Skills for Success in

Report Writing
Unit 1: Understanding the Purpose of the Report:
Language and Content
By the end of this session you should be able to:

• State the purpose of a report.

• Explain the major differences between stories and reports.
• Differentiate between facts and opinions/emotions.
• Identify and correct examples of informal or narrative language
in reports.
What is a report?

A report is a factual essay that is written to inform the

reader about an incident or event.

Essay- written in paragraphs

Factual- consisting of facts

The purpose of a report is to provide facts about an

incident or event
Opinions
Opinions are statements that cannot be proven.

Opinions can be argued.

Opinions cannot be proven to be true or false.
Opinions are what an individual feels or believes.
Opinions can be based on facts or on feelings, or a combination.

Examples
1. Minecraft is boring.
2. Mathematics is the hardest subject.
3. During the tour, we had a delicious pizza for lunch.
Facts
Facts are statements that can be proven.
Facts may be true or false.
However, facts can be proven.

Examples
1. San Jose de Oruña is the capital of Trinidad. (This was true in
the past, but it is not true now)
2. The cake was approximately fifteen centimetres tall.
3. There are nine students in the class.
4. Fish can fly.
When writing a report you will have to make up facts such as:

Names
Address
Date and Time
Details about an incident or event
 Expository versus Narrative Writing
“Yay! We made it!” exclaimed Allie
as she gazed with delight at the
sparkling curtain of water that spilled
over the steep cliff. Her classmates
squealed in excitement. The steep
hike up the trail to Maracas Waterfall
was worth every challenging minute.
Their teachers, Mr. Dawes and Ms.
Phillips, bustled about, reminding the
students that they should stay in the
viewing area.
The Standard Four class of
Brightown Primary School went on an
educational tour to the Maracas
Waterfall, located on Waterfall Road,
in the Maracas St. Joseph Valley.
This event occurred on Friday 25th
March, 2018, from nine o’clock in the
morning to midday. Twenty students
and two teachers, Mr. Dawes and Ms.
Phillips, participated in the tour.
 Reports are different from stories
Reports
• Factual language
• Formal (official) tone
• Communicates what was seen,
heard, experienced
• Contains only relevant, factual
details
• Must be written in the past tense
• The events are written in the
order in which they occurred
(chronological order)
• The focus is on recounting the
relevant details about an event
from beginning to end
Stories
• Descriptive and figurative language
• Informal (friendly) tone
• Includes moods, emotions, thoughts,
opinions
• Contains details that help to create
moods.
• Can be written in a variety of tenses,
including present, past and future
• The events can be written in any order
(can use flashback and flash forward)
• The focus is on building up to an exciting
climax (major problem situation) and then
a resolution and conclusion
 What is Informal Language?

Informal language is used to communicate with people you know

well and feel relaxed around, such as your family and friends.
Informal language can be used when writing stories.

When communicating informally we can use:

• Contractions
• Slang (in direct speech)
• Abbreviations
• Expressions of emotion (including exclamations)
• Similes, metaphors and other figurative language
 What is Formal Language?
Formal language is less personal than informal language. It is used when
writing for professional or academic purposes, such as reports.
Formal language does not use:
• Slangs
• Contractions
• Emotive words
• Most abbreviations (Mr., Mrs., a.m., and p.m., and St for ‘Saint’, such as in the names of schools are allowed )
• Personal pronouns unless absolutely necessary. For example, if you are
writing a report about an incident in which you were involved, it might be
necessary to use I. In such a case, you must first identify yourself.
Example:
On Monday 7th July, 2020, the Downsville Sports Club held their Annual
Awards Ceremony at City Hall, St Helena. I, Faith Williams, represented
Sunset Primary School at the event.
Report Topics
▪ Incidents in School, Home and Community
Examples include:
• Injury
• Theft
• Bullying
• Fight
• Damage to Property
• Accident
• Fire
• Natural Disasters

▪ Class Projects and Activities

▪ Field Trips

▪ School Events/ Formal Events

▪ Competitions
Report requirements for SEA
• The response contains details which are all carefully selected, specific and relevant to
genre, audience and task.
• Main ideas are specific to the task and are developed skillfully through relevant
supporting details.
• Factual language and a formal tone are used exclusively throughout the report.
• Fluent, varied sentences enhance the clarity of the report.
• Clear and detailed introduction, body and conclusion (structure).
• Transitional words and phrases are used to skillfully link ideas and supporting details
throughout the report.
• Information is clearly organized with logical sequencing of all ideas, paragraphs and
details.
• Minor lapses in grammar, spelling or punctuation do not detract from the fluency
and clarity of the report.
Before you write, THINK.
You were present when one of your classmates injured a younger
student. Your teacher has instructed you to write a report about the
incident for the principal.
While you were on your way to school, the car in front of the vehicle in
which you were travelling collided with an oncoming delivery van. Write a
report for the police officer who is investigating the accident.