what is book report writing

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A Beginner's Guide to Writing a Book Report (with Examples)

Last Updated: June 25, 2024 Fact Checked

• Researching
• Drafting the Report
• Reviewing & Revising

Sample Book Reports & Summaries

Expert q&a.

This article was co-authored by Jake Adams and by wikiHow staff writer, Raven Minyard, BA . Jake Adams is an academic tutor and the owner of Simplifi EDU, a Santa Monica, California based online tutoring business offering learning resources and online tutors for academic subjects K-College, SAT & ACT prep, and college admissions applications. With over 14 years of professional tutoring experience, Jake is dedicated to providing his clients the very best online tutoring experience and access to a network of excellent undergraduate and graduate-level tutors from top colleges all over the nation. Jake holds a BS in International Business and Marketing from Pepperdine University. There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,424,224 times.

A book report is a short essay that summarizes and analyzes a work of fiction or nonfiction. Writing a book report may not seem fun at first, but it gives you a great chance to fully understand a work and its author. In this article, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about how to write a book report, from choosing a book and outlining to drafting and editing your final paper.

Things You Should Know

• Read the entire book and take notes on important themes, characters, and events. Use your notes to create an outline with evidence that supports your analysis.
• Include the title and author in your intro, then summarize the plot, main characters, and setting of the book.
• Analyze the author’s writing style, as well as the main themes and arguments of the book. Include quotes and examples to support your statements.

Researching Your Book Report

• For example, find out if your teacher wants you to include citations, such as page numbers from the book, in your report.
• Ask your teacher how much of your paper to devote to summary versus analysis. Most book reports are direct summaries with objective analysis rather than your personal opinions. In contrast, a book review or commentary is more opinion-driven.

• Some popular books for book reports include To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Animal Farm by George Orwell, and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Choose a book at your grade level.

• Author: Who wrote the book? Do you know any other works by this author?
• Genre: Is the book fiction or nonfiction? If it’s fiction, is it historical, fantasy, horror, etc.? If it’s nonfiction, is it a biography, memoir, science, etc.?
• Audience: Who would find this book appealing? Is it intended for a specific age range or gender? Do you typically enjoy books like this?
• Title: Does the title catch your interest? Does it fit well with the book’s content?
• Book Cover/Illustrations: What does the book cover convey and does it accurately represent the book? How do you feel when you look at it? If the book has illustrations, what are they and do they hold your interest?

• Take breaks while reading to keep your attention sharp. Try to find a pace that is comfortable for you. If you get distracted after 15 minutes, read in 15-minute intervals. If you can go an hour, read for an hour at a time.
• Give yourself enough time to read the entire book. It’s very difficult to write a book report if you’ve just skimmed over everything. Don’t procrastinate!
• Don’t trust online book summaries. You can’t guarantee that they are accurate or true to the text.

• For example, look for a sentence that clearly describes a main setting in the book, such as “The castle was gloomy and made out of large black stones.”

Outlining Your Book Report

• Introduction: Introduce the title, author, and publication information. Include a brief overview of the book’s genre and main theme, and state your purpose for writing the report.
• Summary: Concisely summarize the plot or central idea, highlighting main events, characters, and conflicts. Focus on important aspects while avoiding spoilers.
• Analysis and Evaluation: Evaluate the author’s writing style and use of literary devices, like foreshadowing, metaphors, imagery, etc. Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the book and use quotes and examples from the text.
• Themes and Messages: Identify the book’s main themes or messages and how they develop through the course of the book. Provide specific quotes and examples.
• Character Analysis: Analyze the main characters in the book, their development, and their relationships. Explain their motivations, personalities, and significance to the story. Provide examples and quotes to support your analysis.
• Personal Reflection: Depending on your teacher’s instructions, you might share your personal opinions and discuss what you liked and disliked about the book. Reflect on how the book relates to broader themes or issues.
• Conclusion: Summarize your main points and conclude with your final thoughts or reflections on the book.
• Bibliography: If required, include a works cited page or bibliography listing all the sources you used to write your book report.
• Outlining takes time, but it saves you more time once you reach the editing stage.
• Some people prefer to outline with pen and paper, while others just type up a list on the computer. Choose the method that works best for you.

• Be careful not to overuse quotes. If it seems like every other line is a quote, try to dial back. Aim to include a maximum of one quotation per paragraph. Quotes and examples should still take a backseat to your summary.

• For example, you’ll likely need to focus primarily on discussing the most important characters or the characters that appear most frequently in the text.
• When you are finished with your outline, go back through it to see if it makes sense. If the paragraphs don’t flow into one another, move them around or add/delete new ones until they do.
• Also, check to see if your outline covers all of the major elements of the book, such as the plot, characters, and setting.

Writing Your Book Report

• For example, a sentence summary might state, “This book is about the main character’s journey to Africa and what she learns on her travels.”
• Don’t take up too much space with your introduction. In general, an introduction should be 3-6 sentences long, though in rare cases, they may be longer or shorter.

• Use vivid language when you can and include plenty of details. For example, you might write, “The farm was surrounded by rolling hills.”

• For instance, if the main character moves to Africa, you might describe what happens before the move, how the move goes, and how they settle in once they arrive.

• For example, you might write that the main character is “a middle-aged woman who enjoys the finer things in life, such as designer clothes.” Then, connect this description to the plot summary by describing how her views change after her travels, if they do.
• Expect to introduce the characters in the same sentences and paragraphs as the plot introduction.

• You might write, “The author argues that travel gives you a new perspective. That is why her main characters all seem happier and more grounded after visiting new places.”
• For fiction, determine if the author is using the story to pass along a certain moral or lesson. For example, a book about an underdog athlete could encourage readers to take chances to pursue their dreams.

• For example, an author who uses lots of slang terms is probably going for a hip, approachable style.

• Some teachers require, or strongly suggest, that you include the author’s name and the book title in your concluding paragraph.
• When writing a conclusion , don’t introduce any new thoughts. Any important points should be made in your body paragraphs. Save the space for your recap.

Reviewing and Revising Your Book Report

• Before you submit your paper, make sure that you’ve spelled the author’s name and any character names correctly.
• Don’t trust your computer’s spell check to catch all the errors for you. Spell check can be helpful, but it isn’t perfect and can make mistakes.

• If you’re nervous about asking, try saying something like “It would be great if you could go over my book report and make sure that it reads smoothly.”
• Remember, no one’s first draft is perfect, so don’t get upset if someone suggests you do something differently. They want to help make your report the best it can be, so don’t take constructive criticism personally.

• For example, double-check that you are using the correct font, font size, and margins.
• Once you've finished proofreading, revising, and checking that you've addressed all the requirements, you're ready to submit your book report!

• Even though your book report is your own work, avoid using “I” too much. It can make your writing feel choppy. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• It might be tempting to watch the movie or read the online notes instead of reading the book. Resist this urge! Your teacher will be able to tell the difference. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

Tips from our Readers

• Calm down and walk around if you get too frustrated while writing. If you write a book report while angry, you're more likely to misspell things!
• Choose a unique book. Harry Potter or Percy Jackson is an absolute no. Everyone chooses those. Try something different!
• Write when anything comes to mind! You don't want to lose your ideas!

• Give yourself plenty of time to write your report. Don’t wait until the last minute or you may feel rushed. Thanks Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0
• Stealing or using another person’s work is considered plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Make sure that the work you submit is all your own. Thanks Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.aresearchguide.com/write-book-report.html
• ↑ Jake Adams. Academic Tutor & Test Prep Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 July 2020.
• ↑ https://grammark.org/how-to-write-a-book-report/
• ↑ https://takelessons.com/blog/steps-to-writing-a-book-report
• ↑ https://www.infoplease.com/homework-help/homework-center-writing-book-report
• ↑ https://liberalarts.oregonstate.edu/wlf/what-setting
• ↑ https://www.tcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/archive/writing-center-handouts/essay-types-plot-summary.pdf
• ↑ https://www.cornerstone.edu/blog-post/six-steps-to-really-edit-your-paper/

About This Article

To write a book report, start by introducing the author and the name of the book and then briefly summarizing the story. Next, discuss the main themes and point out what you think the author is trying to suggest to the reader. Finally, write about the author’s style of writing, paying particular attention to word choice and the overall tone of the book. For tips on editing and polishing your paper before turning it in, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How To Write a Good Book Report in Seven Steps

Are you having trouble writing your book report? Don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place. We’re going to give you seven easy steps that’ll help you write the perfect book report.

Quick Summary on How To Write a Book Report

• As you read the book, highlight and take notes.
• Reread the instructions of the assignment.
• Organize your notes and create an outline.
• Write a compelling introduction.
• Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs.
• Encapsulate the main point of your text in the conclusion.
• Edit and proofread.

What Is a Book Report?

A book report is an essay in which students explain and support their thoughts and views on a story, novel, or any other literary work.

There are several different types of book reports. Regardless of which type you’re writing, teachers and professors usually assign book reports as a way to ensure that their students have thoroughly understood the book. Below, we’ll go over how to write a good book report in seven easy steps.

How To Write a Book Report

1. as you read the book, highlight and take notes..

The first step of writing a good book report is to read the book, of course. However, it’s important to highlight and takes notes while reading it. Highlight anything that stands out to you or that evokes certain emotions. Write notes on patterns, themes, and characters. If you’re writing a book report on a nonfiction book, write notes on the major points of the book and what you think about them.

2. Revisit and reread the instructions of the assignment.

Once you’re done reading and taking notes, reread the instructions of the assignment. Find what it is you’re supposed to write about. Is it a character analysis? A plot summary? An exploration of themes and patterns, or something else? It’s also essential to follow the formatting guidelines, so make sure to use the correct font and spacing. If you have any questions, reach out to your teacher or professor.

3. Organize your notes and create an outline.

Gather your notes and arrange them into categories. Once you’ve completed this, write an outline and organize the categories to become the paragraphs of your book report. Jot down bullet points on what each paragraph will include and what part of the book can support it. As you start writing the book report, remain flexible. You don’t have to follow the outline exactly. You may realize that a few edits create a better flow.

4. Write a compelling introduction.

The introduction should be informative and catchy. You may want to start with a quote, climactic scene, or an unusual observation you had while reading the book. Towards the end of the introduction, you should write a one or two-sentence summary about the book, and then the last sentence should explain what exactly you’ll be writing about in the rest of the report.

Book Report Elements

Keep in mind that all book reports should contain:

• The name and author of the book.
• A thesis statement.
• If you're writing about a fiction book, mention the setting, time period, and characters.
• If you’re writing about a nonfiction book, mention the author’s main point in writing the book.
• Evidence to support your arguments.

5. Include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence in the body paragraphs.

The body paragraphs are where you can include quotations, examples, and supporting evidence that bring your book report together.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a character analysis. You believe that the character that everyone sees as the protagonist is actually the antagonist. You should write why you believe that and include specific scenarios that help prove your point.

Or if you’re writing about a non-fiction book, you could use the body paragraphs to write about why you agree or disagree with the author. Similarly, you’d have to use examples and evidence to support your argument.

It’s a good idea to start off with your most compelling, evidence-backed point. Leave the weakest arguments for the middle, and end with another strong point. Lastly, whether you’re writing about fiction or non-fiction, commenting on writing style and tone is recommended (especially if it’s explicitly requested in the instructions).

6. Encapsulate the main point of your text in the conclusion.

The conclusion is just as important as the introduction, so make sure to set aside enough time to write one (students tend to rush through this part). Use the concluding paragraph to pull all your arguments together. Reiterate again what the main point was about, and then briefly summarize the main idea of your book report.

7. Edit and proofread.

Now that you’ve completed the first draft of your book report, it’s time to reread and make edits if needed. Are there any paragraphs you can move around that’ll improve the rhythm of your writing? Do you have enough evidence to back up your claims? Is your introduction captivating and descriptive?

While you’re rereading the book report, you should also be looking for typos and spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes. If you want an extra set of eyes to look for all types of errors, you should use LanguageTool as your spelling and grammar checker. Not only will this advanced editor correct mistakes, but it supports more than twenty languages—meaning your book report will be perfect regardless of which language you’re writing it in.

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Writing a Book Report

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Book reports are informative reports that discuss a book from an objective stance. They are similar to book reviews but focus more on a summary of the work than an evaluation of it. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, thesis, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 words.

Book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. If you are looking to write a book review instead of a book report, please see the OWL resource, Writing a Book Review .

Before You Read

Before you begin to read, consider what types of things you will need to write your book report. First, you will need to get some basic information from the book:

• Publisher location, name of publisher, year published
• Number of Pages

You can either begin your report with some sort of citation, or you can incorporate some of these items into the report itself.

Next, try to answer the following questions to get you started thinking about the book:

• Author: Who is the author? Have you read any other works by this author?
• Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, biography, etc.? What types of people would like to read this kind of book? Do you typically read these kinds of books? Do you like them?
• Title: What does the title do for you? Does it spark your interest? Does it fit well with the text of the book?
• Pictures/Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: What does the book jacket or book cover say? Is it accurate? Were you excited to read this book because of it? Are there pictures? What kinds are there? Are they interesting?

As You Read

While reading a work of fiction, keep track of the major characters. You can also do the same with biographies. When reading nonfiction works, however, look for the main ideas and be ready to talk about them.

• Characters: Who are the main characters? What happens to them? Did you like them? Were there good and bad characters?
• Main Ideas: What is the main idea of the book? What happens? What did you learn that you did not know before?
• Quotes: What parts did you like best? Are there parts that you could quote to make your report more enjoyable?

When You Are Ready to Write

Announce the book and author. Then, summarize what you have learned from the book. Explain what happens in the book, and discuss the elements you liked, did not like, would have changed, or if you would recommend this book to others and why. Consider the following items as well:

• Principles/characters: What elements did you like best? Which characters did you like best and why? How does the author unfold the story or the main idea of the book?
• Organize: Make sure that most of your paper summarizes the work. Then you may analyze the characters or themes of the work.
• Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
• Recommend: Would you recommend this book to others? Why? What would you tell them before they read it? What would you talk about after you read it?

Revising/Final Copy

Do a quick double check of your paper:

• Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher.
• Check the punctuation and grammar slowly.
• Make sure you provide enough summary so that your reader or instructor can tell you read the book.
• Consider adding some interesting quotes from the reading.

• Essay Editor

A Guide on How To Write a Book Report

Have you ever found yourself looking at a blank page, not knowing how to start a book report? Don't worry, you're not the only one. Many students find this task hard, but writing a book report can be fun and rewarding if you know how to do it. Let's learn how to write a book report that will make anyone who reads it happy and help you understand what you read better.

What is a book report?

A book report is a written piece that discusses what a book is about, its main ideas, and how it's put together. It's your chance to show that you understand the book and can think about it deeply. Most book reports are between 250 and 500 words long and show how well you can understand and analyze what you've read.

Why write a book report?

Writing a book report is important for several reasons. It shows that you've read and understood the book well. It also helps you think more critically, especially when you're learning how to write a thesis statement for a book report. This process makes you better at analyzing things and improves your writing skills. Making a well-organized report helps you become a better writer and makes you think more deeply about the book's main ideas and messages.

Key elements of a great book report

A good book report usually has several important parts. Let's look at each of these parts:

• Introduction

This is where you give basic information about the book, like its title, author, and what kind of book it is. Learning how to write an introduction for a book report is very important because it sets the tone for your whole report. A strong book report introduction should get the reader interested and give a short overview of what's coming next.

• Plot summary

In this part, you'll give a short overview of the main events in the story without giving away too much. Focus on the important parts of the story that move it forward and help explain the book's main ideas. Learning how to write a book report summary is key for this section.

• Character analysis

Write about the main characters, what they want, and how they change throughout the book. Look at how they grow as the story goes on and how they interact with each other.

• Themes and symbolism

Look at the main ideas and symbolic elements in the book. Think about what messages the author is trying to share and how they use writing techniques to do this.

• Your personal evaluation

Share what you think about the book, and give examples to support your ideas. This is your chance to give your opinion on the book and explain why you liked it or didn't like it.

Sum up your main points and give your final thoughts. Knowing how to conclude a book report is important as the conclusion ties everything together and leaves a lasting impression.

How to write a book report

Let's break down the steps of writing a book report:

1. Read and take notes

Start by reading the book carefully. Take notes as you read, marking important parts and writing down your thoughts.

2. Organise your thoughts

Make an outline to structure your report. This will help you figure out how do you start a book report with confidence. Decide on your main points and the order you want to present them.

3. Write the book report introduction

Figuring out how to begin a book report can be tricky. Try starting with an interesting quote or question related to the book's main ideas. For introduction paragraph examples for book report, look at sample reports or ask your teacher for help.

4. Write the body paragraphs

Develop your ideas in a logical order, using evidence from the book. Make sure each paragraph flows smoothly into the next, creating a clear story.

