How to write amazing Reports in grade 11 and 12

Report Writing is part of the CBSE syllabus for higher-order writing. Reports are factual descriptions and they can also be clubbed until the topic: articles.

Learning Targets:

1. I can differentiate between a magazine report and a newspaper report.

2. I can write a report using the simple past tense form and passive voice construction.

3. I can identify the value points in a report.

4. I can write a report using the correct transitions based on the "what, where, who, why, when" followed by the "how" and ending in the conclusion that winds up the loose ends.

5. I can ensure that my report is a neutral and impersonal account of an event[s] that have taken place in the past.

6. I can support my description of events using facts provided to me.

7. I can provide relevant information for my report in case details are not provided in the question.

8. I can ensure that my report has a catchy title and a by-line.

9. I can stick to the word limit provided in the question.

 A Checklist for Reports:

1. Reports are of three broad kinds, Newspaper Reports, Magazine Reports and Institutional reports, Progress reports and so on. 
2. Both forms start with a catchy heading and they have a by-line.
3. All reports are written predominantly in the simple past tense form when reporting an event that has already occurred.
4. Reports are most often written in the third person. We generally avoid using first-person narration.
5. Reports are written in three parts, paragraphs or sections.
6. Reports are written using the inverted pyramid format

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Given below is a graphical representation of an inverted pyramid:

To understand how a report is written, we could start by working on a question. Given below are infographics for three paragraphs of a school annual day report the question for which would be: Draft a report for the school magazine describing the Annual Day Function of The New Era Public school. You are Ankit Pandey, the school Head Boy. Supply the relevant details for the report.

The Final Report will read as follows:

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    To understand the subtle difference between the School Magazine Report and the Newspaper   Report, let us start with a new question: You are Sonia Sharma, a Special Correspondent with the newspaper, New Delhi Times. Draft a report for your newspaper describing a train accident that took place at Kalaghat, New Delhi between the Green Star Express and the Orient Zone Express Recently. The infographics given below include notes based on the value points allotted to each paragraph. The final report is to be drafted out of these value points.

The Final Report will look like the one given below:

 Train Accident Snuffs 50 lives

A Report By Sonia Sharma, Spl. Correspondent, New Delhi Times

     New Delhi, September 25:A fatal railway accident took place yesterday on the 24th of September involving the Green Star Express and the Orient Express one kilometre from the Kalaghat Railway station in Delhi. It is feared that fifty passengers lost their lives, and two hundred and fifty passengers were badly injured in the accident. Local residents rushed to the rescue and managed to offer assistance to the injured. According to eye-witnesses, the Green Star Express coming from Sonipat failed to stop before the red signal and rammed into the Orient Express that was stationary. The accident took place in the wee hours, at 6:00 a.m.

     According to eye-witnesses, the driver of the Green Star Express failed to apply brakes in spite of the red signal and smashed into the rear end of the Orient express. There was a loud bang, as the collision occurred. The engine and seven coaches of Green Star Express were completely damaged in the accident and five coaches of Orient Express bore the brunt of the collision getting completely smashed to bits and pieces. The early morning saw a disturbing picture of damaged carriages, and injured passengers all over the place. Local residents who reached the accident site immediately rushed the injured to nearby hospitals. They also offered first aid, water and food to the passengers. The Railway rescue team which arrived within half an hour set out to remove the injured and the dead from damaged compartments using steel cutters and blow-torches.  They also set up mobile hospitals. Volunteers from NGOs. and Policemen launched rescue efforts on a war footing. Minister for Railways, N.K. Suri arrived at 7:00 a.m. He announced the setting up of an enquiry commission to investigate the accident. The minister announced an Ex-Gratia payment of Rupees one lakh to the next of kin of those killed while the injured will be paid an amount of Rupees fifty-thousand. The Minister for Railways met the injured and relatives of those killed. He reassured them of best possible treatment. Rescue efforts went on till 7:00 p.m.

    Railway officials and eyewitnesses have said that the railway accident that took place on the 24^th of September was one of the worst accidents the city has witnessed. The passengers lauded the rescue efforts made by the Railway rescue team, volunteers from NGOs., and the local residents. Passengers local residents and experts believe that the accident could have been prevented had the railways replaced its obsolete early warning system with a more advanced one. It is believed that the installation of an automatic safety braking system might help prevent if not reduce collision accidents.

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      Given below are a few questions for revision:

  1. You are Alok Verma, a Correspondent with the News Today English newspaper. Draft a newspaper report about a rally taken out at the Janta Manter in New Delhi by students of schools and colleges of the Delhi NCR, against the proposed fee hikes across the region. 

      2. You are Mala Sharma, a Correspondent with the New Express English Newspaper. Draft a newspaper report describing the inauguration of the interstate bus terminal in your city. Furnish all the relevant details.       

    3. You are Manoj Verma, a Special Correspondent with the New Gurgaon Times. Draft a newspaper report describing a daring daytime robbery that took place in a busy market in your city in which gun-wielding assailants robbed a shopkeeper of Rupee five Lakhs from his garments store.

     4.You are Gagan Sharma, the school Head Boy of New Era Public school, Gurgaon. You happened to be a part of a  contingent of students who attended the Bournvita Quiz competition at Sirifort Auditorium in New Delhi on the 20th of July, 2016. The quiz conducted by the famous quiz-master Derek OBrien started at 10:00 a.m. and ended at 1:00 p.m. Your school came second out of a total of twenty schools from the National Capital Region of Delhi. Draft a report of the same in 150-200 words.

     5. Recently, a clash took place between two neighbours in Malka Ganj, Delhi over parking rights. In this clash, one of the neighbours was badly beaten up resulting in his death. You are Preeti Negi, a correspondent with The New Delhi Times. Draft a report of the incident for your newspaper in 150-200 words.  

     6.You are Alok/Anisha,  a student of the Surya Public School, Mohali. Being the members of the school magazine team, draft a report for the recently concluded Annual Day function of the school that took place in the month of June 2021. The chief guest on the occasion was the renowned Author, Mr. Ruskin Bond. Draft your report in 150-200 words.

Below are some model Newspaper Report examples that have been taken from the Asian Age Newspaper dated the 15th of September, 2016. Notice the use of the present progressive form in the headings.

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