Report Writing

Report Writing

A report is a form of writing that gives information about event, situation or process to someone who wants it. To be useful a report must be written in clear, simple language and in a direct style that would allow the person for whom it is written to find the required information quickly and easily. It is necessary to be clear about three things when writing a report—what the report is about, who it is meant for, and what it will be used for. Report writing is an important communication skill that you will need to use during your years of study and, later, when you begin working

The three kinds of reports you will learn to write in this unit are
A. newspaper reports,
B. reports of scientific experiments and processes, and
C. official reports prepared on the instructions of someone in authority.

A. Newspaper reports and general reports

Newspaper reports cover current events and everyday incidents in the country and abroad. They deal with a variety of subjects such as education, entertainment, commerce and industry, polítics, sports, science and stories of human interest. Reports written in newspapers consist of a direct presentation of facts relating to situation or event. They are generally impersonal and objective in style. What this means is that the writer of a newspaper report simply presents facts, without expressing his or her own react to the incidents. Some typical features of newspaper report listed below.

1. The verb in the headings of newspaper reports is either in simple present tense or in past participle form.

President leaves for SAARC meet Tughlaqabad Fort given a facelift
Book by Y. K. Reddy to be released

2. Factual descriptions and narrations in newspaper reports use a mixture of verbs in the active and passive voice. This choice is made on the basis of whether the performer of the action is important and needs to be focused on, whether the performer of the action is understood, is not really relevant, is not known or whose identity needs to be kept a secret.

The prime minister met the members of the visiting UN committee last evening. The meeting was arranged in the Parliament House Annexe. It is believed that immediate plans to fight terrorism were discussed at the meeting.

3. Newspaper reports also often include the opinions and statements of important persons, experts or those in authority. These may be either in reported speech or in the exact words of the speaker, in direct speech enclosed in inverted commas. Some newspaper reports use both direct and indirect speech to express people's comments and views.

The head of the cardiology unit at M.R.L. Hospital confirmed reports that the patient is in a critical condition. Dr. Prabhat Kumar said, 'The patient has been put on a ventilator following a massive cardiac arrest. His kidneys, liver and lungs are also not functioning satisfactorily.'

4. There are some specific reporting verbs that are commonly found in newspaper reports, for example: 'called upon', 'deplored, ‘praised', 'declined', 'condemned', 'urged', 'exhorted', 'foresaw' and denied

The secretary declined to comment.
The minister strongly condemned the attack.
The opposition deplored the recent uptrend in violent crime.



5. Another feature of newspaper reports is the use of the expressions ‘unconfirmed/confirmed reports and reliable sources' as in the following extracts from newspaper reports.

There have been confirmed reports of heavy showers in m parts of North India.
According to reliable sources, actor Sumalata will announce her retirement from films shortly.


Such expressions are used either in the absence of an authentic source of information or when there is a need to keep the identity of the official or source confidential.


Sometimes you are asked to write a factual report (not necessarily meant to be published in a newspaper) describing an event or situation for the college magazine or as part of a class assignment. Your report, in which you will describe an event. such as a cultural programme or trip, is expected to give its most important details. Although these reports are written with the same purpose as newspaper reports—to convey information about an event-general reports are not as formal in style as those written for the newspaper.


Note that reports meant for a newspaper, or those written for a college magazine or as a class assignment usually consist of more than one paragraph. They begin with an introductory paragraph containing basic information about the place, date and time of the reported event. The next two or three paragraphs are used to describe the event in more detail. The final paragraph sums up or concludes the report.


Look at the following samples of a report that appeared in a newspaper and that was written by a student to describe a holiday trip. Note that these reports have all the features discussed above.

Model reports

1. Take a look at a newspaper report about an earthquake.


Earthquake in Bilaspur

The small sleepy town of Bilaspur was destroyed completely when an earthquake, measuring 5 on the Richter scale, struck without warning at 2.15 a.m. on 2 June 2006. The damage caused by the earthquake was immense. Two hundred people were killed and more than twice the number were reported to have been badly injured. Most of the buildings in the town collapsed and the railway lines connecting Bilaspur to the outside world were wrecked. There was total power breakdown with the transmission lines being snapped. The army was called out to assist the local administration in its relief operations. Several NGOs and other voluntary organisations came forward to provide medical assistance, food, water and shelter. An amount of Rs 4 crore is being released from the chief minister's fund, and this will be used to pay a compensation of 1 lakh each to the affected families.


2. Given below is a report on a school trip to Pondicherry.


A trip to Pondicherry

During the summer vacation this year, we went in a large group to Pondicherry, a charming, well-planned town that was once a French colony. We booked into a quiet, oldfashioned hotel very close to the Beach Road facing the Bay of Bengal. The road is also part of the city's French Quarter and is a good place to stroll leisurely and enjoy a scenic view of the sea. On the other side of the town is the traditional Tamil quarter with its narrow streets and traditional houses with elaborately carved doorways. We visited the Pondicherry Museum, filled with interesting exhibits. Two other attractions are the 19th century Church of Our Lady of the Angels and Raj Nivas, which used to be the official residence of the French governor of Pondicherry. On the last day of our stay in the city, we visited the Aurobindo Ashram with its memorials to the great spiritual leader, Sri Aurobindo Ghose, and his disciple, the Mother. We spent every moment we could on the warm, golden beaches or shopping in the quaint, tiny stores or enjoying French food in the little cafes that can be found everywhere. When we left Pondicherry, it was with happy memories of its friendly people, its warm sand and water, its delicately flavoured cuisine and sweet smells and sounds.

