1 college essay to formal report – poof! it’s easy! by allen brizee, phd loyola university...

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College Essay to Formal Report – Poof! It’s Easy!

By Allen Brizee, PhDLoyola University Maryland

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Introduction

You’re familiar with how to write a college essay, but writing a report may be new to you. Adjusting your essay writing to report writing primarily consists of two steps:

1. Adjust how your document looks• Make your text more accessible (HATS)• Topic sentences can become headers for different sections

2. Adjust how your document reads• Put the bottom line up front in introduction and paragraphs• Compose tight, concise sentences (KIS)

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1. How Your Document Looks (HATS)

Here is an overview of how the documents look from a distance:

Traditional essay, large blocks of text, information difficult and time consuming to retrieve

Report format with small, well-balanced blocks of concise data, easy to access data, topic sentence can become heading

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2. How Your Document Reads

Inquiry Essay taken from the Virginia Tech First Year Writing Program Guide for Students This paragraph comes from the student essay, “The American Dream: Remember, It’s Not in Full Color” by Douglas A. Dooley

Topic Sentence for New Section

Black corporate executives are finally having an impact on corporate America.

• Topic sentence begins broad and outlines what the next section of the essay will discuss

Heading for New Sections in Report

The Impact of Black Executives in the U.S.

• Heading is shorter and more concise allowing for quick, easy access to information

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First Sentence in Paragraph

Richard Carter, former president of public affairs at a major cable television company and current free-lance writer, says that African Americans are “indeed beginning to penetrate the upper ranks of corporate management” (Carter).

• Provides more detailed information from inquiry process

First Sentence in New Section in Report

African Americans are “beginning to penetrate the upper ranks of corporate management,” according to Richard Carter, former president of public affairs at a major t.v. company.

• Report sentence uses BLUF by stating the most important data first, then the source

• Report sentence is also more concise



Inquiry Essay taken from the Virginia Tech First Year Writing Program Guide for Students

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Graphic Representation in Report

As we can see in the line graph below, the number of black professionals managing 100 employees or more has risen only marginally.

Second Sentence in Paragraph

According to The Wall Street Journal, in May of 1992, the number of black professionals managing 100 employees or more has only risen 1.5%, from 3.7% in 1978 to 5.2% in 1992 (Rigdon).

• Provides statistical data as a more detailed representation of inquiry process 1978 1986 1992

Source: The Wall Street Journal, May 1992

• Provides a visual representation and reinforcement of information – quick, easy access to data




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Conclusion

Report Conclusion Sentence: Corporate African Americans still face race-based obstacles. White Americans do not have to face the same types of discrimination as do many minorities. For black executives, working hard and following the rules does not guarantee success because according to Cose, “a host of other factors, having nothing to do with ability or merit, dictates how high one can rise” (42).

• Shorter, more concise, to the point, easy access of information and conclusions

Conclusion

First Sentence: As you can see, African Americans in corporate positions face obstacles and discrimination that are truly unique to African Americans. However, being African American in the United States' corporate world is not an entirely negative thing.

Last Sentence: Working hard and following the rules increases your chance of success, but ultimately “a host of other factors [including race], having nothing to do with ability or merit, dictates how high one can rise” (Cose 42).




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Conclusion

So to wrap up, adjusting your essay writing to report writing primarily consists of two steps:

1. Adjust how your document looks• Make your text more accessible (HATS)• Topic sentences can become headers for different sections

2. Adjust how your document reads• Put the bottom line up front in introduction and paragraphs• Compose tight, concise sentences (KIS)

1 college essay to formal report – poof! it’s easy! by allen brizee, phd loyola university...

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