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Text types · Non-fiction
The report is one of the non-fiction text types you study for the Pearson Edexcel iLowerSecondary English achievement test. This guide shows you how to recognise a report when you read one, how to comment on its structure and impersonal language in Section A, and how to write a clear, well-organised report in Section B. Every example text on this page is an original work; any data is invented and clearly labelled so it is never mistaken for real research.
A report sets out factual information about a subject in an organised, objective way. Its purpose is usually to inform — to give the reader accurate knowledge rather than to entertain or persuade. Look for these features:
In the reading section you may need to identify a text type and justify your choice. A report sits alongside the other non-fiction types you study, including the recount and newspaper and magazine articles. These three are easy to confuse, so compare them directly:
| Feature | Report | Recount | Article |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Inform objectively | Retell what happened | Inform and interest, often with a viewpoint |
| Tense | Present (general truths) | Past (a finished event) | Mixed, depending on the story |
| Voice | Impersonal third person | Often first person (“I”, “we”) | Can be personal; uses the writer’s voice |
| Organisation | Classified by topic, with sub-headings | Chronological (time order) | Headline, hook, then developed points |
| Language | Formal, neutral, evidence-based | Descriptive, often personal feelings | May be emotive or persuasive |
An original example. The place and animal below are invented for teaching.
The Glasswing Marmot
Habitat
The glasswing marmot is a small burrowing mammal. It is found only on the high meadows of the invented Sela Plateau. It lives in deep tunnel systems below the frost line.
Diet and behaviour
The marmot feeds on mountain grasses and roots. It is active during daylight and shelters underground at night. Colonies are organised around a single breeding pair.
Title and sub-headings ("Habitat", "Diet and behaviour")
The information is classified into topics rather than told as a story. Sub-headings let a reader find a section quickly - a structural choice you can comment on for RAO3.
Third person, no named writer ("It is found", "The marmot feeds")
There is no "I" or "you". The impersonal voice keeps the focus on the subject, not the writer, which signals an objective, factual purpose.
Present tense for general truths ("It lives", "Colonies are organised")
A report describes how something generally is, not a single past event. This timeless present tense is a key marker that separates a report from a recount.
Formal, precise vocabulary ("burrowing mammal", "tunnel systems", "colonies")
Word choices are technical and neutral, with no emotive or persuasive language. (Note: the Sela Plateau and this animal are invented for this example.)
An original example. The school and every figure below are invented for teaching and are not real research.
Report on the Year 9 Reading Survey
Introduction
This report presents the findings of a survey carried out in our (imaginary) school to investigate reading habits in Year 9. A questionnaire was completed by every student in the year group.
Findings
The survey shows that most students read on a screen rather than on paper. In the invented sample, 68% of students reported reading mainly online. Fiction remained the most popular type of text.
Conclusion and recommendations
The findings suggest that pupils read regularly but increasingly on screens. It is therefore recommended that the library expands its range of digital texts.
Clearly invented data ("the invented sample, 68%")
Real reports use evidence and figures. Here the figure is openly labelled as invented so it is never mistaken for genuine research - but it shows how a finding is supported by data.
Impersonal, passive constructions ("A questionnaire was completed", "It is recommended")
The passive voice removes the writer from the sentence and makes the report sound objective. This is rich material for an RAO4 comment on grammatical choices.
Logical organisation: Introduction → Findings → Conclusion/recommendations
The structure moves from method, to evidence, to a judgement based on the evidence. A recount would be ordered by time; this report is ordered by function.
Conclusion drawn from the evidence ("The findings suggest…")
The recommendation is tied back to the data, not to personal opinion. Reports reason from evidence to a measured conclusion.
When a report appears as an unseen text, questions often test how you analyse its structure and organisation and the writer’s impersonal language at word and sentence level. Use these prompts, drawn from the iLowerSecondary guided-reading approach, to interrogate a report as you read:
For a structure question, name the organisational choice (e.g. sub-headings, classification by topic, an introduction followed by findings then a conclusion) and explain its effect on the reader. For a language question, point to a specific impersonal feature — the passive voice, third person, present tense, or a piece of formal vocabulary — quote it, and explain how it creates an objective, factual effect.
These questions refer to the two annotated extracts above. Try each one before you read the model answer.
Identify two language features that show the first extract is a report rather than a recount.
Model answer: It uses the present tense for general truths ("The marmot feeds on mountain grasses"), describing what usually happens rather than one past event, and it is written impersonally in the third person with no "I", so it informs about a subject rather than retelling a personal experience in time order.
How does the writer of the survey report organise the information? (Comment on structure.)
Model answer: The report is organised by function under sub-headings. The "Introduction" explains how the data was gathered, the "Findings" section presents the evidence, and the "Conclusion and recommendations" section draws a measured judgement from that evidence. This logical, classified order - rather than a time order - helps the reader locate information and shows the writer reasoning from evidence to a recommendation.
Explain the effect of the passive construction "It is therefore recommended that the library expands its range of digital texts."
Model answer: The passive voice removes any named person from the sentence, so the recommendation appears to come from the evidence itself rather than from one writer’s opinion. This creates an objective, impersonal tone that makes the conclusion sound reliable and authoritative to the reader.
Give one difference between a report and a newspaper or magazine article.
Model answer: A report aims to inform objectively, using a neutral, impersonal tone and evidence to classify factual information. An article often also aims to interest or persuade its readership, so it may use a livelier voice, opinion, the writer’s viewpoint and emotive language that a report deliberately avoids.
If the writing task asks for a report, plan a clear set of sections before you start. Open with a short introduction stating the subject, group your information under sub-headings, support points with examples or figures, keep the tone impersonal throughout, and finish with a conclusion or recommendation drawn from what you have said.
Original task
Your school is opening a new student garden. Write a report for the head teacher about how the garden could be used. Set out your ideas clearly under sub-headings and end with a recommendation.
Model opening (original)
Report on the Use of the New Student Garden
Introduction
This report sets out how the new student garden could be used across the school year. The information is presented under three sub-headings: lessons, well-being and growing food. A recommendation is given at the end.
Lessons
The garden can support several subjects. Science classes can study plant growth on site, and geography lessons can use it to examine soil and weather.
Notice how the opening establishes the form at once: a title, an introduction that previews the structure, the impersonal third person (“This report sets out”), the present tense, and sub-headings that classify the content. Carry these conventions through every section and close with a conclusion that recommends a clear course of action.