Chapter 2

The leading report  problem and solutions

A third kind o report is the leading report. It examines a problem Activity
or explains a situation and leads the readers to a specifc conclusion.
As a member o the student
It is used or making plans and solving problems. Usually, an
council, you have been
organization commissions someone to research and write a report. As
receiving complaints about
a result o the report, the reader( s) will decide whether to accept the
sightings o snakes on
recommendations. Thereore, the purpose o the leading report is to
campus. Write a report or
persuade. It is another example o a problem-driven report.
the college management.

An efective leading report

 can be written using the ollowing structure.
 D efne the problem.
 Present the necessary inormation.
 Analyse the inormation.
 Write your conclusions.
You can practise urther report writing on one o the ollowing topics:
 S urgery: an accident report ( observation)
 C oncepts o beauty and health: beauty products ( an evaluative
report)
 D iet and nutrition: a leading report on the ood available rom
school caterers
 Mental health: a leading report on stress among D iploma
Programme students at your school or college
 Physical exercise: an evaluative report on dierent orms o exercise

Proessional writing: text type  proposal

(HL only)
What is a proposal?
The general purpose o any proposal is to persuade a sponsor to und Your proposal must explain what
a proj ect. For example, you can ask or unds to buy goods and/or you are planning, how you plan to
services. Alternatively, you can ask or a grant or a proj ect that you do it, when you plan to do it, how
would like to undertake, such as sponsorship or an educational visit much it is going to cost and what
that you would like to make but cannot aord. However, sponsors do the beneft will be.
not j ust give money away.

Writing to a specic audience

Your sponsor can be an individual, a business or any organization
you hope will contribute money or equipment to support your
proj ect. Your relationship is very ormal and so your language must
be very ormal too. You may need to cite acts and fgures as evidence
and use technical language, i and when appropriate. These can add
authenticity because concrete inormation will support your request.

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 Writing to convince

Techniques and structure

There is no single ormula or a proposal but you should break down
your text into clear sections each with a heading. However, unlike a
thesis- driven essay, a proposal is problem- driven. First you state the
problem, explain the background to it, oer details o how to solve
the problem and conclude by asking or help. Here are some headings
you may wish to use:
 Introduction
Give a concise introduction to your proj ect. In it you should
identiy the aim o the proj ect. S tate clearly the problem to be
addressed and why it is important. Use supporting inormation
such as statistics to make your point. Explain why a sponsor
should give you unding.
 The main body  the statement of need
You should now explain how you intend to get the job done, how
long it will take and how much it will cost. The statement o need
should also address who will beneft. Make sure to include the
ollowing points:
u O bj ectives
Indicate the expected outcomes o the proj ect, preerably in
measurable terms. This shows what you will do, or whom, by
how much, and by when. When the proj ect is completed, you
will be able to evaluate it and determine whether the proj ect
succeeded or not in achieving its obj ectives. Identiy short-
term and long-term obj ectives.
u Methods
D escribe your plan o action or how the obj ectives will be
achieved and which stages you will use to make the plan
succeed.
 Timetable
D escribe how long ( days, months) specifc tasks or components
o the proj ect will take. I possible, include a timeline with
milestones here.
 B udget
Present the overall cost o the proj ect. A detailed budget should
be divided into categories such as salaries, travel costs, supplies
and equipment.
 C onclusion
The proposal is dierent to other orms o writing and requires no
ormal conclusion. However, you could emphasize any benefts o
your proposal or the sponsor. In addition, you might like to draw
the sponsors attention to any material which illustrates your
proj ect or the social background in which the proj ect operates.

