What is a report?

A report is a document that presents the results of an investigation, project or initiative. It can also be an
in-depth analysis of a particular issue or data set. The purpose of a report is to inform, educate and
present options and recommendations for future action. A report is usually written for a superior (e.g. a
teacher) or a peer group (e.g. members of an English club). A report is expected to give some factual
information and make suggestions or recommendations. A report should be clearly organised and may
include headings.

Preparation and Planning

First, you should take some time to prepare and plan for your report. Before you start writing, identify the
audience. Your report should be written and tailored to the readers' needs and expectations. When
planning, ask yourself several questions to better understand the goal of the report. Some questions to
consider include:

 Who are the readers?

 What is the purpose of the report?
 Why is this report needed?
 What information should be included in the report?

Once you identify the basics of your report, you can begin to collect supporting information, then sort and
evaluate that information. The next step is to organize your information and begin putting it together in an
outline. With proper planning, it will be easier to write your report and stay organized.

Formatting the Report Elements

Introduction
The purpose of this report is to….

Subheading (2)
Give the relevant facts

Subheading (3)
Give the relevant facts

Subheading (4)
Give the relevant facts

Conclusion
Make your suggestions and recommendations

FT-146-GN
 ADVICE

1. Use of formal Language: The city of Brenwich boasts excellent facilities for a family excursion
2. Use of the passive Voice: It should be noted that Brenwich is quite popular during the weekends.
3. Use of modal verbs: may, ought to, should: The city of Brenwich may provide lodging for up to 1,800
visitors.
4. Use of titles and subtitles:
Transportation
Brenwich is connected by one main highway and two freeways, as well as a regional airport, which
is linked to four international hub airports.
5. Use of connectors:
Two principal hotels may be found in Brenwich, «City Hotel» and «Town Hotel». The former is
aimed at more affluent travellers while the latter is intended for budget tourists.
6. Inversion forms:
Should accommodation capacity be not enough for the attendees of the proposed event,
agreements with neighbouring cities could be established.
7. Opinion can be expressed: In my opinion, from my point of view...

USEFUL VOCABULARY
Introducción:

The aim of this report is to find out whether…

The aim of this report is to highlight…

The aim of this report is to expose…

The aim of this report is to evaluate…

This report aims to consider…

This report aims to examine…

This report aims to inform…

The aim of this report is to consider the option with regard to…

Subheading: 
It should be a short introductory summary so the subheading should include the most important facts of the
report. We could use the following headings:
 Executive Summary, General Findings, Key Aspects…

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The rest of the subheadings:
1. The following paragraphs (two, three, four…) must give information about what has been asked (in
the exam). The following sentences could be used in those paragraphs:

According to,

In addition,

As far as students are concerned,

As far as locals are concerned,

As far as authorities are concerned,

It should be considered that…

It must be stressed that…

2. Each paragraph must have a title. It is important to be clear and go straight to the point. So the
following headings can be useful:
Advantages
Obstacles
Budget
Issues
suggestion
3. You can also be inventive and make your text look interesting and professional by using these kind
of sentences:
According to the survey conducted among locals, the great majority of them is in favour of
holding the event after the annual festival.
As far as students are concerned, they would be eager to take part in these activities as long as
they do not interfere with their final exams.
4. To get a good mark, it is important to express a negative point of view and a possible solution.
Possible Issues
It should be pointed out that Brenwich may lack enough accommodation for all the possible
attendees. However, there will be shuttle services every 30 minutes from the most important
neighboring cities. Please, refer to the end of this report for further details.
Concerning Matters
As a matter of fact, the city will be hosting the annual harvest festival for the proposed dates of the
visit. Consequently, booking restaurants and activities in advance is highly recommended. Please,
refer to the end of this report for contact details.
Conclusión
To conclude two paragraphs can be written which can be titled as:
Suggestions:
As it can be inferred from this report…

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 It is highly advisable to…
Therefore, it can be concluded that…
Recommendations
In conclusion, this report demonstrates that…
From the research, one can conclude that…
From the evidence exposed, it can be concluded that…

Report sample 1
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TV PROGRAMMES IN SPAIN
Introduction
The aim of this report is to analyse the introduction of English-language TV programmes to Spanish
television. In doing so, this document will focus on the popularity of such programmes, the effect they have
on local culture and how they could be improved by making some minor changes.

Popularity
According to the latest research, English-language TV programmes have increased in popularity in Spain
during the last decade as a result of new television features like TV on demand. The main issue seems to
be that most viewers are watching a dubbed version of these shows. However, as English language fluency
increases within the country, more and more viewers tend to choose the original version of these shows
with the intention of boosting their fluency even more.

