REPORT TEXT (FACTUAL REPORT TEXT)

What is factual report? A factual report text is a text that provides information about something. This report text allows the readers to have better understanding about a living or non-living subject.

 

Picture: Chapter 8 English Literature_Report Text.

Learning Goals

1. Understand Factual Report
2. Structure and Language Features of Factual Report
3. Analyze Factual Report
4. Write Factual Report

Characteristics of Factual Report

1. Uses facts to explain something in detail.
2. Gives details about a topic.
3. Does not contain personal view, commonly use third person omniscient point of view, where the storyteller knows everything.

Generic Structures of Factual Report

 A factual report text has two common structures:

1. General classification: Introduces the topic of the factual report, such as type, the class, or the sub-class;
2. Description: Tells about shape/form, parts, the use, the history of the invention.

Contents of a factual report text, they are:

1. General information
2. Bundles of specific information

Language Features of Factual Report

1. Using indefinite article ‘a/an’ is used, when:

• To refer to something which is mentioned for the first time
• Use ‘a’ for the nouns started with consonant letters
• Use ‘an” for the nouns started with vocal letters
• Use ‘a’ or ‘an’ for singular countable nouns

    The definite article ‘the’ is used, when:

• To refer to something which has been mentioned before
• Use in the sentence or clauses where we define or identify a particular person or object
• Use with superlatives and ordinal number
• With a group of year or time phases

2. Using Simple Present Tense

Subject + V1 (-e/-es) + (Object)

Subject + *To Be  +  Adjective/Noun

 *am, is, are

Simple Present Tense with Singular Subject

• A truck moves
• A student studies report text.
• A policeman controls the traffic. 
• A truck moves slowly on the road.
• A doctor examines COVID-19 vaccine.
• A truck is a vehicle. (noun)
• A doctor is smart. (adjective)
• I am an inventor. (noun)

Simple Present Tense with Plural Subject

• Trucks move.
• Students study report text.
• Policemen control the traffic. 
• Trucks move slowly on the road.
• Doctors examine COVID-19 vaccine.
• Trucks are vehicles. (noun)
• Doctors are smart. (adjective)
• They are inventors. (noun)

3. Using Topic Sentences and Supporting Sentences

Topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main idea of the paragraph in which it occurs. Contrary to popular belief, topic sentence does not always have to place at the beginning of paragraph. It can be placed at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.

However, the location of placement serves different purposes.

Example of A Factual Report Text

Telegraph

Telegraph

A telegraph is a machine that is used for transmitting message in the form of electrical impulses, which can be converted into data. The message which is sent by a telegraph is called telegram or cablegram.

Telegraphy was a major mode of communication from the middle of the 1800s until 1900s. Nowadays, people do not use it anymore, because inventions like telephones and internet are faster than telegraph.