Ae bc ppt17

Recap

1© Aptech Training Ltd. FZE

Recap

In the previous lesson you learnt to:

• Describe a process

• Use passive when talking about a process

• Use sequencers to organise a description of a process

• Write about a process

For Aptech Centre Use Only

Report Writing


At the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Write a short, simple report using appropriate layout

• Write an executive summary of a report

• Use a range of linking devices in the context of a report


Learning Objectives


• Do you have to write reports in your job? What types?

• What kind of reports do you read?

• What makes a report easy or difficult to read?


Reports and You


The following text tells you how to write a good report. Fill in the gaps with the words

from the box below.


A Good Report

evidence visually scope readership clever

recommendations define headed extend opinion


All reports are different, but there are some features they all have in common. They are carefully researched and based on solid (a) _______________. Any recommendations made must be based on the evidence provided, not on the personal (b) _______________ of the writer.

Organisation must be clear and logical. You need to make clear the purpose and the (c) ______________ of the report (what it does and does not include).

The (d) _______________ of the report must be considered. For example, avoid jargon if any of your readers might not be familiar with it. Don’t make unreasonable assumptions about how much readers know; however, don’t (e) _______________ terms they will all be familiar with.

Language should be simple – this is not the time to impress people with your (f) _______________ use of language. It should not matter who has written the report. It simply presents facts and (g) _______________. This is not creative writing!

All information must be essential to the report: do not (h) _______________ the text unnecessarily.

Divide the report into short, numbered and (i) _______________ sections. The aim of this is to make the report accessible to the reader and allow them to quickly locate the parts which are relevant to them.

Present information (j) _______________: tables, graphs, pie charts and so on as this will also help the reader access the information rapidly.


A Good Report


Answers

a. evidence

b. opinion

c. scope

d. readership

e. define

f. clever

g. recommendations

h. extend

i. headed

j. visually


A Good Report


The following elements are often found in reports. Which part of the report would you find them in. Write I, MB or E.

• Introduction (I)

• Main body (MB)

• End (E)

1. Recommendations

2. Purpose of the report

3. Appendices

4. Findings

5. Summary of main conclusions

6. Main arguments

7. Graphs, tables, charts to illustrate key facts


Elements of a Report


Answers

• Introduction (I)

• Main body (MB)

• End (E)

1. Recommendations - E

2. Purpose of the report - I

3. Appendices - E

4. Findings - MB

5. Summary of main conclusions - E

6. Main arguments - MB

7. Graphs, tables, charts to illustrate key facts - MB


Elements of a Report



Formats of a Report

Reports tend to use visual clues to guide the reader. These include:

• Numbered sections

• Headings and subheadings

• Bullet points

• Bold font

• Tables, graphs and so on



Formats of a Report

• Look at the extract from a report and see what

features are used to guide the reader.

• Label them on the report.



Features of a Report

Answers

Numbered sections

Bullet points

Headings

Subheadings

Bold font

Table


Categorise the linking words and expressions according to their purpose.


Useful Language for Report Writing

Introduce conclusions

or recommendations

Give ideas that show a

contrast

Add a point or idea Focus attention on a

specific topic or idea

In conclusion, Nevertheless, In addition In terms of…

Regarding Moreover However, Consequently,

Whereas Furthermore Concerning While

Therefore, As a result, For this reasonFor Aptech Centre Use Only

Answers


Useful Language for Report Writing

Introduce conclusions

or recommendations

Give ideas that show a

contrast

Add a point or idea Focus attention on a

specific topic or idea

In conclusion,

Consequently,

As a result,

For this reason

Therefore,

Nevertheless,

Whereas

While

However,

In addition

Furthermore

Moreover

In terms of…

Concerning

Regarding

Regarding Moreover However, Consequently,

Whereas Furthermore Concerning While

Therefore, As a result, For this reasonFor Aptech Centre Use Only

Writing Skills


Writing an Executive Summary

• An executive summary is a short version of a longer report so that readers who don’t

need to read the full report can have a good idea of what the report contains.

• An executive summary may be part of the main report (placed near the beginning) or it

may be circulated separately from the main report.

• It will usually contain:

– Brief background information

– Purpose of the report

– Conclusions

– Recommendations


Read this executive summary and underline the correct word in italics.Background and purpose

Sales of Flavourburst cola and orange crush have dropped in the past year. As a result/however, figuresshow that the sales of our main competitor, Dango’s similar range of drinks have increased during thesame period. Consequently/In addition, there was a need to find out the reasons for this trend.

