A Report is : a text that classifies and describes something, such as presenting information about a feature of the environment.

What should the report look like ?

• The report should be approximately 200 words
• It should begin with a general statement .This section of the text can classify the thing (the rainforest) being described, its location in time and space and preview the rest of the description to the follow.
• Description, this section of the text sets out the description in the report. Typically it will consist of paragraphs each linked dealing with different aspects of the above description.
• What are the language features of a report : The language in the report should reflect the technical language of a the rainforest being described.
• The report should be written in present tense, giving the idea of timeless truth, eg "droughts occur" rather than " there was a drouht last year".
• Terms are generalised, that is, they refer to general things eg " droughts" rather than " that drought last year" and not evaluative eg "layers of wood" rather than "layers of beautiful wood".

SAMPLE REPORT:

General statement identifies and classifies the subject of the report.             Descriptions: key places identified acording to location; historical background given

The city of Paris is the capital of France, it is very old and built on the banks of the Seine. Paris is named after a Celtic tribe called the Parisii who lived on the island in the river. Paris is famous for its museums, galleries and is a leader of fashion in the world. At the centre of the city is an island called Ile de' la cite', crowned by the cathedral of Notre Dame. Many nobles were imprisoned on the islands Palais de Justice during the French Revolution. The oldest bridge in Paris is called Pont Neuf (new bridge) although it is over four hundred years old! The River Seine divides Paris into a right bank and left bank. Much of the city was rebuilt to a new plan in the 1980's. On the hill behind the Louvre is white church of Sacre Coeur and the artists quarter of the Montmartre. On the left bank are the older, narrower streets of the students or Latin quarter and the Sorbonne University. Further down the river is the Eiffel Tower on Champs de Mars. The Louvre was once a royal palace. Since the revolution it has been a museum. A huge glass prism stands in one courtyard. The Mona Lisa is a famous painting in the Louvre. People say ahe has a mysterious smile. Another famous landmark is the Arc de Triomphe, which was built to celebrate Napoleon's victories. Twelve avenues lead from it in a star shape.

Use of word families to build topic information, eg Paris, France, Seine. Use present tense. Use relating verbs to identify, eg The city of Paris is the capital of France, and to relate descriptions to the subject, eg it is very old.     Use of noun groups to build descriptions eg the oldest bridge in Paris Uses the subject "the city of Paris" and places in the city as the beginning facus of the clause, eg the oldest bridge in Paris, the river Seine, the Louvre. This pattern of choce of theme plays a prt in the successful organisation of the text.