5. Conclude effectively

Sum up your main points and end with a final thought that connects back to your main idea.

6. Revise and edit

Polish your work, checking for clarity, flow, and grammar mistakes. Reading your report out loud can help you find awkward phrases or repeated sentences.

Tips for writing a stellar book report

To make your book report even better, try these tips:

• Be original: Don't just retell the story. Offer your own unique thoughts and interpretations.
• Use specific examples: Support your ideas with quotes or scenes from the book.
• Balance summary and analysis: While you need to give an overview of the plot, your analysis should be the main focus.
• Consider the author's style: Discuss how the way the book is written adds to its overall effect.
• Be honest: If you didn't like the book, explain why, but stay respectful and fair.
• Proofread carefully: A well-written report without mistakes will make a much better impression.

Book reports and reviews: What's the difference?

While people often mix them up, book reports and book reviews are different. Book reports are usually more objective, focusing on summarising the content and analyzing the book's parts. They're often assigned in school to show that you understand and can analyze the book.

Book reviews, on the other hand, are more subjective. They offer a critical evaluation of what's good and bad about a book. They're usually found in newspapers, magazines, and literary journals and are meant to help potential readers decide whether they want to read the book.

Final words

Book reports don't have to be a headache. With the right approach, you can make this task enjoyable. The key is to break it down into smaller steps, focus on the important parts, and let your unique view shine through. Remember, a great book report balances summary and analysis, uses specific examples, and clearly shares your thoughts.

If you're stuck or short on time, Aithor is here to help. Aithor helps you write essays, reports, and creative pieces quickly. It keeps your original ideas while giving your writing a little polish. From school papers to creative projects, it can help with all kinds of writing.

Visit aithor.com , and you might find yourself enjoying writing more than you ever thought you would.

Happy writing!

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How to Write a Book Report?

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• How to Write a Book…

Table of Contents

What is a Book Report?

Book Report Versus Book Review

Some of us often confuse a book report with a book review. They are similar in that they are both informative writings about a book, but they come with major differences.

Related: How to write a literature review? 

A book review is more of a literary criticism and analysis of a book expecting you to tell the reader about your own point of view after reading the book. While writing a book review, the writer is required to be elaborative from his/her own perspective.

Book Review

A book review mostly circles around your own personal perspective about the book where you give the summary of the book, determine its value and express your thoughts on whether you would recommend it as a good read or not. It’s more of a critical analysis of the book than a report and are often published in journals, magazines or newspapers.

Book Report

A book report is more closely associated with being literary in terms of information, as it provides the summary of the book in question along with every bit of information ranging from the title to the author, to the setting. Most importantly, a book report follows a specific format and might not include exclusive assessment.

Basic Steps for Writing a Book Report

Follow the steps below for writing a book report.

• State the title of the book , its relevance to the context and about the year of publication.
• Write a brief biography of the author . Simple facts like where he was born, his education and his family’s background. This would give the reader an idea of the perspective, the author is writing from.
• Mention the type or genre of the book i.e. fiction writing , statistical writing, autobiography , biography etc.
• Ask questions from yourself and find out what would you like to know before reading a book. Make notes as you read the book and decide which ones of the aspects you would want to add or omit depending on the length of the report needed.
• You are required to write the main theme or plot of the (lets say) story. Describe the characters of the story , the setting and the climax. In other words a brief summary of the story has to be written but you can always keep few interesting twists and the end of the story as a secret.
• Tell the reader about the significance of the book and why it was written. If it’s a story, say something about author’s perspective on the related issue.
• In the end you can say how you found reading the book. It’s a good practice to quote something from the book in order to make it interesting and to allow the reader a peek.
• Proof read before submitting the book report.

Book Report Types According to Academic Levels

The information contained in a book report varies according to the academic level of a book report. You can check out more details about writing book reports by browsing through the detailed guidelines given below:

• Writing an Elementary Level Book Report
• Writing a College Level Book Report

Format or Template for a Book Report

A standard book report format or template includes information about book title , main characters , plot setting , plot summary , type of book (history, fiction, romance, horror, comedy) along with a brief analysis of the book and the reader’s perspective on it.

The changing world has brought new trends in the education sector as well, which is always on the revolutionary road, since our parents’ times, but one trend that still remains intact is the most frequently given assignment of writing a book report. It is that common exercise that never seems to grow old, no matter what grade you get promoted to. The world is hungry for books and it needs assignments like these to put the most thrilling and amazing tales out there, for the children to start reading at a young age.

Book reading and understanding can enlighten you to new experiences, imaginations, possibilities and happenings all around the globe. Writing about that book and illustrating in your own words what you have read can not only sketch the story deeper into your memory but also helps you in demonstrating your perception about the book.

To make things simpler, let’s start with getting the basic understanding about book reports and how to write them.

By definition, a book report is a writing that demonstrates information about the book in question. By extension, a book report provides the summary of a fiction or non-fiction book and may or may not include personal appraisal from the person writing the book report. Generally, a book report consists of a paragraph that introduces the book being reported, its title and the name of the author, but let’s get to the elements of a book report later.

Forms of a Book Report

Book reports can be of many different forms but typically, book reports contain three basic forms which are:

• Summary of the plot
• Analysis of the characters
• Analysis of the theme

Summary of the Plot

A summary of the plot does not mean that you have to rewrite the whole story but instead, it should highlight your own opinion about the story and how the plot was compelling enough to be classified as a good read. Your analysis matters a lot and that is what makes it a good or a bad report.

You could write your report starting with a sentence like this:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a gripping tale of tragedy that revolves around two lovers who fight hard to make their love win, despite their family feuds. It is thrilling as the events that take place are full of emotional understanding and make a person enjoy the story to its fullest core.

Analysis of the Characters

If you choose to focus your book report around a character’s analysis, that right there will open many ways for you to explore and narrate your vision of the book. You can begin by describing the character’s physical traits and then move on to the personality aspects that make their characters interesting. You can choose to narrate the story using the characters’ traits to show how they are important to the plot and how they affect and build the story.

In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, the story moves on in a roller coaster ride because of Romeo and Juliet’s undying love for each other.

Analysis of the Theme

Every book and story has a theme that it moves according to. The difference lies just in the reader’s point of view. Starting your book report that elaborates the theme of the book and your take on it is a great way to go as it will allow you to explain more openly why the book you are talking about is worth a read or not. Before you do that though, you should make your understanding about the theme very clear and establish how it affects or forms in the story.

The classic love tragedy Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare spins around a romantic theme, highlighting the empowering force that love is.

Elements of a Book Report

Whatever form of a book report you opt to write, there are some certain elements that every book report must consist of. These elements tell the reader how and why the book was interesting and all other relevant information related to the book. The key elements of every book report are as follows:

• Details about the book, including the author’s name, title, publisher, total pages, publication year etc.
• Type of book report
• The setting of the story
• The time when the story took place
• Plot of the book
• Brief description of the characters with their names
• Quotes from the book to second your opinions and thoughts

Getting Started with Your Book Report

Now that you are familiar with the key details about a book report, you are ready to get equipped with the tools and steps you need to take to actually start writing one.

Before You Begin

1. choose a good book.

There is no hard and fast rule about choosing a book unless you are required to choose a specific genre. Anything that holds your interest and makes you want to give it a read is good enough.

2. Gathering Your Supplies

If you have a good memory, that’s good enough, but if you don’t you might want to keep your stationery supplies with you like pens, markers, highlighters, sticky-notes. As you read on, make sure you mark the quotes, examples, important events and thing you want to add in your report.

3. Reading the Book

This next step requires your absolute attention and should be carried out most efficiently. Make sure you keep track of the major plot twists, character names, events, settings and important notes that spark your opinions.

4. Making Your Notes

It is always helpful to jot down the things you find important like the symbolism, character archetypes, quotes, themes etc. This will make your work load seem like a piece of cake.

5. Build an Outline

Once you have finished reading and making notes, it is always a good idea to sketch a rough outline of your book report that you can make amends to later, for best results.

The Core of It

This is the part that holds the essence of it all. The body of your book report must contain an introductory sentence that gives a rough sketch of the book. Next, you should look on to the notes you just made for all the help you require. Interweave your thoughts and opinions into the plot of the story as you go. Make sure you build the story in a way that not just sounds like you ae narrating a story just in different word, but rather that you are telling the audience why they should or should not read this book and what it consists of. Your book report should basically provide a window for the audience into the story. Use quotes and examples to depict the theme of the story and you will be all good to go with your report.

Formulating Your conclusion

This final paragraph of your book report should conclude all that you have read and written. It can also include your personal assessments like whether the plot was a good one or not, if the ending was worth your expectations and most importantly, your recommendations about the book. Since this part is all about your ideas and opinions, feel free to tell all about how this book impacted you and your reading skills. You could also add your own ideas about how you would have liked the ending to be.

Creative Ideas for Book Reports

Some of those creative ideas are listed below:

Book Report in a Tin

To make the writing interesting , you could try writing the title of the book, author’s name, setting and so on, on separate cards with doodles on them and then placing them in a tin for a creative effect.

Sandwich Book Report

Covering a different aspect of the book, every layer of a book report sandwich will contain information written on separate sandwich coloured papers, that will be then bonded together to form a sandwich.

T-Shirt Book Report

You can add a dash of creativity to your simple t-shirt and your book reports, both at the same time. Just merge the two! Write the main aspects of the book on your plain t-shirt using doodles and create your own design for a unique touch.

Book in a Bag

To boost the creativity and imagination of children, this might be an epic take on book reports. What happens is, you ask the children to draw a scene from the book using sharpies and pens, on a plain shopping bag and ask them to add five items in it that depict something related to the story. The whole bag is then presented and explained in front of the audience to let other children know about it.

4D Book Report

This is the world of 4D designs and things. Why not make a 4D book report? Cut out 4 triangles from a cardboard and stick them together in the form of a pyramid that has a part of the book written on it on every face.

Cloth Hanger Book Report

This book report is as simple and yet fancy as it can be. Place little cards on strings ad stick them to the hanger. The cards must show a side of the book so that you can read them out and get to know all about it.

Cereal Box Book Report

This is as simple and unique as it sounds. You just have to make a card box like a cereal box with a name that displays the name of the book. The backside of the box must contain the setting, author, description and your report about the book, in place of ingredients. Decorate your cereal box as per your own choice and voila!

Writing a book report can be as fun as you want it to be. You just have to think of the right medium for it and stick to the template of the book report and you will soon start to fall in love with this side of writing too!

Author:  Tracy Parker

Related posts.

Book Review vs. Book Report: Understanding the Key Differences

• Brandon Kingsman
• March 30, 2024

Introduction:

Discussing literature is an enjoyable adventure that fosters intellectual development and provides doors to new worlds for both book lovers and pupils.

Reviewing books and report writing are two different sorts of tasks that students frequently encounter within the framework of the scholastic process.

Despite their apparent similarity, these phrases really refer to various analyses.

By highlighting their unique goals, frameworks, and writing styles, this article seeks to shed light on the major distinctions between book reports and book reviews.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is an in-depth examination of a piece of literature that offers readers a perceptive study of its subject matter, tone, and significance.

Book assessments are more frequently seen in magazines, newspapers, and sites than book reports, which are typically needed in educational contexts. They are employed to assist readers with deciding whether a certain book is worth their cash and time.

Purpose of a Book Review:

The main goal of a book review is to give an unbiased evaluation of the book’s virtues and defects while also offering prospective readers a sneak preview of what to anticipate.

A good book review aims to arouse interest in the subject, spark discussion, and create a sense of anticipation.

Structure of a Book Review

A standard book review often includes several important elements:

The review opens with a brief introduction that includes information on the author, publisher, title, and broad objectives and themes of the book.

By reading a brief summary of the book’s primary ideas or storyline avoiding major spoilers, readers can better appreciate the book’s significance.

The analysis and assessment are the two main parts of the review. The reviewer examines the pros and cons of the work, going into great length about the author’s writing style, character development, plot coherence, and topical relevance. A few sentences from the text are used to support opinions in order to lend the analysis some credibility.

When appropriate, reviewers may make parallels between the book being discussed and other books by the author or books in the same genre.

Reviewer’s overall opinion is succinctly summarized in the conclusion, along with a suggestion for the intended audience.

What is a Book Report?

A book report, on the opposite hand, provides a more frank and impartial review of the material in the book. It is frequently given to learners as a test of their comprehension of the text and literary knowledge.

Purpose of a Book Report

A book report’s objective is to show that the person who reads it has read the work in question and is capable of providing an accurate summary of its major themes.

Book reports are frequently used in educational contexts to evaluate students’ comprehension of character, story, and topic analysis.

Structure of a Book Report

A typical book report has the following format:

Introduction: Much like a book review, the report starts out with some background information on the book, such as its name, author, and year of publication.

Summary: The primary portion of the report is on giving a thorough synopsis of the story, lead characters, and major themes in the book. The report strives to stay away from critical analysis and personal judgments, unlike a review.

Character Analysis: Book reports may have a part devoted to evaluating the characters and how they change during the narrative.

Theme Analysis (Optional): Students may also examine and debate the major topics of the novel in their theme analyses.

Conclusion: An overview of the book’s main themes serves as the report’s conclusion.

Writing Style Differences

Between book reports and book reviews, there are certain key differences in writing style.

Reviews of books frequently take on a more entertaining and opinionated tone, letting the reviewer’s character and thoughts shine through.

Alternatively, book reports take on a formal, objective tone and convey the facts without making any subjective judgments.

Finally, despite the fact that both book reports and book evaluations center on literary scrutiny, they perform different functions and have different formats and writing styles.

In contrast to book reports, which are objective summaries meant to show comprehension, book reviews are personal appraisals aimed to spark readers’ interest.

For both readers and students, being aware of these distinctions is essential because it helps them to tackle each assignment with the proper attitude and approach.

People can improve their experiences and develop a greater appreciation for literature by becoming experts at writing book reports and reviews.

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Book Review vs Book Report: Here’s How They Compare

by  Antony W

April 19, 2023

In this post, we do a front to back comparison on book review vs book report.

In particular, we’ll look at the differences between the two so that you can easily tell them apart and have an easy time writing.

Let’s get started.

Key Takeaways

• A book review and a book report have aspects that easily overlap. For example, they both give a summary of a book to help readers determine the value of a book.

What is a Book Review?

A book review is an assessment of a literary work, typically written by a critic or reviewer.

It aims to provide a detailed analysis of the book's content, quality, and style, and may take various forms such as opinion pieces, scholarly reviews, or summary reviews.

Book reviews can be found in a variety of outlets, including newspapers, magazines, online directories, academic journals, and websites.

They serve as valuable resources for readers seeking to make informed decisions about what to read, and for authors seeking feedback on their work.

In both high school and college, teachers often assign book reviews as a way to assess students' ability to analyze the complexities of scholarly texts and synthesize research to demonstrate their understanding of the book's content.

You have the responsibility to read the book and provide a thorough and critical evaluation of its significance.

The length of your review will vary, ranging from a few paragraphs to an average of 2,000 words, depending on the instructor's guidelines or the complexity of the book.

It is important to remember that a book review reflects your personal opinion and taste, and what you think about a particular work of literature may differ from someone else's perspective.

What is a Book Report?

A book report is a comprehensive summary of a book's key elements, including its title, setting, plot, characters, and author.

It should also indicate the publication year and genre.

When writing a book report, it's important to focus on the most important points and key ideas addressed by the author.

Including relevant quotations from the book can also support your general observations, as long as you properly cite them.

In addition to summarizing the book's content, a good book report should also include your personal response to the material.

You may also need to evaluate the book's strengths and weaknesses to help potential readers decide whether to read it.

Book Review vs Book Report: What are the Differences?

It's common for students to conflate book reports with book reviews, which can result in poor grades if not properly understood.

Although there are similarities between the two, it's essential to differentiate their purposes and formats.

The following table provides a concise overview of the key differences between a book review and a book report.

Structure of a Book Review

A book review requires a sophisticated and elaborate structure, involving an in-depth examination of the book's elements to assist potential readers in making an informed decision about whether to read it or not.

Typically, book reviews range between 500 and 2,000 words, although the length can vary depending on the book.

The Structure of a Book Report

In contrast, a book report has a more straightforward structure and only provides a basic summary of the book's content.

Due to its simplicity, book reports are usually shorter, spanning between 200 and 500 words.

Writing a Book Review

When writing a book review, the focus should be on shedding new light on the book for the target audience and providing reasons to read or not read it.

While it is acceptable to discuss the plot, climax, biography, and characters of the story, the review should primarily focus on the author's intent, symbols, and thematic elements.

It should also evaluate the relevance of the story to its historical context and the author's effectiveness in covering the subject matter.

While it is optional to discuss the tone of the author and look at whether it is sympathetic or biased, it is not necessary.

In addition to discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the book, the review should help potential readers determine the value of the book.

