Diet and Health
Senior 3 · English
Diet and Health
Lesson 4 of 5
25 min
Let's begin
After the break-time survey in lesson 2, the Health Club asked every student in one class the same questions and turned the answers into a report. A report is not a story or an essay: it gives facts in a clear order under headings, describes them in impersonal language, and ends with a conclusion and recommendations. In this lesson you study a model report and then write one yourself.
The class and the figures are illustrative. The report is 249 words long, including the title and headings.
REPORT ON THE EATING HABITS OF SENIOR 3B
Introduction
This report was written by the Health Club at the request of the class teacher. Its aim is to describe the eating habits of Senior 3B and to suggest improvements. All 40 students in the class were asked six questions in an anonymous questionnaire during the second week of term.
Findings
Breakfast. Fewer than half of the students (45%) eat breakfast every day. A further 35% eat it sometimes, while one student in five (20%) never eats before school. Most of those who skip breakfast said that they leave home too early.
Water. A quarter of the class (25%) drink one glass of water a day or none at all. The largest group (42.5%) drink two or three glasses, and only about a third (32.5%) drink four or more.
Fruit, vegetables and soft drinks. Just over half of the students (55%) eat fruit or vegetables every day. On the other hand, more than a third (37.5%) drink three or more soft drinks a week, usually bought at break.
Conclusion
The survey shows that many students in Senior 3B start the day without food and drink too little water, while a large minority rely on soft drinks.
Recommendations
It is recommended that the canteen should sell fruit and porridge at break, and that a water point should be set up near the classrooms. Students who leave home early could bring a banana or a boiled egg to eat on the way.
Definition
report: a formal document that presents facts collected for a purpose, organised under headings, usually ending with conclusions and recommendations.
questionnaire (n): a written list of questions that many people answer, used to collect information.
recommendation (n): a suggestion about what should be done, based on the findings. Verb: recommend.
minority / majority (n): the smaller / larger part of a group. A large minority is a big group that is still less than half.
| Section | What it does | Language to notice |
|---|---|---|
| Title | says exactly what the report is about | REPORT ON … |
| Introduction | who wrote it, why, and how the information was collected | past simple passive: was written, were asked |
| Findings | the facts, grouped by topic, each with a heading; numbers in words and figures | fewer than half; one in five; the largest group; on the other hand |
| Conclusion | what the findings mean, in one or two sentences, with no new facts | The survey shows that … |
| Recommendations | practical actions that follow from the findings | It is recommended that … should …; could |
| Figure | In words |
|---|---|
| 100% | all of the students; every student |
| 75% | three quarters; the great majority |
| 55% | just over half; the majority |
| 45% | almost half; fewer than half |
| 37.5% | more than a third; a large minority |
| 25% | a quarter; one in four |
| 20% | a fifth; one in five |
| 5% | very few; hardly any |
| 0% | none of the students; no student |
Worked example
From a bar in the chart to a sentence in the report
Data: 8 of the 40 students never eat breakfast.
Worked example
Linking a recommendation to a finding
Finding: A quarter of the class drink one glass of water a day or none.
Every recommendation must answer a finding. A recommendation such as "students should play more sport" may be good advice, but this survey gives no evidence for it.
Tip
Past for what you did, present for what you found. The method is in the past (40 students were asked); facts that are still true are in the present (45% eat breakfast every day); the conclusion speaks for now (The survey shows …).
Warning
Ask ten classmates three questions about their eating habits (for example: breakfast, water, fruit and vegetables, snacks). Or, if you cannot, use the illustrative data for Senior 3A below. Then write a report of 200 to 250 words.
| Senior 3A (illustrative, 30 students) | Number |
|---|---|
| eat breakfast every day | 21 |
| eat fried snacks at break most days | 12 |
| eat beans or another pulse at least four days a week | 24 |
| drink four or more glasses of water a day | 9 |
Checklist
Practice
Sources and credits
Written by Ganzaa.
