How to write a report? | C2 Proficient (CPE)
A CPE report is written for a specified audience. This may be a superior, for example, a boss at work, or members of a peer group, colleagues or fellow class members. The content of a report is mainly factual and draws on the prompt material.
C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Structure
| Introduction The purpose of this report is to…. |
| Main Body – Subheading (2) Give the relevant facts |
| Main Body – Subheading (3) Give the relevant facts |
| Main Body – Subheading (4) Give the relevant facts |
| Conclusion Make your recommendations |
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C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Writing Guide
We will use the example topic below:
Write your report (around 280 – 320 words)
Step 1: Title and Introduction
In general, the introduction should outline the aim of the report. Commonly, it begins with an indirect phrase like the one below:
The objective of this report is to compare ….. and …..
The objective of this report is to outline the current condition of
An example of an introduction written by a student:
Introduction: The aim of this report is to exhibit evaluations of the efficiency and the structure of the ‘descriptive writing course, which has been conducted (passive forms) in the local college. The assessments provided are founded on my personal observations, accumulated during the course.
as you probably noticed it is written impersonally, goes straight to the point, is short, coherent and passive forms dominate. The author of the report avoids addressing the reader directly (you).
Step 2: Main Body
QUICK TIPS: Before you start…
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Let’s see the main body of the sample student report:
In the first paragraph, the student writes the first element, i.e. content (“write a report in which you evaluate the course content, organisation and method.”)
Content – heading / short and informative
The content of the course was clearly structured (passive forms) and exceptionally well presented. It emphasizes each key aspect separately which, combined with a plethora of additional details provided, contributes greatly to its being easy to follow and comprehensive. Many of the foundational facets of the course were accurately exemplified (passive forms) by the means of impressive schemes and diagrams.
In the second paragraph, the student answers the second element, i.e. organisation (“write a report in which you evaluate the course content, organisation and method.”)
Organisation – heading / short and informative
In terms of conducting, the event was run in a highly professional manner. The time schedules were meticulously complied (passive forms) with and the relocations from one hall to another had been made effortless and time-efficient through the medium of clear instructional sign tables. The lecturers were given (passive forms) excellent positions to speak from and the audience had the opportunity to immerse in both the visual presentation and the lecturer’s speech.
In the third paragraph, the student answers the third element, i.e. method (“write a report in which you evaluate the course content, organisation and method.”)
Method– heading / short and informative
The teaching method adopted by the organisers of the event is traditional and straightforward. It enables the attendants not only (inversion) to understand but also to summarize the information without the necessity lecturers’ speech to be interrupted or delayed. The course visitors were provided with (passive forms) miscellaneous writing materials by the means of which notes could be conveniently made.
Step 3: Conclusion
The conclusion should include the answer and the results of the analysis of the issues raised in the report and mentioned in the introduction.
Simply put, the reader reading the introduction to the report should be informed of what will be analysed, when reading the conclusion, he should find out the results of this analysis.
Let’s see the conclusion of the same sample student report:
In the final analysis, (cohesive devices) impressions are entirely positive and strongly supportive in terms of further engaging in the course by me as well as other employees of the company. The usefulness of the ‘descriptive writing’ course can be considered exceptionally high and recommend the development of the latter (referential words) to be upheld financially by the company. This action should be regarded as an investment in the future qualifications of the workers.”
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The aim of this report is to exhibit evaluations of the efficiency and the structure of the ‘descriptive writing course, which has been conducted in the local college. The assessments provided are founded on my personal observations, accumulated during the course.
Content:
The content of the course was clearly structured and exceptionally well presented. It emphasizes each key aspect separately which, combined with a plethora of additional details provided, contributes greatly to its being easy to follow and comprehensive. Many of the foundational facets of the course were accurately exemplified by the means of impressive schemes and diagrams.
Organisation:
In terms of conducting, the event was run in a highly professional manner. The time schedules were meticulously complied with and the relocations from one hall to another had been made effortless and time-efficient through the medium of clear instructional sign tables. The lecturers were given excellent positions to speak from and the audience had the opportunity to immerse in both the visual presentation and the lecturer’s speech.
Method:
The teaching method adopted by the organisers of the event is traditional and straightforward. It enables the attendants to understand and summarize the information without the necessity lecturers speech to be interrupted or delayed. The course visitors were provided with miscellaneous writing materials by the means of which notes could be conveniently made.