Writing a Book Report

A book report typically includes biographical information about the author, such as their place of birth, education, residence, and family.

This information helps readers understand the author's perspective in writing the book.

The report should also include a summary of the book, covering important details such as the main characters, setting, plot, and climax.

While it is uncommon, some instructors may ask students to identify and discuss relevant symbols and themes in the book report, which can help readers understand the book better.

Get Help with Book Review Writing

Despite having a clear understanding of the distinction between a book review and a book report, completing the assignment can still be a challenging task.

If you find yourself struggling with a book review project, there's no need to worry.

Our team of book review writers is available to assist you in completing the task within the shortest possible time.

Simply reach out to us, and our team of professional writers and editors will guide you in the right direction.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

Put a stop to deadline pressure, and have your homework done by an expert.

How to Write a Book Report: Essential Tips and Advice

Did you find this page when searching for guides on how to write a book report because the educator has given you this assignment? If yes, this article is a perfect piece for you. Book report writing is an academic task that terrorizes many students. That’s because completing this assignment is not easy.

Ideally, a book report can challenge you to think critically about a text and write an essay about its content. What’s more, a book report can take different forms.

Primary among them include:

Character analyses Theme analyses Plot summaries

Regardless of the form that the educator asks you to use, book report writing will enable you to practice providing opinions about various aspects of a text. For instance, you can provide your option about how the author uses dialogue or description. While educators give more support to learners in 3rd grade when writing book reports, your college or university professor might not. That means you must know how to do a book report alone if the educator assigns you this task.

What is a Book Report?

A book report is a write-up that summarizes and describes a non-fiction or fiction work. In some cases, a book report includes the writer’s evaluation of the work.

Whether in 7th grade, high school, middle school, or university, your book report should contain an introductory paragraph sharing the book’s title and the author’s name. You can develop your opinion about the text’s underlying meaning and compose a thesis statement for your report. And this statement should appear in the introductory paragraph. Also, use examples from the book and interpretations supporting your arguments.

Perhaps, you’re wondering whether a book report is the same as a book review. Writing a book report is not the same as writing a review because the former is less detailed. Ideally, this report is a summary or a brief explanation of the book’s content. It also informs readers about the central storyline and the main theme of the work.

On the other hand, a book review is more detailed and more prolonged. It does more than summarize the events of a story. But a book report presents an overview of the reasons for choosing a specific text and thoughts of how the author could have changed or improved it if circumstances were different.

Nevertheless, some learners find this task difficult to complete, no matter how simple it might seem. This article highlights the critical steps to writing a book report.

How to Write Book Reports

Educators assign students book report writing assignments to test their ability to read and analyze books critically. That means you could write several book reports during your academic career. So, how do you write a book report?

Before proceeding to the steps of writing a report about a book, it’s crucial to know the elements to include in this write-up.

What to Include in a Book Report

When writing a book report, start by reading and analyzing the information of the text in question. Essentially, your teacher wants you to discuss the main themes, story plot, and characters objectively in your report. Regardless of the paper type the educator wants you to write, your book report should tell the readers what makes the work interesting.

Here are the primary book report elements:

• Basic details of the book, including the author, title, publisher, length, and the year of publication.
• Plot and setting of the book
• The time when the story unfolds
• Characters in the book and essential factors about them
• Quotes and examples from the text supporting your viewpoint

Whether writing a middle-grade or high school book report, ensure that your work contains these crucial elements.

How to Start a Book Report: The Pre-Writing Steps

Like other academic assignments, a book report requires preparation before writing. Here are the pre-writing steps to follow once the educator assigns you this task.

Select the book to analyze: You can use the assignment prompt, genre, author, and title to pick the book to read and study. Also, consider the aspects of a book that interest you. Read and make notes: When reading a biography or a fiction book, track the main characters, key events, actions, and the setting. Also, determine the primary symbols and topics the author wants to bring out. For a non-fiction book, consider the main ideas and prepare to discuss them in your report. Select direct quotes:  They are to be included in the report to support your thesis statement and arguments. Prepare and organize: Make sure to take notes on what you wish to include under headings and sub-headings.

Make sure that you have sufficient information before embarking on the process of writing your reading report.

How to Write a Good Book Report

Writing a good book report requires careful selection of an exciting book. Also, take notes when reading the book to avoid missing helpful information. After that, follow these steps to write a good book report.

1. Create a Book Report Outline

Writing with a good outline makes the task easier. If the educator gives you a writing prompt, use it to create the report structure. That way, you will write a book report that answers the question the educator asked you. Here’s what a book report format should look like:

Introduction Book summary Book details like characters Book details like events Book details like plot Evaluation Conclusion

2. Write the Introduction

A book report introduction should feature the basic details of the work. And this includes the book’s title, author, publication information, and genre. Your book report structure will be incomplete without an introductory paragraph. Apart from providing the basic information, use the introduction to build interest in your readers by mentioning unusual circumstances or facts about the book writing.

For instance, you can start the report with such sentences:

“In Charlotte’s Web novel by E.B. White, you may think the rat is an unnecessary character. However, its constant search for food keeps the plot moving in several ways….”

You can also provide essential details of the author’s credentials or the book. For instance, was it a bestseller? Is the writer an authority in the industry or on the subject? A book report is personal. Therefore, tell the readers why you opted to read it.

3. Write the Body

The body is a vital part of the structure of a book report because it describes the book. This section shows the audience that you read and understood the text you’re analyzing. Here are tips to help you write the body section of your report.

Include a paragraph providing an overview of the book’s story. And this can include period, setting, plot, and main characters. You can also tell the readers about the storyteller, tone, atmosphere, and point of view. Provide character details: Your report should have a paragraph describing the main characters, their conflict, or the problems they try to solve. Also, mention other characters in the text. Plot: Tell your readers about the event sequence in the book. For instance, write about the plot highlights, from the moment the action starts to climax or conflict resolution. Also, mention the literary devices that the author uses and their effectiveness.

If writing a non-fiction book report, describe its subject in the body and the author’s viewpoint. You can use chapter titles to present the author’s arguments and ideas more orderly. Nevertheless, don’t try to cover everything the author says or argues about in your report. Instead, select the primary and exciting ideas to discuss in the book. If it’s a bibliography, tell your readers about important events in the individual’s life.

4. Conclusion

The conclusion of a book report allows you to provide a critique of the work. Therefore, tell the readers about the weaknesses and strengths of the book. Did you find the book interesting? What lessons did you get from the book? What impact did the book have on you?

5. Revise and Edit

After drafting your book report, don’t submit it for marking without revising and editing it. That’s because minor errors can lower your otherwise excellent grade. Therefore, take your time to proofread and edit your work or ask somebody else to do it for you.

What Does a Book Report Look Like?

A book report looks like a summary, but it proves that you read, understood, and analyzed the work. Here are possibilities of the things you can include in your report.

• Reasons for choosing the book: Unless the educator assigned you a specific text, tell the readers why you decided to analyze and report about it. Such information can be great for the introduction after making a universal statement.
• Personal reflection: A book report can feature a personal review of the work. You can also slip some comparisons between the character’s life and yours, personal experiences, and plot events.
• Include quotes: Quotes can make your report more captivating to the audience while proving that you have read, understood, and analyzed the book. Therefore, pick interesting quotes while reading the book and consider the appropriate places to include them in the report.

Tips on How to Make a Good Book Report

When giving you a book report assignment, your teacher is looking for proof that you read and understood the content of the text. Essentially, this write-up is like an essay summarizing the primary ideas of the author. Although this book report guide has highlighted the main details for writing it, these tips should simplify the process and help you score the top grade in your class.

Read and understand the assignment instruction to know what the educator wants you to do. Read your preferred or the assigned book while taking notes. Create an outline to help you plan and organize your writing process. Use quotes and examples to support your main points in the report. Proofread and edit your work to eliminate errors before submitting it. Read book report samples if unsure about what the educator wants you to write.

Book report writing can feel and seem like a daunting task. However, you can follow these guidelines to write a winning report without breaking a sweat.

Hire a Professional Book Report Writer!

Perhaps, you don’t have the time to read a book, analyze its content, and write a high-quality report. Maybe you’d rather be out there engaging in more fun activities than writing a book report. In that case, our knowledgeable and experienced writers can help you. We’re a team of experts that have helped many learners write perfect book reports and score top grades in their classes. If struggling to compose a book report, contact us and say something like, “please do my assignment.” Our customer support representative is ready to respond to your message with quick guidelines for placing an order with us. Essentially, we offer cheap and quick book report writing help without compromising on quality. Contact us now!

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Report Writing: Learn How To Write a Comprehensive Report

Discover our guide to report writing with the best writing tips, format template and advice to help you succeed!

Get ready to master the art of report writing, where compelling and exciting arguments are matched with data and factual research. If you’re writing a report for school, college or as practice for an upcoming exam, it’s essential to have a basic understanding of how to write a report that resonates with your reader.

Report writing is the skill of creating a cohesive written document that shares information and findings. For English students, report writing is required to present research and data analysis in an organized way. It’s a fantastic activity that empowers students to become confident in their writing and cultivates communication and research skills that greatly benefit professional careers.

Whether you’re new to writing reports or a pro looking to elevate your writing skills, our guide will help you pick a  report writing topic , format your writing correctly, choose the right report, and begin writing. With plenty of helpful tips and tricks, you’ll become a master wordsmith in no time!

Informational Reports

Analytical reports, recommendation reports, step 1. preparing to write, step 2. gathering information, step 3. organizing information, step 4. writing the report, step 5. editing and revising, table of contents, executive summary, introduction, recommendations, 1. use clear and concise language, 2. avoid jargon and technical terms, 3. use headings and subheadings, 4. use visuals to support the text, 5. proofread thoroughly, types of reports.

There are three different types of reports for you to master: informational reports, analytical reports and recommendation reports. Let’s look at the differences between these types of reports so you can decide which one best suits your subject.

Informational reports are designed to present factual data, details or summaries without an in-depth analysis. These reports give the reader straightforward information that’s easy to understand. Usually, these reports are a type of business report used to update colleagues in the workplace or provide information to involved third parties. 

An example of an informational business report could be a company update announcing a company name change or an annual report displaying financial updates for shareholders. These reports are purely informative and state only the facts.

Analytical reports present and analyze data, interpret information and draw conclusions. Analytical reports are typically used for research projects, literary analysis and scientific studies. Students often create an analytical report as a part of their final exam. 

These reports involve assessing data, looking for patterns and trends and offering insight into the findings. The author often draws conclusions based on the data and offers their opinion backed by data.

Recommendation reports are written to porose the options available to solve a problem or query. These reports use background information and data analysis to give insight into a recommended course of action. Recommendation reports are excellent for helping organizations make decisions.

For example, as a student, you might be asked to create a recommendation report in business class with a hypothetical situation that must be resolved or in environmental science to recommend sustainable practices for the local community.

Steps in Report Writing

Preparation is the key to success , so it’s important to prepare before you begin writing! Take steps to define the purpose of your report, consider your audience and think about the scope of your report.

Establish an understanding of what you will communicate in your report, choose the type of report your will be writing and take note of the most important information to include. Once you understand what your report will be about, you’ll want to set a timeline to complete it. 

Give yourself a goal for when your outline will be completed, then allow for time to gather data and information, organize your information, complete the writing process and proofread. Remember, it’s always best to have extra time than too little time, so overestimate how long each stage will take.

Gathering your data and information is one of the most important report-writing steps. Collect relevant information from credible sources like interviews, surveys, academic papers and research or observational data. Make sure you have plenty of accurate information to fill out your report to make a compelling conclusion.

When you’ve gathered your information and data, you can begin organizing your information and creating a loose structure for your report. Determine the main points and key findings you will present in your report and lay them out in an order that makes sense for your report topic. Structuring your information logically will make your report easy to understand and allow you to accurately convey your thoughts and findings.

Once you’ve created a plan and organized your information into an outline, it’s time to begin writing. Your report has three main sections: the introduction, the body and the conclusion.

Begin with an engaging introduction that outlines the main points and scope of the report. Then, present your information using headings and subheadings in the body of your report. Using subsections is a great way to showcase important points and create a good report. Conclude by showing your findings and recommendations if applicable to the topic.

You’ll also need to create a title page, table of contents, executive summary, recommendations (if required) and a reference page. Later in this article, you’ll find more information on properly structuring your report. Writing a  business report ? Check out our guide!

After writing your first draft, it’s important to dedicate some time to editing and revising your report. Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors as well as general readability. You can use  proofreading software  to help you with this step to ensure you correct any missed mistakes. Editing is one of the most important steps as it refines your work and ensures that it’s up to high standards before submitting. Read our  writing tips  for some extra help when writing your report.

Report Structure

Getting your report writing format right is vital for landing a top grade and creating a research report, book report or analytical report that resonates with the reader. Following the correct report writing format shows the reader that you are a professional, take the subject matter seriously and have dedicated time to creating a cohesive written report.

The title page of your report is the first thing your readers will see. The title page will show your report title, your name, the date of submission and your institution or organization’s name. The title page sets the tone for your report, so make sure to choose an appropriate title that accurately reflects the content of your report.

The table of contents lists the sections of your report along with the page numbers. This page acts as a roadmap to the content of your report so that readers can easily navigate to the appropriate page.

The executive summary summarizes the report in a few short sentences. It highlights the main points and conclusions so readers can grasp the report’s content without reading the entire document. Use your executive summary to give readers an insight into the report and conclusions at a glance in case they don’t have the time to read the entire report.

The introduction sets the tone for your report and introduces the main ideas and purpose of the report. It often includes a summary of the content discussed in the report and explains why the writer has chosen to create this report. For example, if you’re writing an analytical report, you can use the introduction to explain why you are analyzing this data and what you hope to achieve in the report.

The body of your report is where you’ll present all of your information, research data and findings. Divide your body into sections with relevant headings and subheadings for your topic. Focus each section on one specific aspect of your report and include the relevant information you have gathered to support your statements. The body content is the main section of your report, so take this chance to showcase all of your research and information.

The conclusion section of your report summarizes the key points discussed in the report. Use this section to wrap up your findings from all of your research and reiterate the main points of your report. State your conclusion confidently and take pride in the report that you have created.

If you are writing a recommendation report, this is the section where you should provide it! This section should include action-based recommendations on your findings for the reader to carry out. These suggestions should offer solutions to any identified issues in the report and guide the reader to resolve them.

The references section of your report should include a list of all the sources you have used to gather information, research data, ideas and opinion. Include a comprehensive list of all the material you have used to create your report, including books, articles, websites, interviews and more.

It’s important to use the specific citation style you have chosen or been assigned to use if you’re writing a college paper.  What are MLA citations?  Citation styles give a set format for writing your references, such as APA MLA and Chicago. Check out our guide for everything you need about an  MLA format works cited page .

The appendix of your report comes at the very end after your reference list. The appendix should include any additional information the report uses, like interview transcripts, survey data, and raw data. 

Make sure to label your appendices clearly. For example, each piece of data should be marked (Appendix 1, Appendix 2, Appendix 3.) You’ll need to assign each piece of information or data to your appendices throughout your report. Use phrases like “See Appendix 1” to direct your reader to the data.

If you have taken data from outside sources rather than independent work, you must reference them in the correct citation style. Include an  in-text citation  next to the item in your appendices and add the full reference to your references list. Check out our guide on  how to organize in-text citations .

Report Writing Tips

Clarit y is one of the most important things in report writing. Use simple and straightforward language and get to the point quickly! Avoid over-complicating your sentences, and keep readability at the forefront of your mind when writing.

Unless your report targets a specialized audience, it’s best to keep jargon and technical terms to a minimum. You want to ensure that the reader understands what you’re saying and doesn’t need to pause to look up terms or phrases they don’t understand. Keep your writing clear and concise, and use language that can be easily understood.

Split your report into sections to organize your information and make it easier for readers to navigate your report. Break up the content into relevant headings and subheadings and include all related information under each section. This is a great way to highlight your research and make the information stand out in your report.

Visual aids like charts, graphs and tables can leave a lasting impact on your readers and help them understand the information you are trying to convey. Visuals make complex information easier to understand and can also be used to split up large sections of text and information into bitesize chunks.

Once you have completed your report, dedicate a significant portion of your time to proofreading and editing your draft. Assess your report’s readability and look for grammar, spelling and formatting errors.

A polished report that is free from mistakes will show your level of understanding of the topic and convey professionalism. Check out our guide with the  best grammar checkers  to use for your report!

Organizing your report correctly is critical in landing a top grade as a student and leaving a lasting impact on your readers as a professional. When you create a clear structure and follow report writing rules, readers can find information quickly and understand your carefully researched information. Report writing is a vital skill for all industries to be able to make informed decisions and practice clear communication.

