SEA ELA CREATIVE WRITING:

THE LANGUAGE OF REPORTS

1
 Visit learn.moe.
School Learning
Management System
(SLMS)
gov.tt
ECCE/Primary/Secondary

Helping students to connect

and continue learning
Objectives

• Review the structure of the report

• Explore what comprises factual, formal language

• Explore sentence structure in reports

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 3
 LESSON 1:
USING FACTUAL LANGUAGE

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 4

Report writing is meant to
• Inform
• Explain
• Clarify
How do you write an

report for
the SEA?
 • ONE PARAGRAPH: Summary of 4 W's (What happened, involving
Introduction whom, where and when)

• TWO to THREE PARAGRAPHS: Details of what happened in chronological

order
• Use factual information Pay attention to language!
Body
• Use formal tone
• Use appropriate transitional words and phrases

• ONE paragraph: brief discussion of what happened at the end

Conclusion
to a sample
report.
Incident at the Bus Stop

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 9

Starring

Calvin Hobbes Calvin’s mother

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 10

 On Monday 23rd March 2020, at approximately 7:45 a.m., an incident occurred at the
Introduction
bus stop at Farley Street, Port of Spain. The persons involved were Calvin Hobbes and his
mother, Darlene Hobbes. FACTUAL LANGUAGE USED THROUGHOUT THE REPORT!
At 7:30 am, Mrs. Hobbes was accompanying Calvin to the bus stop. During that time,
Calvin repeatedly expressed his lack of desire to go to school that day. While making these
statements, Calvin held a blanket and threw household items into the street. Body
After approximately five minutes, Mrs. Hobbes asked Calvin to stand still or he would be
sorry. Calvin ceased all movement and remained standing with his mother, at the bus stop,
until the school bus arrived at 7:45 am.
When Calvin saw the bus pulling up to the bus stop, he ran in the opposite direction.
Mrs. Hobbes followed Calvin, caught him and ensured that he entered the bus and took a
seat. As the bus was pulling away from the curb, Calvin could be heard repeatedly asking his
mother to take him home. However, Mrs. Hobbes did not respond to his requests.
Conclusion
Calvin remained seated in the bus until it arrived at Riverdale Primary school at 8:30 a.m.
He proceeded to his classes without anyCurriculum
further incident that day.
Planning and Development Division 2020 11
A+ reports contain factual language.

Avoid opinions

Avoid figures of speech

Avoid emotive language

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 12

Using factual
language

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 13

What is a fact?
Something that you can check
verify trustworthy
through a reliable
source.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 14

What is an opinion?
Something that you cannot verify through a reliable source –
even though you might think it is true.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 15

This is Jack’s foot. How would you describe its
size?
Jack has an enormous foot.
Jack has a small foot.

Jack has a medium-sized foot.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 16

Henry’s foot Jack’s foot

big?
small?
medium-sized?
Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 17
Words like ‘big’, ‘small’ and ‘medium-sized’ are
opinion words.
Jack has big feet. Jack has small feet.

Different people have

different ideas on
what those words
mean.
Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 18
What if we measured Jack’s foot?
Jack’s foot is fifteen inches
long.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 19

If we measured Jack’s foot in Paris...

Jack’s foot is fifteen inches

long.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 20

If we measured Jack’s foot in Moruga

Jack’s foot is fifteen inches

long.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 21

If we measured Jack’s foot in Ancient Egypt.

Jack’s foot is fifteen inches

long.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 22

Jack’s foot is fifteen inches long. Fact

You can verify that it is true, using a reliable source.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 23

 Fact or Opinion?
Today is a cold day. Opinion
o
Today’s temperature is 25 Celsius. Fact
You can verify the
temperature using a
thermometer.
Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 24
 Fact or Opinion?
The classroom was crowded with students. Opinion

There are forty-five students in the classroom. Fact

You can check the class register.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 25

A+ reports contain factual language

Avoid opinions

Avoid figures of speech

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 26

Figures of speech (like similes and metaphors) are
tools that writers use to make writing more
entertaining.
simile
The students scampered like crazy ants out of the school’s
playground when they saw the snake.

This is not appropriate for a report.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 27

A+ reports contain factual language

Avoid opinions

Avoid figures of speech

Avoid emotive language

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 28

‘Emotive words’ are packed with emotions or opinions.

Hassan walked into the room.

Hassan strolled into the room. Packed with

Not suitable opinion and
for a report! emotion!
Hassan crept into the room.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 29

 Emotive words
During our visit to the zoo, we observed snakes slyly hissing and
plotting to take over the world.

This is not appropriate for a report.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 30

 Stories are meant to entertain. Reports are
meant to inform.
Story version
The students scampered like crazy ants when they saw the snake.