Conclusions:
The implications I was led to by my personal impressions are entirely positive and strongly supportive in terms of further engaging in the course by me as well as other employees of the company. I consider the usefulness of the ‘descriptive writing’ course exceptionally high and recommend the development of the latter to be upheld financially by the company. This action should be regarded as an investment in the future qualifications of the workers.”
C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Common Mistakes
What is recommended to include in the report?
- Inversion
(not only/no sooner/seldom) - Inverted conditional (Were we to..)
- Participle clause (Being…/Having gone..)
- Double comparative (The more we… the more)
- Passive structures (The committee has been informed about …)
- Cleft sentence (What is most crucial is..)
- Linkers (Notwithstanding / despite / due to / consequently)
What is not recommended in the report?
Descriptive writing and colourful language (stunning, gorgeous, amazing)- Idioms (are informal)
- Phrasal Verbs (are informal)
- Contractions (We’ve, It’s been said)
- Giving personal opinions (I think, | guess)
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C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Writing Topics
You are employed as a researcher by a television company that is preparing a documentary about the social problems in your area or country. You have been told to write a report on the problems that you think the programme should cover. Write your report, listing the problems and describing the causes and consequences of them which you think the programme should highlight.
Write your report.
You have just completed a one-week practical training course paid for by your employers. Write the report required by your employers, describing the course content and its usefulness, and saying whether you would recommend it for other members of staff.
Write the report.
Your language school is looking for better ways for students to learn. They don’t have much money with which to buy high-tech equipment, but they would like to make any improvements that would be both cost-effective and learner-friendly. Write a report on ways in which to improve the school taking into account that it has a relatively tight budget. Suggest three specific improvements, mention how they would benefit the school and state what impact they would have cost-wise.
Write your report
C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Example Answers
Report subject:
A jobs fair was recently held in your town for international organisations and companies to promote careers available for young people. You have been asked to write a report of the jobs fair for your college website. Briefly describe the event and identify two or three promotions of particular interest and relevance. You should also evaluate the extent to which such events can open young people’s minds to new challenges and career opportunities.
Student’s CPE Report Answer:
Recent Jobs Fair
Last weekend there was a Jobs Fair in the Town Hall. Over 100 different international companies and organisations had stands giving information about the careers they can offer young people. There were plenty people on each stand to answer questions and to give advice and there was also a wealth of promotional literature available, The Fair also arranged a series of work-related talks, films and other events in the course of the weekend.
Promotions of particular interest
All in all it was an excellent event. There were two stands that I personally found particularly interesting and relevant. The first was one promoting opportunities for language teaching abroad. This is something that I and a number of fellow-students have been seriously considering. We were able to find out there about what qualifications we would need, what kind of working conditions we could expect and where there might be interesting vacancies for us to apply for.
The second stand that drew my particular attention was one for a charity offering young people opportunities to gain experience of other countries and cultures while helping on a range of voluntary projects abroad. These projects included medical, environmental, construction and educational work in a number of different countries. I was able to talk to several young people who had already participated in such work and gained a very positive impression of the benefits of taking part.
Value of such events
In my opinion, such events are of great benefit to young people. They inform us about opportunities that we might not otherwise have known about. They expand our horizons in terms of what we can aspire to. Several of my friends, for example, left the event feeling that their career plans had been transformed by what they have discovered during the Jobs Fair. We all agreed that our eyes had been opened to new opportunities in a very valuable way.
Report subject:
You have recently worked as a volunteer, coaching teenagers at a sports camp designed to encourage young people to take up new sports. The organisers have asked you to write a report for the website. You should briefly describe your responsibilities as a coach for two different sports. You should also evaluate how valuable the sports camp was for teenagers overall and recommend how it could be improved in the future.
Student’s CPE Report Answer:
The purpose of this report is to present what we offer in two of the sports in our camp, assess the impact on the participants and recommend further improvements. I am writing in my capacity as a volunteer coach in cycling and hiking.
Cycling & Hiking Coaching
My main coaching duties for both cycling and hiking, revolved around two aspects: fitness and safety. The participants were given extensive dietary guidance regarding the appropriate intake of nutrients and calories for at least one week before any sporting event as well as crucial tips regarding the proper hydration and fueling of their body during any cycling race or hiking expedition. Great emphasis was, also, placed on safety gear like helmets, knee pads, hiking boots and the indispensable first-aid kit that should always be readily available.