In business, reports can be used for market analysis, problem-solving and strategic planning. Throughout all professional industries, reports are a valuable tool that allows individuals and teams to share information, analyze data and create success.

Students graduate from essay writing to report writing in school and college to hone their research, communication and writing skills while assessing their understanding of topics. Whether you’re a student or professional, learning how to write a report is key to successfully communicating your ideas in a structured and impactful way.

• See Analytical Report Examples For Quality Data Analysis
• How do you write a clear and concise executive summary for a data analysis report?
• Recommendation Report
• Report writing
• Unit 37: Report Objective: Informational and Analytical – Communication at Work
• Appendices – Oxford Brookes University

How to Write a Book Report (+ a FREE Step-by-Step Printable for Your Kids)

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure  HERE .

We read a lot of books (homeschool moms, can you relate?). Right now, we are reading the Harry Potter series together as a family, and as my kids have grown, it’s been fun to see them become more interested in reading for fun. As part of our homeschooling this year, we have been learning how to write a book report, which has been a great way for me to evaluate how well my kids are understanding what they read.

My son is in 3rd grade this year and recently had a book report as one of his assignments in English. While there were a couple of steps given to him, he struggled with the process and actually putting the book report together. So I decided to create a step-by-step book report printable to help him learn how to write a book report.

I hope these printables will be a big help to your kids, too! They will walk your kids through the steps of organizing their book report, writing a draft, revising and proofreading, and writing a final copy. Plus, I’ve included a rubric for you that you can use to give helpful feedback if you’d like.

Not only will this template help your kids learn how to write a book report, but they will be fun to add to your homeschool portfolio and look back on in the future.

Why Should You Use Book Reports in Your Homeschool?

Writing a book report or using an organizer to respond to what they have read is a great way to help your kids with their reading comprehension . It’s also fun to see their unique writing styles come to light and learn what they think about the books they have read.

Plus, I have found that incorporating book reports into our homeschool is a fun way for my kids to practice their writing skills because they get to write about a book they have loved. My son doesn’t necessarily love to write, so making the writing topic interesting is really important in our current season.

They also will obviously get to practice their handwriting, and you can include an oral presentation component if you’d like to as well!

Teach Your Kids How to Write a Book Report

A book report is just what it sounds like – a detailed report your kids will write after reading a book. In the report, they will give a summary of the book and share some of the important plot points, as well as share their opinion of the book.

When my son first attempted to do his book report from his English assignment, he struggled with what to write, and how to pull it all together in one cohesive report. I wanted to really lay out the process for him, to break it down into manageable steps .

If your child is new to writing book reports, I would recommend doing the first one together . Choose a book you have been reading aloud as a family (or a new one to read together), so you can then walk through the template and process with them.

If you are reading the book together, model how to take notes of important characters and plot points as you read . These notes will be great to reference later when writing the report.

Once you are finished reading and taking notes, grab your book report template and work through the process of putting together the report ( this printable makes it so easy! ).

My Book Report Template for Kids

There are many options out there with ideas for creative and different styles of book reports (I love these ideas from We Are Teachers), but if you are looking for a simple way for your elementary-aged student to organize their thoughts into a basic book report, these are for you.

The pages include:

• 2 Book Report Planning Pages where your kids will organize their thoughts about the main characters, important plot events, and what they learned and liked about the book. They will also have space to draw out their favorite scene from the story.
• First Draft Pages where they will write a rough draft. These sheets also include checklists that will walk them through the revision and proofreading process.
• My Book Report Pages where your kids will write their final copy of their book report.
• Book Report Rubric which is a sheet you can use to offer comments and suggestions on their work, if desired.
• Reading Log page that your kids can use to keep track of what they are reading (great for your homeschool record keeping as well!)

Using a template like this will help your kids organize their thoughts in the planning pages, so it’s easier for them to put the final review together. They will see all of the important parts that need to go into their book reports, which will help them learn how to write effective reviews and recommendations.

Printable Book Report Template

I’d love for this book report template to be a blessing to you and your family as well! Grab it below when you join my subscriber list – I love to send out freebies, homeschool tips, inspiration and more as I go through my own homeschooling journey.

Grab your FREE Book Report Printables!

Subscribe to my list and join thousands of other homeschool mamas looking for homeschool help, inspiration, and fun.

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Please check your email for your Book Report Printables.

And if you love all of those, take a peek at my shop where I share some other helpful printables I’ve created for your home and homeschool.

Drop a comment below and let me know – what are some of your kid’s favorite books they have read, or what are they reading now?

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13 Free Book Report Templates (Easy Copy & Paste)

Book reports are an essential part of the educational process, helping students develop critical thinking and writing skills.

To make this task easier, we’ve created 13 unique and highly useful book report templates that you can download or copy and paste. Each template is designed to cater to different needs and situations, ensuring that you find the perfect fit for your assignment.

Template 1: Basic Summary Book Report

Table of Contents

Introduction This template is perfect for beginners or younger students who need to summarize the key elements of a book.

Title : Author : Genre : Publication Date :

Plot Summary : Provide a brief overview of the book’s main events. Focus on the beginning, middle, and end.

Main Characters : List the main characters and provide a short description of each.

Themes : Identify the central themes of the book.

Personal Opinion : Share your thoughts about the book. What did you like or dislike?

Conclusion : Summarize your overall impressions of the book.

Template 2: Character Analysis Book Report

Introduction This template is designed for a deeper dive into the characters of a book, ideal for middle school and high school students.

Character Overview : List the main characters.

Character Analysis :

• Description :
• Role in the Story :
• Development :
• Personal Thoughts :

Plot Summary : Briefly summarize the plot focusing on how it relates to the character analysis.

Themes : Discuss how the themes are reflected through the characters.

Conclusion : Wrap up your analysis with your final thoughts on the characters and their roles.

Template 3: Theme Analysis Book Report

Introduction This template focuses on analyzing the themes of a book, suitable for high school and university students.

Plot Summary : Briefly summarize the plot.

Themes Analysis :

• Examples from the Book :

Character Involvement : Discuss how the characters contribute to these themes.

Personal Reflection : Reflect on how these themes impacted you.

Conclusion : Summarize your analysis and final thoughts.

Template 4: Comparative Book Report

Introduction Perfect for advanced students, this template compares two books, highlighting their similarities and differences.

Book 1 Title : Book 1 Author : Book 2 Title : Book 2 Author :

Plot Summary :

• Summary of main events.

Characters Comparison :

• Book 1 Description:
• Book 2 Description:

Themes Comparison :

Personal Reflection : Discuss your thoughts on the similarities and differences.

Conclusion : Summarize your comparative analysis and final thoughts.

Template 5: Plot Analysis Book Report

Introduction Focuses on analyzing the plot structure, ideal for detailed plot discussions.

Plot Overview : Brief summary of the main plot.

Plot Analysis :

• Exposition :
• Rising Action :
• Falling Action :
• Resolution :

Character Involvement : Discuss how the characters influence the plot.

Themes : Identify the main themes revealed through the plot.

Conclusion : Summarize your analysis and overall thoughts.

Template 6: Symbolism Book Report

Introduction Designed for analyzing symbols within the book, this template is perfect for high school and college students.

Plot Summary : Brief overview of the book’s plot.

Symbolism Analysis :

• Significance in the Story :

Themes : Discuss how the symbols relate to the themes.

Personal Reflection : Reflect on the symbolism and its impact on your understanding of the book.

Template 7: Creative Book Report

Introduction Encourages creativity by allowing students to express their understanding in unique ways.

Plot Summary : Provide a brief overview of the plot.

Creative Expression : Choose one of the following:

• Write a diary entry from a character’s perspective.
• Create a comic strip summarizing the story.
• Design a new book cover with a summary.

Character Insights : Discuss your creative choices and what they reveal about the characters.

Themes : Identify the main themes expressed through your creative work.

Conclusion : Reflect on your creative process and overall understanding of the book.

Template 8: Historical Context Book Report

Introduction Focuses on the historical context of the book, ideal for historical fiction or non-fiction.

Plot Summary : Brief overview of the plot.

Historical Context :

• Time Period :
• Key Historical Events :
• Impact on the Story :

Character Analysis : Discuss how historical context influences the characters.

Themes : Identify themes related to the historical setting.

Personal Reflection : Reflect on how understanding the history enhanced your reading experience.

Conclusion : Summarize your insights and overall thoughts.

Template 9: Genre Analysis Book Report

Introduction Analyzes the book within the context of its genre, perfect for exploring genre-specific elements.

Genre Characteristics :

• Typical Elements of the Genre :
• How the Book Fits or Deviates :

Character Analysis : Discuss how the characters embody genre traits.

Themes : Identify genre-specific themes.

Personal Reflection : Reflect on your understanding of the genre through the book.

Conclusion : Summarize your genre analysis and final thoughts.

Template 10: Book Report for a Movie Adaptation

Introduction Compares the book to its movie adaptation, great for understanding different media interpretations.

Book Title : Author : Movie Title : Director : Release Date :

Character Comparison :

• Book Description:
• Movie Description:

Themes Comparison : Discuss how themes are presented differently in the book and movie.

Personal Reflection : Share your thoughts on the adaptation. Which did you prefer and why?

Conclusion : Summarize your comparison and final thoughts.

Mad-Libs Style Book Report Templates

Mad-Libs style templates can make writing a book report fun and easy, guiding you through each step while allowing room for your personal touch.

Here are three templates to help you create a comprehensive and original book report.

Mad-Libs Style Template 1: Basic Summary Report

Title : __________ Author : __________ Genre : __________ Publication Date : __________

Plot Summary : The book [Title] is about __________ (main character) who lives in __________ (setting). The story begins when __________ (main event). As the plot progresses, __________ (main character) encounters __________ (challenge or conflict). In the end, __________ (resolution).

Main Characters :

• [Main Character] : __________ (description of character)
• [Supporting Character] : __________ (description of character)
• [Antagonist] : __________ (description of character)

Themes : The central themes of [Title] are __________ (theme 1) and __________ (theme 2). These themes are illustrated through __________ (example from the book).

Personal Opinion : I thought [Title] was __________ (adjective). My favorite part was __________ (favorite part) because __________ (reason). I would/would not recommend this book because __________ (reason).

Conclusion : In summary, [Title] is a book about __________ (brief summary of themes and story). Overall, it left me feeling __________ (emotion).

Mad-Libs Style Template 2: Character Analysis Report

Plot Summary : In the book [Title] , the story revolves around __________ (main character) who __________ (brief plot overview). The plot thickens when __________ (major event), leading to __________ (consequences).

• Description : __________ (physical and personality traits)
• Role in the Story : __________ (main character’s role)
• Development : __________ (how the character changes)
• Personal Thoughts : I think __________ (main character) is __________ (adjective) because __________ (reason).
• Role in the Story : __________ (supporting character’s role)
• Personal Thoughts : I think __________ (supporting character) is __________ (adjective) because __________ (reason).

Themes : One of the main themes in [Title] is __________ (theme). This is shown through __________ (example from the book).

Personal Reflection : My favorite character was __________ (character) because __________ (reason). This book made me think about __________ (personal reflection).

Conclusion : The book [Title] offers deep insights into __________ (theme) and __________ (theme). It is a great read for anyone interested in __________ (topic).

Mad-Libs Style Template 3: Theme Analysis Report

Plot Summary : The book [Title] is set in __________ (setting) and follows __________ (main character) as they __________ (brief plot overview). The story takes a turn when __________ (major event).

• Description : One of the central themes is __________ (theme). This theme is evident when __________ (example from the book).
• Significance : This theme is important because __________ (reason).
• Description : Another significant theme is __________ (theme). It is portrayed through __________ (example from the book).
• Significance : This theme matters because __________ (reason).

Character Involvement : The characters help develop these themes, especially __________ (main character) who __________ (character’s actions related to the theme).

Personal Reflection : Reading [Title] made me realize __________ (personal insight). The theme of __________ (theme) particularly resonated with me because __________ (reason).

Conclusion : In conclusion, [Title] explores themes of __________ (theme) and __________ (theme) through its characters and plot. This book is __________ (adjective) and leaves a lasting impression because __________ (reason).

50 Best Words to Use in a Book Report

• Protagonist
• Development
• Perspective
• Foreshadowing
• Juxtaposition
• Interpretation

50 Best Phrases to Use in a Book Report

• “The protagonist of the story is…”
• “The central conflict revolves around…”
• “The theme of the novel is…”
• “This character’s development is evident when…”
• “The author uses symbolism to…”
• “A significant motif in the book is…”
• “From the perspective of the narrator…”
• “The plot takes a turn when…”
• “The resolution of the story is…”
• “The climax of the novel occurs when…”
• “Foreshadowing is used to hint at…”
• “The setting plays a crucial role in…”
• “Dialogue between characters reveals…”
• “The tone of the book is established by…”
• “The mood created by the author is…”
• “This work can be seen as an allegory for…”
• “In the context of the story…”
• “Juxtaposition of these elements highlights…”
• “Through flashbacks, we learn…”
• “The character’s motivation is driven by…”
• “An archetype presented in the book is…”
• “The synopsis provides an overview of…”
• “The depiction of this scene is…”
• “Intrigue is built through…”
• “Readers empathize with the character because…”
• “The integrity of the character is shown by…”
• “The complexity of the plot is revealed in…”
• “Transitions between scenes are marked by…”
• “The conclusion of the story leaves readers…”
• “Evocative language is used to…”
• “The ambiguity of the ending suggests…”
• “This interpretation of the text shows…”
• “Realism is portrayed through…”
• “The narrative structure includes…”
• “Exposition in the story provides…”
• “My reaction to the book is…”
• “The evaluation of this work suggests…”
• “Insightful commentary is provided by…”
• “Emphasis is placed on…”
• “A critical point in the book is…”
• “The reflection on these themes shows…”
• “Character interactions demonstrate…”
• “A pivotal moment in the story is when…”
• “The author’s use of metaphor illustrates…”
• “Irony is present in the scene where…”
• “The vivid imagery captures…”
• “The tone shifts when…”
• “Mood changes are evident in…”
• “This allegory reflects…”
• “Overall, the book emphasizes…”

Now that you have your book report templates, watch this video to learn the basics of how to write your book report:

Final Thoughts: Book Report Templates

Book reports don’t have to be boring or difficult. With these templates, you’re all set to tackle any book report assignment with ease and creativity. Download, customize, and impress!

Read This Next

• How to Write a Book Report (Guide, Examples & Templates)
• How to Write a Book Title in an Essay (+48 Examples)
• RACE Writing: A Comprehensive Guide + Examples
• How to Write a Paragraph [Ultimate Guide + Examples]
• What Is a Summary In Writing? (Explained + 40 Examples)

22 Book Report Templates

In tackling coursework, you may have to dig a little bit into a book or some other kind of literature. This could be with the aim of gaining deeper insight on a matter, drawing connections between the contents of the book and the subject at hand, and so on.

What is a book report?

The above tasks require a book report. This is an essay that discusses the contents of a given book. It is largely written as part and parcel of a class assignment that is issued out to students in school, especially at the elementary level. It is shorter and less comprehensive than a book review.

How to write a book report?

To write a book report, you need to follow the steps below:

• Draft an introductory paragraph. This captures the basic information about the book such as its genre, title, author, year published, number of pages, and the publisher. Include some interesting background information about the author of the book.
• Next, incorporate a plot summary. It is basically a summary of the book itself with regards to the themes, plot, and the characters that are found in it plus the roles they play there.
• Carry out some character analysis of the main characters who dominate and play critical roles in the book from the start through to the finish line.
• Point out the themes of the book i.e. the main ideas that run throughout the story from the start through to the finish.
• Place your personal evaluation and conclusion at the tail end of the report. These two give your own opinion of the entire book and what it does have to offer to any reader.

Book Report Templates

These are frameworks against which the book reports are drafted. They serve as rough guides through which the tiny details are filled out. The templates cheapen the task of drafting a report of this kind while also seeing to it that the outcomes are largely accurate.

Guide: How to draft a book report

Different reports have different outlines and contents. Thus, there is really no unifying way of drafting the report. Nonetheless, there are some common steps that cut across the board. Below, we highlight and explain them:

• Jot down the first draft of the book report. This acts as a spark from which the subsequent reports are drafted and originated.
• Prepare the introductory paragraph of the book report. Remember, it is this introduction that sets the tone and the overall theme of the report going forward. It has to be brief but include every aspect of the report altogether.
• Now get to the core business of the report altogether. Here, you should read the book, garner the finer details and jot down its summary.
• While at it, draft the main portion of the book report, explain the main characters, highlight and explain the main themes of the book, point out any quotes, and comment on the writer’s writing style.
• Give the book a personal evaluation. This one mainly aims at commenting on the book in its entirety while also providing your own review and testimonial about the book as a whole.
• Edit and revise the report before submitting it. As you do so, see to it that you weed out any grammatical and spelling mistakes that may be present in the report.

