6) References

1. Platt B. (1975). Report Writing. Multimedia Publishing Ltd.

2. Thompson A. (2005) Entrepreneurship and Business innovation: The art of successful business start-ups and business planning. Retrieved March 4, 2011 from http://www.slideshare.net/eOffice/guide-to-reportwriting

3. Harris M. (2010) Handbook on Report Formats. Retrieved February 17, 2010 from http://www.usq.edu.au/extrafiles/ltsu/Assignment3/Report20Writing.htm#Structure_of_a report

7) Exercises

Exercise 1. Match the stages and content of a report.

Report Stages	Report Content
1 Introduction Section 1	A Summary of what you discovered
2 Introduction Section 2	B Who requested the report
3 Introduction Section 3	C Description of the information you discovered
4 Introduction Section 4	D What you think should happen
5 Procedure Section 1	E Why the report was requested, and the Aim
6 Procedure Section 2	F How the data was collected
7 Findings	G Your ideas about the reasons for the things you discovered
8 Conclusion Section 1	H When the report was requested
9 Conclusion Section 2	I When the data was collected
10 Recommendations	J Overview of the structure of the report

Exercise 2. Match the types of report in the boxes on the left with the descriptions on the right:

№	Types of Report	Description
1	Incident Report	A a report describing how close you are to completing something you planned
2	Accident Report	B a report describing how many goods or services were sold, and the reasons for any differences from the plan
3	Sales Report	C a report on what has happened in a place, and how close your organization is to finishing construction
4	Progress Report	D an academic report on how and why something has changed over time
5	Feasibility Study / Report	E a report describing something that has happened
6	Recommendation Report	F a report on how practical a proposal is
7	Site	G a report on what your organization should do
8	Case Study	H a report describing how someone was hurt or something was damaged

Exercise 3. Match the report section headings in the boxes on the left with the paragraphs on the right

№	Section Headings	Paragraphs
1	Introduction	A Mr Chan informed me that rats had never been seen in the house but had been seen crossing the yard late at night.
2	Procedure	B Since the rats cannot find food in the premises, it is likely that they find their food in the neighborhood.
3	Findings 3.1 Observations	C I suggest that: a) we visit other premises in the neighborhood in order to find out where the rats get food; b) we place two rat traps near the rat holes and ask Mr. Chan to ring this department if a rat is caught.
	3.2 Interview	D I received a telephone complaint about rats from Mr. Chan Hing hung, householder of Ground Floor, 29A, Wanchai Road, HK on 8 Apr.
4	Conclusion	E I visited the premises on 9 April to talk to Mr Chan and to make observations.
5	Recommendation	F I found: a) four large rat holes in the back yard of the premises; b) rat droppings in the yard, but none in the house; c) that the yard was clean and tidy and there was no edible refuse.

Exercise 4. Put the stages in the process of report writing into correct order.

A _____ Organize and analyze the collected information

B _____ Edit and proofread the draft to improve it.

C _____ Decide on methods or procedures for gathering data

D _____ Personnel are identified to research the area and produce a report

E _____ Write draft report

F _____ Determine the purpose of the report

G _____ Conduct research and gather information

H _____ Company identifies area for investigation

I _____ Submit improved report.

Exercise 5. Match nouns and verbs that usually go together in report writing.

Verbs	Nouns
1 Solve	A a questionnaire
2 Hold	B changes
3 Reduce	C research
4 Make	D a survey
5 Draw	E a meeting
6 Gather	F data
7 Suggest	G conclusions
8 administer	H problems
9 Conduct	I recommendations
10 undertake	J costs

Exercise 6. Match the stages of a report with common phrases.

