Writing a Report (Exercise 6)

British & IGCSE › Cambridge IGCSE English as a Second Language (0510)

A report is one of the four text types that can appear in Exercise 6 of Paper 1. It is the most ‘businesslike’ of them: you are not trying to entertain the reader, you are giving a person in charge clear information and sensible suggestions so that they can make a decision. If you learn the layout, the formal phrases and the four common types on this page, a report can become your safest 15 marks in the whole paper.

1. What the task is and where it sits in the paper

What is a report? A report is written for a superior (for example, your head teacher) or for a group (for example, the organisers of an event). It describes an event, an experience or a situation, gives the facts, and ends with suggestions or recommendations.

Underline three things before you write a single word: WHO reads it (the head teacher → formal), WHAT you must cover (usually two parts, e.g. ‘what went well’ + ‘how to improve’) and WHY it is being written (so that someone can make a decision).

2. Marks: what each band needs

Exercise 5 and Exercise 6 are marked with the same two tables. The examiner chooses the band that fits best, then a mark inside it.

3. How to get full marks: checklist

1. A clear title that says what the report is about (e.g. ‘Report on the International Food Day’).
2. Short headings for each section (Introduction / What went well / Problems / Recommendations).
3. An introduction that states the purpose of the report and, if possible, how the information was collected (questionnaire, interviews, your own visit).
4. Both parts of the task covered in roughly equal detail.
5. At least one or two ideas from the comments + at least one or two of your own ideas.
6. Every point developed with a reason, an example or a result.
7. Impersonal, formal tone: ‘Most students felt…’, ‘It was suggested that…’ – not ‘I loved it!!’.
8. Passive voice at least twice (‘the stalls were set up’, ‘it is recommended that…’).
9. Reporting verbs (said, complained, pointed out, suggested, admitted) and some reported speech.
10. Recommendations that match the problems you described.
11. Formal linking words: in addition, however, as a result, therefore, overall.
12. No contractions (do not, it was not), no slang, no exclamation marks, no emojis.
13. About 120–160 words – count your lines, not every word.

4. Step-by-step structure

5. The four types of report you should be ready for

Type (a): Report on an event, trip or festival

Audience: the head teacher or the people who organised the event. They were probably not with you all day, so they need to know what really happened. Purpose: to say what worked and what did not, so that next time is better.

• Introduction: name the event, the date, who asked for the report and where your information comes from (e.g. ‘comments collected from thirty students’).
• What went well: two developed positives (activity + why it worked + effect on students).
• Problems: one or two negatives, presented fairly (‘Although most students enjoyed…, some felt…’).
• Recommendations: one suggestion for each problem + an overall verdict (‘worth repeating’).

Type (b): Survey or research report

Audience: usually the head teacher or a teacher who wants evidence before changing something. Purpose: to present findings honestly and recommend action based on them.

• Introduction / Method: what you wanted to find out, how many people answered, how (questionnaire, interviews), and when.
• Main findings: the most important results first, using figures in words and comparison. Add a reason that students gave.
• Further findings / Concerns: a smaller result or a worrying detail.
• Recommendations: actions that follow logically from the numbers.

Type (c): Report on a place or facility

Audience: often the head teacher (for a school facility) or the local council (for a park, sports centre or youth club). Purpose: to describe the present situation and recommend improvements, usually because money is going to be spent.

• Introduction: which place, why you are reporting on it, how you found out (visited it, spoke to users).
• Strengths / Current situation: what the place offers and who uses it.
• Weaknesses: what is missing, broken, unsafe or unpopular, and the effect on users.
• Recommendations: specific, realistic changes (not ‘build a cinema’) and who would benefit.

Type (d): Proposal-style report suggesting improvements

Audience: someone who will decide whether to accept your ideas – the head teacher, the school council, a local business. Purpose: to persuade politely. A proposal looks forward (what we should do), while the other types look back (what happened).

• Introduction: what the proposal is about and why change is needed.
• One heading for each suggestion (e.g. ‘Recycling bins’, ‘A school garden’): what to do + how + the benefit.
• Possible difficulty: (optional) one problem and how to solve it. This shows mature thinking.
• Conclusion: why the plan is worth doing. A polite final recommendation.

