A report should: 

• be in the form of a narrative 
• be in the past tense 
• include all relevant details 
• focus on one particular event only 
• mention the date and time of occurrence 
• mention the venue 
• mention the facts 
• mention the cause, result, etc.

Report For A School Magazine

Format: 

(a) Heading

(b) Writer’s name and class.

Heading/Title Of The Happening 

[by Dhanwcmth/Aditi]

………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………. ………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Language: Should be semi-formal. Try to be simple but attractive and appealing. Avoid displaying your linguistic ability.

Content : 

• factual information about school activity/event 
• date, time, venue of the activity/event 
• sequence of event/programme 
• information about participants/chief guests/judges 
• kind of organisation, people responsible for programme/ arrangements 
• results, if describing a contest

Report For A Newspaper 

Usual subjects : Political news, sports news, crimes, accidents, natural disasters, etc. 

Format : (a) Headline 

(b) ‘Byline’, i.e., by a correspondent-reporter or an agency as its source and 

(c) Date-line-date and place of occurrence

Headline 

[by Sudhir/Sudha, TOI Correspondent/Staff reporter]

Chennai, 9 March

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Language and Style : 

• quite formal 
• passive voice is preferred 
• journalistic jargon (vocabulary/expressions), e.g., 
• according to ‘ ministry/party spokesman or according to government sources
• use of words like ‘alleged’ or ‘suspected’ before ‘murderer’, ‘smuggler’, ‘thief’, etc.

Content: It is most important. The main information is given in the first two or three sentences. Other essential information like date, place, occasion, etc., follow. Presentation should be symmetrical.