Report

Writing
Writing Style
 Adopt a _______________ tone (same as
other kind of academic writing)
 Avoid
_______________ style (e.g. 1st and
2nd person pronouns, questions)
 Use ___________ tense to express general
truths, but use __________ tense to refer to
actions and data in the past
 Becautious about your claims and use
______________ appropriately (e.g. modals:
can, could, may)

Adapted from Gillett (2019)

Structure of a Report
Title A report is generally a
___________________
1. Introduction document.
In other words, it should
2. Results be self-explanatory in
nature.
3. Discussion

4. Conclusion
You can apply some skills
you learnt from writing
academic essays, when you
write the Title, Introduction
and Conclusion of a report.
Title
 Tellthe readers directly what the report
is about
 Style: Clear and concise
 Structure: phrase
 Format: major words
 E.g.: Dietary Habits of Americans
Introduction
 Providenecessary
_________________________ for the readers
to understand the content of the report
 Suggest
why the topic is _______________
and worthy of attention
 Stateclearly the ______________ under
investigation
 Example
Could you identify
Over the course of any given day, the three elements
week, or year, individuals consume in this introduction?
foods and beverages. An eating • Background
pattern represents the totality of information
• Importance of
what individuals habitually eat and the topic
drink, and these dietary • Issue under
components act synergistically in investigation
relation to health. As a result, the
eating pattern may be more
predictive of overall health status
and disease risk than individual
foods or nutrients. This report
examines the eating pattern of
American citizens and its changes
in the last decade.
Adapted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ,
and U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015)
 Example
Could you identify
Over the course of any given day, the three elements
week, or year, individuals consume in this introduction?
foods and beverages. An eating • Background
pattern represents the totality of information
• Importance of
what individuals habitually eat and the topic
drink, and these dietary • Issue under
components act synergistically in investigation
relation to health. As a result, the
eating pattern may be more
predictive of overall health status
and disease risk than individual
foods or nutrients. This report
examines the eating pattern of
American citizens and its changes
in the last decade.
Adapted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ,
and U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015)
Conclusion
 Based on the key point(s) discussed:
 _____________ what can be done
 _____________ what may happen
 Example 1
To sum up, the typical eating pattern currently consumed
by many in the United States does not align with the
National Dietary Guidelines. To improve the situation, more
promotional campaigns should be held to educate the
citizens about healthy diets and in particular the benefits
of eating fruits and vegetables.

Example 2
As mentioned in the Discussion section, most Americans
exceed the daily recommendations for sugar and calorie
intake. This observation applies not only to adults, but also
to children and youth. Therefore, it is unlikely that the
obesity rate will drop significantly in the next decade.

Adapted from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ,

and U.S. Department of Agriculture (2015)
To write a good report,
you need to learn some
new skills for the Results
and Discussion sections.
 Results
 Describe the graphical information in words
 Identify _________ data, patterns and/or trends
 Make _________________ between different sets of
data when appropriate

Apply the skills you have learnt for

Analysing and Describing Graphics!
 Now You Try!
Compare the two figures below about the social network penetration in
Hong Kong and in the United States. Write an analysis in about 200 words.

Figure 1. Penetration of leading social networks in Figure 2. Penetration of leading social networks in the
Hong Kong as of 3rd quarter 2017 United States as of 3rd quarter 2017

Adapted from Statista (2018a) and Statista (2018b)

Discussion
 Withreference to the findings in the Results
section, choose ________________ for more in-
depth discussion
 Propose possible ____________________
 Link with existing _________________
 Explore relationships with other ____________

 Research on other __________________ sources

to support your proposed explanations
 Let’s take a look at a sample report
based on the two figures

Figure 1. Penetration of leading social networks in Figure 2. Penetration of leading social networks in the
Hong Kong as of 3rd quarter 2017 United States as of 3rd quarter 2017

Adapted from Statista (2018a) and Statista (2018b)

 References
 Gillett, A. (2019). Academic writing: Features of academic
writing. Using English for Academic Purposes for Students in
Higher Education. http://www.uefap.com/writing
/writfram.htm
 Statista. (2018a). Penetration of leading social networks in
Hong Kong as of 3rd quarter 2017 [Chart].
https://www.statista.com/statistics/412500/hk-social-network-
penetration/
 Statista. (2018b). Penetration of leading social networks in the
United States as of 3rd quarter 2017 [Chart].
https://www.statista. com/statistics/284508/united-states-
social-network-penetration/
 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , & U.S.
Department of Agriculture. (2015). 2015-2020 Dietary
guidelines for Americans (8th ed.). Health.gov.
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/