6. How to start: openings for the introduction

7. Commonly used phrases and clauses for each section

The language toolkit: impersonal style, passive, reporting verbs

8. How to end: closings for the recommendations

• Overall, the trip was a great success and is well worth repeating, provided that the changes above are made.
• In conclusion, the survey suggests that most students would change their habits if the school made it easier for them to do so.
• If these recommendations are followed, the library could become a place that students actually want to use.
• To sum up, the proposal is realistic, low-cost and would benefit the whole school community.
• I am confident that these small changes would make next year’s festival even more enjoyable.

9. Common mistakes and what to watch for

10. Timing

A sensible plan (our advice, not an exam rule) is about 25 minutes for Exercise 6, so never leave it with only ten minutes to spare:

11. Model answer 1 – Report on a school trip (type a)

12. Model answer 2 – Survey report (type b)

13. Plans for the other two types

You do not need a full model for every type: you need a plan you can write from in five minutes, like these two.

14. Practice tasks

Write one of these in about 25 minutes. Then open the answer to compare your plan with ours.

1. Task 1 (event): Your school held a charity fun run to raise money for a children’s hospital. The organisers have asked you for a report. Say what was successful and how the event could be improved. Comments: ‘Great atmosphere – everyone was cheering.’ / ‘We raised more money than last year.’ / ‘There wasn’t enough water at the finish.’ / ‘It started an hour late.’ Write about 120 to 160 words. What would a good plan look like?

   Show answer

   Title: Report on the Charity Fun Run. Introduction: purpose + based on comments from runners and volunteers. What went well: lively atmosphere – parents and teachers cheered along the route, which encouraged younger runners to finish. More money raised than last year (own idea: thanks to online sponsorship forms). Problems: start delayed by an hour because registration was slow. Not enough water at the finish on a hot day. Recommendations: online registration the week before. Water stations every kilometre, sponsored by a local shop. Overall verdict: worth repeating. Language to include: ‘It was widely agreed that…’, ‘was delayed’, ‘It is recommended that…’.

2. Task 2 (survey): Your teacher asked you to find out how much sleep students in your year get on school nights. Write a report for your teacher about what you found and what students could do. What should the introduction contain, and give three findings written with figures in words.

   Show answer

   Introduction: what you wanted to find out (hours of sleep on school nights), how (questionnaire), how many students (e.g. sixty Year 9 students), when (last week). Findings, e.g.: ‘Fewer than half of the students questioned sleep for eight hours or more.’ / ‘Roughly one in four go to bed after midnight, mainly because of phones or online games.’ / ‘The vast majority admitted that they feel tired during the first two lessons.’ Recommendations could be: an assembly on sleep, a ‘phones out of the bedroom’ challenge, and reducing homework on the night before tests.

3. Task 3 (facility): The head teacher is planning to improve the school library and has asked students for a report. Rewrite these chatty sentences in report style: (a) ‘The library is really boring and nobody goes.’ (b) ‘They should get new books.’ (c) ‘Loads of people said the chairs hurt their backs.’

   Show answer

   (a) ‘The library is rarely used, as many students feel that it is not an attractive place to spend time.’ (b) ‘It is recommended that more up-to-date books be purchased.’ / ‘The book collection should be updated.’ (c) ‘A large number of students complained that the chairs were uncomfortable, particularly during long study periods.’

4. Task 4 (proposal): The school has a small amount of money to improve the playground. Write a report for the head teacher suggesting how to spend it. List three headings you could use and one sentence with a conditional for each.

   Show answer

   Possible headings: ‘Shade’ – ‘If shade sails were put up over the benches, students could stay outside during hot break times.’ ‘Seating’ – ‘If more benches were added, students would have somewhere to sit and revise.’ ‘Sports equipment’ – ‘If basketball nets were replaced, more students would take part in games instead of staying indoors.’ Finish with a conclusion recommending the most useful option first.

5. Quick check: find four things wrong with this report opening. ‘Dear Head Teacher, I’m writing to tell you about the trip!! It was super fun and we did loads of stuff.’

   Show answer

   (1) A report has a title and headings, not a letter greeting. (2) Contractions (I’m) are too informal. (3) Exclamation marks and slang (‘super fun’, ‘loads of stuff’) are the wrong register. (4) It does not state the purpose clearly or how the information was collected. Better: ‘Report on the Year 9 Trip – Introduction: As requested, this report summarises the trip to… It is based on comments collected from…’

Written by Mohamed Abdelkriem for Abdelkriem Academy. Next: compare the report with the review and the essay pages, so that you can recognise each text type quickly in the exam.