Reporting Information
Prompt:
For this assignment, you will compose a 700-800 word summary of information about a topic of
your choosing geared towards a particular audience of your choosing.
Important Features:
1. A topic carefully focused for a specific audience: why would your audience be interested
in your topic? How do you best explain your topic to your audience?
2. Definitions of key terms: what terms will your audience need to know to understand your
topic?
3. Trustworthy information: what sources are you using for information on your topic?
4. Appropriate organization and design: what steps must you take to give a full
understanding of this topic?
5. A confident informative tone: do you sound like you know what you are talking about?
Format: This paper will be written in MLA format and will 700-800 words (this does not include
the Works Cited page. As with any paper, you will need to abide by grammar, punctuation, and
sentence structure rules.
Due Date: Please submit your Reporting Information paper through Brightspace by 11:59 pm on
_____.
Why is this a required assignment?
* I hope my students come to understand that reporting information (and language skills as a
whole) is not confined to the English class. When you are in other classes, no matter the
discipline, you will need to have a good grasp on reporting information. Also, when you are in the
career of your choosing you will need to be able to relay information in an easy to understand and
professional manner.
Guidance:
1. Read your paper aloud as frequently as you can, or have someone else read it to you.
Reading aloud forces you to pay close attention to what your paper says and you are more
likely to spot or hear problems when reading aloud.
2. Address your audience appropriately. You neither want to go over your audiences head or
speak down to them. You must find the sweet spot where your audience feels that you are
informing them but not calling them ignorant.
3. Be clear about your purpose. Are you providing new information on a known topic,
clearing up a misconception, introducing the audience to something new, or arguing for a
new way to consider your topic?
4. Consider the larger context. How does this topic fit into the world around it? How does
knowledge about this topic help your audience understand the rest of their world?
Objectives Specifics Points
A topic carefully
focused for a specific
audience
– The topic is appropriate
for your audience
– The steps chosen to
explain your topic are
clear
/20
Definitions of key terms – All keys terms are
clearly defined
/20
Trustworthy
information
– All sources chosen are
reputable and trustworthy
/20
Appropriate
organization/design and
a confident informative
tone
– The organization and
design is one in which the
reader can see the flow of
ideas
– The writer knows what
he/she is talking about
– Clearly defined thesis in
the introductory paragraph
/20
Mechanics – Grammar, sentence
structure, punctuation
– Diction that is
appropriate in academia
and is understandable.
/10
MLA – Proper formatting, along
with in-text citations and
Works Cited page.
/10