C. Official reports

Official, or business/technical, reports are formal reports written in response to instructions received from someone in authority. They are also referred to as 'survey reports' because they are investigative in nature and are written after studying or surveying, for example, a subject area, a situation or the working of an industry. It is essential for these reports to present facts clearly and concisely because they will be used to take decisions. You can follow the guidelines below to write official reports.


1. The first step in writing a official report involves the collection of data through investigations, inquiry, meetings, surveys, etc.


2. The second step is to arrange the information in the following format, which is commonly used for the purpose.


From (name and designation of the person writing the report)

Date

To (name and designation of the person to whom the report is sent)

Title of the report (subject)

Terms of reference (who authorised the report/why it is being made, what the reporter has been asked to survey, etc.)

Abstract or summary (included when the report is very long, so that busy senior colleagues may get the essence of the report quickly, without having to go through the main body of the report)

Body of the report (containing the findings of the investigation)

Conclusion (containing the reporter's interpretation of the facts, and his/her comments and recommendations)

Signature (of the person writing the report)


3. The style and tone used in such reports is usually formal.


4. An official report must be accompanied by a formal covering letter thanking the person, persons or the organisation concerned for assigning you the task of making the report and stating your availability for further discussions and clarifications.

Model report

Look at the sample given below for an illustration of the format that has been suggested for official reports.


From: Deepan John District Education Inspector Warangal

Date: 15 May 2009

To:

Dr Shashi Prakash
Chief Education Officer District Centre,
Department of Education,
Warangal

Title: Primary education programme

Terms of reference: As instructed by the Minister of State for Education, a survey was conducted to assess the implementation of the government's 2007-2010 primary education programme in four villages in the district.


Findings: The writer visited the four villages of Aknoor, Cherial, Shyampet and Venkatapur to observe and assess the programme. The findings of the study are as follows.


a. According to records maintained in the local panchayat offices, the number of students who enrolled in 2008–2009 increased from 23 to 50 in Aknoor, 14 to 47 in Cherial, 22 to 70 in Shyampet and 30 to 95 in Venkatapur.


b. While a dropout of 7% was reported in Cherial, the other villages were able to retain their initial strength for the entire course of the academic session.


c. It was confirmed that the mid-day meal scheme was being satisfactorily implemented in all the four villages.


d. Except for three cases in Aknoor, primary schools in the villages had all the students vaccinated for typhoid and cholera.


e. It was verified that free distribution of books and stationery was done in all four villages as per the records.


Conclusion and recommendations: The government's programme for improving primary education in the state seems to have succeeded in Warangal district It is recommended that permission be granted for the recruitment of more trained teachers and for the sanction of funds for the renovation of school buildings in the villages where this study was conducted.




D John
(Deepan John)



Exercises

A. Read the following scenarios and do as directed.

1. Write brief newspaper reports of two short paragraphs each to suit the following headlines.


a. Theme park for children inaugurated


b. Sitar maestro honoured


c. Floods wreak havoc in Odisha


d. Scientific breakthrough to aid the visually impaired


e. India beat Croatia, advance to semi-finals


f. Veteran actress bids farewell to films


2. Write reports of three short paragraphs each on the following topics for your college magazine.


a. Students union elections


b. Visit to a historical monument


3. Distinguish between reports written for a newspaper, and general reports. Give examples to substantiate your answer.


4. Imagine that you are an education officer with the State Council of Higher Education. You have been asked by the secretary of the council to investigate rumours of cheating in three examination centres during the 2015 examinations. Write an official report, presenting facts and making recommendations.


5. You are the secretary of your college administrative board.


Write an official report addressed to the board regarding the proposal to relocate the cafeteria to another part of the college campus. The report should cover points such as where to relocate, the advantages and disadvantages of relocation, the costs involved, the time taken, and other relevant factors. Discuss this topic in your class so that you can come up with more ideas together.





B. Choose the correct answer from among the options provided


1. Newspaper reports must be written in an style.


a. endearing


b. impolite


C. objective


d. appealing





2. The verb in the heading of a newspaper report is usually form. in the simple present tense or


a. past continuous


b. present continuous


c. past participle


d. future tense


3. Sources for a newspaper report can be disguised by


a. using the past participle form for verbs.


b. using the simple past tense for verbs.


c. using pseudonyms.


d. using passive voice.


4. Which of these verbs is not a reporting verb, common used in newspaper reports?


a. declined


b. deplored


c. dented


d. urged


5. Which of these would not be the likely headline for a report in a newspaper?


a. Boating accident kills 5


b. Inauguration of new canteen on Thursday


c. New cell protein to fight cancer discovered


d. Opposition attacks PM for inaction


6. Which of these would not be the likely headline for a report in a college magazine?


a. Student union elections to be held next month


b. Winners of essay competition declared


c. Health camp in west block


d. Minister held for graft


7. What distinguishes a report in a college magazine from one in a newspaper?


a. a less formal style


b. the use of different typefaces


c. a more humorous narration


d. not following a chronological style


8. What are official reports also known as?


a. investigative reports


b. survey reports


C. annual reports


d. quarterly reports


9. The channels to gather data for an official report include:


a. meetings and surveys


b. investigations and inquiries


c. both (a) and (b)


d. neither (a) nor (b)


10. The correct order for the items in an official report is...


a. title, abstract, body, date


b. abstract, date, body, conclusion


c. date, from, to, conclusion


d. date, title, abstract, conclusion