What is the format of a book report?

The format of a book report refers to the outline that the report follows from the introduction to the conclusion of the book. Even though different reports follow different formats, there are common contents that cut across the board. These are:

• The kind of book report you are drafting
• The book’s title
• The author of the book
• The times that the story is taking place
• The location of the story of the book
• Names and descriptions of the characters in the book
• Quotations and examples from the book to provide support to your opinions

How long should a book report be?

Generally, you should keep your book report as short as it can practically be. A length of about 600-800 words would be suitable. Also, the report has to be double-spaced and drafted in legible fonts.

Final Thoughts

Drafting a book report is not a walk in the park. As a starter, you may have to devote much of your time to write it several times before mastering the art well. We ask you to carry out mock writing to deepen your understanding of the matter. Seeking the assistance of a trained expert may equally do the trick.

How did our templates helped you today?

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Thank you for your feedback.

Five Things I Learned in the Process of Writing a Book

Embarking on the journey of writing a book can be both exciting and daunting, as emma edwards discovered when authoring her personal finance book "good with money". whether you're looking to write for financial gain or just for the love of it, emma's lessons learned offer practical advice for anyone embarking on the challenging yet rewarding adventure of writing a book..

If you’ve ever considered writing a book, you’re not alone. In fact, it’s estimated that as many as 80% of people say they’d like to write a book one day. I was one of those people, and now, after 18 months of work, I published my first book, Good With Money (crowd cheers!)

Unsurprisingly, book writing isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It was actually a lot of tears and sour Skittles, if I’m honest. But it was one hell of an experience. If you’ve ever thought about putting pen to paper — or perhaps more appropriately, fingers to keys — here are five things I learned along the way that might help you.

1. You need to work with your brain

We all approach work differently — and writing a book will tell you a lot about how your brain works. Some people swear by the rule of writing for one hour every morning or holding themselves accountable to writing every single day for however long they feel able to. I, however, found that I needed at least an hour of procrastination time (read: Staring at the wall, unable to get started) before I had any hope of getting anything done. Needless to say, the hour-a-day rule didn’t work for me. Instead, I found I needed to carve out entire days dedicated to writing so that I had time to get distracted, go for a walk around the block, get in the headspace to write something and step away whenever I got too overwhelmed.

I would set Pomodoro timers for short 25-minute bursts of work, where I’d often smash out over 1,000 words at a time, before spending equally as long doing anything but writing. At first I felt guilty, like I wasn’t working hard enough. I’d get to the end of a writing day and have written 5,000 words, but done so in five intense time blocks of 25-45 minutes each. Letting go of how I thought an author ‘should’ work meant I could focus on just getting the words out, however that looked.

2. You will hate everything you’ve written at multiple points

This was the part I was most unprepared for. I really wanted to fall in love with my book, but for the most part, I hated it. You get to the point where you’re so familiar with what you’ve written, and you’ve gone through so many iterations of the content itself, that you lose all sense of rational thought, and you’ll truly believe that your book is awful. If you’re anything like me, you’ll take that even further and decide that you’re actually terrible at what you do and don’t know anything about your subject matter.

During one particularly emotionally charged writing day, I found myself deep in a Reddit discussion between authors. An author in that thread had said, “The only thing you’ll hate more than the words you’ve still got to write are the words you’ve already written,” and I breathed a huge sigh of relief that I wasn’t alone.

You will hate your book. It’s normal. It comes and goes, but you have to just accept it. I got into a good rhythm eventually. Any time I started to feel that panic coming on, I would shut my laptop, go outside and come back to it in half an hour, and work on a different section when I did so.

3. Choosing a title really, really helps

The real turning point for my book writing journey was when I settled on the title, Good With Money. For a long time I was working with an ‘untitled manuscript’, but it made it really difficult to settle on a direction or weave in thematic links to the overall direction of the book. It also helped me pull myself out of mental spirals by giving me an anchor point to bring everything back to. I think that’s especially important for non-fiction books.

I’d originally planned to just get words out and shape the title later, which probably does work for some people. But if you’re finding yourself going around in circles, spending some time brainstorming titles might really help. It can feel like you’re wasting time, but trust me. It needs to be done at some point.

4. Scaffolding out your structure needs to be a priority

When you’re writing a book, you’re pouring all your knowledge, passion, analogies, frameworks, and stories about your subject matter into one little container — and organizing that can be a bit of a stress sandwich.

You’re taking your reader through a transformation. They’re a different version of themselves after reading your book. And wanting to get that transformation right can make it hard to know when to introduce certain concepts, how to structure the information, and how to introduce and conclude different subsections of the book.

One of the most valuable conversations I had during my book writing experience was with a fellow non-fiction author who had finished her manuscript recently. She said to me, “Emma, just pick a structure and write to it.” And that’s when I realized: My quest for the one perfect structure was keeping me stuck. There’s no one right way to write your book or tell your story, but it serves as a great procrastination activity to keep tweaking your chapter list or scrapping the whole thing and starting a new one.

No structure is worth anything if you never write to it. So if you’re stuck on structure, take the advice I did: Just pick one. I didn’t personally make use of AI tools like ChatGPT during my book writing process, but if I did it again, I might consider trialling different prompts to get thought-starter ideas on structure.

5. Reading other people’s books is a bad idea

Yikes, did I wish someone had told me this. When I was feeling particularly uninspired on how to shape my brain dumped words into a book, I tried reading other non-fiction books in the hope it would help things click. Big mistake.

A published book has gone through multiple rounds of edits, usually with a team of people working on it. Comparing your messy manuscript to a completed and published product is a surefire way to double down on your self-doubt and make the end goal feel even more unreachable.

My advice? Don’t read other non-fiction books while writing yours. I devoured a lot of fiction, though. It helped me switch my brain off and renew my creativity.

Curious as to how this chaotic process turned into a book? Get your copy of Good With Money at all major retailers and many independents across Australia and New Zealand.

Emma Edwards is a finance copywriter and blogger, on a mission to humanize the financial services industry by creating meaningful content that’s accessible and empowering. You’ll find her penning money tips at her blog, The Broke Generation , sharing financial insights on Instagram , or injecting life into content for her business clients.

Money tips 10 minute read

Written by Emma Edwards August 26, 2024

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REPORT WRITING

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What is Report Writing: Format, Examples, Types & Process

• Table of Contents

Many professionals struggle to create effective reports due to a lack of understanding of the essential elements and organization required. This can lead to frustration and a failure to communicate key information to the intended audience.

In this blog, we’ll explore what is report writing, the types of reports, essential elements, and tips for creating effective reports to help you communicate your message and achieve your goals.

Definition of report writing? 

According to Mary Munter and Lynn Hamilton, authors of “Guide to Managerial Communication,” report writing is “the process of selecting, organizing, interpreting, and communicating information to meet a specific objective.”

What is report writing? 

Report writing refers to the process of creating a document that represents information in a clear and concise manner. Reports can be written for various purposes, such as providing updates on a project, analyzing data or presenting findings, or making recommendations.

Effective report writing requires careful planning, research, analysis, and organization of information. A well-structured report should be accurate, and objective, and contain a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. It should also be written in a professional and accessible style, with appropriate use of headings, subheadings, tables, graphs, and other visual aids.

Overall, report writing is an important skill for professionals in many fields, as it helps to communicate information and insights in a clear and concise manner.

What is a report? 

A report is a formal document that is structured and presented in an organized manner, with the aim of conveying information, analyzing data, and providing recommendations. It is often used to communicate findings and outcomes to a specific audience, such as stakeholders, or managers. Reports can vary in length and format, but they usually contain a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.

Types of report writing

By understanding the different types of report writing, individuals can select the appropriate format and structure to effectively communicate information and achieve their objectives. However, the kind of report used will depend on the purpose, audience, and context of the report.

1/ Informational reports: These reports provide information about a topic, such as a product, service, or process.

Further Reading : What is an information report

2/ Analytical reports: These reports present data or information in a structured and organized manner, often with charts, graphs, or tables, to help the reader understand trends, patterns, or relationships.

3/ Formal Reports: These are detailed and structured reports written for a specific audience, often with a specific objective. In comparison with informal reports , formal reports are typically longer and more complex than other types of reports. 

4/ Progress reports: These reports provide updates on a project or initiative, detailing the progress made and any challenges or obstacles encountered. 

5/ Technical reports: These reports provide technical information, such as specifications, designs, or performance data, often aimed at a technical audience.

6/ Research reports: These reports present the findings of research conducted on a particular topic or issue, often including a literature review, data analysis, and conclusions.

7/ Feasibility Report: A feasibility report assesses the likelihood of achieving success for a suggested project or initiative.

8/ Business Reports: These reports are used in a business setting to communicate information about a company’s performance, operations, or strategies. Different types of business reports include financial statements, marketing reports, and annual reports.

Structure of report writing 

The structure of a report refers to the overall organization and layout of the report, including the sections and subsections that make up the report, their order, and their relationships to each other. A report can we divided into three parts. 

Preliminary Parts:

• Acknowledgments (Preface or Foreword)
• List of Tables and Illustrations
• Introduction (clear statement of research objectives, background information, hypotheses, methodology, statistical analysis, scope of study, limitations)
• Statement of findings and recommendations (summarized findings, non-technical language)
• Results (detailed presentation of findings with supporting data in the form of tables and charts, statistical summaries, and reductions of data, presented in a logical sequence)
• Implications of the results (clearly stated implications that flow from the results of the study)
• Summary (brief summary of the research problem, methodology, major findings, and major conclusions)

End Matter:

• Appendices (technical data such as questionnaires, sample information, and mathematical derivations)
• Bibliography of sources consulted.

This structure provides a clear and organized framework for presenting a research report, ensuring that all important information is included and presented in a logical and easy-to-follow manner.

Extra Learnings Role of a report structure in report writing  The report structure plays a crucial role in report writing as it provides a clear and organized framework for presenting information in an effective and logical manner. It ensures that the reader can easily understand the purpose and scope of the report, locate and access the relevant information.  The preliminary parts of the report, provide an overview of the report and aid navigation. The main text makes it easier for the reader to comprehend and analyze the information. And The end matter provides additional details and sources for reference. An organized report structure also helps the author to communicate their research and ideas effectively to the intended audience.

What is the report writing format? 

The format of report writing refers to the structure of a formal document that provides information on a particular topic or issue. The report writing format typically includes the following key components: 

8 Essential elements of report writing are: 

1/ Title: The title is the first thing that readers will see, and it should be clear and concise. The title should include the report’s subject or topic and the author’s name, date of writing, or who the report is for. Remember to keep the title brief and informative, avoiding vague or ambiguous language.

Example of Business Report Title Page:   “Market Analysis and Growth Strategies for XYZ Corporation” Author: Mary Johnson Date: January 2, 2022 Company: Earthcon Corporation Department: Strategy and Planning

In this example, the title page includes the name of the report, ‘Market Analysis 2022,’ the author’s name, ‘John Doe,’ the submission date, ‘January 1, 2024,’ and other details such as the name of the organization, ‘Earthcon Corporation.’

2/ Table of Contents : The table of contents provides an overview of the report’s contents. It should list all sections and subsections with clear headings. It is essential to make the table of contents organized and easy to read, allowing readers to locate specific information quickly.

Example of  Table of Contents I. Introduction…… 1 Purpose of the Report…… 2 Methodology Used…… 2 II. Executive Summary…… 3 III. Background and Context…… 3 IV. Analysis and Findings…… 4 Market Trends and Data…… 5 Competitor Analysis…… 6 SWOT Analysis…… 7 V. Recommendations and Conclusion…… 8 VI. References…… 9

3/ Summary : Also known as the executive summary, the summary provides a brief overview of the entire report. It should summarize the report’s main points, including findings, objectives, and recommendations. The summary should be written after the entire report is completed, and it should be concise and summarized in less than one page.

Example of executive summary: The Annual Sales Report for Earthcon Company shows a 10% increase in overall sales compared to the previous year. The report also reveals that the majority of sales came from the Midwest region and the target demographic is primarily males aged 25-40. Based on these findings, recommendations have been made to focus marketing efforts towards this demographic in the upcoming year.

4/ Introduction : The introduction introduces the report’s topic and informs readers what they can expect to find in the report. The introduction should capture readers’ attention and provide relevant background information. It should be clear and concise, including why the report was written and its objectives.

Example of Introduction:  This comprehensive report aims to analyze and evaluate the sales performance of EarthCon Corporation throughout 2024. It will look into detailed sales trends observed throughout the year, carefully examining the various factors that have influenced these trends. Additionally, the report will identify and highlight potential areas for growth, offering valuable insights and recommendations to drive future success.

5/ Body: The body is the longest section and includes all the information, data, and analysis. It should present information in an organized manner, often using subheadings and bullet points. The body should include all relevant research findings and data, often accompanied by visuals such as graphs and tables. It is essential to cite all sources correctly and remain objective, avoiding personal opinions or biases.

Example of Background and Context: This report seeks to analyze the influence of technological advancements on business productivity. Previous research has indicated a correlation between the adoption of innovative technologies and increased operational efficiency for Earthcon. The report will examine further into this topic and offer suggestions for maximizing the benefits of these advancements. Example of Analysis and Findings: The market trends and data show a steady increase in demand for innovative products, with a significant rise in sales in the past five years. In comparison, competitor analysis reveals that Earthcon Corporation is well-positioned to take advantage of this trend due to its strong brand reputation and product portfolio. A SWOT analysis also highlights potential areas for improvement and growth.

6/ Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the findings and conclusions of the report. It should wrap up all the essential information presented in the body and make recommendations based on the report’s findings. The conclusion must be brief and clear, avoiding the introduction of any new information not previously presented in the body.

7/ Recommendations: The recommendation section should provide suggested goals or steps based on the report’s information. It should be realistic and achievable, providing well-crafted solutions. It is often included in the conclusion section.

Example of Recommendations and Conclusion: Based on the analysis, it is recommended that EarthCon Corporation invest in research and development to continue producing innovative products. Additionally, efforts should be made to expand into emerging markets to increase global reach. In conclusion, the Annual Sales Report shows positive outcomes and recommends strategic actions for future growth.

8/ Appendices: The appendices section includes additional technical information or supporting materials, such as research questionnaires or survey data. It should provide supplementary information to the report without disrupting the report’s main content. 

It is important to use clear headings and subheadings and to label tables and figures. Also, proofreading and fact-checking are critical before submitting the report. A well-crafted report is concise, informative and free of personal bias or opinions.

What are the features of report writing

There are several key features of effective report writing that can help ensure that the information presented is clear, concise, and useful. Some of these features include:

1/ Clarity: Reports should be written in clear and concise language, avoiding jargon or technical terms that may be confusing to the reader. 

2/ Objectivity: A report should be objective, meaning that it should be free from bias or personal opinions. This is particularly important when presenting data or analysis.

3/ Accuracy: Reports should be based on reliable sources and accurate data. Information should be verified and cross-checked to ensure that it is correct and up-to-date.

4/ Structure: A report should be structured in a logical and organized manner, with clear headings, subheadings, and sections. 

5/ Visual aids: A report may include visual aids such as charts, tables, and graphs, which can help to illustrate the key points and make the information easier to understand.

6/ Evidence: Reports should include evidence to support any claims or findings, such as statistics, quotes, or references to relevant literature.

7/ Recommendations: Many reports include recommendations or suggestions for future action based on the findings or analysis presented.

Significance of report writing

Report writing is a critical skill that can have a significant impact on individuals, and organizations. In fact, a report by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that the ability to communicate effectively, including report writing, was the most important skill sought by employers.

• Reports provide decision-makers with the information they need to make informed decisions.
• Effective report writing demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail, which can help to build trust and credibility with clients.
• Reports can inform planning processes by providing data and insights that can be used to develop strategies and allocate resources.
• Reports often include recommendations or suggestions for future action, which can help to improve processes, procedures, or outcomes.

Further Reading: What is the significance of report writing

Report writing examples and samples

Example of Progress Report

The essential process of report writing

Report writing requires careful planning, organization, and analysis to ensure that the report effectively communicates the intended message to the audience. Here are the general steps involved in the process of report writing:

Plan and prepare:

• Identify the purpose of the report, the target audience, and the scope of the report.
• Collect and examine data from different sources, including research studies, surveys, or interviews.
• Create an outline of the report, including headings and subheadings.

Write the introduction:

• Start with a brief summary of the report and its purpose.
• Provide background information and context for the report.
• Explain the research methodology and approach used.

Write the main body:

• Divide the report into logical sections, each with a clear heading.
• Present the findings and analysis of the research in a clear and organized manner.
• Use appropriate visual aids, such as tables, graphs, or charts to present data and information.
• Utilize a language that is both clear and Brief, and avoid using unnecessary jargon or technical terminology.
• Cite all sources used in the report according to a specified citation style.

