Module 5 · Mock Exam 1 & Writing Genres I · Lesson 20
Writing Part 2 The Report
Neutral register, sections and recommendation
Warm-up · Section 1
4 minGet talking
Take the same recommendation: 'pilot a six-week trial of a staggered start'. Phrase it (a) for a PROPOSAL (persuade) and (b) for a REPORT (recommend from findings). What changes?
In a proposal, the writer's voice is present. In a report, the EVIDENCE has the voice. Spot the report sentence: 'I think students prefer mornings.' / 'Of 64 students surveyed, 71% expressed a preference for morning lessons.'
From any survey you can imagine (favourite app, study habits, etc.): name THREE findings as 'X% of Y said/did Z'. No opinion — only finding.
Grammar focus · Section 2
8 minNeutral register and evidence reporting — letting the data speak
Quick rule
Reports use IMPERSONAL constructions ('it was found that…', '64 respondents indicated…') and report verbs ('indicate', 'suggest', 'point to', 'reveal'). The writer disappears; the evidence speaks.
Examples
Impersonal: 'It was found that 71% of students preferred morning lessons.'
Reporting verb: 'The data suggest that wellbeing scores rose modestly across the pilot.'
Conditional recommendation: 'It may therefore be worth considering an extension of the pilot, subject to staff capacity.'
Findings-led: 'Three priorities emerged from the survey data.' (vs 'I think we should…')
Quick check
Question 1.Pick the most report-grade sentence:
Question 2.Best reporting verb for 'the data hints at, but doesn't prove':
Question 3.Most appropriate recommendation in a report:
Question 4.Which sentence belongs in FINDINGS, not Conclusions?
Question 5.Why does a report avoid 'I think'?
Vocabulary · Section 3
6 minWords & phrases to own
to indicate
to show clearly (evidence-reporting verb)
e.g. The attendance data indicate a 12% rise during the pilot.
Use it now
Use 'indicate' in a sentence reporting a finding from any survey.
↻ Recycled in writing · pitch
to point to (a pattern)
to suggest a direction in the evidence
e.g. Three pieces of feedback point to the same scheduling concern.
Use it now
Finish: 'The evidence points to ______.'
↻ Recycled in writing
respondents / participants
the people surveyed or involved
e.g. Of 64 respondents, 46 (71%) expressed a clear preference.
Use it now
Practise: 'Of ___ respondents, ___ (___%) indicated…'
↻ Recycled in writing
marginal vs substantial (difference)
small but visible vs large and clear
e.g. Attainment showed a marginal rise; wellbeing showed a substantial one.
Use it now
Pair the two adjectives with two findings from your imagined data.
↻ Recycled in writing
subject to (X)
conditional on — used in cautious recommendations
e.g. An extension is recommended, subject to staff capacity and parental consultation.
Use it now
Add a 'subject to' clause to a recommendation you'd make.
↻ Recycled in writing · pitch
it may therefore be worth considering
the signature CONDITIONAL recommendation move of a report
e.g. It may therefore be worth considering an extension of the pilot.
Use it now
Write the recommendation sentence of YOUR report using this exact frame.
↻ Recycled in writing · pitch
Pair / group discussion
- Which of today's items most clearly signal 'report voice' rather than 'essay voice'?
- Pick three items to use in your Findings draft in 10 minutes.
Complete each stem about yourself
- The data indicate ______.…
- Three pieces of evidence point to ______.…
- It may therefore be worth considering ______, subject to ______.…
Rank & justify
Rank by how much each one signals 'report' rather than 'opinion essay'.
- it may therefore be worth considering
- indicate
- subject to
- I think
- respondents
Quick write (60 seconds)
In one sentence, report a finding using 'Of [N] respondents, [%] indicated…'.
Pronunciation · Section 4
3 minStress the FINDING, not the writer
When reading a report aloud, the heaviest stress should fall on the data and the conditional verbs — not on personal pronouns (which are absent anyway). This signals neutrality and authority simultaneously.
- Of SIXTY-FOUR respondents || SEVENTY-ONE per CENT indicated a PREFERENCE.
- The DATA SUGGEST || a MARGINAL rise in atTAINment.
- It may THEREFORE be worth conSIDERing || an EXTENSION of the PILOT.
- Subject to STAFF capacity || and PARental consultATION.
Reading · Section 5
8 minA published mini-report — 'Pilot of staggered start, Years 7–9' (close read)
School governing body · Termly report
A published mini-report — 'Pilot of staggered start, Years 7–9' (close read)
An authentic-style published report. Notice the headings, the register, and where the recommendation sits.
