. Be brief. Use the shortest route to get to where you are going.
. Be clear. Do not allow room for ambiguity or wrong assumptions.
. Be simple. Use short words as much as possible.
. Be concrete. Talk in practical terms, using examples rather than employing abstract theory.
Presentation
The presentation of your report is one more part of the sales dynamicly directed at your reader. It must look good. Adequate headings and numbering must make it easy for him to find his way around. It demands the same sort of care that went into composing the contents.
6.4 Review
Having finished the main part of your task, forget it for at least twenty-four hours before attempting to work on it further. One way of ensuring this space between completion of the draft and starting on its revision is to send it away for typing at this stage.
Typing
Opinions are divided as to the best time for getting the manuscript typed. The advantages of
getting this done before revision are considerable.
Brief the typist clearly. Try to interest or involve the typist in the work. You are more likely to get
a better result if you approach the typist personally in this way.
Revision
It is more important to read the typed draft through, completely from start to finish before starting to work on it in detail. This is the only way you will get any feel of its overall impact; the way it will strike the reader. As you read, mark passages which will need attention later.
Final Check
On receiving the final typescript, the writer’s last task should be to check its accuracy, ensuring that it reproduces exactly what was written. This includes the slightly obvious precautions of making sure that it is all there. The report is done. The writer can hand it over in the confidence that it is well done and carried out to the very best of its ability.
6.5 Making a Summary
It is called by many names – abstract, digest, summary – but it is always the same thing, namely
“the chief points of the sum and substance of a matter…characterized by conciseness and
brevity.”
In a report, the summary may serve any or all of the following purposes:
.
As an introduction to the subject of the full report
.
As a guide to whether the report is of any interest to a potential reader
.
As a time saver to the busy executive
Below are some guidelines on how to make a good summary:
.
Read the whole document
.
Isolate and summarize its central theme
.
Study section by section
.
As you read, eliminate all repetition, lists, examples and detailed description
.
Combine the second and the fourth step into a continuous narrative as briefly as possible without losing sense or clarity of expression
.
Read through your summary. Will it make sense to the reader as a separate item from the full report?
Exercises
Question 1
What are the functions of report writing?
Question 2
What is a report?
Question 3
Explain the three main parts of the writing stage.
Question 4
When writing a report, what are the factors to consider when choosing the language to use?
Question 5
List the guidelines on how to make a good summary.
Question 6
Write a brief report for head office on a small fire which broke out in your branch office. Invent any details you think necessary to give reality to your report.
Question 7
As a safety representative in your company, you discover evidence of cigarette smoking in a room used for storing furniture. Management gives you permission to issue a memorandum to all staff to remind them of the no-smoking policy of the company and of the dangers involved. Draw up a suitable memorandum.
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