TIPS & TRUCSReport

  • Part 2, choose one task
  • 140-190 words
  • Formal, with headings
  • Ends with recommendations
  • About 40 minutes

A report is one of the Part 2 options. Someone in charge, such as a head teacher, a manager or the local council, asks you to describe a situation, explain what works and what doesn't, and make recommendations.

The register is formal and impersonal, and the layout is what makes it a report: a title, clear headings and a short paragraph under each. If you like organised, factual writing, it's a safe choice.

Follow the bullet points

Report tasks usually list three things to do: describe, explain, recommend. They are your content points, so give each one its own section, in the same order. That way the examiner can find every answer at a glance.

Use clear headings

Headings are part of the task, not decoration. Keep them short and informative (Current situation, Main problems, Recommendations) and put each on its own line.

Begin with a title and an introduction that states the purpose of the report and, briefly, where your information comes from.

Stay factual and impersonal

Write as an objective observer. Use impersonal structures (It was found that..., Most students felt that..., It would be advisable to...) and leave out I think, emotional words, contractions, rhetorical questions and jokes.

Recommend, don't just describe

The final section is where a report earns its marks. Make specific, practical recommendations and link them to the problems you described: Since many students arrive late, it is recommended that the bus should leave earlier.

Use formal B2 language

The passive is your friend (were interviewed, should be replaced). Add formal linkers (Moreover, Consequently, In contrast, Overall), quantifiers (the majority of, a small number of) and precise vocabulary instead of good or bad.

How you are marked

Content: every bullet point covered. Communicative Achievement: a formal, useful report the reader could act on. Organisation: a title, headings, logical sections. Language: formal range and accuracy.

Traps to avoid: no headings, a chatty tone, a personal story instead of facts, and recommendations that are vague or missing.

Structure

  1. 1TitleA short, clear title, such as Report on the school canteen.
  2. 2IntroductionThe purpose of the report and, briefly, how you gathered the information (a survey, interviews, a visit).
  3. 3Section 1, with a headingThe current situation: the facts the first bullet point asks for.
  4. 4Section 2, with a headingThe strengths, problems or reasons the second bullet point asks about.
  5. 5RecommendationsPractical suggestions linked to what you described, and a short concluding sentence.

Strategy

  1. 1Read the task (2 minutes). Note who the report is for, why they want it and each bullet point you must cover.
  2. 2Turn the bullet points into headings (3 minutes). Add an introduction and a recommendations section, and that is your plan.
  3. 3Collect the facts (4 minutes). Under each heading, note two or three points, invented if necessary: what people said, what you noticed.
  4. 4Write the title and introduction (3 minutes). State the purpose of the report and how you gathered the information.
  5. 5Write the main sections (15 minutes). One short paragraph under each heading, in a formal, impersonal style.
  6. 6Write the recommendations (5 minutes). Give clear, practical suggestions that solve the problems you described.
  7. 7Check (5 minutes). Headings on their own lines? No contractions or I think? Then check grammar, spelling and the word count.

Handige uitdrukkingen

Introducing the report

  • The aim of this report is to...
  • The purpose of this report is to describe...
  • This report is based on...
  • Information was gathered by means of a survey of...

Presenting findings

  • It was found that...
  • The majority of students said that...
  • According to those interviewed, ...
  • Only a small number of...
  • It is clear that...

Linking formally

  • Moreover, ...
  • In contrast, ...
  • Consequently, ...
  • As a result, ...
  • On the whole, ...

Making recommendations

  • It is recommended that...
  • It would be advisable to...
  • One solution would be to...
  • The school should consider...
  • If these changes were made, ...

Voorbeeldantwoord

Your school has a garden that few students use, and the head teacher has asked you to write a report. Describe how the garden is used at the moment, explain why students don't use it more, and recommend how it could be improved.

Report on the School Garden Introduction The aim of this report is to describe how the school garden is used at present, to explain why so few students go there and to suggest how it could be improved. It is based on a survey of sixty students. Current use At the moment, the garden is used mainly by the science club, which grows vegetables there twice a week. Apart from this, it remains almost empty, even at lunchtime, when the playground is crowded. Reasons The majority of students said that they did not know they were allowed to use the garden. Moreover, many complained that there is nowhere to sit and no shade in summer. Recommendations It is recommended that benches and a few trees be added so that students can relax or study outside. In addition, the garden should be advertised in assemblies and on the school website. If these changes were made, it would become a popular space for the whole school.

164 woorden

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