Style and Tone;

5W’s and 1H of Report writing.

Presented by :
Abishek G.M
INTRODUCTION:
STYLE:
Style is the way you construct sentences to make writing
more readable and therefore more understandable. It is important
to use a variety of sentence constructions and to choose the
appropriate degree of formality.

CLARITY :
The message to be conveyed should be clear.

TONE:
Tone is the strength with which you express yourself in
writing. Certain phrases are stronger than others.
Strong Tone
 We strongly recommend that you carry out thorough review of
your information systems.
We are firmly convinced that the safety measures are
inadequate.

Neutral Tone
We recommend that you carry out a thorough review of your
information systems.
We believe that the safety measures are inadequate.

Tentative Tone
You might like to consider carrying out a thorough review of
your information systems.
FORMALITY:
Spoken Written
Let me know if Please confirm the
the date is alright. date.
Ask for more Request further
information. information.
We are sorry. We regret.
Worried Concerned
REPORT:
A report should contain complete account of
events in a systematic way.

The report can be made using 5W’s and 1H

approach . Missing out on any of these questions
leaves a hole in the report.
TYPES OF REPORT:
o Legal report on the basis of legal requirement.
i. Statutory report
ii. Non – statutory reports
o On the basis of formality
i. Formal reports
ii. Informal reports
a) short report
b) Progress report
c) Staff reports
d) Justification reports
o On the basis of function
i. Information reports
ii. Interpretive reports
o On the basis of frequency
i. Routine reports
ii. Special reports
o On the basis of the nature of the subject
i. Reports by individual
ii. Reports by a committee
o On the basis of subject matter
i. Marketing reports
ii. Accounting reports
iii. Production reports
o On the basis of length
i. Short reports
ii. Long reports
5W’s 1H :
It is a shorthand for Who, What, When, Where, Why and
How.

• This set of questions is referred to as the Kipling method, due to a

poem that appeared in Rudyard Kipling’s 1902 ‘just so stories’
‘ I keep six honest serving men, they thought me
all I knew. There names are what and why and
when and how and where and who.’