Master the Art of Effective Report Writing

• A report is a factual description of an event that occurred in real life.
• It should describe the event in exactly the way it took place.
• The report would contain facts (dates, places, numbers, witness accounts, etc…)
• It should be noted that one should only include the relevant information.

E.g., While writing about an Olympic event, it is optional to comment on the traffic that morning.

• The report should always use the past tense, as it is about something that has already happened.
• A report should be a sharp, short document for a specific purpose and audience.
• While writing a report, use simple language so the reader can easily understand.
• The tone of the report should be formal.
• A report has a formal writing style, and one should not use any informal language.
• Formal terms and good vocabulary should clearly explain the event or incident.
• While writing a report, pronouns like I, me, mine, myself, etc., should not be used.
• Every report has a headline or a title. It must be catchy and impressive enough to create an interest in the reader.
• The information described in the report should be accurate and precise.
• An excellent report should provide answers to ‘what, where, when, why, and how’ questions relating to the subject.
• Writers’ personal opinions should not be written in the report.
• A report should be easy to read and understand, even for someone with little knowledge of the subject of the information.
• A report can be broken down into multiple paragraphs as required. For example, the content of the information will be the Introduction, body, and conclusion.
• It should start with a catchy heading or title of the subject on which the report is being written. It should have the main point of the information.
• This should be followed by the report’s venue, place, and date.
• Then, the body of the report with the relevant paragraph breaks. With an introduction and conclusion.
• The first paragraph should contain information about where and when the event or incident happened.
• The second paragraph must explain how and why the event took place. It should also have remarks from participants of the event.
• The last paragraph should include a few sentences concluding the event.
• The report should end with “by Student reporter/Staff reporter.”