Enjoyable today – Beneficial for a lifetime
This is the third year I have volunteered in these two sports and I am proud to say that the feedback
from both children and parents has always been enthusiastic. The experience they gain stretches beyond these two sports activities. The young athletes learn how: to respect the limits of their body, to fend for their dietary needs and to offer basic first-aid help in an emergency.
Further improvements
First and foremost, the sports camp could augment its impact on society by making its courses more affordable. Special discount packages for family members as well as reduced prices for kids with unemployed parents would definitely result in a significantly increased turnout. Moreover, brief weekend activities should be established. They could act as a follow-up throughout the year so that the children would have the opportunity to revise what they learned in the camp and thus consolidate their new habits.
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Sample papers, online practice tests & tips. Track your progress online.C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Writing Checklist
After writing your text, you can check it yourself using the writing checklist below.
How to do that? Simply check your text/email by answering the questions one by one:
Content
- Have I covered all the key information required by the task?
- Have I written only information which is relevant to the task?
- Have I developed the basic points in the task with my own ideas?
- Have I included references or examples where necessary to support any ideas or information?
Communicative Achievement
- Have I achieved the main purpose(s) of the text (for example, explaining, persuading, suggesting, apologising, comparing, etc.)?
- Have I used a suitable mix of fact and opinion according to the requirements of the task and my communicative purpose(s)?
- Have I used a suitable style and register for the task and genre?
- Have I followed writing conventions which are particularly relevant to the task and genre?
Organisation
- Have I organised my ideas clearly and coherently, using the most appropriate and effective structure
for the task? - Have I used other organisational features appropriately for the genre (for example, titles, headings, openings, closings, etc.)?
- Is the connection between my ideas clear and easy for the reader to follow? (For example, have I used appropriate linking words and other cohesive devices?)
- Are the ideas balanced appropriately, with suitable attention and space given to each one?
Language
- Have I used a wide range of vocabulary, appropriate to the topic and genre?
- Have I avoided repeating the same words and phrases?
- Have I used a range of simple and more complex grammatical structures appropriately?
- Have I correctly used any common phrases which are relevant to the specific task or topic?
- Is my use of grammar accurate?
- Is my spelling accurate?
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C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Tips
Remember that with almost any report your goal is to assess the topic of your report and provide your target reader with an evaluation of the topic and some recommendations based on it.- Your target reader is someone in authority (a university professor, city council chair, a head of a committee, etc.) Read the task very carefully.
- The title, subheadings (rubrics) are an integral part of the layout. Please use them.
- Bullet points help you to structure your ideas and demonstrate the conventions of the task. At the same time, they limit the range of grammatical structures that you may demonstrate. Thus, use bullet points but only in one of the sections of your report.
- The task identifies the subject of the report and specifies the areas to be covered. The content is thus mainly factual but you need to use your own ideas to add necessary detail and come up with possible problems and solutions.
- You need to demonstrate an awareness of the language commonly used in reports: comparing, analysing, making recommendations.
- Your conclusion should be effective and persuasive.
C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Mark scheme
| Language It is necessary to properly and precisely use a wide array of words and expressions, including rarely used ones. The text should include both simple and complex grammar expressions. The vocabulary also has to be rich and diverse. | Communication It is necessary to maintain the convention of a report or essay in English, such as clear division into paragraphs, headings, bullet points. The text should be easy to understand for the target reader. |
| Organization The text should be consistent and very well organized using a wide array of copulas and internal references. | Content Every sentence in the text should refer to the topic of the assignment, and all the tasks specified in it should be fulfilled. |
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C2 Proficient (CPE) Report: Useful Phrases & Expressions
We will finish it with some useful vocabulary mostly used to organize information. If you learn several expressions for each paragraph in each type of text that could be on your exam, you will certainly be able to create a very consistent and well-organized text.
Introduction:
The purpose/aim of this report is to….
This report sets out to…
The report will comment on…
Below is an explanation of…
The focus of this report is…
This report will offer an in-depth critique of…
Comparing and Contrasting
There is a world of difference between… and…
… and… are fundamentally similar
… and… bear little resemblance to each other
There is a clear distinction between… and…
…compares favourably with…
… and… are polar opposites
There is a yawning gap between… and…
There is a subtle difference between… and…
There is a growing disparity between rich and poor.
… is strikingly different to…
Giving Recommendations:
In light of the above, we believe the following
measures should be adopted…
In the short/long term, we suggest you should consider…
My recommendations are as follows:…
In my view, in future, we should…
To improve the situation, we recommend…
It is recommended that…