may analyse or observe these events/situations. Reports are always written for a particular audience.
They are clear and objective, _______________________________________.
Things you should do:

Make points clear in separate paragraphs with topic sentences (use subheadings if you want)

Use _______________________________________ (Earlier, Later that day, Afterwards).
Reports of an event would give information about what happened in
_______________________________________ i.e. from beginning to end.

Stay _______________________________. This isn't descriptive writing - it’s a clear
presentation of information. There should be no exaggeration or emotive language.

Formal and standard English

_______________________________________ is often used.

Variety of sentence lengths and punctuation
Structure for Success
First paragraph – Introduction
Be clear about the _______________________________________
- who, what, when, where, etc
Eg: On 16th June 2012, Eastwood School was inspected by the local council (Barker and Douglas). The focus
was on the Maths and English departments. Both were graded as making positive progress. The visit was a
response to the dramatic rise in IGCSE passes from grades A*-C.
Paragraphs 2 to 4 – The Main Report
- details of what happened
- facts and statistics
- use topic sentences and sub-headings
- ___________________________ from eye witnesses / members of public
Eg: One staff member commented that students were 'a delight to teach', with the staffroom atmosphere
described as 'hugely supportive' by another.
Last Paragraph – Ending
- Finish with some points for improvement or your suggested action for any similar events.
- This might be things that went well or recommendations to ________________________________.
Eg: Overall, the school shows itself to be making steps towards clear improvements. It is recommended that
Eastwood School shares their strong teaching and learning practice with other schools in the district.
Remember:
 Your text should be well-ordered with a strong sense of beginning and end.
 Your report should sound convincing and real with an excellent sense of audience.
1|Year 9 – IGCSE English First Language
Sample Report:
Incident during School Outing
I was asked by the school headmaster to write a report to you about the incident that
took place a few days before during a school outing. We were going to visit a factory
which was a long way away and we had a break on the way. It was very hot and the
journey was very long so everyone was very thirsty. There was a stall selling many lovely
drinks and there was also a fridge full of bottles of orange juice and Coke. Everyone
crowded round the fridge, fighting with each other to get to the drinks first.
Mr Andrews shouted at us crossly. He told all of us to make a line and stop making such
a noise. We obeyed him and waited obediently. The stallholder was an old man and he
was cross with us. I don’t think he liked us at all and he glared at us. Some of the boys
were pushing as they paid the money one by one. As we were getting on the bus, the
old man ran towards Mr Ahmed and shouted, ‘That boy there didn’t pay me!’ He
pointed at Issac, but Issac said he had paid. The boys around Issac also said they saw
Issac pay the stallholder.
So Mr Andrews told the stallholder that he may be mistaken because the boys swore
they saw Issac pay him and that there were a lot of boys so perhaps it was easy for him
to mistakenly think Issac didn’t pay. The stallholder was very angry and insisted Issac
did not pay. Mr Andrews told us to quickly get back on the bus and we did so quickly
and continued to travel to the factory for the outing.
Jamil Khan
15 November 2013
What did you learn from this report? What should you do / not do when writing a report?
2|Year 9 – IGCSE English First Language
Second Sample Report:
Incident during School Outing
Last Friday on 15th November 2013, Year 9K students travelled on the school bus from school to a chocolate
factory in the Guangzhou. The outing was to support the unit of learning on production lines in a business.
It was a very hot day and the air conditioners on the bus were weak. After more than two hours, the driver
finally stopped by the roadside where there were a few stallholders selling snacks and drinks. Mr Andrews
gave the students permission to buy some snacks and beverages and to return back to the bus in 15
minutes.
The Main Incident:
As there were many students, there was a huge rush for the drinks in the hot weather. Many of the students
were pushing each other and did not line up quietly to wait for their turn. Mr Andrews had to yell at the
students before there was an orderly queue to purchase their drinks one by one. Some of the students near
the back of the line were still impatient and kept trying to hurry the people in front of them.
Around 10 to 15 minutes later, the students started to head back onto the bus. At that moment, one of the
stallholders yelled at the group of students and pointed at Issac. He claimed that Issac did not pay for his
drink and walked off quietly as he was attending the next student behind him. Mr Andrews proceeded to
ask Issac about the situation. Issac responded that he paid for his drink in exact change. Some of the other
students who were next to Issac also informed Mr Andrews that they saw Issac pay the stallholder.
Mr Andrews then politely explained to the stallholder that Issac was certain he had paid for his drink and
then explained there was a possibility that he was mistaken in the chaos of all the children urgently buying
their drinks. The stallholder was not very satisfied with Mr Andrews’ response and he continued to glare at
the students as the Year 9s boarded their bus.
Recommendations:
As the students were not on their best behaviour during this school outing, it would be ideal if they were
reminded that they are representing the school during school trips and they should always behave politely.
Another suggestion would be to request students bring their own drinks so they do not have to buy it
during the outing to minimize chaos next time.
How was the second report different from the first report? What should you learn from the second
report?
3|Year 9 – IGCSE English First Language
Report
A report usually tells the reader about an event that has taken place. The writer may analyse or
observe these events/situations. Reports are always written for a particular audience. They
are clear and objective, reporting the facts.
Things you should do:

Make points clear in separate paragraphs with topic sentences (use subheadings if you want)

Use time connectives (Earlier, Later that day, Afterwards).
Reports of an event would give information about what happened in chronological order. i.e.
from beginning to end.

Stay objective - this isn't descriptive writing - it’s a clear presentation of information. You may
come to a conclusion but there should be no exaggeration or emotive language.

Formal and Standard English

Facts and Statistics

Variety of sentence lengths and punctuation
Structure for Success
First paragraph – Introduction
Be clear about the main event
- who, what, when, where, etc
Eg: On 16th June 2012, Eastwood School was inspected by the local council (Barker and Douglas).
The focus was on the Maths and English departments. Both were graded as making positive
progress. The visit was a response to the dramatic rise in IGCSE passes from grades A*-C.
Paragraphs 2 to 4 – The Main Report
- details of what happened
- facts and statistics
- use topic sentences and sub-headings
- quotes from eye witnesses / members of public
Eg: One staff member commented that students were 'a delight to teach', with the staffroom
atmosphere described as 'hugely supportive' by another.
Last Paragraph – Ending
- Finish with some points for improvement or your suggested action for any similar events.
- This might be things that went well, or recommendations to prevent further problems.
Eg: Overall, the school shows itself to be making steps towards clear improvements. It is
recommended that Eastwood School shares their strong teaching and learning practice with other
schools in the district.
Remember:
 Your text should be well-ordered with a strong sense of beginning and end.
 Your report should sound convincing and real with an excellent sense of audience.
4|Year 9 – IGCSE English First Language