Write the conclusion:

• Summarize the main findings and conclusions of the report.
• Restate the purpose of the report and how it was achieved.
• Provide recommendations or suggestions for further action, if applicable.

Edit and revise:

• Review the report for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Check that all information is accurate and up-to-date.
• Revise and improve the report as necessary.

Format and present:

• Use a professional and appropriate format for the report.
• Include a title page, table of contents, and list of references or citations.
• Incorporate headings, subheadings, and bullet points to enhance the report’s readability and facilitate navigation.
• Use appropriate fonts and sizes, and ensure that the report is well-structured and visually appealing.

Important Principles of report writing

To write an effective report, it is important to follow some basic principles. These principles ensure that your report is clear, concise, accurate, and informative. In this regard, here are some of the key principles that you should keep in mind when writing a report:

1/ Clarity: The report should be clear and easy to understand. 

2/ Completeness: The report should cover all the relevant information needed to understand the topic

3/ Conciseness: A report should be concise, presenting only the information that is relevant and necessary to the topic. 

4/ Formatting: The report should be properly formatted, with consistent fonts, spacing, and margins

5/ Relevance: The information presented in the report should be relevant to the purpose of the report.

6/ Timeliness: The report should be completed and delivered in a timely manner.

7/ Presentation: The report should be visually appealing and well-presented.

Extra Learnings Styles of report writing When it comes to the style of report writing, it’s important to use hard facts and figures, evidence, and justification. Using efficient language is crucial since lengthy reports with too many words are difficult to read. The most effective reports are easy and quick to read since the writer has comprehended the data and formulated practical recommendations. To achieve this, it’s important to write as you speak, avoid empty words, use descending order of importance, use an active voice, and keep sentences short. The goal should be to write to express and not to impress the reader.  It’s also important to get facts 100% right and to be unbiased and open. By following these tips, one can create a well-written report that is easy to understand and provides valuable insights.

Differences between a report and other forms of writing

Reports are a specific form of writing that serves a distinct purpose and have unique characteristics. Unlike other forms of writing, such as essays or fiction, reports are typically focused on presenting factual information and making recommendations based on that information. Below we have differentiated report writing with various other forms of writing.

Essay vs report writing

Project writing vs report writing

Research methodology vs report writing

Article writing vs report writing

Content writing vs report writing

Business plan vs report writing

Latest topics for report writing in 2024

The possibilities for report topics may depend on the goals and scope of the report. The key is to choose a topic that is relevant and interesting to your audience, and that you can conduct thorough research on in order to provide meaningful insights and recommendations.  

• A market analysis for a new product or service. 
• An evaluation of employee satisfaction in a company. 
• A review of the state of cybersecurity in a particular industry. 
• A study of the prevalence and consequences of workplace discrimination. 
• Analysis of the environmental impact of a particular industry or company. 
• An assessment of the impact of new technology or innovations on a particular industry or sector. 

Report writing skills and techniques 

Effective report writing requires a combination of skills and techniques to communicate information and recommendations in a clear, and engaging manner.

From organizing information to tailoring the report to the intended audience, there are many factors to consider when writing a report. By mastering these skills and techniques, you can ensure that your report is well-written, informative, and engaging for your audience. Some of the primary ones are: 

1/ Organization and structure: Structure your report in a logical and organized manner with headings and subheadings.

2/ Use of data and evidence: Present objective data and evidence to support your findings and recommendations.

3/ Audience awareness: Tailor your report to the needs and interests of your intended audience.

4/ Effective visuals: Use graphs, charts, or other visuals to communicate complex information in a clear and engaging way.

5/ Editing and proofreading: Carefully edit and proofread your report to ensure it is error-free and professional.

6/ Tone: Use a professional and objective tone to communicate your findings and recommendations.

7/ Time management: Manage your time effectively to ensure you have enough time to research, write, and revise your report.

Tips for effective report writing

• Understand your audience before you start writing. 
• Start with an outline and cover all the important points. 
• Employ clear and concise language.
• Utilize headings and subheadings to organize your report.
• Incorporate evidence and examples to support your points.
• Thoroughly edit and proofread your report before submission.
• Follow formatting guidelines If your report has specific formatting requirements.
• Use visuals to enhance understanding.

What is the ethical consideration involved in report writing 

Ethical considerations play a crucial role in report writing. The accuracy of the information presented in the report is of utmost importance, as it forms the basis for any conclusions or recommendations that may be made. In addition, it is essential to avoid plagiarism by giving credit to the original sources of information and ideas. 

Another crucial ethical consideration is confidentiality, particularly when the report contains sensitive or confidential information. It is important to safeguard this information and prevent its disclosure to unauthorized individuals.

Avoiding bias in report writing is also crucial, as it is essential to present information in an objective and unbiased manner. In cases where research or data collection is involved, obtaining informed consent from human subjects is a necessary ethical requirement.

By taking these ethical considerations into account, report writers can ensure that their work is fair, accurate, and respectful to all parties involved.

Common mistakes in report writing 

There are several common mistakes that students and report writers make in report writing. By avoiding these common mistakes, students as well as report writers can create effective and impactful reports that are clear, accurate, and objective.

1/ Writing in the first person: Often, students and report writers commit an error by writing in the first person and utilizing words such as “I” or “me. In reports, it is recommended to write impersonally, using the passive voice instead.

2/ Using the wrong format: Reports should use numbered headings and subheadings to structure the content, while essays should have a clear line of argument in their content.

3/ Failing to introduce the content: The introduction of the report should introduce the content of the report, not the subject for discussion. It is important to explain the scope of the report and what is to follow, rather than explaining what a certain concept is.

4/ Missing relevant sections: Students and report writers, often miss out on including relevant sections that were specified in the assignment instructions, such as a bibliography or certain types of information. This can result in poor interpretation.

5/ Poor proofreading: Finally, not spending enough time proofreading the reported work can create unwanted mistakes. Therefore, It is important to proofread and correct errors multiple times before submitting the final report to avoid any mistakes that could have been easily corrected.

By avoiding these common mistakes, students and report writers can improve the quality of their reports. 

What are some challenges of report writing and how to overcome them

Report writing can be a challenging task for many reasons. Here are some common challenges of report writing and how to overcome them:

1/ Lack of clarity on the purpose of the report: To overcome this challenge, it is important to clearly define the purpose of the report before starting. This can help to focus the content of the report and ensure that it meets the needs of the intended audience.

2/ Difficulty in organizing ideas: Reports often require a significant amount of information to be organized in a logical and coherent manner. To overcome this challenge, it can be helpful to create an outline or flowchart to organize ideas before beginning to write.

3/ Time management: Writing a report can be time-consuming, and it is important to allow sufficient time to complete the task. To overcome this challenge, it can be helpful to create a timeline or schedule for the various stages of the report-writing process.

4/ Writer’s block: Sometimes writers may experience writer’s block, making it difficult to start or continue writing the report. To overcome this challenge, it can be helpful to take a break, engage in other activities or brainstorming sessions to generate new ideas.

5/ Difficulty in citing sources: It is important to properly cite sources used in the report to avoid plagiarism and maintain credibility. To overcome this challenge, it can be helpful to use citation management tools, such as EndNote or Mendeley, to keep track of sources and ensure accurate referencing.

6/ Review and editing: Reviewing and editing a report can be a challenging task, especially when it is one’s own work. To overcome this challenge, it can be helpful to take a break before reviewing the report and seek feedback from others to gain a fresh perspective.

By being aware of these challenges and taking proactive steps to overcome them, report writers can create effective and impactful reports that meet the needs of their intended audience.

Best Software for writing reports 

Report writing software has made it easier for writers to produce professional-looking reports with ease. These software tools offer a range of features and functionalities, including data visualization, collaboration, and customization options. In this section, we will explore some of the best report-writing software available:

1/ Tableau : This tool is great for creating interactive and visually appealing reports, as it allows users to easily create charts, graphs, and other data visualizations. It also supports data blending, which means that you can combine data from multiple sources to create more comprehensive reports.

2/ Zoho reporting : This tool is designed to help users create and share professional-looking reports quickly and easily. It offers a variety of customizable templates, as well as a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to add data and create charts and graphs.

3/ Bold Reports by Syncfusion : This tool is designed specifically for creating reports in .NET applications. It offers a wide range of features, including interactive dashboards, real-time data connectivity, and customizable themes and templates.

4/  Fast Reports : This tool is a reporting solution for businesses of all sizes. It allows users to create reports quickly and easily using a drag-and-drop interface and offers a variety of templates and customization options. It also supports a wide range of data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and web services.

Further Reading : 10+ Best Report Writing Software and Tools in 2024

What is the conclusion of report writing

The conclusion of report writing is the final section of the report that summarizes the main findings, conclusions, and recommendations. It should tie together all the different sections of the report and present a clear and concise summary of the key points. 

THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE has given an inverted introduction framework that can use used for writing effective conclusions for reports. 

Example of conclusion in report writing:

The implication of the above diagram can be explained with the following example:  

1. RETURN TO TOPIC:

Social media has revolutionized the marketing landscape, providing new opportunities for brands to connect with their target audience.

2. RESTATE THESIS:

However, the complexities and limitations of social media mean that it is unlikely to completely replace traditional marketing methods. The role of the marketing professional remains crucial in ensuring that social media strategies align with the company’s overall goals and effectively reach the desired audience.

3. SUMMARY OF IDEAS DISCUSSED:

Automated tools cannot fully account for the nuances of human communication or provide the level of personalization that consumers crave. Therefore, the most effective marketing strategies will likely blend social media tactics with traditional marketing channels.

4. CONCLUDING STATEMENT [restating thesis]:

In conclusion, while social media presents significant opportunities for brands, the expertise of marketing professionals is still essential to creating successful campaigns that achieve desired outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1) what is report writing and example.

Ans: Report writing involves preparing a structured document that delivers information to a particular audience in a clear and systematic manner. An example of a report could be a business report analyzing the financial performance of a company and making recommendations for improvement.

Q2) What is report writing and types of reports?

Ans: The act of presenting information in an orderly and structured format is known as report writing. Reports come in different types, such as analytical reports, research reports, financial reports, progress reports, incident reports, feasibility reports, and recommendation reports.

Q3) What are the 5 steps of report writing

The five steps of report writing, are as follows:

• Planning: This involves defining the purpose of the report, determining the audience, and conducting research to gather the necessary information.
• Structuring: This step involves deciding on the structure of the report, such as the sections and subsections, and creating an outline.
• Writing: This is the stage where the actual writing of the report takes place, including drafting and revising the content.
• Reviewing: In this step, the report is reviewed for accuracy, coherence, and effectiveness, and any necessary changes are made.
• Presenting: This final step involves presenting the report in a clear and professional manner, such as through the use of headings, visuals, and a table of contents.

Q4) What is a report in short answer? 

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• How to Write a Report

How to Write a Report? - Tips and Guidelines

Ever tried writing a report on some event you were a part of? What are the kind of details you think should be included in a report? Learn everything about report writing, how to write a report, the various types of reports, and the format and structure of a report in this article.

Table of Contents

What is a report, what to include in a report, types of reports, report writing format and structure, how to write a report, frequently asked questions on report writing.

A report is a document of the summary of an event, issue, or a topic. A report is never a fictional story. Writing a report aims to let the unaware readers know about a particular topic or idea. However, there is no particular definition of a report. Any discourse, written or verbal, covering a particular topic is known as a report. A report can be a courtroom confession or a child’s book report. But in general, when people talk about a report, it is more of an official document describing the facts of a topic, which is typically written by experts. The information regarding the event or topic must have enough evidence to support the statement. The data must be factually correct as it reaches various readers. A report must be written in an informative tone rather than opinionated.

A report is a document which covers all the information related to the event or topic and includes all the factual information. Therefore, the one who writes a report must ensure that all the information provided has proper evidence for the same.

The information that can be added to a report include,

• The brief details of the event
• Consequences and effects of the event
• Evaluation of statistical data and analytics
• Interpretations from the information
• How the information is relevant to other events

There is often a lot of confusion when it comes to report writing and essay writing, although there are clear differences between them. Both essays and reports are written based on factual information; essays include the personal opinion of the author; whereas, reports stick to the facts. However, reports also include the author’s interpretation of the topic in the conclusion of the report. The only difference is that these interpretations are objective. A report is a more systematic and organised way of writing which includes headings, subheadings, etc. and makes it easier for the readers to read. Essays, on the other hand, are mostly written in a single flow without subheadings or breaks.

Reports are classified into three main types depending on the purpose or motive behind the report. The common types of reports are

• Academic Reports: This report tests the child’s comprehension ability. It tests if the student has understood the lesson and is able to comprehend the subject matter, such as books, historical events, biographies, etc.
• Business Reports: It can be a marketing report, work report, etc., and the main purpose of writing the business report is to identify different business strategies.
• Scientific Reports: Share research findings like case studies and journals.

The structure of a report depends on the type of report and the requirements of the report. The basic format for writing a report is mentioned below.

• Executive Summary: Like an abstract in any academic paper, an executive summary is a standalone section of the report that summarises the whole of the report so that the readers know what to expect. These are mostly used in official reports.
• Introduction: The introduction of the report plays a crucial role as it includes the main idea of the report. The main argument is discussed in the introduction before you put your points and the evidence is collected.
• Body: The body comes after the introduction of the report. It includes all the information regarding the event or the topic. All the facts and evidence collected can be displayed in the body of the report. The body covers the major part of a report.
• Conclusion: It is the part of a report where all the information is gathered together, and your personal opinion or judgement is explained in this paragraph.

A report can be written easily if you have adequate information and you know how to categorise your points. You can follow to the tips provided below to write a report.

• Finding a suitable topic
• Conducting a research
• Gathering all the information
• Writing a thesis statement
• Preparing an outline
• Writing the final report
• Reviewing and revising
• Editing and proofreading

Let us look at each of these in detail.

Finding a Suitable Topic

Before you can start writing your report, it is crucial to find the topic you wish to write on. In most cases, the topic is already given, and if not, you can find a suitable topic for the same. To find the topic, you must keep in mind that you must be interested in the topic and must be able to collect the required information.

Conducting a Research

Whatever the kind of report, academic, business, news, etc., healthy research must be conducted. Research is essential to find adequate information regarding the topic. Since a report includes all the factual data, extensive research is essential. It is essential to find the right evidence to prove your topic.

Gathering all the Information

After you are done with your research, you can jot down all the points at a place and note down all the facts collected. After collecting the information, you can decide on the subheadings and divide them as per their categories.

Writing a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is written to conceptualise the main theme of the report. Just like the first sentence or the topic of the report, the thesis statement summarises the main points in brief.

Preparing the Outline

Preparing an outline of a report is essential for all the kids who are writing a report because you can categorise your important points and it becomes easy for you to decide on the headings and subheadings. It is essential to prepare the outline so that you do not miss out on the important points.

Writing the Final Report

After you have prepared the rough draft, you can start writing the final report. The final report must be written in simple language and in short sentences. The sentences must be short but convey the message clearly.

Reviewing and Revising

After the final report is written, it is crucial to revise and recheck if all the information has been added and you are not missing out on important information. Make sure to check if all the information has been added under the right heading and subheading.

Editing and Proofreading

After the final revision of the report, you must check the report for any grammar , spelling, and typographical errors. It is common that while writing, you might have overlooked a lot of mistakes. Therefore, final proofreading is essential.

What is a report?

A report can be a discourse containing any information which people are not aware of. A report can be either written or verbal.

What is the purpose of a report?

The purpose of writing reports is to spread information regarding an event, topic, or idea in brief. For example, a news report is written to spread the news among the people.

What is the format of a report?

• Executive Summary
• Introduction

How to write a report?

• Find a suitable topic
• Conduct a research
• Gather all the information
• Write a thesis statement
• Prepare an outline
• Write the final report
• Review and revise
• Edit and proofread

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• Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fact-checking-warnings-from-democrats-about-project-2025-and-donald-trump

Fact-checking warnings from Democrats about Project 2025 and Donald Trump

This fact check originally appeared on PolitiFact .

Project 2025 has a starring role in this week’s Democratic National Convention.

And it was front and center on Night 1.

WATCH: Hauling large copy of Project 2025, Michigan state Sen. McMorrow speaks at 2024 DNC

“This is Project 2025,” Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, said as she laid a hardbound copy of the 900-page document on the lectern. “Over the next four nights, you are going to hear a lot about what is in this 900-page document. Why? Because this is the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term.”

Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has warned Americans about “Trump’s Project 2025” agenda — even though former President Donald Trump doesn’t claim the conservative presidential transition document.

“Donald Trump wants to take our country backward,” Harris said July 23 in Milwaukee. “He and his extreme Project 2025 agenda will weaken the middle class. Like, we know we got to take this seriously, and can you believe they put that thing in writing?”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris’ running mate, has joined in on the talking point.

