Determine the Style
Once you've established purpose, audience, and content, the style should follow almost automatically. If you know your report will be read by experts, you can skip much of the detailed explanation of terms, background, and so on (since they can be expected to have this knowledge) and you can use more technical terms.
However, if you're writing a report to be read by the general public, you'll need to go into more detail to provide background understanding for the topic. You should also choose less specialized vocabulary; write shorter sentences and paragraphs; and use a less formal tone.
Sentences and Paragraphs
If you're writing for an expert audience, you can usually use more complex sentence construction than for a general audience. It's also acceptable to use longer sentences and paragraphs, but don't use a style that's too impersonal because this can bore your readers.
Whatever your audience, aim for variety in the length and structure of your sentences and paragraphs. A good way to do this is to look at the first word of each sentence and try to use a different part of speech. This also makes your work much more interesting to read.
Below are some examples of different parts of speech used to begin sentences:
Adjective: Red has long been associated with...
Adverb: Unknowingly they had found...
Noun: Scientists speculate that...
Verb: Boosted by their discoveries they...
Preposition: Behind all great inventions there are...
Topic Sentences
Use topic sentences to present the key point for each paragraph, then develop each point by providing evidence and examples. The first sentence is usually the topic sentence, and it tells the reader what the rest of the paragraph will be about. (Any reader who needs to get the gist of your report quickly can simply skim read through the topic sentence of each paragraph.) The last sentence of each paragraph should contain a logical link to the following point.
Follow all the lessons you learned in school about the need for a sentence to contain one completed thought and a paragraph to deal with one aspect of a topic. Start a new paragraph for every change of time, place, point, or person.
Word Choice
Your vocabulary can be more specialized when you're writing for an audience that has a prior knowledge of your subject, but this doesn't mean that you choose obscure words — you must still convey your meaning clearly and concisely. Don't use words that are pompous, clichéd, or artificial; choose words that are concrete, simple, direct, precise, and natural.
Look at the following pairs of words:
Numerous (many), facilitate (ease), remainder (rest), implement (do), sufficient (enough).
Both words in each set have similar meanings, but the first word is trying to impress while the second is just getting on with the job!
For most formal reports, it's advisable to avoid jargon, colloquialisms, slang, and
contractions because these can convey too casual an impression. However, there may be times when your purpose, audience, and subject matter suit a more informal style. Check with the person who gave you the assignment for clarification on this.
Tone
Tone is the writer's attitude toward the subject and the audience. Think about how the tone of your voice affects your listeners and you'll understand how the tone of your writing can influence your readers.
You should aim for a tone that's confident and in control — after all, you're the expert who's delivering the report — you're meant to sound as if you know what's going on. But you must avoid the temptation to be dogmatic. In a report you're giving a balanced account of the situation so others can make up their minds. If you've been asked to include your recommendations, these must be supported by the content of your report and your findings.
First Person or Third
There's a division of opinion about whether you should use the first person (I, me, we) or third person (he, she, they) when writing a report. The argument in favor of the third person is that it sounds more objective, but it can also sound too cold and impersonal if overused and can distance your readers from your arguments and findings. While some organizations will accept the use of personal pronouns to emphasize a personal opinion being given in your report, others may not — so check before you begin writing.
A report does give you an opportunity to state your personal opinions — and this
should be done at the end of the report. When you've presented all the necessary facts, figures, and opinions relevant to your report, you give your recommendations and conclusions (which must be based on what you've presented in the report).
If in doubt, remember that a report is by its nature "formal," so try to use an objective and impartial style. The best advice is to cover the topic but leave yourself out — avoid using "we" or "I" — even when making your recommendations. You can express your findings as follows:
"Because of the (insert a statement of your major conclusion), this report recommends (insert your recommendation) described herein."
Active Voice
Use the active voice wherever possible to avoid sounding too impersonal and abstract. This will also make your readers feel that they're more actively involved in what you're discussing in the report.
A verb is in the active voice when it tells what the subject does and in the passive voice when it tells what is done to the subject:
"Scientists conducted research to test the hypothesis." (Active)
"Research to test the hypothesis has been conducted by scientists." (Passive)
Past or Present Tense
It's usually much easier to keep everything in the past tense when writing your report. For example, "Researchers discovered signs of contamination in ..." instead of "Researchers discover signs of contamination in ..."
Most of what you're writing about has already taken place, so using the past tense makes sense, for you and your readers.
Give Your Readers Signposts
You'll make it much easier for your readers to find their way through your report if you use language signposts. You use these to highlight your main points and lead readers through your argument or discussion.
The first section of your report could start with "The aim of this report ..." or "The aim of this project ..."
Introduce the different stages with "The first stage is ...," "The second stage ...,"
"This section deals with ..." Let your readers know that you're giving your opinion by writing "The problem with this is ...," "What is significant about this is ...," "It is important to remember that ..."
When you're summing up, begin the section with "This means that ...," "The result shows that ...," "It is likely that ..."