8) Why are formal reports written in business? Give an original example of a business related formal report. (Obj. 4)

9.  What is a letter or memorandum of transmittal, and what should it include? (Obj. 4)

10. How long should a typical executive summary be? (Obj. 4)

11. Describe how to say an executive summary for a formal business report.  (Obj. 4)

12.  What should be included in the introduction to a formal report? (Obj. 4)

13.  What should the writer strive to do in the body of a formal report? (Obj. 5)

14.  Why must writers list their sources and identify them in the text? (Obj. 5)

15.  In your view, what are six of the most important tips for the writer of a formal report? Explain each of your choices. (Obj. 6)

 

Why are formal reports written in business? Give an original example of a business related formal report. (Obj. 4)

• The process of preparing a formal written document dedicated for a business setting is called business report writing. An example of which is a detailed marketing study that includes an introduction, executive summary of the study and its findings.
• It is necessary that these formal reports are written in business because the data that it contains is needed in the justification of a business decision and has a purpose of solving a problem.

What is a letter or memorandum of transmittal, and what should it include? (Obj. 4)

• A letter or memorandum of transmittal includes the report for the person requesting it or the audience for a certain report. Thus, it should include the recipient and sender's address for an ease of communication or forwarding of replies. Also, there should be a distribution list to let the recipient know who else knows about the report and a salutation and closing for formality. It also seldom includes the reason why it should be received by the recipient and what shall he/she do with it.   

How long should a typical executive summary be? (Obj. 4)

• A typical executive summary is usually the reflection of 5-10% of the length of the completed report. However, if a completed report is 20 pages or less then a one-page summary would suffice. It should be clear and concise which conveys only the fatal points delivered in a formal tone.

Describe how to say an executive summary for a formal business report. 

• The executive summary for a formal business report should be the condensed version of the completed report which only includes the restatement of the purpose, highlighting important points and narration of the results, conclusion and recommendation from the report. If necessary, it could also contain a supporting research to give grounds for the results of the business report.

 What should be included in the introduction to a formal report?

• The introduction should contain a brief context and highlights of the purpose of the report. It should also explain the importance and flow of the report to help the reader further understand the structure of the report to set their expectations accordingly. Most introductions contain the background, purpose, significance, scope and limitations, methods and sources but are reworded to avoid being repetitious. 

What should the writer strive to do in the body of a formal report?

• The writer should strive to clear any confusion and bring to unison the readers of the formal report because the body contains the key information and possible analysis of the topics that explains the purpose of the report.

Why must writers list their sources and identify them in the text?

• Writers cite their sources to give credit towards the author whom they have taken their ideas as reference. Moreover, providing their sources could reflect that the writer only uses reliable sources wherein his audience could also verify and learn more about his topic. This reliability would have a huge impact towards the writer's credibility and his audience would support and believe in his writings.

In your view, what are six of the most important tips for the writer of a formal report? Explain each of your choices.

• Focus on the objective - the writer should focus on the objective of the report through a brief yet meaningful explanation of the topic from the introduction until the recommendation. It would eliminate repetitiveness and create an impact on the audience.
• Create a clear layout - the writer should provide a readable and inviting report through the use of headings and subheadings to group the text accordingly and avoid confusion.
• Keep sentences to a minimum - it is inevitable that a report could be long and dragging but the writer must strive to keep the sentences concise and understandable.
• Format charts and graphs to be understandable - charts and other similar tools could look intimidating for some but it is an effective way to create a visual representation of the idea. Thus, charts and graphs should be clean and thoroughly explained by legends.
• Provide reliable sources only - writers should always consider their references because these reports are used for making decisions and could affect a larger scale if not done properly.
• Revise and Proofread always - revising and proofreading are crucial before submitting reports because these reports would also be used as references wherein an incorrect information may mislead its audience.