Compiled by the Deputy Head · End of pilot · November review
INTRODUCTION — This report summarises the findings of the six-week pilot of a staggered start (Years 7–9 at 08:30) conducted during October and November. It draws on attendance records, an end-of-pilot survey of 64 students and 12 staff, and informal feedback from parent representatives.
FINDINGS — Three patterns emerged. (1) Attendance in the pilot year groups rose by 12 percentage points compared with the same period the previous year. (2) Of 64 students surveyed, 71% expressed a preference for the new start, primarily citing sleep and morning calm. (3) Parent feedback was mixed: those with younger siblings in primary school welcomed the alignment, while those with no younger siblings noted increased childcare strain on three of the six weeks.
CONCLUSIONS — The data indicate a clear short-term benefit to attendance and student wellbeing, alongside a real, though uneven, parental cost. The evidence does not yet support a permanent change, but it does support continued exploration.
RECOMMENDATIONS — It may therefore be worth considering an extension of the pilot to a full term, subject to the introduction of an 08:00 on-site childcare option for affected families, and to a further parent consultation in February.
Question 1.How many findings does the report identify?
Question 2.Which of the findings most clearly uses report-grade phrasing?
Question 3.What does the CONCLUSIONS section do?
Question 4.The recommendation is CONDITIONAL. What is it conditional on?
Question 5.Which register marker is MOST characteristic of the report voice?
Listening · Section 6
8 minListening Part 2 (spiral) — Deputy Head briefing for the Report (sentence completion)
Notes
Pre-listen brief (Listening P2 sample)
- ▸You will hear the Deputy Head briefing the report team with the raw data.
- ▸Listen for 5 numerical / factual gaps to complete.
- ▸Gap 1: Attendance rose by ___ percentage points.
- ▸Gap 2: Of ___ students surveyed, ___% expressed a preference for the new start.
- ▸Gap 3: Parent strain was reported on ___ of the six weeks.
- ▸Gap 4: Recommended extension: ___ term.
- ▸Gap 5: Conditional childcare from: ___
Listening audio
Tap play to listen. Scrub the bar or use ± 5 s to jump.
Show transcript
Deputy Head (Hamish, Scottish, m):Right — let me give you the raw numbers before you draft. Attendance in the pilot year groups rose by twelve percentage points compared with the same period last year — that's the headline. The survey: of sixty-four students surveyed, seventy-one per cent expressed a preference for the new start. Parents were more mixed — those with younger siblings welcomed the alignment, but those without reported additional childcare strain on three of the six weeks. The governing body's appetite is for an extension of one full term, conditional on us offering an on-site childcare option from eight o'clock. And no — please, no recommendation for a permanent change yet. The data don't carry it.
Question 1.Gap 1 — Attendance rose by ___ percentage points.
Question 2.Gap 2a — Of ___ students surveyed.
Question 3.Gap 2b — ___% expressed a preference for the new start.
Question 4.Gap 3 — Parent strain was reported on ___ of the six weeks.
Question 5.Gap 4 — Recommended extension: ___ term.
Question 6.Gap 5 — Conditional childcare from:
Visual stimulus · Section 7
3 minAnnotated report layout vs proposal layout — side by side
Same four-section shape, different voice and stance. Notice where the data sits and where the recommendation sits.
Notes
Report vs Proposal — same shape, different job
- ▸1. INTRODUCTION — Report: what was investigated, by whom, from what data. Proposal: what is proposed, for whom, in response to what.
- ▸2. FINDINGS (longest) — Report: evidence-led, neutral. Proposal: CURRENT SITUATION — evidence brief, persuasion-leaning.
- ▸3. CONCLUSIONS — Report: implications of findings, no recommendation yet. Proposal: PROPOSED ACTION — the persuasion paragraph.
- ▸4. RECOMMENDATIONS — Report: conditional, 'it may therefore be worth considering… subject to…'. Proposal: assertive-but-calibrated, 'it is therefore recommended that…'.
- ▸Register — Report: neutral, impersonal. Proposal: warm-formal.
Discuss in pairs
Identify ONE feature in the report column that you found yourself slipping out of in your L19 proposal — and that you'll watch for today.
Exam skills · Section 8
3 minCPE Writing Part 2 — The Report (220–260 words)
Strategy
- 1.Name the commissioner of the report (Principal, Governors, Manager) in the Introduction.
- 2.Use 4 headings: Introduction · Findings · Conclusions · Recommendations.
- 3.FINDINGS uses raw evidence (numbers, percentages, quotations). At least one piece of numerical evidence.
- 4.Use reporting verbs: indicate / suggest / point to / reveal. Avoid 'prove', 'show clearly', 'I think'.
- 5.RECOMMENDATIONS are CONDITIONAL ('subject to…', 'on condition that…'). No assertions.
- 6.Word count: 220–260, firm.