“Don’t believe (Trump) when he’s playing dumb about this Project 2025. He knows exactly what it’ll do,” Walz said Aug. 9 in Glendale, Arizona.

Trump’s campaign has worked to build distance from the project, which the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, led with contributions from dozens of conservative groups.

Much of the plan calls for extensive executive-branch overhauls and draws on both long-standing conservative principles, such as tax cuts, and more recent culture war issues. It lays out recommendations for disbanding the Commerce and Education departments, eliminating certain climate protections and consolidating more power to the president.

Project 2025 offers a sweeping vision for a Republican-led executive branch, and some of its policies mirror Trump’s 2024 agenda, But Harris and her presidential campaign have at times gone too far in describing what the project calls for and how closely the plans overlap with Trump’s campaign.

PolitiFact researched Harris’ warnings about how the plan would affect reproductive rights, federal entitlement programs and education, just as we did for President Joe Biden’s Project 2025 rhetoric. Here’s what the project does and doesn’t call for, and how it squares with Trump’s positions.

Are Trump and Project 2025 connected?

To distance himself from Project 2025 amid the Democratic attacks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he “knows nothing” about it and has “no idea” who is in charge of it. (CNN identified at least 140 former advisers from the Trump administration who have been involved.)

The Heritage Foundation sought contributions from more than 100 conservative organizations for its policy vision for the next Republican presidency, which was published in 2023.

Project 2025 is now winding down some of its policy operations, and director Paul Dans, a former Trump administration official, is stepping down, The Washington Post reported July 30. Trump campaign managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita denounced the document.

WATCH: A look at the Project 2025 plan to reshape government and Trump’s links to its authors

However, Project 2025 contributors include a number of high-ranking officials from Trump’s first administration, including former White House adviser Peter Navarro and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

A recently released recording of Russell Vought, a Project 2025 author and the former director of Trump’s Office of Management and Budget, showed Vought saying Trump’s “very supportive of what we do.” He said Trump was only distancing himself because Democrats were making a bogeyman out of the document.

Project 2025 wouldn’t ban abortion outright, but would curtail access

The Harris campaign shared a graphic on X that claimed “Trump’s Project 2025 plan for workers” would “go after birth control and ban abortion nationwide.”

The plan doesn’t call to ban abortion nationwide, though its recommendations could curtail some contraceptives and limit abortion access.

What’s known about Trump’s abortion agenda neither lines up with Harris’ description nor Project 2025’s wish list.

Project 2025 says the Department of Health and Human Services Department should “return to being known as the Department of Life by explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.”

It recommends that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its 2000 approval of mifepristone, the first pill taken in a two-drug regimen for a medication abortion. Medication is the most common form of abortion in the U.S. — accounting for around 63 percent in 2023.

If mifepristone were to remain approved, Project 2025 recommends new rules, such as cutting its use from 10 weeks into pregnancy to seven. It would have to be provided to patients in person — part of the group’s efforts to limit access to the drug by mail. In June, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge to mifepristone’s FDA approval over procedural grounds.

WATCH: Trump’s plans for health care and reproductive rights if he returns to White House The manual also calls for the Justice Department to enforce the 1873 Comstock Act on mifepristone, which bans the mailing of “obscene” materials. Abortion access supporters fear that a strict interpretation of the law could go further to ban mailing the materials used in procedural abortions, such as surgical instruments and equipment.

The plan proposes withholding federal money from states that don’t report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention how many abortions take place within their borders. The plan also would prohibit abortion providers, such as Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid funds. It also calls for the Department of Health and Human Services to ensure that the training of medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, omits abortion training.

The document says some forms of emergency contraception — particularly Ella, a pill that can be taken within five days of unprotected sex to prevent pregnancy — should be excluded from no-cost coverage. The Affordable Care Act requires most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services, which involves a range of birth control methods, including emergency contraception.

Trump has recently said states should decide abortion regulations and that he wouldn’t block access to contraceptives. Trump said during his June 27 debate with Biden that he wouldn’t ban mifepristone after the Supreme Court “approved” it. But the court rejected the lawsuit based on standing, not the case’s merits. He has not weighed in on the Comstock Act or said whether he supports it being used to block abortion medication, or other kinds of abortions.

Project 2025 doesn’t call for cutting Social Security, but proposes some changes to Medicare

“When you read (Project 2025),” Harris told a crowd July 23 in Wisconsin, “you will see, Donald Trump intends to cut Social Security and Medicare.”

The Project 2025 document does not call for Social Security cuts. None of its 10 references to Social Security addresses plans for cutting the program.

Harris also misleads about Trump’s Social Security views.

In his earlier campaigns and before he was a politician, Trump said about a half-dozen times that he’s open to major overhauls of Social Security, including cuts and privatization. More recently, in a March 2024 CNBC interview, Trump said of entitlement programs such as Social Security, “There’s a lot you can do in terms of entitlements, in terms of cutting.” However, he quickly walked that statement back, and his CNBC comment stands at odds with essentially everything else Trump has said during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump’s campaign website says that not “a single penny” should be cut from Social Security. We rated Harris’ claim that Trump intends to cut Social Security Mostly False.

Project 2025 does propose changes to Medicare, including making Medicare Advantage, the private insurance offering in Medicare, the “default” enrollment option. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans have provider networks and can also require prior authorization, meaning that the plan can approve or deny certain services. Original Medicare plans don’t have prior authorization requirements.

The manual also calls for repealing health policies enacted under Biden, such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The law enabled Medicare to negotiate with drugmakers for the first time in history, and recently resulted in an agreement with drug companies to lower the prices of 10 expensive prescriptions for Medicare enrollees.

Trump, however, has said repeatedly during the 2024 presidential campaign that he will not cut Medicare.

Project 2025 would eliminate the Education Department, which Trump supports

The Harris campaign said Project 2025 would “eliminate the U.S. Department of Education” — and that’s accurate. Project 2025 says federal education policy “should be limited and, ultimately, the federal Department of Education should be eliminated.” The plan scales back the federal government’s role in education policy and devolves the functions that remain to other agencies.

Aside from eliminating the department, the project also proposes scrapping the Biden administration’s Title IX revision, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It also would let states opt out of federal education programs and calls for passing a federal parents’ bill of rights similar to ones passed in some Republican-led state legislatures.

Republicans, including Trump, have pledged to close the department, which gained its status in 1979 within Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s presidential Cabinet.

In one of his Agenda 47 policy videos, Trump promised to close the department and “to send all education work and needs back to the states.” Eliminating the department would have to go through Congress.

What Project 2025, Trump would do on overtime pay

In the graphic, the Harris campaign says Project 2025 allows “employers to stop paying workers for overtime work.”

The plan doesn’t call for banning overtime wages. It recommends changes to some Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulations and to overtime rules. Some changes, if enacted, could result in some people losing overtime protections, experts told us.

The document proposes that the Labor Department maintain an overtime threshold “that does not punish businesses in lower-cost regions (e.g., the southeast United States).” This threshold is the amount of money executive, administrative or professional employees need to make for an employer to exempt them from overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

In 2019, the Trump’s administration finalized a rule that expanded overtime pay eligibility to most salaried workers earning less than about $35,568, which it said made about 1.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay. The Trump-era threshold is high enough to cover most line workers in lower-cost regions, Project 2025 said.

The Biden administration raised that threshold to $43,888 beginning July 1, and that will rise to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. That would grant overtime eligibility to about 4 million workers, the Labor Department said.

It’s unclear how many workers Project 2025’s proposal to return to the Trump-era overtime threshold in some parts of the country would affect, but experts said some would presumably lose the right to overtime wages.

Other overtime proposals in Project 2025’s plan include allowing some workers to choose to accumulate paid time off instead of overtime pay, or to work more hours in one week and fewer in the next, rather than receive overtime.

Trump’s past with overtime pay is complicated. In 2016, the Obama administration said it would raise the overtime to salaried workers earning less than $47,476 a year, about double the exemption level set in 2004 of $23,660 a year.

But when a judge blocked the Obama rule, the Trump administration didn’t challenge the court ruling. Instead it set its own overtime threshold, which raised the amount, but by less than Obama.

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Report of blackpink jennie’s alleged dad publishing book based on her life goes viral.

On August 30, 2024, a Korean media outlet Job Post published an article about PD Kim Hyung Jin ‘s 8th long-form novel. Although he is a highly-accoladed writer and PD himself, what caught the eye of many was how the article mentioned his relation to BLACKPINK ‘s Jennie .

His new book, World Informant (literal translation), is reportedly about how world stars BLACKPINK’s Jennie and PSY undergo a simulation at an AI robot camera global center.

The article also claims that “ the book is deep in meaning as it was written by PD Kim Hyung Jin, who is BLACKPINK Jennie’s biological father. ” It was also further explained that he wrote the book based on real happenings in her life, from her young trainee days up to now.

The article was deleted from Job Post a few hours after it went up. Netizens managed to save screenshots from the article before it was taken down, leading to much discussion about the matter.

Jennie has been vocal about her mother, even sharing photos taken with her. On the other hand, she has never spoken publicly about her father before, sparking even more interest in his mysterious identity.

Everything The Public Found About BLACKPINK Jennie’s Alleged Father

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Leonard Riggio, who forged a bookselling empire at Barnes & Noble, dead at 83

FILE - Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes and Noble, arrives at a book store in New York, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Leonard Riggio, chairman of Barnes & Noble, is seen in New Orleans, Feb. 26, 2008.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

FILE - This image shows the exterior of a Barnes & Noble store in Omaha, Neb., on May 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

FILE - This image shows a Barnes & Noble Booksellers store in Pittsburgh on Aug. 31, 2017. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)

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NEW YORK (AP) — Leonard Riggio, a brash, self-styled underdog who transformed the publishing industry by building Barnes & Noble into the country’s most powerful bookseller before his company was overtaken by the rise of Amazon.com, has died at age 83.

Riggio died Tuesday “following a valiant battle with Alzheimer’s disease,” according to a statement issued by his family. He had stepped down as chairman in 2019 after the chain was sold to the hedge fund Elliott Advisors.

“His leadership spanned decades, during which he not only grew the company but also nurtured a culture of innovation and a love for reading,” reads a statement from Barnes & Noble.

Riggio’s near-half-century reign began in 1971 when he used a $1.2 million loan to purchase Barnes & Noble’s name and the flagship store on lower Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He acquired hundreds of new stores over the next 20 years and, in the 1990s, launched what became a nationwide empire of “superstores” that combined a chain’s discount prices and massive capacity with the cozy appeal of couches, reading chairs and cafes.

“Our bookstores were designed to be welcoming as opposed to intimidating,” Riggio told The New York Times in 2016. “These weren’t elitist places. You could go in, get a cup of coffee, sit down and read a book for as long as you like, use the restroom. These were innovations that we had that no one thought was possible.”

He grew up working class in New York City, liked to say he preferred socializing with childhood pals over fellow business leaders and was informal enough among associates to be known as “Lenny.” But in his time no one in the book world was more feared. With the power to make any given book a bestseller, or a flop, to alter the market on an idle whim, Riggio could terrify publishers simply by suggesting prices were too high or that he might sign up such top sellers as Stephen King and John Grisham and publish them himself. He even tried to buy the country’s biggest book wholesaler, Ingram, in 1999, but backed off after facing government resistance.

By the end of the 1990s, an estimated one of every eight books sold in the U.S. were purchased through the chain, where front table displays were so valuable that publishers paid thousands of dollars to have their books included. Thousands of independent sellers went out of business even as Riggio insisted that he was expanding the market by opening up in neighborhoods without an existing store. Instead, independent owners spoke of being overwhelmed by competition from both Barnes & Noble and Borders Book Group, the rival chains sometimes setting up stores in close proximity to each other and to the locally owned business.

Barnes & Noble became so identified as an overdog that one of the 1990s’ most popular romantic comedies, “You’ve Got Mail,” starred Tom Hanks as an executive for the “Fox Books” chain and Meg Ryan as the owner of an endangered independent store in Manhattan.

“We are going to seduce them with our square footage, and our discounts, and our deep arm chairs, and our cappuccino,” Hanks’ character confidently declares. “They’re going to hate us at the beginning, but we’ll get ’em in the end.”

Acrimony from independent booksellers

For a time, it seemed industry conversation was an ongoing response to Barnes & Noble. Publishers were known to change the cover or title of a book simply because a Barnes & Noble official had objected. “Angela’s Ashes” author Frank McCourt found himself condemned by the American Booksellers Association, the trade organization for independents, after agreeing to appear in a Barnes & Noble commercial. On the floor of the industry’s annual national trade show, long hosted by the ABA, independent store employees would hiss at attendees wearing Barnes & Noble badges.

When novelist Russell Banks , addressing Barnes & Noble’s annual shareholder meeting in 1995, declared that he was both a stock holder and a happy B&N customer, some independent sellers stopped offering his books.

“You must know that I’ll never read, buy or sell another word you write,” Richard Howorth, owner of Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, wrote to him. “These are the kindest things I can think of to say to you.”

Tensions led to legal action when the ABA — on the eve of the 1994 convention — announced it was suing Barnes & Noble and five leading publishers for unfair trade practices. Some of the publishers were so angered they boycotted the gathering the following year and only returned after the ABA sold the show to Reed Exhibitions. In 1998, the ABA sued Barnes & Noble and Borders for unfair business practices (both cases were settled out of court).

The internet shifts bookselling

Riggio began the 2000s at the height of power, with more than 700 superstores and hundreds of others outlets. But internet commerce was growing quickly and Barnes & Noble, with its roots in physical retail, lacked the imagination and flexibility of the startup from Seattle that called itself “Earth’s Biggest Bookstore,” Amazon.com. The online giant launched in 1995 by Jeff Bezos gained business throughout the 2000s and by the early 2010s had displaced Barnes & Noble through such innovations as the Kindle e-book reader and the Amazon Prime subscription service.

Bezos would liken himself to David taking down Goliath, although the contrast between the leaders also had the feel of an Aesop’s fable: The muscular, mustachioed Riggio, a boxer’s son, upended by the quick and clever Bezos.

“We’re great booksellers; we know how to do that,’’ Riggio acknowledged to the Times in 2016. “We weren’t constituted to be a technology company.”

Barnes & Noble started its own online site in the late 1990s, but such initiatives as the Nook e-book reader and a self-publishing platform failed to stop Amazon. Not even the collapse of Borders after the 2008-2009 economic crisis mattered for Barnes & Noble, which after decades of expansion closed more than 100 stores between 2009 and 2019.

An unlikely ally of independent booksellers

By the time of Riggio’s retirement, independent sellers regarded the chain not as a threat, but as an ally in the fight against Amazon to keep physical stores alive. At the 2018 booksellers convention, Riggio and ABA CEO Oren Teicher , once enemies in business and in court, praised each other during a joint appearance.

“My standing here, doing what I’m about to do (introduce Riggio) would have been impossible to imagine several years ago,” Teicher said at the time. “The simple fact is that our business is stronger and American readers benefit when there is a vibrant and healthy network of brick-and-mortar bookshops all across the country.”

During the 2010s, Barnes & Noble seemed unleadable and unwanted. The board announced in 2010 that the company was for sale, but no one offered to buy it. Four CEOs left in five years and Barnes & Noble’s stock dropped 60% between 2015 and 2018. New rumors of a sale lasted for months before Elliott Advisors, which had previously purchased the British chain Waterstones, bought Barnes & Noble for $638 million and hired Waterstones chief executive James Daunt to lead B&N.

“I don’t miss being a business person, I had enough of that. But I do miss the bookselling part, helping to find books to recommend to customers,” Riggio told Publishers Weekly in 2021.

Riggio’s roots and early bookselling ventures

Bookselling and family often overlapped for Riggio. His brother Steve Riggio served for years as vice chairman of Barnes & Noble and another brother, Vincent “Jimi” Riggio, helped run a trucking company that shipped the store’s books. After being interviewed in 1974 by the trade publication College Store Executive, Leonard Riggio met for coffee with the editor, Louise Gebbia, who seven years later became his second wife (Riggio had three children, two with his first wife, one with his second).

Leonard S. Riggio was the eldest son of a prize fighter (who twice defeated Rocky Graziano) turned cab driver and a dress maker. Even in childhood, he advanced quickly, skipping two grades and attending one of the city’s top high schools, Brooklyn Tech. He studied metallurgical engineering at New York University’s night school before focusing on commerce, and by day absorbed the bookselling world and the rising cultural rebellion of the 1960s.

Working as a floor manager at the campus book store, he learned enough to drop out of school and start a rival shop in 1965 — SBX (Student Book Exchange), where he allowed student activists to use the copying machine to print copies of anti-war leaflets. SBX was so successful he bought several other campus stores and was in position by 1971 to buy Barnes & Noble and its single Manhattan store. A few years later, he became the rare bookseller to run television commercials, with the catchphrase “Barnes & Noble! Of Course! Of Course!”

