FCE: Writing a report

Report

Hints: Decide on your target reader - it will help you to choose the appropriate register. Use rather formal language. The distinguishing feature of any report is its layout. Reports are rather stiff - you may need to start as if you were making a memo. Do not panic! It is OK with this form to begin simply with: 1. To: 2. From: 3. Date: 4. Subject: The body of your report has to be clearly divided into sections: Introduction Make your introduction brief but clear. State the purpose of your report. Again, try to imagine that you are the only one who knows what is going on. Assume that everybody else needs explanation why you are writing this report. Repeat the question from the task but try to reword it. You may start like this: The aim/purpose of this report is to show exemplify illustrate depict This report is concerned with... is intended to... is written to analyse... deals with... relates to... points in which you present your opinion You may use separate headings for advantages and disadvantages and describe them in two paragraphs or just present them in a list of points. The advantages/ disadvantages are as follow... The most convincing arguments in favour of ... are ... I would mention...as the most discouraging feature of... Here is the list of benefits... evaluation/recommendation (if it is required by the question) I would recommend...because... I would not hesitate to recommend... I would suggest... In my opinion, it would be worth... +ing conclusion/summary It is a good idea to repeat here why you are writing. It will show that you keep in mind the purpose of this report. In conclusion I would like to stress that... In my opinion... It is a fact that... It appears to/ seems to/ tends to There is no doubt that... Given this, it can be concluded that... Having proved/presented this, I would like to...

Sample answer: Q: A group of American students is going to participate in a workshop organised by your school. They have never been in your town before so their tutor, Mr. Franklin, has asked you to write a report about places that are worth visiting in the area. Write a report describing the places and explain why you think they may be of any interest to the group. To: Mr. Franklin From: Francesca Wilson Date: 12 November 20... Subject: Places to visit during your stay in XX Introduction: This report is written to analyse places of interest that may be worth visiting by your group. I have called the tourist information office to check admission fees and opening hours that would be suitable for you. Places to visit in XX There are many places in the area which are worth recommending but unfortunately some of them are open to public only in summer peak season. However, there are two attractions that may be taken into consideration as they seem suitable for you: 1. The Dungeon is a very popular tourist attraction in XX. It is a former(overkill, drop it) jail tower from the 17th century. Today you can visit the prisoners' cells and see there a great collection of arms from previous centuries. 2. The Labyrinth is the place where you can have a lot fun. There is a number of dead-end corridors and some leading to the exit. You are supposed to find the way out in a given time. The place is open on weekends and there are big discounts for groups. Conclusion: I would not hesitate to recommend both of these places to your group. These attractions are well-known and popular among foreign visitors. [192 words]

FCE: Phrases for Articles and Essays

Style


For the FCE, articles and essays are very similar, but there are a few differences.

Articles are for magazines so they can be bit informal and they can use the word 'you'.
Essays are for teachers so they need to be more formal and they can't use the word 'you'.

So the first paragraph of an article might look like this:

Could you live without your TV? For most people this would be impossible. TV has become a part of our lives. Although this has had a few drawbacks, it has also had some tremendous benefits.
An essay would have to have a different first sentence:

It is very difficult to find a family nowadays in Europe that does not have a television.


To change topics in articles you can use questions:

So what are the benefits? They include ..............
In an essay, though:

As for the benefits, these include ................


In articles you can be more personal:

In my family we often fight about which channel to watch. Ever since I was a little boy I have believed that ........
In essays, though:

In many families there are fights about .......... I firmly believe that .............


Structure

Basically, there are two different plans for articles and essays. To choose the right one you need to read the question very carefully.



A. If the question clearly asks for your opinion, make your point of view clear in the first paragraph:

Hunting is now a sport that is very popular with many men in Greece. They enjoy going out at the weekends and hiding in the bushes waiting to shoot little birds or rabbits or wild pigs. For them it is just another sport, but for me it is a crime against nature.
Paragraph 2: give the strongest argument for your point of view

Paragraph 3: present the opposite side of the argument and say why these people are wrong

Paragraph 4: emphasise how important the matter is and what should be done. E.g.:

It is about time the government realised that preserving the wildlife of the country is much more important than letting men enjoy killing small animals. There is no doubt in my mind that hunting ought to be banned. However, I am pessimistic because it is obvious that the politicians are going to pay more attention to the hunters than to the wildlife because hunters have the vote and animals do not.


