Explaining Processes and Past Events in Reports.

In many jobs and courses you need to explain how something works and what happened in a project or incident. In this lesson you read a short process description and a simple incident report. You notice how present simple and passive forms are used for general processes, and how past tenses and linking words show sequence, cause and result. We focus on making sentences longer but still clear, using time clauses, reason clauses and simple relative clauses. You practise explaining a familiar process from your work or study, such as how an order is handled or how marks are calculated. Then you write a short paragraph about a past problem, first in basic sentences and then as a more fluent text. You end the lesson with a mini spoken report, summarising what happened and why. This prepares you for more complex reports and academic writing later in the course.

1. Seeing a simple order process in action.

In this lesson, you are going to work inside one clear situation, so everything feels connected and realistic. Imagine you have just started a part‑time job in an office supply company called BrightDesk. Your manager wants you to help with reports, so you first need to understand how a typical online order is handled. In this block, you will read a short description of the order process. As you read, I want you to notice two things: first, the order of the steps, from the customer’s first click to the final delivery; second, the grammar we use to describe a general process, not one specific order. You will see a lot of present simple and passive forms, for example, “the request is received and checked”. After you have read the description on the screen, you will answer a short task, where you explain the process in your own words. Do not worry about being perfect; just try to be clear and complete, using full sentences and some of the phrases you see in the model.

The situation: you join BrightDesk.

You have just joined BrightDesk, a small company that sells office supplies online. Your manager says:

> "Before you can write any reports, you need to understand how our order process works. Read this short description and make sure you can explain it to someone else."

Model process description.

Read the description of the online order process.

> How an online order is handled at BrightDesk

> First, the customer fills in the online order form and clicks "Submit". The order is received and checked by the system. The customer’s details are verified and the payment information is confirmed. If the payment is accepted, the order is sent to the warehouse. Next, the items are picked from the shelves and packed carefully. At this stage, a delivery label is printed and attached to the parcel. Then the parcel is collected by the courier. Finally, a confirmation email is sent to the customer and the order status is updated in the system.

Noticing the language.

This text describes a general process, so we use:

• Present simple: the customer fills in, the order is sent, a label is printed.
• Passive forms to focus on the thing, not the person:
• the order is received and checked
• the items are picked and packed
• a confirmation email is sent

We also use sequencing expressions to show the order of steps:

• First, Next, At this stage, Then, Finally.

These phrases help the reader follow the process easily.

Your turn.

In a moment, you will explain this process in your own words. Try to:

• Keep the same order of steps.
• Use some passive forms like is received, is sent.
• Use sequencing words such as First, Then, Finally.

You do not need to copy every detail, but imagine you are explaining the process to a new colleague who has never seen it before.

Practice & Feedback

Write 3–5 full sentences to explain the BrightDesk order process in your own words. Imagine you are talking to a new colleague on their first day.

Follow these steps:

1. Start with a sentence like "First, the customer…" to describe the beginning.
2. Continue with 2–3 sentences for the middle steps (checking, warehouse, packing, delivery).
3. Finish with one sentence about the final confirmation to the customer.

Try to use at least two passive forms (is received, is sent, is checked) and at least two sequencing words (First, Next, Then, Finally). Focus on clarity more than style. It is fine if your version is simpler than the model, as long as the order makes sense.

2. Focusing on passives and clear process steps.

Now that you have seen the whole order process, let us zoom in on the language that makes it sound like a professional description, not just a story. For general processes, we usually care more about what happens to the order or the document than about who does each action. That is why we often use the passive voice. For example, instead of saying, “The warehouse team picks the items”, we say, “The items are picked from the shelves”. It sounds more neutral and more suitable for a report or manual. In this block, you will compare active and passive versions of the same steps and notice how we combine them with sequencing phrases like “First”, “Next” and “Finally”. After looking at the examples on the screen, your task will be to rewrite a few active sentences in a more report-style, passive form. This will help you build longer, accurate sentences that you can reuse in your own process descriptions later.

Active or passive? What sounds more like a report.

When you explain a process in a report or manual, you usually want to focus on the thing (the order, the request, the form), not on the person. Compare these pairs.

In report-style writing, we usually prefer the passive versions on the right.

Adding clear sequence.

