6. Writing reports: Conclusions and recommendations

Practise common collocations, drawing conclusions from given information, useful language to use when writing conclusions and recommendations, formal written style, and describing cause and effect.

1. Collocation casino.

Play the casino game. Decide if the collocations in each sentence are correct or incorrect.

For example:

I would like to do the following recommendations. = Incorrect
I would like to make the following recommendations. = Correct

  • You start with 20 points.
  • Decide how many points you want to bet.
  • When you are correct, you win double the points.
  • When you are incorrect, you lose the points.

How many points can you win?

See a table of some common collocations found in written reports.

verbs + nouns
carry out, do research, an inspection, an investigation, a survey
come up with   a plan, a solution, a recommendation
compile a list
draw, come to, arrive at   a conclusion
establish criteria
evaluate, assess   options
meet, fulfil, satisfy requirements
gather, collect, request, collate   information
give, list   solutions
identify, select   key information
make a recommendation, a suggestion, a decision, a point, a comparison
reach a decision, a conclusion
take factors into account

2. Drawing conclusions.

As a result of the findings in Section 4 the Nova and Toshdo tablets were shortlisted for recommendation. Look at the table of information again and answer the questions below.

TIP:

Writing summarising sentences in note form, based on the information you are given, can help you to select and organise the information to include when you are writing a conclusion.

 

Specification Nova Toshdo Kimov
Operating system Robot 5.1 Robot 5.0 Lexical 7
Processor 2 X 1GHz dual-core Monkey 7 dual-core 1GHz dual-core
Display size 10.1" 10.1" 7"
Resolution 1280 x 800 XGA 1280 x 800 WXGA 1024 x 600
RAM 1GB 1.5GB 512MB
Memory 16GB or 32GB 16GB or 32GB 8GB
Battery life (max.) 14 hours 10 hours 8 hours
Weight 589 g 725 g 362 g
WiFi reception strong strong moderate
Support and service Yes Yes No
Price $472 $380 $160

 

3. Two samples.

TIP:

Comparing samples of different reports can highlight useful language and text features that you can incorporate into your own reports.

Read two different samples of the Conclusions and Recommendations section of a written report. Which sample is more appropriate?

Sample A

Conclusions
After looking at the three shortlisted models I found that the best ones for classroom use, for teachers and students, are probably the Nova and the Toshdo.

It is quite important to consider the long-term benefits to students and teachers when choosing the best tablet for classroom use. Apart from the initial cost, warranty, speed, size and battery life are the important things to consider. Both the Nova and the Toshdo are good in these areas, with very similar performance, but the Nova is just a little bit lighter and faster.

Recommendations
Based on all of this, I'd like to make these recommendations: After checking out both of the tablets, I think the Nova is the best, because it's a bit smaller, sturdier and works better, which means it's worth the extra cost. So, I would recommend the Nova tablet to use in our classrooms.

 

Sample B

Conclusions
After investigating the three shortlisted models it was found that two of these are suitable for classroom use and would meet teacher and student requirements of performance and specifications: the Nova and the Toshdo.

It is important to consider the long-term benefits to students and teachers when choosing the best tablet for classroom use. Apart from the initial expense of purchase, warranty, speed, size and battery life are the key factors which have been taken into account. Both the Nova and the Toshdo score highly in these areas, with comparable performance, and the Nova being marginally lighter and faster, but also more expensive. 

Recommendations
These conclusions lead to the following recommendations. After taking both tablets into consideration, it can be said that the Nova is the most suitable due to its size, durability and performance, which could be seen as justifying its greater expense. Therefore, I would recommend the Nova tablet for use in our classrooms.

Finally, I hope that you find the information in this report useful. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have further enquiries or require additional information.

Regards,
Nicola Case

 

4. Text completion.

Use the phrases to complete Sample B from the previous exercise.  This exercise is in two parts. Scroll down to see Part 2.

Part 1

Part 2

5. A more formal style.

Match the words and phrases on the left to their more formal equivalents.

6. Achieving a formal style.

Read the first sentence, and then type in the missing words to complete the second sentence, written in a more formal style. You can double-click or tap on each space to see the first letter of the missing word.

7. Word order.

Put the words in order to complete the sentences.

8. Cause and effect.

TIP:

Using a variety of language and avoiding repetition can leave the reader with a more positive impression. What's more, being able to say the same thing in different ways gives you more scope when highlighting key information and linking ideas in each section of a report. In the following exercises you will practise different ways of describing cause and effect.

Look at the example sentences describing cause and effect.

These conclusions lead to the following recommendations.
The Nova is the most suitable due to its size.

Now match the two parts to complete more "cause and effect" sentences.

9. Cause and effect.

Choose the correct option to complete each sentence.

10. Cause and effect.

Can you remember? Type in the missing words to complete the sentences.

11. Sentence starters: Extending your range.

In which section do you think you would find these sentence starters? Drag them to the correct box.