A non-chronological report (sometimes simply called a report) is a text written to describe or classify something. Reports include guide books, information leaflets and books about animals or periods in history.

Reports often contain the following features.

1) They open with a general description or classification.

e.g. A dog is a mammal.

2) They are usually written in the present tense.

3) The main body of the text is divided into paragraphs about different aspects of the topic. The paragraphs may have sub-headings.

4) They contain facts, not opinions.

5) They describe the topic in general, rather than in particular (e.g. describing 'dogs' rather than 'my dog Sid').

6) They use fairly formal and technical language, rather than slang.

7) They end with a conclusion which may identify the main points already described.

In this worksheet you can practise writing a non-chronological report, focusing on including all the above features. Remember that you can look back at this introduction as often as you like by clicking on the Help button.