Example
RECOMMENDATION model: 'It may therefore be worth considering an extension of the pilot to a full term, subject to the introduction of an 08:00 on-site childcare option and to a further parent consultation in February.'
Practice · Section 9
7 minFill in the blank
Question 1.The attendance data ____ a clear short-term benefit.
Question 2.Three pieces of feedback ____ the same scheduling concern.
Question 3.It may therefore be worth ____ an extension of the pilot.
Question 4.The change is recommended, ____ to staff capacity.
Question 5.Of 64 ____ surveyed, 71% expressed a preference.
Question 6.The evidence ____ a permanent change at this stage.
Writing · Section 10
4 minPut it in writing
Six-week pilot — raw data
Deputy Head · End of pilot
Attendance rose by 12 percentage points in pilot year groups.
Of 64 students surveyed, 71% expressed a preference for the new start.
Parent strain reported on 3 of the 6 weeks; younger-sibling families welcomed alignment.
Governors want an extension to one full term, conditional on 08:00 on-site childcare.
No permanent change recommended at this stage.
Your task
Draft (in 8 minutes) the FINDINGS section of a report on the staggered-start pilot, using the raw data from today's Listening P2 briefing. Three numbered findings, each with a piece of evidence. Full report (220–260 words) is homework.
- • Findings section only — but write 3 distinct findings.
- • Each finding includes ONE piece of evidence (number, %, quotation).
- • Use at least two of today's vocab items.
Before you submit
- ☐ Three numbered or clearly separated findings.
- ☐ At least two pieces of numerical evidence.
- ☐ Reporting verbs used (indicate / suggest / point to).
- ☐ No 'I think', no 'we should', no 'obviously'.
Show model answer
FINDINGS — Three patterns emerged from the data. (1) Attendance in the pilot year groups rose by 12 percentage points compared with the same period the previous year — a substantial, not marginal, change. (2) Of 64 students surveyed, 71% expressed a preference for the new start, primarily citing sleep quality and a calmer morning routine. Staff feedback echoed the pattern, though to a lesser extent. (3) Parent feedback was mixed. Families with younger siblings in primary school welcomed the alignment of start times; families without younger siblings reported additional childcare strain on three of the six pilot weeks. The data therefore point to a real, but uneven, parental cost.
Speaking · Section 11
6 minMake it a real conversation
Speaking P4 — 8 minutes. The teacher (or partner) plays a member of the governing body who has read your Findings. They ask three questions: (1) which finding is strongest? (2) which is weakest? (3) what would you NEED to know to recommend a permanent change? Answer in report voice — neutral, evidence-led.
Pick ONE further question the governing body might reasonably ask. That question is your editing prompt for the homework draft.
What would the governing body STILL want to know?
Long-term attainment
12% attendance ≠ attainment; what's the link?
Staff sustainability
Can teachers sustain the longer days?
Equity of access
Childcare cost — who pays for the 08:00 option?
Wellbeing measurement
How robust is the survey instrument?
Useful phrases
- The strongest finding is ______, supported by ______.
- The weakest is ______, because the evidence base is ______.
- To recommend a permanent change, we would need ______.
- The data indicate ______, but they do not yet support ______.
- Subject to ______, an extension may be worth considering.
- It would not be appropriate to recommend ______ at this stage.
Optional · Teacher-led
Teacher Activities
Stretches if time allows. All work 1:1. ~18 min total
Homework · Section 12
Take-homeTake it home
Finish the full 220–260 word report. Four headed sections (Introduction · Findings · Conclusions · Recommendations). Neutral register, conditional recommendation, at least two pieces of numerical evidence in Findings.
Find one published report online (school, council, charity). Identify its 4-section structure, its reporting verbs and its conditional recommendation. Write 3 sentences comparing its REGISTER to your draft.
Rewrite 5 essay-style sentences into report-style. (a) 'I think the pilot worked.' (b) 'Students loved it.' (c) 'We should extend it.' (d) 'Obviously it's better.' (e) 'Some parents complained.'
Build a 10-item personal 'report phrase bank' for the real exam. Today's 6 + 4 more from your reading homework. Group them: reporting verbs · evidence framing · conditional recommendations.
Recap · Section 13
Wrap-upWhat you've learned
- A report is NEUTRAL, IMPERSONAL and FINDINGS-LED. The evidence has the voice.
- Four sections: Introduction · Findings · Conclusions · Recommendations. Findings is the LONGEST.
- Reporting verbs: indicate / suggest / point to / reveal — never 'prove' or 'I think'.
- Recommendations are CONDITIONAL: 'it may therefore be worth considering… subject to…'
- The Band 4 → Band 5 move is a recommendation that names its CONDITION as well as its action.