Report Writing - the Basics

Analyzing your task is very important. If you haven't got a clear picture in your mind of where you want to go, planning the report is going to be difficult. So, here are some questions you should ask yourself:


Questions to ask before you start
•    Do you understand the type of report needed? (e.g. experimental report, design proposal, etc.)
•    Do you know how big your report needs to be?
•    Do you know what is required in the report?
•    What is the problem/question?
•    What is the aim of the report?
•    What key points or issues need addressing?
•    What information do you need to collect?

Major Components of a General Report

Title Page – Report title, name, subject.

Abstract - An abstract is a succinct passage which provides a brief outline on what was achieved/decided/concluded in your report. Not all reports have abstracts. In less than 200 words ... what was the problem, how was it investigated, what did you find out and what do your findings mean?An abstract is written after the report is finished and conclusions reached.

Table of Contents - A list of the major and minor sections of your report.

Introduction - The aim of an introduction is to state what you have been asked to achieve and list your current course of action. Set the scene; give some background information about the topic. State the aim/purpose of the investigation.

Main Body - Use short informative headings and subheadings. Did you use a case study? Did you conduct interviews? These become main headings in your report. Other main heading are related to the questions you asked and answered in your report. Organise the sections in a logical sequence: what you investigated, what you found, what interpretations and what judgements you made.

Conclusion - What has been achieved and what is the significance of your findings and your discussion? Have your aims been successful or not? Note the shortcomings and pitfalls of the methods and/or equipment used. Were the interviews conclusive?

Recommendations - What do you recommend as a course of action following your conclusion? Not all reports have this as a separate section; it can be part of your conclusion.

References - A list of all the sources you used.

Appendices - Any information (graphs, charts, tables or other data) you used in your report but did not include in the body. These are articles or parts of the report you would still like the reader to see but were not used to convey the main body of your report or used as a direct reference.




How should I present my report?

• READ assignment guidelines in your course outlines and understand exactly what is required to get top marks.
• Impress your marker by making it look like a professional report. Take time formatting and organising your report.
• Type your report; it makes your work easier to read.
• Before handing in your report READ it out aloud. This helps you find poorly phrased sentences or missed words.
• Everything must be geared towards making it easy for your readers.

Remember, keep it simple!

• What was the original request? Does your work fulfill the requirements?
• What does the audience need/want from your report? Have you included it?
• When editing your report, retain what is important/ relevant, delete what is not.
• Can you merge or delete sections? Is it repetitive?
• Do your conclusions come from your findings and not from generalizations?

Word Meaning from Context - Learning new words by reading

Word Meaning from Context

Reading improves vocabulary by increasing the number of words you encounter and 'understand' by their context within a sentence or phrase. It is very important for students who find reading difficult to learn how to understand words by reading. It's one of the joys of picking up new books and reading stories by new authors. Remember its the small victories that make big changes to the attitude of your student.


Here are 5 questions ready to use. Select the correct definition of the highlighted word from the list

1. Your recipe looks good. I hope it’s really yummy. It’s time to implement it and see if it’s as brilliant as you claim.

a. instrument
b. take apart
c. change
d. carry out

2. If your recipe fails, we’ll have to devise a better one.

a. design
b. dislike
c. appliance
d. to use

3. Of course, I’m not saying that your recipe is bad. I tend to be optimistic, so I won’t be surprised when you succeed.

a. expecting the best to happen
b. needing glasses to see
c. full of water
d. unselfish

4. When your recipe is published, you will be rewarded for your sagacity.

a. good looks
b. mistakes
c. intelligence
d. huge appetite for herbs

5. No matter what happens, I assure you that I will not forget how much fun this has been.

a. dare
b. promise
c. act like a donkey
d. forget

Questions For Confused English Terms

These questions will help your student learn how to understand the different English words that sound the same but use different spelling, and commonly used word contractions. You can find the lesson here.

Write down the correct choice of the two words that fit into the following sentences. The correct answer is highlighted

1. (There, Their) farm was very busy.

2. The contestants will take (they're, there, their) registration papers to the official.

3. (They're, There) coming to the party on Sunday.

4. The test was very difficult, but (its, it's) hard for a reason.

5. (You're, Your) home is really pretty.

6. The students running for Prefect were giving (their, there) speeches in the hall.

7. (They're, There) are Melanie and Peter.

8. The car is loosing (it's, its) power.

9. Is this possibly (you're, your) rubbish?

10. In the city (they're, their) many car parks.

11. (To, Two) shoes make a pair.

