国际商务信函写作(英文版)Unit 18 Business Reports

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2. Types of Business Reports
There are many types of reports, depending on how we sort them.
Sometimes we group reports by where they are found, such as academic reports, laboratory reports, and public statements.
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How Is a Business Report Laid Out?
1. Structures of Reports 2. Outlined Structures of Major Types 3. Layouts of Reports
The usual structure of a report is:
Business report is an orderly, objective message used to convey information from one organizational area to another to assist in decision-making or problem-solving.
A report is a formal or even official document that investigates, selects and interprets information by using appropriate techniques for a stated purpose. It may be a simple record of events, or it can be a long text discussing in detail a certain project of national importance. Frequently a report tries to persuade the target reader to agree with a stated message, and to make him or her take an action desired by the writer or the sponsor of the report.
2) Long Reports
A long report may contain many reports of varying lengths and types. The format outlined below is one of the most frequently adopted structures for long business reports. It is important that readers have a clear idea of the components it contains. Also important to note is that this outline below can be identical to the contents page of a formal report. For that purpose, all readers have to do is to add page numbers on the right to each item in the major framework. Also, if need be, readers can alter or replace most of the items in this outline to suit your actual report requirements.
● Title ● Transmittals ● Summary/ abstract ● Acknowledgments ● List of contents ● List of diagrams ● Introduction and terms of reference ● Methodology ● Work done and findings (body) ● Conclusions and recommendations ● References ● Appendices
Language Tone
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Language
In report writing, the most appropriate style is objective, impersonal, specific and factual. The pronouns I/We/You are avoided while third-person, reported speech is generally used, together with full sentences rather than note-form phrases. In reported speech the tense of the verb that the speaker actually says is changed by the reporter to make it conform to the grammatical requirements of the reporting verb that is being used.
On another parameter we may classify reports by deciding whether they are informal or formal.
A third way to classify reports is according to their functions. In this regard there are also many kinds, and so far there is little consensus among even experts on the classification. But we can have some idea about functioning reports by looking at these terms: feasibility reports, process reports, lab reports, term reports, etc.
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1) Short Reports
Now we are using this space for a few words on reports that are brief in subject matter and short in length. Short reports serve business purposes in their own right. Shortness does not imply any surrender to quality or utility. If anything, they are more organized and "distilled", so to speak. We might as well have a look here at the structure and organization of two typical short reports, before we talk about the structures of other formal types.
● inform ● instruct ● explain ● motivate ● persuade ● reinforce (prior discussions / communication) ● recommend
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3. Language and Tone of Business Reports
Figure 1 Skeleton of a short and informal report 短篇非正式报告纲要
To:
XXXX
From: X X X X
Date: X X X X
Subject: X X X X
Content:
Figure 2 Highlights of a short but formal report 短篇正式报告纲要
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4. Ingredients of a Good Business Report
The best reports are written in a style that is:
● Concise; as brief as content and purpose allow ● Clear and understandable ● Precise, saying exactly what you mean (and not including lots of extraneous material) ● In their language (at an appropriate level of technically) ● Simple, with a logical ture which is easy to follow ● Adequately descriptive
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Tone
Basically the tone of business reports depends on the audience. It is a reflection of the relationship between the writer and the reader of the report. This includes audiences other than the primary reader of your report. For example, if you are writing a report for your boss, which he intends to use as the basis of report to his boss, you should be sensitive to the needs, wishes and expectations of your boss's boss.