Report Stages	Phrases
1 Introduction - Who requested the report	A These conclusions lead to a number of possibilities for further action. These are ….
2 Introduction - When the report was requested	B Primary data was collected by surveying…
3 Introduction - Why the report was requested, and the Aim	C The survey respondents said that...
4 Introduction – Overview of the structure of the report	D In conclusion, the results show that...
5 Procedure - When the data was collected	E I believe that the reasons for this include...
6 Procedure - How the data was collected	F The report was requested on ...
7 Findings - Description of the information you discovered	G The report aims to...
8 Conclusion - Summary of what you discovered	H The report presents ...
9 Conclusion - Your ideas about the reasons for the things you discovered	J Data for the report was gathered from ... to ...
10 Recommendations - What you think should happen	K This report was requested by...

Exercise 7.  Complete the report stages with the appropriate verbs in the correct form.

Exercise 7a. Introduction

suggest draw concern request contain make

This report 1) __________ by Mr. K.K. Chan, Chairperson of the Health and Safety Committee on 16 March 2011. The report 2) ______ staff dissatisfaction with sick pay regulations. The aim of the report is to 3) ______ affordable improvements in these regulations that would satisfy both staff and management. The report 4) _______ contains the method and findings of a questionnaire survey of staff and results of discussions with management. Then various options are presented and discussed. After that a conclusion 5) ______ and recommendations 6) _____.

Exercise 7b. Procedure

return need interview research design

send gather not to complete reveal not to include

Data for this report 1) _______ from 1 to 16 March 2011. The topic of Flexible Working Hours 2) _______online, and then a questionnaire 3) _________ to collect staff opinions. One hundred staff 4) _______ the questionnaire on the 3 March and fifty-six 5) ________ it before the deadline on the 8 March. Five of the questionnaires 6) _______ correctly, and 7) _________ in the data analysis. Of those analyzed, 26 were from senior staff, and 25 were from junior staff. Analysis of this data 8) ________ that more detailed data 9) _______, and so one senior and one junior staff member from each of our six departments 10) __________ on the 16 March.

Exercise 7c. Findings

regard rate give see (2) show score

As shown in Table 1, the factors Job Satisfaction, Opportunities for Promotion and Interest in the Job Nature 1) _______ the highest ratings for importance in choosing a career. Well over half the staff thought that Job Satisfaction was important, and nearly a third 2) _____ it as highly important. The importance of Opportunities for Promotion 3) ______ by the 45% of employees who 4) ______ it as important and the 35% who 5) ______ it as very important. Interest in the Job Nature also 6) ______ highly, with over two-thirds of employees saying that it was either important or very important. However, Opportunities to Work Overseas, Parents' Wishes and Contribution to Society 7) _______ as of lesser importance, with over half the employees regarding them as not important or not at all important.

Exercise 7d. Conclusion

result suggest show cause need

The findings 1) ______ that over the last 5 years spending money on automation has been more effective than education in protecting the environment of the PolyU. The use of automatic taps in the washrooms 2) _______ in reduced water consumption and the automatic shutdown of lighting and air-conditioning in unused classrooms has saved electricity. The payback time for the equipment in both cases is less than five years. However, environmental education, although effective at raising awareness, 3) ______ little or no change in behavior, and 4) ______ to be repeated every year for incoming students and staff.

In the light of these results, it 5) _________ that PolyU increases the level of automation in order to protect the environment and save money.

Exercise 7e. Recommendation

recommend allow suggest (2) do give propose

Given that the mentors said that many junior managers give poor recommendations, advice should 1) ________ to the junior managers about how to write them well.

Content

Due to the fact that many junior managers 2) ______ unnecessarily expensive recommendations, it 3) _________ that they should 4) _____ a cost / benefit analysis of their proposals. This would 5) ______ them to demonstrate a basic level of business-like thinking. Organization

In the light of the lack of sub-headings found in junior managers' recommendations, it 6) ________ that the trainers on the report writing course add information-finding races to demonstrate the usefulness of sub-headings.

Conventions In view of the junior managers' tendency to recommend punishing staff who make mistakes, it 7) _______ that trainers organize role-plays in which groups of junior managers would play different departments in a company, and write accident reports blaming each other. If the junior managers feel uncomfortable about being criticized, they will hopefully be less inclined to criticize others in their reports.