B. Some questions want you to discuss two sides of an issue. Here, you should be more impersonal and leave your opinion until the last paragraph.

Introduction:

On any winter weekend in Greece the countryside is full of the sound of shooting. The men with the guns are not soldiers but hunters. They are out with their friends and their dogs in the fresh air enjoying their favourite pastime. For the hunters this is just another sport, like bowling and golf, but for ecologists this is an activity that should be banned.
Paragraph 2: The hunters argue that .................. They also believe ..............

Paragraph 3: On the other hand, ecologists insist that animals have rights. This means that .....

Conclusion:

On balance, it seems to me that the arguments of ................ outweigh those of .......... I agree that ................. , and for this reason the government should ...........

Writing an article

Hints:

Just imagine you really write an article :-)

Think of an appropriate, eye-catching title.

You may refer to your title in your article - that will show that your text is coherent.

Do not use very formal language, however try to keep in mind where you are writing to (school newspaper; daily paper; magazine) and adjust your register.

Use questions and question tags.

Address your reader directly. Try to get him/her involved in what you are writing about.

Be careful with tenses. The article may refer to the present or to the past. Read carefully what you are expected to do in the task.

Focus on your introduction and conclusion - try to avoid one-sentence introduction/conclusion.
There are several ways in which you may begin your article:

a quotation or saying:'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife' *. Detailed study of matrimonial offers given to magazines proves that this is still the case. 75 per cent of men ready to wear wedding rings declare financial independence and stability.

* Jane Austen 'Pride and Prejudice'

criptic statement (you begin with a statement that is unclear for the reader):

At last everything has been completed. The vans and trucks are loaded, equipment is checked and people are ready for their journey. It took over a year to prepare the whole action but for them it is just the beginning. The humanitarian aid is due to cross the border of our country today night at 2 a.m.
an anecdote:On 26 November 1922 Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon entered the new discovered tomb in necropolis near Luxor. After 3000 years they were the first people who passed the 'blind gate' and saw the Pharao's treasure. The legend claims that the discovery was accompanied by several signs of gods' disapproval and that ignorance of European archeologists cost them their lives.Nowadays the famous legend attracts hordes of tourists. The ancient spell that was to protect prince's eternal life turned against him. The 'house' of his soul is devastated year after year.

a question:

Have you ever imagined climbing the Mountain? You think it is not possible without months of previous training and preparations, right? Here you are wrong. All you need to get ready is... your bank account number. Mount Everest, called the Mountain by people who feel respect to it, is now offered as a tourist attraction for those who can afford such a trip.


Good ending is very crucial. It may be the summary of the points made in the article, the rhetorical question or the paraphrase of the statement made before.


Useful expressions:

Let's...
How about...?
Would you...?
I think you will agree that...
I hope you can imagine...
What would you do if...
All in all...
To sum up...
The conclusion is...


Sample answer:

Q: You work for the student newspaper. You have been asked to write an article about the theatre group that is going to make a performance in your town.

All in one - come and watch

Have you ever been asked to make a decision and choose only one thing out of many that you really like? I am sure you have. And then you always wonder what would have happened if you had chosen the alternative. Maybe you just missed something really special... You do not particularly like that feeling, do you? There is a group of young people who decided once that it is ridiculous to choose if you can have all in one - do you want to meet them? Actually, you will have a chance soon.

The Red Dragon Theatre Group is coming to our town next week. They will bring a lot of good sense of humour, music, dance, and anything you can think of that should appear on stage. Their main concern is to make you think, laugh, maybe cry a bit, but above all to give you a great time. I bet you will love them at first sight.

To make the long story short - you cannot miss this event! The group is going to perform in The Globe theatre and they have promised to meet your expectations. The choice is obvious this time... Simply, come and watch.[200 words]