Informal Report Writing

Informal report
The word ‘report’ comes from the Latin word ‘reportare’ which is the combination of ‘re’
and ‘pertare’; it means “to carry back the information to someone who was not present at the
scene of the event” . A report is generally defined as a technical document which is the result of
a thorough investigation, written for specific audience in a well-defined formal format and with
the language easy-to-understand. A report is an outcome of a problem, which needs to be
addressed. Reports can be formal or informal depending upon their nature, scope and length.
An informal report is a brief account of a specific business or professional activity. This
type of report is often written to provide introductory information about a routine affair.
Informal reports are generally short. They may be either informational or analytical and may use
the oral or written form. Their length carries from five to eight pages. Since informal reports are
not elaborate, they may contain only a few elements, such as note on authorization, problems
dealt with, conclusions and findings. These reports are in two forms:
a. Letter format
b. Memo format

i. Letter Format
A letter format follows the format of business letters. A letter format contains all the
elements of a letter along with some additional sections such as illustrations, references and so
on. Headings may be used in a letter report. In the present context the most popular is the
complete block form. In the complete block format the matter is aligned to the left margin, and
the matter till salutation is devoid of punctuation marks. Even the complimentary close does not
have punctuation marks. The tone of language used in this format is personal and informal.

Parts of a letter format

1. Letter Head
2. References
3. Inside address
4. Date
5. Subject line
6. Salutation
7. Body
8. Complimentary close
9. Signature
10. Name of the writer in type-written form
11. Designation of the writer
 12. Enclosure
The heading contains the address of the writer or the sender and the date on which the letter
is written. Proper spacing between the name of the firm and its address and between the address
and the date is of great importance
The inside address contains the name and address of the firm or a person to whom the letter
is written. One-line gap must be there between the name and address.
The Subject line should be clearly written below the Inside address with one-line gap.
The salutation is written on the left-hand side below the subject line with a one-line gap.
It is followed by a comma or a colon.

Words for salutations:

Sir: It is used by government offices only. It is very formal nowadays.
Dear Sir: it is the most accepted form of salutation. However, this is used only when the
relationship between the correspondents already exists.
Dear Sirs: It is used in case of letters addressed to companies or partnership firms where the
word Messrs is generally used, and where the letter is addressed to a firm and not the Manager
or nay other particular person.
Dear Miss, Dear Mrs., Dear Mr.: These are used only when the writer knows the recipient well
and wants to give a friendly touch.
The body of the letter should be divided into different paragraphs as per the need. But
the first paragraph should introduce the subject-matter of the letter.
The complimentary close should always agree with the salutation and it must always be
followed by a comma. The most common forms of complimentary close are:
 Yours faithfully,
 Yours truly,
 Yours very truly,
 Yours respectfully,
 Yours sincerely,
 Yours obediently
Examples of suitable complimentary close to salutations are:

Dear Sir, Yours faithfully

Dear Madam, or
Dear Sirs, Yours truly

Sir,
Madam, Yours obediently
Gentleman,
My dear Sir,
My dear Sirs, Yours very truly
My dear Madam,

Dear Mr.,
Dear Mrs., Yours sincerely
Dear Miss,
The signature is written below the complimentary close. And below the signature, full
name and the designation of the writer is written.

The most popular form to write a letter report is the complete block format. In this format
the matter is aligned to the left margin, and the matter till salutation is devoid of punctuation
marks. Even the complimentary close does not have punctuation marks. The tone of language
used in this type of report is personal and informal.

