Exercise 6: Writing a Report (Ultimate Guide)

Exercise 6 of the Reading and Writing paper of the IGCSE English as a Second
Language (ESL) exam (0510/0511/0991/0993) is always a formal or a semi-formal
writing. It can be an article, a report, or a review.

In this article, you will discover how to write an almost perfect report that impresses the
examiner and gets you the highest band.

So, what is a report?

A report is a nonfiction account that presents and/or summarizes the facts about a
particular event, topic, or issue to a person of authority. Reports are a mixture of facts
and opinions.

The purpose of a report is often to give relevant information in an ordered way and
to make suggestions to the reader based on that information. Therefore, the
vocabulary should be Standard English and straightforward, presenting the topic
precisely.

The Tone and register of a report

The audience of the report is often a teacher or someone in charge (e.g., the head
teacher, organizers of an event, etc.) so the language and tone tend to be more formal
and impersonal.

A report should be well-organized and clear. It often has headings to show the reader
what information can be found in each section of the report. This helps the reader to
locate the information they need more easily.

Now, let’s discover the ideal format of a report.

The format of a report

A report often follows a 3-part structure (in addition to the title), which may span 3-5
paragraphs:
 ●​ Title/heading: The title of the report you are writing about. It should be brief and
relevant. For example, “Report: School Trip to a Recycling Centre”, “A Visit to a
Recycling Centre”, etc.
1.​ First Paragraph: Introduction
2.​ Body paragraph(s): Findings (organized according to the requirements of the
report asked for in the question), for example, what you enjoyed about the trip,
what you learned, etc.
3.​ Final paragraph: Conclusion and Recommendations

Introduction

The purpose of the introduction is to provide a background and an overview of the

report. It should include:

1.​ The 7 WHs (of which 3 are absolutely necessary): Who (e.g. your class), What
(e.g. a day spent at a science exhibition), When (e.g. last week), Where (e.g. in
the town), Why (e.g. to learn about recycling), (written by) Whom (yourself), to
Whom (e.g. your teacher, organizers of the event, etc.).
2.​ The purpose of the report (what it will cover): This is mentioned in the
question, e.g. things that students enjoyed about the trip, suggestions for
improvements if it’s repeated next year, etc.
Here are some example phrases to mention the purpose of the report:

●​ The report aims to highlight/present/investigate …

●​ The report contains relevant information regarding …
●​ The (aim/intention/purpose) of this report is to
(present/discuss/outline/detail/highlight) … based on (my observations/feedback
from students, etc.).
3.​ How you collected the information you have based your report on (e.g.
observation, feedback from students, from a survey, interviewed classmates,
etc.). This is optional, so you may or may not include it.

Here are some examples of effective report introductions (the 3 necessary Whs have
been underlined):

●​ Last week, our class spent the day at a science exhibition in the town. This report
aims to detail what we learned from the visit and provide recommendations for
improvement if it is repeated next year.
 ●​ As requested, I have prepared a report about a sports festival my class attended
last week. I have interviewed my classmates, and my findings are presented
below.
●​ As requested by my teacher, I have compiled a detailed assessment of the work
experience week that my class participated in on the 1st of March. This report
aims to outline what was learnt by students and provide suggestions to enhance
the experience next time.
●​ Last week, our school had the opportunity to visit The National Museum of
Egyptian Civilization (NMEC). The purpose of this report is to provide an account
of our visit and offer suggestions for improvements based on my observations
and feedback from students.

Remember to keep the introduction brief.

Body

The body of the report generally includes your findings, which are the positive and/or
negative things you and other people have noticed. It should be organized according
to what is asked for in the question, for example, what you enjoyed about the trip,
what you learned, etc. The choice of subheadings will depend on what you mention in
the body of the report.

Here are some guidelines:

●​ Read the question carefully, underline the keywords and draft a plan for your
report in the blank space below the question using a pencil.
●​ You can use the few prompts given in the question, but it is better to use your
own ideas if you want to get higher marks. If, however, you are out of ideas, use
the ideas in the question and make sure to paraphrase them (write them in
different words) and develop them well.
●​ Decide how many body paragraphs you need and what ideas you want to
include in each paragraph; write a suitable subheading for each one.
●​ Present each topic in detail under suitable subheading and support your ideas
and develop them well with reasons, evidence, or examples.
●​ Keep to the topic (don’t wander away from the main subject and requirements
of the report). Remind yourself constantly by looking again at the question.
●​ Use a wide variety of formal linking words and cohesive devices to create a
smooth and logical flow in your writing. Here are some examples.

