Short Reports, Notes and Meeting Minutes in Plain English

Not all work writing is an email. You will also write daily updates, short reports, shift handovers, incident reports and notes of meetings. People who write these clearly are noticed, because many workplaces suffer from unclear, long or missing records. The good news is that useful workplace documents are short and follow simple patterns. In this lesson you learn these patterns and the plain English style that makes them easy to read.

Plain English rules

• Use short sentences. Aim for 15 to 20 words. One idea in each sentence.
• Use simple words. Use use instead of utilise, help instead of facilitate, start instead of commence, and about instead of in relation to.
• Use active sentences. The team finished the report is clearer than The report was finished by the team. Use passive only when the doer is unknown or unimportant.
• Be specific. Write 12 boxes were damaged, not several boxes were damaged. Do not invent numbers. If you do not know a number, say so.
• Use headings and lists. They help readers find what they need quickly.
• Put the conclusion or the main message first, and the details after it.

A daily or weekly update

A short update tells your manager what is done, what is next and what needs help. Three headings are enough.

Weekly update: 10 to 14 June (Rohan Mehta)

Done
- Sent 42 invoices; 3 are waiting for customer approval.
- Updated the supplier list with new bank details.

Next week
- Prepare the month-end report (due Friday 21 June).
- Train the new assistant on the stock sheet.

Problems / help needed
- The stock system was slow on Tuesday and Wednesday. I need IT to check it.

Notice the style: short lines, facts and clear tasks. There are no long explanations. Managers read these quickly, and they will ask if they need more detail.

A shift handover note

In factories, warehouses, hospitals, security and service work, a handover note tells the next shift what they need to know. It must be clear, correct and short.

Handover: night shift to morning shift, 12 June

Machines
- Machine 3: stopped at 2 am, blade needs changing. Not yet fixed.
- Machines 1, 2 and 4: running normally.

Stock
- Low: packing tape (2 rolls left). Ordered, due tomorrow.

Safety
- Wet floor near loading bay. Sign placed. Please check again at 7 am.

Message from manager
- Visitors from the customer are coming at 10 am.

• Use the same headings every day, so readers know where to look.
• Write what happened, what is still open, and who must act.
• Add the time and the date. Add your name.

An incident report

An incident report records what happened when there was an accident, an injury, a theft, damage or a serious problem. It must be factual, not emotional or full of opinions. Include these points.

1. When and where: date, time, exact place.
2. Who: names of the people involved or who saw it. Follow your company rules for personal data.
3. What happened: in order, in simple sentences, only facts. Not who is to blame.
4. Action taken: first aid, who was told, what was done.
5. What happens next: who will look into it, and what will be done to prevent it.

Incident report: 12 June, 3:20 pm, loading bay

A pallet of boxes fell from the forklift when it turned. No one was
hit. Two boxes were damaged (about 20 items). The driver, Samuel
Adeyemi, stopped the forklift and told the supervisor at once.

Action: the area was closed and cleaned. The load was checked.
Next: the supervisor will check the forklift and the pallet wrapping,
and the team will have a short safety talk on Friday.

A short report

For a longer piece, such as a project update or a recommendation, use this simple structure.

1. Title and date.
2. Summary. The main result or recommendation in two or three sentences.
3. Background. Why this report was written.
4. What we found. The main facts, with bullet points or a small table.
5. Recommendation or next steps. What should be done, by whom and by when.

Writing the summary last, after you know the full story, is easier. But it appears first in the report. Many busy readers will read only the summary.

Meeting minutes

Minutes are a short written record of a meeting. They help people remember what was agreed. The most important part is the action list: who will do what by when.

Minutes: Team meeting, Thursday 13 June, 10 am
Present: Rohan, Anita, Daniel, Meena (chair)
Apologies: Grace

1. Month-end report
   - The report is due Friday 21 June.
   - Anita will send the sales figures by Monday.

2. New stock system
   - The training will be on 20 June at 2 pm.
   - Daniel will book the room.

Actions
- Anita: send sales figures (Monday 17 June)
- Daniel: book the training room (Friday 14 June)
- Rohan: write the report draft (Wednesday 19 June)

Next meeting: Thursday 20 June, 10 am

• Send the minutes within a day or two, while people remember.
• Use neutral words. Write the decisions, not every comment.
• Put the action list at the top or bottom, clearly.
• Use the same layout every time.

Useful phrases

It was agreed that...        The team decided to...
The main points were...      The next step is...
X will check the figures by Friday.
We still need more information about...
Because of the delay, the date has moved to 20 June.
The result was lower than expected.   (not: very bad)

Edit your writing

1. Delete words that do not add meaning (very, really, basically, in order to can often be to).
2. Cut long sentences in two.
3. Replace long or rare words with simple ones.
4. Check numbers, dates and names.
5. Read it as if you were the busy reader. Can they find the main point in ten seconds?

Your task

1. Write a weekly update with three headings: Done, Next week, Help needed.
2. Write a handover note for a real or imagined shift.
3. Take notes in a meeting or video you watch, and turn them into minutes with an action list.
4. Take a long paragraph you wrote before, and rewrite it in plain English with half the words.

How to check it worked

• Your update fits on half a page, with facts and no long explanations.
• The minutes have a clear action list with names and dates.
• No sentence is longer than about 25 words.