There's more to writing an informative report than just providing information. An informative report has certain requirements, including the use of an objective writing style, which means the details are all factual, and are presented in an unbiased and nonjudgmental way. Think of an objective detail as if it were being viewed through a microscope--what you see is actual and true, with nothing altered or added to change the meaning.
The following sentence about the sinking of the Titanic is written in an objective style.
The sinking of the Titanic could be blamed in part on human error, evidenced by the high speed at which the ship was traveling when it hit the iceberg.
This sentence presents the facts without personal comment. It shares a fact--the high speed of the ship--as the basis for a theory about why the ship sunk, without casting blame.
Now look at a different way of presenting the idea that human error caused the Titanic to sink. The following sentence includes a personal view on the same idea, with words designed to place blame and play on the reader's emotions.
It is heartbreaking to imagine that the sinking of the Titanic occurred largely because of the selfish desire of the captain to break speed records without concern for safety.
In this case, the author has injected her own opinions on the sinking of the Titanic, referring to it as "heartbreaking," and calling the captain "selfish" and saying he acted "without concern for safety." This style is called subjective writing and should be avoided in an informative report.
Your report of information should be written in an objective style, presenting the facts in a way that allows readers to understand the topic and draw their own conclusions.
See if you can spot which of the sentences below are written in an objective style. Drag the word objective to the box containing the sentence written without subjectivity.
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objective
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The tornado destroyed more than a dozen homes, spreading peoples' belongings across two counties.
The tornado ripped through the subdivision, destroying lives that can never be the same.
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objective
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Fracking is a mining process that extracts otherwise unreachable oil and natural gas.
Fracking is a dangerous extraction process that threatens the lives of those living in mined areas.
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objective
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If you text while you drive you are endangering your own life as well as those of your passengers.
Texting while driving has resulted in hundreds of accidents and deaths.
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objective
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Full body scans have been added in airports as an additional safety measure.
The use of full body scans in airports is an intrusion on personal rights.
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objective
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All students should be required to participate in the arts.
Studies show that students who participate in the arts often do significantly better in school than students who have no arts experience.
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