The Report (Question 3)

British & IGCSE › Oxford International GCSE English as a Second Language

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

The Writing paper (9280/W) lasts 1 hour 15 minutes, is worth 60 marks and has four compulsory questions. Question 3 is an extended piece of 70-90 words worth 16 marks (Content and Communication 8 + Language 8). The form of Question 3 changes: it can be a blog or diary entry, an email, an article or a report. Recent papers have mostly asked for a blog, but a report has been set as Question 3 recently, so you must be ready for it. The specification has always listed the report as a possible Question 3 form.

A report is a short, factual piece of writing that tells a specific reader (usually a teacher, the head teacher, a club leader or the school council) what happened or what was found, and often what should be done next. It is calm, clear and organised. It is not a story and it is not a chatty blog.

2. Report, article or blog? Know the difference

3. How the 16 marks work (bands in plain English)

The examiner reads your report and places it in a band on two separate grids (working upwards from the lowest band and choosing the best fit). The descriptions below are in our own words.

Content and Communication (8 marks):

Language (8 marks):

4. How to get full marks: checklist

1. Underline who the report is for and what it is about.
2. Number the bullets 1-4. Plan one or two sentences for each.
3. Open with the purpose of the report in one sentence.
4. Answer the early 'fact' bullets (what, where, when, how) briefly and precisely.
5. Put your best detail into the opinion/reason and recommendation bullets.
6. Use a formal or semi-formal register: no slang, no 'guys', no 'LOL', few exclamation marks.
7. Use impersonal language and at least one or two passive forms ('Students were divided into groups').
8. Use quantity words instead of invented statistics: most, the majority, several, a few, almost everyone.
9. Finish with a clear recommendation using 'I would recommend…', 'It is suggested that…' or 'should'.
10. If you use headings, keep them to 1-3 words each and do not let them eat your word count.
11. Stay close to 70-90 words. Check spelling, capitals and full stops.

5. Structure: section by section

Most report tasks follow the same pattern. Match each bullet to a section.

Headings: yes or no? Both are acceptable.

6. The language of reports

a) Impersonal language. A report focuses on facts and the group, not on your emotions.

b) The passive voice. Use it when the action is more important than who did it. Form: be (am/is/are/was/were/has been) + past participle.

c) Recommending language. Most reports end with a recommendation. Learn these patterns exactly:

d) Reporting findings without fake numbers. Simple numbers you could really know (e.g. 'twenty-four students answered') are fine. Do not fill the report with percentages: the task is about clear communication, not maths.

7. How to start

• Purpose statement: 'The purpose of this report is to describe the Year 10 visit to the science centre.'
• Aim + method: 'The aim of this report is to show how students spend their free time. Information was collected through a short questionnaire.'
• Request + reply: 'As requested, this report gives details of last week's charity day.'
• Facts first: 'On 3 March, forty Year 10 students visited a local water treatment plant.'
• Introduction heading + one sentence: 'Introduction: This report evaluates the new after-school study club.'

8. How to end

• Clear recommendation: 'I would recommend repeating the trip next year.'
• Recommendation + reason: 'It is suggested that the club meets twice a week, as many students cannot attend on Mondays.'
• Recommendation + condition: 'The event should be held again, provided that more volunteers are found.'
• Summary + recommendation: 'Overall, the day was a success, and it should become an annual event.'
• Two short recommendations: 'Firstly, the visit should be longer. Secondly, students should be allowed to choose a gallery.'

9. Useful phrases

10. Common mistakes and what to watch for

Timing: spend about 20 minutes on Question 3: 4 minutes planning (bullets numbered, a few words for each), 13 minutes writing and 3 minutes checking. Do not steal time from Question 4, which is worth more.

11. Model answers

The word counts below include every word: title and headings too.

12. Practice

1. Task A (70-90 words): Your school has started a new after-school study club. Write a report for your head teacher. You must include: when and where the club meets, what students do there, how students feel about it, one suggestion to improve it. Write a short plan.

   Show answer

   Title: 'Report on the After-School Study Club'. Intro: purpose + Mondays and Wednesdays, 3-4 pm, in the library (bullet 1). Findings: students revise in small groups and older students help with maths (bullet 2). Most students find it useful and quieter than home, but a few say it is too noisy at the start (bullet 3). Recommendation: 'I would recommend that a teacher supervises the first ten minutes' / 'More tables should be provided' (bullet 4).

2. Task B (70-90 words): Your class carried out a survey about how students travel to school. Write a report for your teacher. You must include: how the information was collected, the most common ways students travel, one problem that students mentioned, what could be done about it. Write a short plan.

   Show answer

   Method: thirty students answered five questions in a form-time survey (passive: 'Thirty students were asked…'). Findings: most come by school bus, followed by car. Only a few walk or cycle. Problem: traffic outside the gate in the morning makes students late. Recommendation: 'It is suggested that the school opens a second gate' or 'Parents should be encouraged to share cars.'

3. Task C (70-90 words): Your school canteen has introduced a new healthy menu. Write a report for your head teacher. You must include: what has changed on the menu, which new dishes are most popular, what students do not like, one suggestion to improve the menu. Write a short plan.

   Show answer

   Intro: purpose + the new menu introduced at the start of term. Fried snacks have been replaced by grilled chicken, salads and fruit (bullet 1, with a passive). Findings: most students choose the chicken wraps and the lentil soup (bullet 2). Several say the portions are too small and the prices have gone up (bullet 3). Recommendation: 'I would recommend offering larger portions for older students' or 'It is suggested that students vote for one new dish each month' (bullet 4).

4. Change into the passive: (a) The teachers organised a quiz. (b) We interviewed twenty students. (c) The school should repair the computers. (d) Someone has painted the hall.

   Show answer

   (a) A quiz was organised (by the teachers). (b) Twenty students were interviewed. (c) The computers should be repaired. (d) The hall has been painted.

5. Rewrite in report style: 'OMG the trip was amazing!!! Me and my friends loved the robots so much and we want to go again.'

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   Possible answer: 'The trip was extremely popular with students. The robotics workshop was the highlight of the day, and many students said they would like to visit again.'

6. Complete with a recommending phrase: '_____ that the library stays open until five o'clock.'

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   'It is recommended that…' / 'It is suggested that…' / 'I would recommend that…' (followed by the clause 'the library stays/stay open until five o'clock').

7. A student's report covers the place, the activities and the students' opinions, but says nothing about whether the trip should be repeated (the fourth bullet). The English is excellent. Can it get 8/8 for Content?

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   No. A missing compulsory bullet is partial coverage, so the answer cannot reach the top Content band, whatever the quality of the English.