Writing: A Report

Before you start

Exercise 1

■ Go through the first example with the students.

■ Students then work in pairs, making comments about the aquarium.

■ Students can then make similar comments about their town or their school.

Exercise 2

■ Read the instructions and make sure students understand the task. Explain that students do not have to understand every word to carry out the task.

■ Students read the report and match the paragraphs with the headings.

■ Check students' answers.

Answers

1 general description 2 list of good points 3 list of bad points 4 conclusion

■ Point out the heading of the report: What information does it give? How is this heading different from that of a formal letter? Make students aware of how clearly the information is recorded. A good report should have a very clear structure and use very clear language.

Stage 1

■ If you have any leaflets about tourist attractions in the area, bring them to class and use them to elicit a list of tourist attractions. Write them on the board.

■ In groups, students discuss which of the attractions they like best. Tell them to consider the sort of people who like the attraction (adults? children? families?), the best time of year to visit the attraction, etc.

■ Each member of the group chooses one attraction to write about. Tell students that they can invent an attraction if they wish.