In our last post, we explored the key elements of a narrative essay. As promised, we’ll be exploring the necessary elements of an SEA report in this post .

1. Key Main Ideas and Supporting Details

Your report must include the following key details:

What Happened (Beginning to End)

All the main moments should be included in the order they occurred.

For an Incident or Accident

Tell what happened step-by-step: What happened before, during, and after the incident?

For an Event

Ask yourself, “What was the purpose of the event?”

Focus on the activities or actions that helped achieve this goal.

Persons Involved (First Names and Surnames)

Use full names when first introducing individuals. If you are writing a witness report, include your full name the first time you use the first-person pronoun.

Example: I, Alisha James, witnessed a vehicular accident along the Kachong Highway.

Specific Location

Example: On Saturday 27th April, 2024, an incident occurred at the Samaan Grove Community Playground located at 700 Cocoa Avenue, Samaan Grove.

Date and Time

Example: The event occurred on Saturday 23^rd November, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.

2. A Defined Introduction, Body and Conclusion

A well-organised report has three main parts:

Introduction

The introduction is the first paragraph of your report. It must include the following:

• The event or incident being reported (What happened?)     
• The exact location (Where?)
• The date (When?)                                                                           
• The names of people involved (Who?)

Body

In the body paragraphs, report on the events in the order they happened. These paragraphs could include information before and during the incident or event.

Conclusion

In the conclusion, you can write about the last set of events and the time they happened.

3. Factual Language

In reports, write only factual statements. A factual statement is something that can be proven to be true or false. For more details on factual statements, check out our post here.

Example:

Incorrect: A student slipped on the wet floor in the hallway and sustained a minor sprained ankle.

Correct: A student slipped on the wet floor in the hallway and sustained a sprained ankle.

4. Formal Language

Reports require formal writing in Standard English. This means no contractions, idioms or colloquial expressions.

Example:

Incorrect: The company left residents in the dark by not notifying them of the scheduled power outage.

Correct: The company did not notify the residents of the scheduled power outage.

5. Different Types of Sentences

Simple sentences: This expresses a single complete thought, with one subject and one predicate.

Example: The competition ended at 2:00 p.m.

Compound Sentences: This is made up of two or more independent clauses (complete thoughts) joined together by a coordinating conjunction, like and, but or so.

Example: The competition ended at 2:00 p.m., and the participants gathered for the closing ceremony.

Complex Sentences: This consists of one independent clause and at least one dependent clause. They are connected by a subordinating conjunction, like because, although, if or when.

Example:  After the competition ended at 2:00 p.m., the event organisers began preparing for the awards presentation.

6. Transitional Words and Phrases

Transitions are used to connect ideas, sentences, and paragraphs. Using them helps your writing flow more smoothly.

Examples of Transitional Words and Phrases

Contrast: However, Although

Sequence: Firstly, Next, Subsequently, Finally

Addition: Furthermore, In addition, Moreover

Cause and Effect: As a result, Consequently, Therefore

By mastering these elements, students can write high-quality reports that are clear, detailed and structured.

If you’re looking for a resource that your child can enjoy reading while learning the elements of excellent writing, check out Crafting Excellence: SEA Essay Collection (Vol. 1) at the following locations:

Keith Khan’s Books Etc.

• San Fernando: 653-2665
• Port of Spain: 625-2665

Nelson’s Bookstore, Tobago

• Ashora Court, Breeze Hall, Lower Scarborough: 639-1313
• Portmall, Scarborough: 660-7506