Tone and style

 Take a clear stand in your proposal and set a positive tone.
 Avoid verbs such as: might, could, ought, may, should, hope,
it appears.
 Remember: point, example and explanation; support your
argument with evidence.
 Use ormal language and be very polite.
 Avoid exaggerated or emotional expressions.
 Use headings to help the reader understand the proposal.
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 Chapter 2

Sample proposals
Proposal A
Proposal for new whiteboards at the Aziza School, Phnom Penh Cambodia
Introduction
I am writing to seek sponsors to solve a simple but recurring problem at The Aziza School where I recently
volunteered as a classroom teacher. The Aziza School provides supplementary education or marginalized
Cambodian communities. The school is located in the slums o Tonle Bassac in Phnom Penh, the capital o
Cambodia. It has been providing ree English lessons, leadership training, computer training, lie skills, and
medical services to nearly 250 young people since May 2005.
Objective
The problem is that the whiteboards in all ve classrooms are very old and teachers cannot use them
eectively any more. Students and teachers continually become rustrated because it is difcult to write on
them. For a school without adequate numbers o text books, whiteboards are crucial or eective learning. The
school would like to replace the whiteboards or each classroom, so that the teachers have writing suraces
that work well so that students (aged 6 16) are able to learn much more eectively.
Statement of need
There are currently 247 students at The Aziza School. These students occupy 5 classrooms each day. The current
whiteboards have been in the classrooms since the opening o the school in 2005. They do not work well because
they have been in use or so long. As a result they can no longer be cleaned and anyway the poor lighting makes
it difcult or the students to read what the teachers have written on the damaged surace o the boards.
None o these classrooms has a whiteboard that works well; due to their extensive use it is now impossible to clean
the boards or each new lesson. It can take an average o ten minutes to remove the latest layer o writing all beore
we can start teaching. This time takes away a great deal rom lesson time. Because o the length o time it takes to
clean a whiteboard, the teachers have continuous interruptions in their lessons. Almost all classroom learning at The
Aziza School requires a whiteboard, and it is difcult to get anything done without this basic classroom tool.
Solution
I propose that we purchase new whiteboards or each classroom. They can be replaced quickly, cheaply
and eectively. There are many suppliers o whiteboards in the city and I am certain we can obtain a very
competitive price. Thereore, I propose to purchase 5 whiteboards on behal o The Aziza School. The old
boards can be recycled or displays o students work.
Budget
New 2m x 1m whiteboards cost $30.00 each. Moreover, I am sure we can obtain a small discount i
purchasing ve or more, reducing the total cost to $147.50. Some whiteboards cost less than this price, but
on the recommendations o others, I believe that purchasing a middle- priced whiteboard will be a wise and
sustainable choice or The Aziza School. There will be no transport costs as teachers will be able to collect
directly rom the local supplier or manuacturer.
Conclusion
I think purchasing new whiteboards or each classroom would be o tremendous benet to The Aziza School. It
would put an end to the constant rustration o teachers and students losing lesson time and would drastically
improve the quality o learning.
I you would like to donate please give your contribution to Annie Ang in Senior School Section.
I thank you in advance or considering contributing to this important purchase.

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 Writing to convince

Analysis
E ssential questions C an you suggest any imp rovements to this
section of the text?
Who is the audience or this proposal?
Has the writer stated the problem clearly?
Has the writer stated the cause o the problem
clearly?
Has the writer oered a clear solution?
Has the proposer set out a series o clear points on
the issue?
What points does the writer make to support the
proposal?
Has the writer ully supported each point with
appropriate actual inormation?
Has the writer used ormal English which is clear
and easy or the sponsors to understand?
What next step does the writer propose or the
readers?
D o you think the potential sponsors will accept
the proposal?
What improvements to the text would you
suggest? How would the suggestions make the
proposal more eective?

Activity
You are working on a C AS social services proj ect which is short
o unds. Write a proposal or unding or a specifc proj ect. Here
are some examples:
 D iet and nutrition: buying educational material/sponsoring a
community health care proj ect
 Health services: buying a specifc piece o equipment
 Hygiene: sponsoring dental care
 S ymptoms o good health: sponsoring a child immunization
programme
 Health education
 S ports: buying equipment
 Travel: sponsoring an educational visit

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