Report Writing
Report Writing
Bar charts: to compare one item to another, to compare items over time, and
to show correlations
Line graph: to compare items over time, to show frequency or distribution, and
show correlations
Pie Charts: to compare one segment to the whole. ( with trends & no trends)
Tables: provide us with an effective way of looking at
groups of related numbers.
Paraphrase:
From..to…
Over 5 years from…to..
Between…and…
During the years…
During the period of 5 years, starting in…
For about…years from… to…
Over a 5-year period 2000-2005
During the first 5 years of the 2000s
Over the year/ the decade
In a period of 5 years: from…to…
Kind of the graph + verb + what + where + when
Format report:
1. Opening statement
Kind of the graph + verb + what + where + when
2. Overview statement
short summary of the main/ most important feature(s)
Special features:
Overall, _____________
It is noticeable to see that _______________ _____________
In general, _____________
It is not surprising that _____________
It also noticeable that______________________________________________
It can be seen from the graph/ table that________________________________
As can be seen from the graph/ table,__________________________________
From the graph/ table, it is clear/ obvious/ apparent that___________________
Percentage/ proportion/ ratio/ figures/ statistics/ data/ share
Past Simple to talk about ‘finished’ time, e.g. in 2000, etc.
Present Perfect to talk about ‘unfinished’ time or time ‘until now’, e.g. since
2007,
2010 – present, etc.
Future tense to talk about predictions in future time, e.g. in 2030, next year, etc.
predicted
anticipated
estimated
that Subject will
It is forecast
+ Verb
projected
expected
set
predicted
anticipated
Subject (be) to + Verb
estimated
…
subject + will +
The prediction is that
Verb
Subject will Verb
hit a low
fell and then leveled off
remained flat/stable
plummeted
rose gradually
fell gradually
soared
dipped
fluctuated
hit a peak
- Upward
- Downward - Task achievement
1. Major trends - Stable - Coherence
- Fluctuate (upward, and cohesion
downward)
- Past tenses
- Grammatical range
- Present tenses
2. Tenses and accuracy
- Present perfect
- Task achievement
- Future
- Upward
- Lexical resources
3. Verbs/Nouns - Downward
- Grammatical
of - Stable
range and
movements - Fluctuate (upward,
accuracy
downward)
4. - Lexical resources
- Large change
Adjectives/Adver - Grammatical
- Moderate change
bs range and
- Small change
for degree accuracy
Adverb patterns
- S + V + Adv - Grammatical
5. Sentence
Adjective patterns range and
structures
- There + be + Adj + noun accuracy
- S + V + Adj + noun
S + V + Adv from …. to
S + V + Adv by … from …. to
S + V + Adj + noun of … - Grammatical
6. Prepositions
from range and
and
…. to accuracy
articles
S+ - Lexical resources
starts/begins/ends/finishes at
…
Sequencing expressions: first,
next,
- Grammatical
then, after that
range and
Relative clauses: which, who,
6. Join changes accuracy
when, where, …
- Coherence
Adverb clauses of time:
and cohesion
before,
after, …
CONTRAST
STRUCTURE
WORDS
Sentence
Clause connectors Others
connectors
despite (+noun) in
However,
spite of (+noun)
Nevertheless,
but differ from
By comparison,
while (be) different
Conversely,
whereas (from)
In contrast,
(be) dissimilar to
By contrast,
(be) unlike
Proportion/amount/number/
Percentage Fraction
majority
the overwhelming majority/ the vast
89% majority
a massive 89%, a hefty 89%
approximately
73% a significant/ vast majority
three quarters
precisely two
66% a large proportion
thirds
48% a good proportion almost a half
35% just over a third
25% a small number exactly a quarter
15% a small minority
a tiny minority, a modest minority,
an insignificant amount, a modest
5% a small fraction
5%, a
mere 5%
fewer + countable
noun
significantly
less +
There be considerably
uncountable noun than noun
There be far
more +
slightly
countable/uncoun
table noun
There be
There be nearly as
many + countable noun
(not)
much+ uncountable noun as noun
twice
There be almost ss
three
There be more than
times
about twice
A be as adj.
three times
Number as subjects
- 22% of people emigrated to the UK in 2007 because they were
looking for a job
- 30% of people immigrated to the UK to have a definite job
accounted.
Prepositions at and with
- Having a definite job accounted for 30% of immigration to the UK
and this figure was very
similar to emigration, at 29%.
- The proportion of those moving to join a family member was quite
similar to immigration
and emigration, at 15% and 13% respectively.
- Joining a family member with 15% of immigration to the UK
shared almost the same figure
as emigrating for the same purpose.
Parentheses
- Although a significant number of people (32%) gave ‘other’
reasons or did not give a reason why they emigrated, this accounted
for only 17% with regards to immigration.
Percentage Fraction
Commas
80% four-fifths - Interestingly, only a small
75% three-quarters minority, 4%, emigrated for
70% seven in ten formal study.
65% two-thirds
- A large number of people,
60% three-fifths
55% more than half 22%, emigrated because they
50% half were looking for a job.
more than two
45%
fifths Percentage Qualifier
40% two-fifths
35% more than a third 77% just over three quarters
30% less than a third
25% a quarter
20% a fifth
15% less than a fifth
10% one in ten
5% one in twenty
77% approximately three quarters
49% just under a half
49% nearly a half
32% almost a third
proportion /
number / amount
Percentage
/ majority /
minority
a massive 85%
a hefty 80%
a very large
75% - 85% majority
the vast majority
the overwhelming
majority
a significant
65% - 75%
proportion
10% - 15% a minority
a very small
number
5%
a tiny 10%
a modest 10%
2. Age groups
There are several ways to say age groups.
- people in the 20-29 age group/bracket
- the 20-29 year-olds
- people aged 20-29
- 20-29 year - old people
- people from 20 to 29 years old
- people in the youngest/oldest age group
3. Linking devices
Useful linking devices can help better the description and make a
difference. Study the following
structures.
COMPARISON
STRUCTURE
WORDS
and …
Similarly, ….. both ... and Like (+ noun),
Likewise, ….. not only ...but ……
Also, …… also Similar to (+
,too as…. noun), …..
just as …..
- Similar to Bernie’s Buns, Lovely Loaves also gained the biggest sales
from doughnuts.
- Bernie’s Buns and Lovely Loaves were similar in that they both earned
most from
doughnuts.
CONTRAST
STRUCTURE
WORDS
Sentence Clause
Others
connectors connectors
despite
(+noun)
However, in spite of
Nevertheless, (+noun)
but
By comparison, differ from
while
Conversely, (+noun)
whereas
In contrast, as opposed to
By contrast, (+noun)
compared
to/with (+noun)
A Although +
clause, clause
Though +
clause, clause
- Bernie’s Buns sold approximately 120 cookies, while Lovely Loaves sold
only around 65.
- Different from Bernie’s Buns which sold approximately 120 cookies,
Lovely Loaves sold
only around 65.
- Bernie’s Buns sold approximately 120 cookies, as opposed to Lovely
Loaves which sold
only around 65.
- Approximately 120 cookies were sold by Bernie’s Buns, compared to
around 65 cookies
which were sold by Lovely Loaves.
- Although fewer doughnuts were sold by Lovely Loaves than by Bernie’s
Buns, they were
still the most popular items for the b