The students ran way when they saw the snake. Report version

During our visit to the zoo, we observed snakes slyly hissing and
plotting to take over the world. Story version

During our visit to the zoo, we observed snakes in their cages. Report version

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 31

Observe the following extract from a ‘report’. Let’s
remove all non-factual language.
On the 19th May 2019, a fire took place in the Science laboratory at Achievers’
opinion
Primary School. The fire was started by two mischievous boys, Tom Hanson and Jerry
Mungal, both of Standard 5 J.

The fire started when Tom and Jerry decided to play with matches that Jerry had
emotive word
brought from home. The flame burned Tom’s finger, so he hit it violently out of Jerry’s
burst into
hand, and it landed in a bin of paper. Suddenly, the bin burst emotiveand
into flames
flames words
and Tom and
Tom and
Jerry, fearing for theiropinion emotive
lives, sped away word
to get assistance.
figurative language
Soon, you could hear sirens screaming from Students scampered
a mile away. Students scampered like
like
crazy ants all over the compound.
Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 32
 Revised factual version
On the 19th May 2019, a fire took place in the Science laboratory at
Achievers’ Primary School. The fire was started by Tom Hanson and
Jerry Mungal, both of Standard 5 J.

The fire occurred when Tom and Jerry decided to play with matches
that Jerry had brought from home. The flame burned Tom’s finger, so
he hit it out of Jerry’s hand, and it landed in a bin of paper. The bin
caught on fire and Tom and Jerry left the lab to get assistance.

An ambulance was called and arrived at the school after ten

minutes.
Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 33
When
writing
reports,
avoid the use
of opinions,
figures of
speech and
emotive
words.
Stay tuned
for Lesson 2!
 LESSON 2:
USING FORMAL LANGUAGE

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 36

Flashback to Lesson 1:

When writing reports,

avoid the use of
opinions, figures of
speech and emotive
language.
 Focus of this lesson:

Using formal language

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 38

Formal language
Uses: Avoids the use of:
• Standard English • Slang
• Text language
• Contractions

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 39

Slang should be avoided
Don’t be Wha’s the
shady! Get your scene?
coin!

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 40

Text language should be avoided in reports

LOL!
BRB!
IKR!

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 41

Contractions should be avoided in reports
• Jerome wasn’t watching where he was going.

• Patricia didn’t arrive on time for her class.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 42

Read the following excerpt. How would you revise it?

On Wednesday 14th September 2019, an incident took place in the school

yard of the Achievers’ Primary School.
Three girls, Stephy Ali, Susan Chin and Michelle Crawford from Standard 4
was playing basketball. Stephy take the ball and start to pass Susan. She try to
throw the ball in the net. Then she fall down and couldn’t get back up. She start
to scream because it look like her leg break. The other girls run to help her.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 43

Read the following excerpt. How would you revise it?

On Wednesday 14th September 2019, an incident took place in the school

yard of the Achievers’ Primary School.
Three girls, Stephy Ali, Susan Chin and Michelle Crawford from Standard 4
were playing basketball. Stephy took the ball and started to pass Susan. She
tried to throw the ball in the net. Then she fell and could not stand. She started
to scream because her leg was broken. The other girls ran to help her.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 44

• Ensure that the
language in your
report is formal.
• Use Standard
English.
• Avoid contractions,
slang and text
language.
Stay tuned
for Lesson 3!
 LESSON 3:
VARYING SENTENCE STRUCTURES

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 47

Flashback to Lesson
2:
• Ensure that the
language in your
report is formal.
• Use Standard
English. Avoid
contractions,
slang and text
language.
 Focus of this lesson

Varying sentence
structure in reports.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 49

 Three main types of sentence structures
Subject Predicate
Simple Christine was on time.
Independent clause conjunction Independent clause

Compound Christine was on time, but Marilyn was late.

Dependent clause Independent clause
Complex Although Marilyn left home early, she was still late.

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 50

What do you notice about this excerpt?
The students arrived at the Asa Wright Nature Centre. They
disembarked the maxi taxi. They lined up. Their teachers
gave them instructions. The students proceeded in a
straight line to the entrance.

Too many simple sentences. It also needs

transitional words to improve the logical flow and
clarity of the report.
Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 51
 How has it improved?
compound sentence
The students arrived at the Asa Wright Nature
complex sentence
Centre and they disembarked the maxi taxi. After they
simple sentence
lined up, their teachers gave them instructions. Then,
they proceeded in a straight line to the entrance.
Transitional words are helpful!

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 52

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 53
 Remember for reports
• Include facts only
• Maintain formal language
• Omit opinions and emotions
• Focus on logical structure and sequencing

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 54

 Visit learn.moe.
School Learning
Management System
(SLMS)
gov.tt
ECCE/Primary/Secondary

Helping students to connect

and continue learning

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 55

Happy writing!

Curriculum Planning and Development Division 2020 56