CAE REPORT

Paper 2 Part 2 - Report

A REPORT may be written for a superior (e.g. a boss or college principal) or a peer group (e.g. club members or
colleagues). The content of a report is to some extent factual and draws on the prompt material, but there will be
scope for candidates to make use of their own ideas and experience.
Candidates will be asked to do more than describe a situation; they may be asked to evaluate to what extent a
particular aim has been achieved, or to suggest an alternative course of action.

Hints

 Begin by stating the purpose of your report.

 You may use invented statistics to provide a succinct summary of your results.
 Use a clear layout with:
 Headings. They will make it clear that your report is not an essay or review.
 Lists of numbered points or bullets where appropriate. (DON'T overdo it, though. If you use them
in more than one section, you won't be able to show the full range of structures and vocabulary you
know.)
 Divide your report into sections according to the input.
 Develop the ideas in the task input.
 Include a sentence summarising your opinion at the beginning of the final section of your report.
 Use an impersonal, formal style.
Useful language for a report
Stating the purpose of the report

 The principal aim/objective/purpose of this report is to provide a description of... / to provide/to present
results of /to assess the importance of ...
 In this report I will provide a description of ... / I will provide/present results of .../ I will assess the
importance of...
 This report describes/provides an assessment of... / describes/provides/presents results of...
Describing how you got the information

 I conducted a survey of / I conducted interviews with local council officers ...

 ... responded to an online questionnaire.
 I visited three of the most popular ...
 ... were invited to attend a focus group...
Reporting your results

 Most of those responding to the survey stated that/expressed the opinion that ...
  According to ...
 A large/considerable/significant/ proportion of respondents/informants/those surveyed said that ...
 Nearly three quarters of the ...
Presenting a list

 The arguments against ... are the following:

1. ...
2. ...
 The following were the main reasons given for supporting ...: firstly, ..., secondly, ...
 Points our informants mentioned in favour of/against ... were:
1. ...
2. ...
 There are several ways in which ... might be ... :
1. ...
2. ...
Making recommendations

 Taking all the factors mentioned into account/In the light of the results of the survery/questionnaire, ...
would appear to be the most viable solution/option/approach.
 I would therefore recommend ....
 Clearly, more could be done to .... I would make the following recommendations:
 ...
 ...

Model questions and answers

Report - Model question 1

TASK
An international market research company has asked you to write a report on advertising in your country. The
company that has commisioned this report wants to know about the most common approaches used and how
consumers respond to them. You are also asked to suggest changes to current approaches or alternative approaches
which you believe would be more effective.

Write your report in 220-260 words in an appropriate style.

Report - Model answer 2

Introduction

In this report I will provide a description of common types of advertising in Australia and
present results of consumer responses to these. The final section makes recommendations
for possible changes to increase the effectiveness of campaigns.
Common approaches

Television and radio continue to play an important part in advertising campaigns and
celebrity endorsements often feature prominently. Print media, including billboards,
posters and flyers, are also ubiquitous, especially in large cities. Some companies target
consumers by giving away samples in public places and supermarkets, aggressive
telemarketing or door-to-door sales. Many companies use social media strategies such as
online competitions or special offers for 'likers'.

Consumer responses

I conducted an online survey with 200 Australian contacts. An overwhelming majority

cited that they found telemarketing and door-to-door sales people intrusive, annoying and
rude. Nevertheless, over half admitted to buying something from someone through one of
these channels. People generally said that they liked advertising when it was suited to
their interests or used humour. A number of respondents mentioned that they 'loved free
stuff' and would tell others about something they had been given.

Recommendations

In light of the results above, I recommend the following:

 Make sure telemarketers and door-to-door salespeople have adequate customer

service training.
 Target young people such as university students for giveaways as this will likely
result in positive word-of-mouth advertising and online reviews.

[+/- 230 words]