Formal Report Writing

A 0500 report should be visually distinct from a letter or article. The visible structure is part of the form mark.

Standard sections:

1. Title at the top — bold or underlined. 'Report on Library Resources at Northgate Secondary'.
2. 'Prepared by' / 'For the attention of' — author and recipient, briefly.
3. Introduction — one paragraph stating the purpose and scope.
4. Findings — evidence drawn from the source texts and any internal consultation. Bullet points are fine here.
5. Recommendations — specific proposals based on the findings. Bullet points are fine here too.
6. Conclusion — one paragraph wrapping up; sometimes folded into the recommendations section.

Optional sections:

• Background — for context-heavy reports.
• Counter-considerations — to acknowledge objections.

Why visible structure matters. Mark schemes describe report-form mastery as 'using the conventions of the form effectively'. The conventions include the visible page-shape — a wall of prose with no headings reads as an ESSAY, not a report. Examiners can spot a report response from across the room.

Cambridge tip. The optional 'Counter-considerations' section is a strong move for top-band candidates. It signals that the writer has anticipated objections — which is the AO3 'develops ideas' mark in action.

Reports use impersonal register — phrasing that minimises personal pronouns. The effect is to make the document feel objective and authoritative.

Personal (avoid):

• "I think the council should fix the lighting."
• "I found that students are unhappy."
• "We need to change the menu."

Impersonal (use):

• "It is recommended that the council improve the lighting."
• "The findings indicate that students report dissatisfaction."
• "A revision of the menu is proposed."

Useful impersonal constructions:

Personal	Impersonal
I think we should	It is recommended that
I found / I noticed	The findings indicate / The investigation revealed
We need to	It is proposed that / There is a need for
You should	The school may wish to consider
I believe this is	The evidence suggests that

Passive voice is appropriate in reports.

• 'A survey was conducted.' (Passive — fits reports.)
• 'I conducted a survey.' (Active — fits letters/articles, not reports.)

A useful self-check: count the number of Is and yous in your report. Top-band reports usually have 0-2 of each. If you have 5+ of either, your register is drifting toward letter or essay style.

Cambridge tip. Mark scheme: 'register appropriate to form'. Reports are read by audiences making decisions — councillors, headteachers, board members. Impersonal register signals that the author has set personal feeling aside in favour of evidence.

Findings.

• What the evidence shows.
• Drawn from the two source texts (and any internal consultation).
• Factual and neutral. No 'should'.
• Best presented as 4-6 bullet points or short paragraphs.

Recommendations.

• What follows from the findings.
• The writer's proposals.
• Specific, time-bound, actionable.
• Best presented as 3-5 bullet points.

Why separate. A report whose findings already contain proposals reads as opinion-led — not what the audience (an authority figure) wants. Authority figures want to see the FACTS first, then proposals based on those facts. Mixing them undermines the report's credibility.

Worked structure.

Findings

• The first text reported a 41% queue-skip rate among secondary students nationally.
• The second text profiled a Manchester school where staggering lunch periods reduced wait times by twelve minutes.
• Internal consultation showed that 68% of Northgate students surveyed report skipping lunch on at least one day per week.

Recommendations

• It is recommended that lunch periods be staggered by year group within the next academic term.
• It is further recommended that a vegetarian-default queue be introduced.
• It is recommended that student feedback be collected at the end of each half-term to inform menu adjustments.

Notice every finding is FACTUAL. Every recommendation is a proposal with a clear path to implementation.

Cambridge tip. A useful rule: every recommendation should answer the question 'what should be done, by whom, by when?'. Vague recommendations ('the school should consider improvements') score lower than specific ones ('it is recommended that the school stagger lunch periods within the next academic term').