A report is a piece of writing that contains accounts of things that are seen, heard, known, or investigated.
Report writing is very similar to article writing, but the latter is more casual than the former. Reports are meant to be published in journals, newspapers, and magazines.
In this post, you will find out how to write a report in 9 simple steps.
How to Write a Report?
Step 1: Before one starts writing, ask four questions. Use your imagination and visualize the prompt.
- What has happened?/What will happen?
- When has it happened?/When will it happen?
- Where has it happened?/Where will it happen?
- Who are involved?/Who will be involved?
- How has it happened?/How will it happen?
Example:
Headline: Science Exhibition at Poddar High School
What has happened? – Science exhibition
When? – Tuesday
Where? – Poddar High School
Who?—Students of Poddar High School/ Students of other schools/ teachers
How?—Gathered at Poddar High School—exhibited science projects—themes revolved around science—Principal judged—Gurukul High School won—Came to an end after cultural shows
Step 2: Think of a catchy headline that may give the reader a brief idea. Do not include too many details in the headline.
Step 3: Use the title case for writing headlines. All the words except prepositions and articles will start with a capital letter.
- Tsunami Rocks Southern India
- Blood Donation Camp at Vasant Kunj
- Two Injured in a Tree Collapse
- Angry Tusker Creates Mayhem
Step 4 : Write the name of the reporter or the Byline if it is given in the question. If not, then write ‘By Staff Reporter’.
Step 5: If the report is meant for a school magazine and if the name is not given, then write ‘By a Student Reporter’.
Step 6: Write the place and the date below the byline.
Step 7: The paceline should correspond with the place where the incident took place.
Step 8: The date should correspond to the day the report was published, not when the event in the report happened.
- By Tapas Mnadal
- Mumbai, September 2021: …
- By Rachita Manna
- Bengaluru, March 2021:…
Step 9: Structure your article by dividing your points into three parts—introduction, body and conclusion.
Introduction
- Introduction Include the most important details in the introductory lines. Do divulge details in the first line.
- Answer the What? Where? When? Who? Questions.
- Two civilians were injured when a tree collapsed at Girija Nagar yesterday.
- Mayhem ensued when a tusker ran amok at Indira Nagar earlier today.
Body
* The body of the report will expand the details given in the introductory line.
- Riya Sinha (41) and Prakash Saha (29) were injured when a century-old banyan tree collapsed in yesterday‘s rain.
- Umashankaran, a 10-year-old elephant, created chaos when it ran amok at the jaggery market at Indira Nagar yesterday.
* The body of the report will also include details like quotes of people and accounts of eyewitnesses.
* Quotations will create a feeling of being at the scene.
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- Rajesh Gajanan, an onlooker said, “It was very unfortunate. The two men didn‘t expect the sturdy tree to collapse so suddenly.”
- Chinnamma, a vendor who sells palm sugar at the location, recounted the great fury of the tusker. “He trumpeted very loudly at the sight of the mahout.”
Conclusion
* The closing lines will tie up the loose ends and divulge any extra or related information.
* It may also present the reader with the current status of the incident.
- The two are now recuperating at Maruti Hospital and are believed to be out of danger.
- The elephant has now been tamed and confined at Juno Animal Hospital. Dr. Pashupati will now check the tusker for any signs of elephantine dementia.
Example of Report Writing
[Injured in a vehicle collision at Ram Maruti Road.] – Title
[Akash Banerjee] – Name of the Reporter
[Thane, 31st July 2021] – Place & Date
[Two men were injured on Ram Maruti Road yesterday when a motorist failed to see an oncoming car.] – Introduction
[Rajesh Sharma (30) didn‘t notice the Maruti Zen car driven by Sumanta Dasgupta (27) because he was distracted by a noisy wedding procession on the road. Both men are residents of Vrindavan society and were immediately taken to Dr. Salvi‘s Hospital at Ram Maruti Road, Thane. Eyewitnesses say that even though Dasgupta tried to avert the situation by applying breaks, it didn‘t help.] – Body
[Though he has escaped with minor abrasions, Sharma had to bear the full brunt of the impact. He has a broken nose and an injured shin bone. Both men are recuperating at the hospital.] – Conclusion
Samples of Report Writing
Sample 1
Report the arrest of a prank caller who sent the police on a wild goose chase about a nonexistent bomb.
Hoax Caller Arrest
By Rudranil Mandal
Kolkata 7th August 2021: A local man has been arrested in connection with a hoax call that was made to the Delhi police. A.C Murugesh, a resident of Saket, has been arrested for not only misleading the police but also delaying three flights. The perpetrator claimed to have knowledge of three bombs that were apparently planted in the UK-bound flight.
The call set the police force in motion who along with the bomb squad cordoned off the airport area and moved the people to safety. Eventually, it was determined that the call was a hoax. Police employed the Aircel cellular service to track the location where the call was made and apprehended the culprit.
The investigation is in progress to ascertain whether the perpetrator has a history of mental illnesses.
Sample 2
Report a burglary that took place in your locality.
Thief Outwitted by the Silent Alarm
By Amit Patel
Malad, 5th February 2021: Ruckus ensured when a thief was apprehended by the traders at Bougainvillea Marg yesterday. The area is well known for its jewellery shops and has experienced thefts in the past. Three jewellers and a mobile from the store owner has been robbed in the course of 3 months.
Mr. Rajat Zaveri was settling his accounts when a stranger armed with a switchblade entered the shop at 10 pm. The man then ordered him to sit still while he emptied the shelves. Initially, Mr. Zaveri did as he was told; he later switched on a silent alarm and alerted the other shopkeepers nearby. Within five minutes, not only did they notify the police but also beat the thief black and blue. The accused was identified as Sajjan Singh, an unemployed youth who indulged in petty thievery.
The police believe that he may have some information about the series of robberies that have taken place at Bougainvillaea Marg.
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