Showing order
 ●​ First of all
●​ First and foremost
●​ Firstly
●​ In the first place
●​ To begin with
●​ Subsequently
●​ Finally
●​ Addition
●​ In addition,
●​ Furthermore,
●​ Additionally,
●​ Moreover,
●​ Not only … but also…
●​ As well as.
●​ And

Contrasting

●​ However
●​ Nevertheless
●​ Even though
●​ Although
●​ Despite/ Despite the fact that
●​ In spite of
●​ While
●​ On the other hand
●​ On the contrary
●​ By contrast
●​ In comparison
●​ Alternatively
●​ But

Giving Examples

●​ For example
●​ For instance
●​ One clear example is
●​ Such as
●​ Namely
●​ To illustrate
●​ In other words
Reasoning

●​ Results and consequences: as a result, consequently, therefore, thus, hence, for

this reason, as a result (of), which means that, etc.
●​ Reasons and causes: owing to, because (of), on account of, due to, since, as,
etc.

Highlighting and Stressing

●​ Particularly
●​ In particular
●​ Specifically
●​ Especially
●​ Obviously
●​ Clearly

Conclusion and Recommendations

The conclusion should include:

1.​ A brief summary of the main points raised in your report (expressed in
different words)

and/or

Your opinion about the whole experience or on the facts that you have
discovered.

For example, “In conclusion, I believe that the trip was an overall success, as it provided
an invaluable opportunity for students to discover more about the fascinating world of
science.”

In the new syllabus, the word limit is reduced to only 160 words, so it’s preferred to
mention your opinion about the whole experience briefly rather than summarizing the
main points raised in the report. For example, “To conclude, the visit was an exceptional
learning experience and a success overall”.

Here are some concluding phrases you could use:

 ●​ In conclusion
●​ To conclude
●​ To sum up
●​ On the whole
●​ All things considered
●​ It can be concluded that …
●​ I feel/ I believe/ I am convinced/ I am confident that …
2.​ Your recommendations, solutions, or suggestions + Reason/ your
prediction on what will happen if the recommendation is followed

For example: “I recommend extending the duration of the visit and prohibiting the use of
mobile phones to maximize the learning experience.”

Here are some example phrases you could use for giving recommendations, solutions
or suggestions:

●​ I suggest/recommend/propose …
●​ I would like to suggest …
●​ A solution to this issue might be …

Note: It’s also possible to write 2 separate paragraphs for the conclusion and the
recommendations.

Points to keep in mind

Dos:

●​ Organize your report into 3-5 paragraphs depending on the requirements of

the question. Leave a line between paragraphs or indent the first line of each
new paragraph. Don’t do both!
●​ Take care of spelling, punctuation, and grammar. This is important as the
examiner will look at the accuracy of your language.
●​ Use a combination of simple, compound, and complex sentences, with
more focus on complex structures.
●​ Use a wide range of formal vocabulary, including some advanced and less
commonly used ones.
●​ Include a range of topic-related vocabulary to show that you have a good
understanding of the topic, for example, if a question asks for a report about a
sports festival that your class attended, sports-related vocabulary could be
 included, such as “fitness”, “warm up before exercising”, “gym”, “membership
fees”, “tournament”, etc.
●​ Use a wide range of formal linking words. Examples have been mentioned
earlier.
●​ Use advanced punctuation sparingly (1-3 in the whole report), for example,
colon (:) and semicolon (;).
●​ Aim to complete towards the maximum word limit (approximately 200 words
for the current syllabus and 160 words for the new syllabus). Exceeding the word
limit slightly (15-20 words) is fine as long as you write accurately and complete
the task within the correct time. If you exceed the word limit by any number of
words, be it even 100, no marks will be cut directly, but you increase your
chances of making more mistakes and spending more time than required for this
exercise, which may affect your mark indirectly. If you write towards the lower
limit or below, you are highly unlikely to achieve the highest band for Content as
your content is not well developed.
●​ Spend about 30 minutes on this exercise: the initial 5 minutes for planning and
the last 2-3 minutes for checking your work for simple spelling, punctuation, and
grammatical mistakes.
●​ Use passive voice to increase the formality of your report, for example, “No food
had been provided.”, “We were given plenty of information.”, “The seats were
damaged.”, etc. But don’t write entirely in passive voice; just try to include some
passive sentences.
●​ Use reported speech rather than direct speech to increase the formality of your
report, for example, “Most students said that they would have liked to take part in
more activities”.
●​ Write legibly

Don’ts:

●​ Avoid contractions (isn’t, aren’t, etc.).

●​ Avoid abbreviations and slang (texting language) such as, OMG, BTW, gonna,
etc.
●​ Avoid using informal vocabulary, informal linking words (e.g. “besides”,
“anyway”, etc.) and idioms.
●​ Avoid directly addressing the reader (using “you”).
●​ Avoid listing (firstly, secondly, thirdly, etc.). There is no problem in writing “firstly”
but avoid writing “secondly” and “thirdly”.
●​ Avoid repetition of vocabulary and beginning your sentences with the same
words. Sometimes, students write 3 or more sentences in a row starting with
“The”!
Final note

Practice a lot of past papers and get feedback on your writing. If you don’t have a
teacher or you’re looking for more detailed feedback than you’re getting in class, you
might want to check out our marking service. You’ll receive personalized, exam-like
feedback showing you exactly what you’re doing right and where you can improve.

You can also visit our samples page to see what you’ve just learned effectively used in
real examples.

Good luck! Go get that A*!