Riggio and the independent community may have seemed to hold opposing values, but they shared a love of reading and the arts and a liberal political outlook. He was a generous philanthropist and a prominent supporter of Democratic politicians. He was even friendly with the consumer activist and presidential candidate Ralph Nader , who featured Riggio, Ted Turner and Yoko Ono among others in his 2009 novel “Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!”, in which Nader imagines a progressive revolution from above.

“Ever since he was a boy from Brooklyn, he’d had a visceral reaction to the way workings stiffs and the poor were treated on a day-to-day basis,” Nader wrote of Riggio, who did at times stand apart from his management peers. When some 200 business leaders were questioned by Fortune magazine in the 1990s about their political ideas, only Riggio supported the raising of worker pay.

“Money can become a burden, like something you carry on your shoulders,” he told New York magazine in 1999. “My nature is to be a ball-buster, but my role is to help people.”

This story has been updated to correct the names of Riggio’s second wife and one of his brothers. They are Louise Gebbia, not Louise Altavilla, and Vincent “Jimi,” not Thomas.

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Money blog: Fans fume at 'farcical' Oasis ticket prices - as we ask readers how much they would spend

The Money blog is a hub for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Today's posts include Burberry's woes, an end to certain perks for Barclays customers and Oasis gig prices. Share your thoughts on any of the stories we publish below.

Friday 30 August 2024 17:41, UK

• Fans fume at 'farcical' Oasis ticket prices - as readers reveal how much they'd spend
• Key deadline for free childcare on Saturday
• Major change for Barclays customers next week

Essential reads

• Has the Nike trainer bubble burst?
• Top chef shares cheap soup recipe - as he picks best budget eats in Kent

Tips and advice

• The eyewatering rate hike awaiting anyone coming off a five-year fixed
• Treat savings like monthly bill, says savings guru
• Young people doing 'big no-no' with holiday money - here are the golden rules

Ask a question or make a comment

By Jimmy Rice, Money blog editor

As Britain woke up from a long bank holiday weekend, Sir Keir Starmer gave the country something else to look forward to: tax hikes and spending cuts.

These were all-but confirmed in a Downing Street news conference outlining the "dire" state of the public finances.

Again we heard that VAT, national insurance and income tax would be exempt from any changes. Instead, commentators believe levies on capital gains and inheritance will rise, with leading tax firm Blick Rothenberg issuing this warning on the former...

We have two months to wait for more details - the budget is on 30 October - but our politics team has outlined which other taxes the chancellor could have in her sights here...

One of the first things to go under Labour - ministers say due to the economic inheritance left by the previous government - was universal winter fuel payments for pensioners.

Only those who receive pension credit or other means-tested benefits will still get the £200-£300 towards the cost of their energy bills.   

Even then, they could have to fill in a 243-question form, as we revealed on Thursday…

On Wednesday's episode of the Daily, host Liz Bates heard from one of the plan's critics, Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell. 

Plus, she discussed whether there could be an alternative - one that could keep everyone happy - with The Social Market Foundation's Sam Robinson.

Listen below or tap here to follow the Daily wherever you get your podcasts.

Finally, here in the Money blog, we looked at the hidden refund option that could save you hundreds of pounds...

We'll be back with live updates on Monday - but do check out our Saturday feature on Big Issue sellers from 8am tomorrow.

Have a good weekend.

One of the stories inviting the most reader comments this week was our feature on whether the Nike trainers bubble has burst...

Many of the things examined in the long read came up in your correspondence - with quality and price seemingly major issues for consumers...

Nike have lost their way in the running market, unless you are looking for a top of the range, super fragile, supershoe. I used to have multiple pairs in my rotation, but today I don't have a single one. Brands like Hoka beat them hands down on product line-up & quality. TheRunner

I think Nike trainers in this era are ugly & overpriced. I collect Nike OGs from the 80s & 90s. Classic Nike Air Max 1s, Air Trainer 1s, 180s, you cannot go wrong with them. MarkyG74

Bought a £180 pair of Nike trainers the other week, smudged glue, loose fabric + stitching everywhere, most trainers nowadays should come with some trimming and assembly required note. Gudgeonb

Has Nike rested on their historical reputation and not moved on with the market? Value for money, consumer ethical beliefs and young people have moved on - have they simply lost that competitive edge? Not great for trail running that's for sure! Fashion statement, maybe. Jo

Jordans have had their day, Nike losing the market. Stoneymezza

Nike have priced themselves out of the market, the price of their trainers have increased by £40 on a pair of Air Max 90s in the last three years, people won't be ripped off and will simply take there business to other brands. Matteo

Nike's bubble has burst, they ditched the independent retailer and it's been downhill from there. New brands are now occupying independent retail spaces, retail space whereby you get a personalised experience, one where you learn the history and culture of a brand. Anthony Hammond

This is always down to price. The affordability of some of these trainers is scandalous, £200 for same material as ones I get front Primark for £10. Nickgloverbirkenhead

Myself and fiancée used to love Nike. But I feel they aren't as diverse and inclusive as they once were. Additionally, they aren't as affordable or comfortable. It feels as if they've prioritised cheap manufacturing over expensive prices. This is upsetting. From a Nike fan. Niall Benson

Readers also reacted to this post suggesting capital gains tax could rise in the October budget...

These were some of the comments...

I spent many of my professional years being paid by clients to minimise their exposure to CGT. The government could (and perhaps should) require a CGT computation on a property sale, to be made as part of the sales transaction and a payment made on account at that time. Nick Taylor

The vast majority of working people earning below £30k a year will not need to worry about this. So why are the media making a big deal of it? CGT accounts for 2% of total tax so it's a good move for the people or companies to pay their fair share as it's felt like they haven't. Mike

We also had lots of mail on hotels putting up prices on nights when Oasis are playing.

This dynamic pricing is used across the industry - but this week Maldron Hotels found itself facing a backlash after what it called a "technical error" led to cheaper reservations being cancelled, and then the rooms being temporarily advertised at a higher rate.

Here are some of the comments that came in...

Booked a hotel in Dublin for Oasis concert dates yesterday, paid 200 then they cancelled it and when I went back on the same room was nearly 500. How is this allowed? Joe mallon10

Happened to me. Booked two rooms at the Maldron Hotel Cathedral Square at £253 each. Got an email to say they were cancelled, called the hotel as they were still confirmed on booking.com and they said they were all cancelled on their side but being resold at £443 10 minutes later. Katie

Hotels have been doing this for years. The minute LFC get into a final the room prices triple. Jackolfc

The prices can only go as high as the concert goers will. For these concerts they will be prepared to go very high. That's the ONLY reason Oasis are touring. Money!👍🏼😂 Hafalumpa

Hotels should be regulated and fined for doing such unscrupulous pricing. They do this regularly for events, it needs government intervention. Barbara

Planned strikes by LNER train drivers have been called off this weekend, the Aslef union has announced.

Members were due to walk out tomorrow and over several more weekends this year over a dispute about the breaking of work practice agreements.

However Aslef has announced today that the industrial action has been suspended and drivers will work as normal. 

It follows meetings between the union and LNER bosses.

Sainsbury's has announced a £130m deal to buy 10 Homebase stores and convert them into supermarkets , in a move that is expected to create around 1,000 jobs.

It said the deal should be completed next month.

The new shops will cover "key target locations" for expansion across England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the supermarket said.

The first converted store is due to be opened next summer, will all sites expected to be converted by the end of 2025.

Vinted has launched a new electronics category on its app, allowing for items such as games consoles, headphones and smart watches to be sold for the first time.

Retail Week reported that the new category has been brought in due to the popularity of the limited number of electronics allowed to be sold on the app previously.

Fashion will remain the focus of the second hand marketplace, it said.

Experts are reacting today after it emerged that employers will have to offer flexible working hours - including a four-day week - to all workers under government plans.

To receive their full pay, employees would still have to work their full hours but compressed into a shorter working week - something some workplaces already do.

Currently, employees can request flexible hours as soon as they start at a company but employers are not legally obliged to agree.

The Labour government now wants to make it so employers have to offer flexible hours from day one, except where it is "not reasonably feasible".

It is understood Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is behind the move and wants to introduce legislation on it this autumn after consulting with unions and businesses.

The government has denied employers will be forced to allow staff to work four-day weeks, or make employees work a four-day week.

But some experts have reacted positively to the proposed plan, with one describing it as a "beacon of hope" for employee wellbeing.

Gabriel McKeown, head of macroeconomics   at Sad Rabbit Investments, said talk of a four-day week is now longer a "whisper in the corridors of progressive workplaces".

"Yet, despite the natural 'too good to be true' suspicion surrounding anything that feels remotely utopian, this policy could be a beacon of hope for improved mental health and enhanced productivity," he said.

He noted that implementing the change would not come without "complexities" for employees.

Meanwhile,  Cara Cunniff, leadership and performance consultant   at ThriveWell Global, said a "clearer focus on outputs over inputs may be just the thing to jolt the British economy into action".

The plan "throws down the gauntlet" and "may be just the catalyst employees and businesses need" to recruit and retain the best workers, she said.

"We're in a race for scarce talent and the expectations of the workers of today and tomorrow bear little comparison to those of former generations."

Sky News has also spoken to Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week Campaign , and Michelle Evans, founder of Small Business Britain , about what they think of the government's plan.

Mr Ryle says he welcomes the move which shows that ministers recognise "the four day week is here to stay" - though he noted the proposal only allows for a compression rather than a reduction in hours, which is what the campaign is aimed at.

He says some companies which have allowed employees to reduce their hours and maintain their pay have "seen productivity being maintained and the wellbeing of workers improving". 

Offering a different opinion, Ms Evans says it could cause "challenges" for small to medium businesses.

There are lots of sectors where this "just isn't feasible", she adds, saying firms such as those in the retail and hospitality sector "can't just close for a day" or afford to hire more staff.

She adds that it's important to "be really clear" about how far flexible working can go. Smaller businesses "aren't the bad guys" and "want their staff to do well", she says. 

As the hopes of tens of thousands of Oasis fans are crushed by a tweet just now announcing that everyone who's got lucky in the presale ballot has already been contacted... we've been asking just how much you'd be willing to pay for a ticket.

Oasis revealed yesterday how much tickets for the upcoming tour will cost, after Liam and Noel Gallagher confirmed they'd set aside their differences for a hotly anticipated reunion.

Prices for the cheapest seats start at around £73 and around £150 for standing - while the most expensive ticket will see fans paying over £500.

It had been widely reported that tickets could soar over the £100 mark.

A poll of Sky News followers on LinkedIn has offered some insight into how much people are willing to fork out to see one of the biggest bands of the 90s:

The largest proportion of people (42%) said they'd want to spend less than £100 to see Oasis. Only 6% said they'd pay £200-£300, while interestingly, a higher proportion (11%) said they'd be willing to spend over £300.

Social media users are reacting to the ticket prices, as fans prepare to find out today whether they've been successful in a resale ballot.

One X user said they were "so disappointed", while another said the band were "taking the p***".

"Those Oasis ticket prices are a farce," said another.

Other fans took to social media with evidence of much cheaper tickets from days gone by...

But while some have been left feeling put out by how much an Oasis ticket could set them back - others have defended the pricing.

One user said they felt the tickets were a "fair price", while another said: "Did people really expect Oasis to charge the price of a Watford at home ticket and a packet of pork scratchings? Come on."

"Oasis can just take my money I absolutely do not care what the ticket price is," said another fan.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

House prices are now growing at the fastest annual rate in nearly two years, the UK's largest building society has said, with rises expected to continue.

In the year up to August, houses became 2.4% more valuable with the average property costing £265,375, according to Nationwide.

But prices are still below the all-time highs recorded in the summer of 2022 by about 3%.

The annual increase and associated increase in buying demand is still "subdued by historic standards", Nationwide said.

Read the full story here :

The deadline for working parents of nine-month-olds in England to register for 15 free hours of government-funded childcare a week is tomorrow.

From 1 September, the free childcare offer is being extended to eligible parents with children of this age and older.

But with applications due by 31 August, families need to act now.

Check if you're eligible  here  - or read on for our explainer on free childcare across the UK.

Three and four-year-olds

In England, all parents of children aged three and four in England can claim 15 hours of free childcare per week, for 1,140 hours (38 weeks) a year, at an approved provider.

This is a universal offer open to all.

It can be extended to 30 hours where both parents (or the sole parent) are in work, earn the weekly minimum equivalent of 16 hours at the national minimum or living wage, and have an income of less than £100,000 per year.

Two-year- olds

Previously, only parents in receipt of certain benefits were eligible for 15 hours of free childcare.

But, as of April, this was extended to working parents.

This is not a universal offer, however.

A working parent must earn more than £8,670 but less than £100,000 per year. For couples, the rule applies to both parents.

Nine-months-old

On 1 September, this same 15-hour offer will be extended to working parents of children aged from nine months. From 12 May, those whose children will be at least nine months old on 31 August can apply to received the 15 hours of care from September.

From September 2025

The final change to the childcare offer in England will be rolled out in September 2025, when eligible working parents of all children under the age of five will be able to claim 30 hours of free childcare a week.

In some areas of Wales, the Flying Start early years programme offers 12.5 hours of free childcare for 39 weeks, for eligible children aged two to three. The scheme is based on your postcode area, though it is currently being expanded.

All three and four-year-olds are entitled to free early education of 10 hours per week in approved settings during term time under the Welsh government's childcare offer.

Some children of this age are entitled to up to 30 hours per week of free early education and childcare over 48 weeks of the year. The hours can be split - but at least 10 need to be used on early education.

To qualify for this, each parent must earn less than £100,000 per year, be employed and earn at least the equivalent of working 16 hours a week at the national minimum wage, or be enrolled on an undergraduate, postgraduate or further education course that is at least 10 weeks in length.

All three and four-year-olds living in Scotland are entitled to at least 1,140 hours per year of free childcare, with no work or earnings requirements for parents. 

This is usually taken as 30 hours per week over term time (38 weeks), though each provider will have their own approach.

Some households can claim free childcare for two-year-olds. To be eligible you have to be claiming certain benefits such as Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance or Universal Credit, or have a child that is in the care of their local council or living with you under a guardianship order or kinship care order.

Northern Ireland

There is no scheme for free childcare in Northern Ireland. Some other limited support is available.

Working parents can access support from UK-wide schemes such as tax credits, Universal Credit, childcare vouchers and tax-free childcare.

Aside from this, all parents of children aged three or four can apply for at least 12.5 hours a week of funded pre-school education during term time. But over 90% of three-year-olds have a funded pre-school place - and of course this is different to childcare.

What other help could I be eligible for?

Tax-free childcare  - Working parents in the UK can claim up to £500 every three months (up to £2,000 a year) for each of their children to help with childcare costs. 

If the child is disabled, the amount goes up to £1,000 every three months (up to £4,000 a year).

To claim the benefit, parents will need to open a tax-free childcare account online. For every 80p paid into the account, the government will top it up by 20p.

The scheme is available until the September after the child turns 11.

Universal credit  - Working families on universal credit can claim back up to 85% of their monthly childcare costs, as long as the care is paid for upfront. The most you can claim per month is £951 for one child or £1,630 for two or more children.

Tax credits -  People claiming working tax credit can get up to 70% of what they pay for childcare if their costs are no more than £175 per week for one child or £300 per work for multiple children.

By  Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

It's likely to be one of the last few days that Burberry is included in the list of 100 most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange - the FTSE 100 - and this morning the British fashion retailer is the biggest loser of the index.

Its share price is down 1.69%, the most of any of the 100 companies, as it's expected to be booted out next week due to share price tumbles. It had been a stalwart of the FTSE 100 for 15 years.

Oil is ending the week back above $80 - higher than most of the past few days - at $80.42 for a barrel of the benchmark Brent crude.

The pound has stayed high, or more accurately the dollar has stayed weak, with one pound falling just about below the more than two-year high of $1.32. Currently a pound buys $1.31.

In an update to our previous post, NatWest says the issue with its banking app that left customers unable to access some services this morning has been fixed.

A NatWest spokesperson said: "Some customers experienced difficulty in making payments via the mobile app this morning. 

"This has been resolved and customers can make payments as normal. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused."

NatWest says it is working hard to fix an issue which has left customers unable to make payments through its app this morning.

Users have reported receiving an error message and being logged out when trying to approve a transfer, while others say they can't access the app at all.

The most recent data from outage monitor DownDetector shows there were nearly 1,020 complaints about issues with NatWest at 7.40am this morning.

A NatWest spokesperson said: "Some customers have experienced difficulty in making payments via the mobile app this morning. We're working to resolve this as quickly as possible and we're really sorry for any inconvenience caused."

Customers are still reportedly able to make payments via online banking.

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