Articles and reports are the two text types students most often confuse – and writing a report with a headline stuck on top loses format marks straight away. This free writing frame sets the two side by side, gives you a template for each, two exam-style tasks with planning grids, and a full model report written to a Level 2 pass standard.
Free to download, print and share for personal or classroom use. Answers included.
What’s in this worksheet
- Article vs report: purpose, format, tone and the common mistake for each
- Article template: headline, strapline, byline, hook, body, closing line
- Report template: title, To/From/Date, introduction, findings, conclusion, recommendations
- Task A – a newsletter article; Task B – a report for a supermarket manager on customer complaints
- Planning grids, self-marking checklist and a page of lines for your answer
- 262-word model report with commentary on why it scores
Common mistakes on this topic
From our tutors’ marking and the most recent examiner reports – check your work against these:
How to use it
- Read the format guide and template so you know exactly what the examiner expects to see on the page.
- Fill in the planning grid for the exam-style task (five minutes), then write your answer in the lined space, timed at 20 minutes.
- Mark yourself against the checklist, then compare your answer with the model answer paragraph by paragraph. Where does yours fall short – format, detail, tone or SPaG?
Related free resources
- Functional Skills Level 2 Review Writing Frame (with Model Answer)
- Functional Skills English Level 2 Paragraphing and Connectives Worksheet
- Functional Skills English Level 2: Fact, Opinion and Bias Worksheet
- All free Functional Skills English Level 2 resources
Frequently asked questions
What is the format of a report in Functional Skills English?
A title, then To / From / Date, an introduction saying why the report was written, findings under subheadings, a short conclusion and numbered recommendations. Findings should be factual; opinions belong in the recommendations.
What’s the difference between an article and a report?
An article informs or persuades a general readership and can be lively – headline, direct address, rhetorical questions. A report informs a specific person so they can make a decision, and stays neutral and impersonal.
Do I need a headline for an article?
Yes – a headline (and ideally a strapline and byline) is part of the format marks for an article. A catchy headline using alliteration, a question or a pun is a quick way to show you understand the form.
Want a tutor to mark your work? Not sure where you stand? Take the free 15-minute mini mock test. Ready to get qualified? Our live 10-week Functional Skills Level 2 English course runs in small groups with a mock exam included, and the 5-day revision course is there if your exam is close.