Sample letter in Full block format

Sabina Automatic Signals Limited

Narayan Gopal Chowk, Kathmandu

Ref. no. 43/2072/2073

15th April, 2015

Mr. M. P. Sharma
Superintendent of Police (Traffic)
Nepal Traffic Office
Lazimpat, Kathmandu

Subject: Crossing Protection at Durbar Marga, Kathmandu

Dear Mr. Sharma

Please refer to your letter no. T 316/7072/2073 dated March 28, 2015 in which you have asked
this company to survey the poor crossing conditions that exist at Durbar Marga and to examine
the possibility of our providing the visible and audible warning for both northward and southward
movement of suburban vehicles.
Result and Recommendations

We have completed the survey and analyzed the data collected for the purpose. The results
strongly indicate that serious traffic congestion exists and that a warning system should be
provided. We recommend that an automatic announcing system be installed at the Durbar Marga
crossing to provide warning in both the directions:
1. Northward on either side of the main roads for approximately 1500 feet.
2. Southward on either side of the main roads for approximately 1800 feet.

Estimate of the cost

Our estimate for installation is as follows:

Materials Rupees

Freight 10,300

Technical Consultancy 1,310

Labour 11,527

Contingencies 2,148

Total 25,285

Installation Requirement

At present the speed limit in this area is 30km/h. If the contract to install automatic announcing
system is given to us, we would like the speed limit of the vehicle movement over the area only
reduced to 20km/h while the installation is being done.

Yours Sincerely
PawanAdhikari
(Signature)
P. K, Adhikari
Superintendent, Signal Division
ii) Memorandum (Memo) Format

A memorandum (memo) is the most frequently used form of communication within the
organization. That’s why it is also called inter-office memorandum. It is frequently used between
persons who are closely acquainted with one another. It is rarely used for communication with
the members of other organizations. A memo is generally brief and to the point, and so the
professionals find it a convenient means of communication in all directions: upward, downward
or horizontal. It also serves as a record of routine events, requests and points arising out of day-
to-day business transaction. Sometimes one may find it easier to communicate with an officer
with whom personal contact is to be avoided. Many organizations have printed memo form on
which one can quickly process word or write and transmit a message.

Objectives of writing Memorandum

Memorandum is written for various purposes. Some of the most important situations are
as follows:
 To make announcements
 To make requests and suggestions
 To send instructions and directives
 To clarify previous messages
 To provide information
 To report on the progress of project
 To confirm matters that have been discussed
 To state minor amendments to company policies

Parts of Memorandum
There are mainly three parts in a memorandum. They are as follows:
1. The Memohead
2. The Message
3. The Ending

The Memohead
The Memohead comprises the following sub-components:
a. The name of the organization
b. The heading MEMORANDUM
 c. From:
d. To:
e. Ref:
f. Date:
g. Subject:

The Message
The message must be paragraphed as it would be in a letter, and normally the fully block
layout is used. If the writer is making several distinct points then these can be numbered to
increase the clarity of the message.

The Ending
The ending does not contain ‘yours sincerely’ at the end of the memo, because there is
no complimentary close. The ending consists of:
a. The signature
b. Carbon copies (cc.)
c. Enclosures (Enc.)

Language and Style of Memorandum

It is not always necessary for the writer to use complete sentences but there are no
specific rules. The determiners and the auxiliary verbs are sometimes left out. We may or may
not use ‘Dear’ while greeting the receiver and ‘sincerely’ is not necessarily used at the end.
Sample of Memorandum

Far Western University

Mahendranagar
Kanchanpur

Inter-office Memorandum
From: Manager, printing Press

To: The Managing Director

Ref: COD/101F

Date: 28 May, 2016

Subject: Purchase of Three Photocopier Machines

The Sony Photocopiers that we have is no longer adequate to meet all our needs. It is about seven
years old and lack versatility. Moreover, it breaks down frequently and needs major repairs. This
year alone we had to spend Rs. 20,000 to keep it in working order. With the additional of four
teaching departments and consequent increase in the number of both faculty and students, the
volume of work has gone up considerably. Our estimates show that we now require at least three
more photocopiers to cope with the present day demands. We have also studied the feature of
various types of photocopiers currently available in the market. We recommend the purchase of
Canon Xerox, each costing Rs. 80,000 manufactured from Jackson and Smiths Ltd., Malaysia.
I request you to accord your administrative approval for the purchase of photocopiers.

Badri Prakash Sharma