FORMAL REPORT

Formal report
Is distinguished from the informal report by:
inclusion of some or all the special
elements like front materials and end
materials.
the length of the report.

Front materials:

All materials that precede the text of the

report.
Help reader to:
a) locate specific information
b) become familiar with the general
content and the organization of the
report.
Pages are numbered in small Roman
numerals (e.g i, ii, iii)
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ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:

Title Page
Transmittal Letter or Memo
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Abstract
Executive Summary

ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:
Title Page:

Like cover page

Title of report

Name of writer (Prepared by)

Date of submission

Identity of primary audience

(Prepared for)
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Title Page

ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:
Transmittal letter or memo:
- to establish the title and purpose of
report
- to provide a place for the writer to add
comments about matters that do not fit
easily into the report itself.
- place letter/memo immediately after
title page
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Transmittal Letter

ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:
Table of Contents:
Alert readers to:
a) pages that contain specific topics
b) the overall organization and content
c) specific and supplemental materials
Helps audience locate particular sections
Placed directly after transmittal letter or
title page.
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In table of contents:

List all major headings with the same

wording used in the report.
List subsections, indented under major
headings.
List all formal report elements, except title
page.
Include the titles of appendixes.
Do not underline headings.

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Table of Contents

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ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:
List of illustrations:
- indicates the page numbers on which the
illustrations appear.
- if there are many illustrations, separate
the list into List of Figures and List of
Tables.

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List of Illustrations

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ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:
Abstract:
- A synopsis of the most important points
in the report.
- Provides readers with a preview of the
full contents.
- Always begins on a new page.

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ELEMENTS OF FRONT
MATERIALS:
Executive summary:
- presents the main points of the report,
often for the benefit of a non-technical
secondary audience.
- provides a more comprehensive overview
than an abstract.
- use paragraph format
- always begins on a new page.
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End Materials
Furnish relevant information not
included in the body.
Include supplemental elements that some
readers need to understand the report
information.
Provide additional specialized information
for some readers.
Typically picks up the Arabic
numbering where the body has left off.

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ELEMENTS OF END
MATERIALS
References
Glossary
List of Symbols
Appendixes

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ELEMENTS OF END
MATERIALS
Reference list:
Records the sources of information in
the report and follows the final section of
the report body.
Title of section can be References or
Work Cited.

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ELEMENTS OF END
MATERIALS
Glossary/List of Symbols:
Alert readers to these materials in the
introduction.
Arrange them alphabetically.
Do not number the terms or symbols.
List the terms or symbols on the left
and definition on the right side on the same
line.

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ELEMENTS OF END
MATERIALS
Appendixes:
Supplemental information that is too
detailed and technical to fit well into the
body of the report.
Information that some readers need and
others do not.
Recent trend, to place highly technical and
statistical information here.

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Guidelines for writing

appendixes:
Label appendixes with letters,
Appendix A and Appendix B.
Provide title for each appendix, like
Appendix A. Questionnaire Sample.
Indicate in the body of report that an
appendix provides supplemental information
on a particular topic, like See Appendix A
for cost figures.

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For assignment
Title Page
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Abstract
References
Appendixes

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- THE END -

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