Re po rt Writing
How to get your point across
effectively
Learner Development Unit www.brad.ac.uk/developme

Ove rvie w
• How can Ian help?
• Why are we here?
• The basics of report writing
• Some common pitfalls and how to avoid
them
• Where to get further support

Why are we he re ?
• What types of reports will you have to
write?
• What format will they need to be in?
• What instructions have you been given?
• What support do you need?

The bas ic s o f re po rt writing
• A report is a form of communication that
will do one or more of the following:
– Describes
– Analyses
– Summarises
– Makes predictions about

Why do re po rts s o me time s fail?
•The overall message is not clear
•The report is badly structured – there is no logical
sequence and progression of ideas
•The report is too long
•The language used is inappropriate for the
intended audience or subject matter
•The report is boring and does not engage the
reader
•The report is full of spelling and grammatical
errors

Fe e dbac k fro m yo ur tuto rs :
• Students do not read • Students ‘over’
the instructions analyse, concluding
carefully and more than is
sometimes miss these reasonable from one
out. experiment.
• Poor use of English • Their ability to write
and expression of coherently in the
ideas makes it difficult required style is often
to understand what the major problem.
they mean.

Expre s s ing yo urs e lf
Poor reports are often incomprehensible:
• “Although solitary under normal prevailing
circumstances, cats may congregate
simultaneously in certain situations of artificially
enhanced nutrient resource availability.”
They actually mean:
• Cats are solitary animals but will group
together if food is left for them

Writing s tyle
• Be clear and concise
• Make sure you understand what you are trying to
say
• Don’t over complicate your sentences
• Don’t fill your report with unnecessary detail
– e.g. instead of re-writing a complicated method simply
state “methods as described in the schedule”
• Use everyday words – reverting to archaic or
jargon filled sentences won’t get you that 2:i!
• Vary the length of your sentences
• Aim for one clear point per sentence

Othe r thing s to re me mbe r
1. Draft 2. Edit
3. Proofread
• Drafting, editing and proofreading
• DO NOT underestimate how long it will take you to
complete these processes!
• Each stage is separate and needs time to be completed
effectively

Furthe r s uppo rt
Forthcoming LDU workshops:
• Expressing fact and opinion 6 & 8
November
• Drafting and editing 4 & 6 December
• Proofreading 4 & 6 December
All sessions run 12-1 or 5-6pm in 01.58, JBP

What ne xt?
• Check out our website for more learning
materials: www.brad.ac.uk/developme
• Come along to a workshop:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/lssworkshops/
• Contact us for 1-2-1 advice and support:
http://www.brad.ac.uk/lss/learnerdevelopment