Step 3 Summaries, Notes, Reports
Reports are the most impersonal kind of writing and this is reflected in the language used. It is usually best to avoid expressing personal opinions or feelings except perhaps in conclusion. Any report has three main parts:
Introduction (terms of reference, procedure)
Body of the report (findings)
Final section (conclusions, recommendations)
Sometimes you have to write longer reports though.
Put the parts of a longer report in the correct order.
Appendix or appendices: for tables, figures, etc.
Conclusions: based on facts and alternatives
Contents lists: including headings and sub-headings with page numbers
Introduction: stating aims or objectives, or terms of reference (why it was
written and who it was written for)
Recommendations
Summary: giving the main points, such as important conclusions
The main part of the report
Title page: giving the subject, the writer’s name, the date and a reference
number.
Useful language for writing reports
Introductory comments
I recently visited (the new Leisure Centre) and have prepared the following
report for your consideration.
The following report relates to my recent visit to ...
As requested by … , I have investigated the problem …
The aim of the report is to…
The report is intended to…
This report looks at/describes…
It is based on…/ it draws on…/it uses…
A study of… was made.
A study showed, that…
It is a fact that ...
Reporting an observation
It seems/appears that…
It was found that…
A/the majority/minority of…
Quoting
According to… As X said… In the words of…
Generalizing
In general On the whole In the main
Commenting
Interestingly Curiously Oddly Strangely Surprisingly Predictably
As might be (have been) expected
Concluding comments and recommendations
All things considered, I believe that ...
Taking all these points into consideration, I would recommend ...
I recommend that we look into the possibility of ...
As requested, I am submitting the following proposal on ...
I recommend that we ...
I propose that we ...
We should also ...
I believe that ...
If we were to… , it would ...
I suggest we… .We would then be able to ...
I feel strongly that we should ...
I trust you will give my proposal your full consideration.
Linking and logical devices
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Addition In addition, as well as, besides, both.. and, not only … but also…, furthermore, moreover |
Cause and result Because, as, since, in case, due to, owing to, as a result of, so, therefore, consequently |
Concession Although, though, even though, even if, but, yet, despite, in spite of, however, nevertheless |
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Contrast While, whereas |
Purpose In order that, so that, in order to, so as to |
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Exercise to practice linking and logical devices
The sentences below are from the report giving reasons for setting up a specialized website and offering online trade finance services. Choose the correct conjunctions or connectors from the brackets to complete the sentences.
Most banks do not offer this service: (yet/moreover/on the contrary) very few
do, which is why this would give us a big advantage.
A lot of small companies are frightened to import directly (because/owing
to/although) the complexity of documentary credits.
This service would be particularly useful for start-ups – (therefore/for
example/in other words) new internet companies – who want to buy and sell
internationally.
(Although/consequently/as) there would be initial costs in setting up the website,
it would subsequently save us a lot of money.
(Furthermore/such as/on the other hand) offering these services would probably
gain us a lot of new customers.
(Moreover/because of/though) it would reduce our costs and make each transaction more profitable, (also/since/due to) the customer would be doing a lot of work online – (while/though/for instance) filling in the details on a letter of credit.
(Yet/as a result/since) we might no longer need some of the staff processing customer instructions.
(Even though/however/thus) these staff could almost certainly be transformed to other departments.