Effects on local culture

While the impact on Spanish culture is not as great as on other cultures, due to relatively scarce differences
between American or English societies, some changes have been registered. Firstly, national TV
productions are struggling to compete with American programmes, which have a more generous budget.
Secondly, according to sociologists, language learners are benefiting not only from language input, but also
from a broader cultural awareness.

Recommendations
In order for English-language shows to have a more positive impact on our society, I would recommend not
dubbing them. Consequently, viewers would be somewhat obliged to watch these programmes in English,
hence improving their English language skills. Furthermore, as a teacher, I would suggest Spanish TV
channels provide viewers with online educational resources and support so that they would be able to make
the most of watching shows in the original version.

Codi: FT-146-GN Pàgina 4 de 7

Report sample 2
RECENT JOBS FAIR
Introduction
Last weekend there was a Jobs Fair in the Town Hall. Over 100 different international companies and
organisations had stands giving information about the careers they can offer young people. There were
plenty people on each stand to answer questions and to give advice and there was also a wealth of
promotional literature available, The Fair also arranged a series of work-related talks, films and other
events in the course of the weekend.

Promotions of particular interest

All in all it was an excellent event. There were two stands that I personally found particularly interesting and
relevant. The first was one promoting opportunities for language teaching abroad. This is something that I
and a number of fellow-students have been seriously considering. We were able to find out there about
what qualifications we would need, what kind of working conditions we could expect and where there might
be interesting vacancies for us to apply for.
The second stand that drew my particular attention was one for a charity offering young people
opportunities to gain experience of other countries and cultures while helping on a range of voluntary
projects abroad. These projects included medical, environmental, construction and educational work in a
number of different countries. I was able to talk to several young people who had already participated in
such work and gained a very positive impression of the benefits of taking part.

Value of such events

In my opinion, such events are of great benefit to young people. They inform us about opportunities that we
might not otherwise have known about. They expand our horizons in terms of what we can aspire to.
Several of my friends, for example, left the event feeling that their career plans had been transformed by
what they have discovered during the Jobs Fair. We all agreed that our eyes had been opened to new
opportunities in a very valuable way.

Codi: FT-146-GN Pàgina 5 de 7

Report sample 3
THE INTERNATIONAL FILM CLUB ANNUAL REPORT (TITLE)

Introduction
The aim of this report is to give our club members an overview of the current annual activity and inform you
of our future projects for the coming year. In addition, we have included an insight of our financial annual
budget. (Note: Reports tend to be formal in style, so avoid using contractions)

Events of the year

The growing enthusiasm for Italian films is such that we considered necessary to organise a whole
weekend on the subject. No need to say that organising it was really worth the effort. We had a high
number of members participating who enjoyed a wide range of films courtesy of our Italian partners.
Additionally to this event, we achieved great success in our annual dinner. Not only new contracts were
signed with our current international partners but also with many new ones.

Extending our video library

Due our successful meetings, which included a talk by a famous film director, we are now going to be able
to provide our club with a large quantity of new films. For that, we plan to build an extension of the video
library for next year with a section dedicated to all these new Italian films.

Healthy finances
It can be said that our financial position this year is in good stead:
- We have been granted 15000€ by the national organisation to help us develop a more
enriched library.
- 32 new members have subscribed this year.
As a result, the coming money amounts to more than 20000€ this year
Regarding the expenses:
- The films rentals cost no more than 5000€ this year
- We have reduced on stationery expenditures spending only 700€

Conclusion
Our activity is really blooming and there is no doubt that our project will be undertaken for the coming year
trouble free. We also believe your ideas will be helpful to make the club still more enjoyable. Therefore we
suggest taking a bit of your free time to fill the idea form available at the entrance of the club.

TASKS
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 1. You have been asked to write a report for the World Information Organisation on the following topic:
 What are the greatest threats to the environment in your country today?
 What are the solutions?
2. Your local council has asked you to do some research on sporting activities in the local area with
the aim of encouraging more people to take part in sport. You have been asked to write a report
summarizing your findings in which you describe the existing level of participation in sporting events
in your area including factors which discourage people from taking part in sport, and recommending
ways of encouraging more people to take up sport.
3. You have just finished a three-week study and work programme in an English-speaking country.
You studied English language in the mornings and worked for a local company in the afternoons.
The programme organiser has asked you to write a report about your experience. In your report,
you should evaluate the programme, explaining which part of the programme was more useful, and
suggest changes you would recommend for next year’s programme.
4. An international research group is carrying out an investigation into the way in which the coronavirus
lockdown has affected the lives of young people. You have been asked to write a report about the
experiences of young people in your area, including the following points:
 Effects on your education
 Effects on your physical or mental health
 Recommendations for the future if a similar situation occurs

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