Writing Reports and Reviews

What is Writing Reports and Reviews?

Within English, which covers grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, poetry, drama and the skills for clear communication, this topic explains Writing Reports and Reviews. English topics help you read closely and write with purpose, so each one here explains a skill and shows how it works in a model text.

Check that you can explain Writing Reports and Reviews in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Writing Reports and Reviews helps you read texts more closely and write with more control, which earns marks in both reading and writing papers.

Writing Reports and Reviews in detail

A report presents findings or information in an organised and formal way, with a title, introduction stating purpose, headings, clear sections, factual evidence and a conclusion or recommendations. The language is formal and objective, in the third person.

A review gives a critical opinion on a book, film, product or performance. It summarises without spoilers, evaluates strengths and weaknesses with examples, and gives a recommendation or rating. The tone is balanced yet lively. Both forms need a clear structure and an awareness of the audience, helping readers make decisions.

How the interactive helps you understand Writing Reports and Reviews

Click a step, or use the Previous and Next buttons, to move through the sequence one stage at a time. Auto-play moves on for you.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Writing Reports and Reviews.

Real-life uses and examples

• Support a point about Writing Reports and Reviews with a short, accurate quotation.
• Plan an essay paragraph by linking the technique to the reader’s response.
• Spot Writing Reports and Reviews when you read a poem, story or speech, then explain the effect it creates.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Naming a technique without explaining its effect on the reader.
• Quoting a long passage instead of picking a short, precise phrase.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.