12. One cannot be (to, too) careful.

13. Jamie placed the plastic cup (to, too) close to the fire.

14. The campers cooked (there, their) meals.

15. I often find (they're, there) is (to, too, two) much work to do in one day.  (Choose two)

Commonly Confused English Terms - Homophones

Commonly Confused English Terms - Homophones

A lesson for learning commonly confused English words and contractions. The meaning and grammar of the words is included to help your student learn the correct terminology.

Use these examples for the beginning of the lesson and then ask for examples. You could try to write sentences that used the most examples, it's often fun to read and a great way to remember the rules.

To (Preposition)
It is used to show the link between a noun or pronoun (object of the preposition) and another word in the sentence.

Example: Harry took his bottle to bed.

Too (Adverb)
It can be used to mean also or it can mean very.
         
Example: Harry will go to the beach, too.  (also)
Example: Beth said the test was too hard.  (very)

Two (Number)
It means 2 in counting.

Example: There were two kittens in the box.

You're (Contraction) of 'you are'. It can only be used for the words you are.

Example: You're (you are) too young to drive a car.

Your (Possessive adjective)  It is used before a noun.

Example: Your chairs should be stacked.




It's (Contraction) for 'it is'. It can only be used in place of the words it is.
Example: It's (it is) a cold morning.

Its (Possessive pronoun)  It is used to show ownership or a relationship.

Example: The cat ate its dinner.

They're (Contraction) for 'they are'. It is only used in place of the words they are.

Example: They're (they are) going out to dinner next week.

There (Adverb) as indicates a place OR is a word that is an introductory word to a sentence.

Example: There are five girls in the pool.  (There is an introductory word in this sentence and is not the subject of the sentence.  Girls is the subject of the sentence.)
Example: We will ride our bikes there. (adverb)

Their (Possessive adjective)  It is used to show possession of a noun.

Example: The students will place their exams on my desk.




Discussion:
Where do you see or read these written incorrectly?
Are you someone who uses txt-writing and not correct grammar and spelling?

Hero or Villain

When you study a text for English it is best to characterise your players. Are they good or evil? Are they a hero or villain or possibly a side-kick? Do they battle evil doers or are they sinister and wicked?


Words to Describe a Hero
Not all heroes are the model of society or behave well. But they do often have certain characteristics in common. If a character has these then they might be considered a 'hero' in the story and an important character throughout the text.

For some students these words will be new. To complete the lesson make sure the definitions of the words are looked up in a dictionary. This is not a complete list, there are many other words to describe heroes. Find as many as you can.

Dignified

Dexterous

Principled

Sensible

Debonair

Graceful

Ingenious

Tactful

Respectable

Honest

Trustworthy

Loyal

Rational



Words to Describe a Villain
Not all villains are evil or monstrous. Some appear to be genuine and even lovable. Perhaps they are a dynamic villain and end up doing the right thing by the end of the story. But often they have certain characteristics in common. If a character has these then they might be considered a 'villain' in the story and an important character throughout the text.

For some students these words will be new. To complete the lesson make sure the definitions of the words are looked up in a dictionary. This is not a complete list, there are many other words to describe heroes. Find as many as you can.

Antagonistic

Decrepit

Hideous

Vulgar

Lumbering

Puerile

Awkward

Irrational

Unkempt

Corrupt

Odious

Evil

Brusque


The Side-Kick
In a moral tale a side-kick's character often changes within the story (dynamic). They may change sides from evil to good or help decide the fate of the 'hero' or 'villain' by their actions. They have certain characteristics in common. These characters act as mirrors for the main players and the themes within the text.

Weak appearance

Loyal

Subservient

Cunning

Intelligent

Dignified

Tactful

It is important when studying a text to analyse the roles and characters within the story. It guides the reader to the larger issues, themes and symbols used within the text.

Increase your Vocabulary - Medium level - 2

Medium Difficulty - HS level

Lessons to increase the student's vocabulary can be done together or alone. Students find the definition of the words in a dictionary and list them. To complete the lesson and reinforce the new words ask your student to write each word in a sentence.

Occupy

Notorious

Placid

Fraternise/ Fraternize 


Cajole

Cusp

Intention

Resolve

Mere

Astute

List of Easy Opposites

A perfect list of opposites for primary school children or ESL students. To learn and remember each word ask your student to write each pair in a sentence or separate sentence. Add to the list for fun games and weird combinations of words. Some words seem to have more than one opposite - that happens in English when words have more than one meaning.

Opposite Word List

Black  White
Good  Evil
Hard  Soft
Up  Down
Left  Right
North  South
East  West
Cold  Hot
Hero Villain
Short  Long
Round  Square
Curved  Straight
Clear  Solid
Day  Night
Dead  Alive
Rough  Smooth
Dark  Light
New  Old
Straight  Crooked
Cold  Hot
Work  Play
Solid  Liquid