Conclusions

Research found that the soft drinks market is oversubscribed. However/Moreover, Flavourburst’sadvertising budget had been cut by 30%, whereas/concerning Dango’s have increased their budget. Forthis reason/while Dango’s have moved into internet advertising, Flavourburst have continued with moretraditional method. Nevertheless/Furthermore Flavourburst have increased prices by almost 5%;therefore/however, Dango’s prices have remained constant since the beginning of the year.

Recommendations

There are three main recommendations for improving the sales of Flavourburst cola and orange crush.Concerning/Consequently advertising, the focus should move to the Internet, particularly sites aimed atyoung people. Whereas/Regarding, price, it is essential not to introduce any further increases for at least ayear. Therefore/In addition, a series of promotional campaigns, such as ‘two for the price of one’ should berun within the next 3 months.


Exercise


AnswersBackground and purpose

Sales of Flavourburst cola and orange crush have dropped in the past year. As a result/however, figuresshow that the sales of our main competitor, Dango’s similar range of drinks have increased during thesame period. Consequently/In addition, there was a need to find out the reasons for this trend.

Conclusions

Research found that the soft drinks market is oversubscribed. However/Moreover, Flavourburst’sadvertising budget had been cut by 30%, whereas/concerning Dango’s have increased their budget. Forthis reason/while Dango’s have moved into internet advertising, Flavourburst have continued with moretraditional method. Nevertheless/Furthermore Flavourburst have increased prices by almost 5%;therefore/however, Dango’s prices have remained constant since the beginning of the year.

Recommendations

There are three main recommendations for improving the sales of Flavourburst cola and orange crush.Concerning/Consequently advertising, the focus should move to the Internet, particularly sites aimed atyoung people. Whereas/Regarding, price, it is essential not to introduce any further increases for at leasta year. Therefore/In addition, a series of promotional campaigns, such as ‘two for the price of one’ shouldbe run within the next 3 months.


Exercise


Writing Skills


Writing

Imagine you have written a detailed report and now you are going to write an

executive summary (Max 500 words).

You can choose from one of the following:

• A report on the performance of a new product launched by your company

• Your Aptech course or another training course you have been on

• A project you are working on/have worked on



Evaluating your Writing

It is important to proof-read your work carefully and make any changes needed. After writing a

first draft of your report, use the following checklist to evaluate it.

1. Is my report divided into clear sections?

2. Have I made the purpose of the report clear?

3. Have I used appropriate linking words and expressions?

4. Is all the information relevant and necessary?

5. Does the report contain specific recommendations?

6. Have I used clear, concise language?

7. Is my grammar, spelling and punctuation correct? For Aptech Centre Use Only


Test Your Knowledge

1. Match the first half (A) of the sentence to the second half (B).

Sr. no. A B

1 Write a title to… in the conclusion.

2 Divide the report… and avoid abbreviations.

3 Write the report’s aim… show what the report is about.

4 Use formal language…Into sections with headings and subheadings.

5 Make recommendations… in the introduction.



Test Your Knowledge

1. Answers

Sr. no. A B

1 Write a title to… show what the report is about.

2 Divide the report…into sections with headings and subheadings.

3 Write the report’s aim… In the introduction.

4 Use formal language… and avoid abbreviations.

5 Make recommendations… in the conclusion.



Test Your Knowledge

2. Identify the correct sentences.

Sr. no. Sentences

1 Clearly state the purpose of the report.

2 Do not summarise the result or conclusion: let the reader guess.

3 The executive summary can stand on its own.

4 Before submitting, proofread the report.

5 It is not necessary for all information to be essential to the report.



Test Your Knowledge

2. Answers

Sr. no. Sentences

1 Clearly state the purpose of the report.

2 Do not summarise the result or conclusion: let the reader guess.

3 The executive summary can stand on its own.

4 Before submitting proof read the report.

5 It is not necessary for all information to be essential to the report.



In a Nutshell…

In this lesson you learnt to:

• Write a short, simple report using appropriate layout

• Write an executive summary of a report

• Use a range of linking devices in the context of a report


25

Thank You

© Aptech Training Ltd. FZE


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Ae bc ppt17