Now look at these examples with sequencing expressions:

• First, the request is received and checked.
• Next, the customer’s details are verified.
• At this stage, the items are picked and packed.
• Then, the parcel is collected by the courier.
• Finally, a confirmation email is sent to the customer.

These small phrases make the description easy to follow, especially for someone who does not know the process well.

Typical patterns to copy.

When you write your own steps, you can use these patterns:

• First, the X is [past participle]… (First, the request is received and checked.)
• Next, the X is [past participle]… (Next, the items are prepared for shipping.)
• Finally, the X is [past participle]… (Finally, the payment is confirmed.)

In the activity below, you will practise turning active sentences into passive ones and adding sequencing phrases so that your description sounds more professional.

Practice & Feedback

Rewrite the active sentences from the resource as report-style steps in the passive, using present simple.

1. Add a sequencing word at the start (First, Next, Then, Finally).
2. Change the sentence so that the thing is the subject (for example, the order, the email, the payment).
3. Use is / are + past participle to make the passive.

Write 4–6 sentences. You can slightly change the wording to make it smoother, but keep the same basic meaning and order. For example, you could turn "The system checks the order" into "First, the order is checked by the system".

Focus on accuracy: correct verb forms, capital letters at the beginning, and full stops at the end.

3. Listening to a short incident report.

So far, you have described how the BrightDesk order process normally works. But in real life, managers often ask for a report when **something goes wrong**. In this block, you will listen to a short incident report about a specific problem in the same company. An order was delayed, and a manager wants to know what happened and why. While you listen, pay attention to two things. First, notice how the speaker uses **past tenses** to tell the story in order: what happened first, what happened next, and what the result was. Second, listen for **cause and result language**, such as “because”, “so”, and “as a result”. After listening, your job is to write a short summary of the incident in your own words, focusing on the key facts and the main reason for the delay. Do not try to copy every detail. Instead, imagine your manager is busy and only needs a clear, short explanation.

From process to problem.

You already know how an online order should be handled at BrightDesk. Now you will hear what happens when the process does not work perfectly.

You are going to listen to Lena, a customer service assistant, reading a short incident report she wrote for her manager. The report explains a delay with one customer’s order.

Before you listen.

Read these guiding questions. They will help you focus on the important information:

1. When did the problem start?
2. What exactly went wrong in the system?
3. How did it affect the customer’s order?
4. What was the main cause of the delay?

You will hear the report once in the listening resource below.

Noticing useful grammar.

As you listen, try to notice:

• Past simple for main actions: the system updated, the payment failed, the team noticed.
• Linking words for sequence: then, after that, in the end.
• Cause and result phrases: because, so, as a result, therefore.

These are key tools for incident reports, where you need to describe what happened and why in a clear, logical way.

After listening, you will write a short summary of the incident. Use the questions above to help you choose the most important information.

Practice & Feedback

Listen carefully to Lena’s incident report from BrightDesk. You can replay the listening two or three times if you need to.

Then write a short summary of 5–7 sentences explaining:

• when the problem started,
• what went wrong in the system,
• how it affected the order,
• and what the main cause of the delay was.

Use past tenses (was, happened, did not update, noticed), and try to include at least two linking expressions for sequence or result, such as then, after that, so, as a result, in the end. Imagine you are writing to a busy manager who wants a clear, neutral explanation, not lots of emotion or guesses.

4. Linking events with time and reason clauses.

You have now heard what went wrong with Ms Harris’s order and you have written a basic summary. The next step is to make your sentences **longer but still clear**, like in a real report. Instead of many short sentences such as, “The system was updated. The connection failed. Orders stayed pending.”, we can join ideas with time and reason clauses. For example, we can say, “After the system was updated, the connection failed, so several orders stayed pending.” In this block, you will look at some short, simple sentences about the BrightDesk incident and practise combining them into more fluent ones, using words like “when”, “after”, “because” and “so”. This is a key skill for reports: you show **when** something happened and **why** it happened, all in one smooth sentence. After studying the examples on the screen, you will write a few combined sentences yourself.

From short sentences to clear explanations.

Basic sentences are good for clarity, but too many short sentences can sound unnatural in a report. Look at this simple version of part of the BrightDesk incident:

• The system was updated on Monday morning.
• The connection between the systems failed.
• Several orders stayed in pending status.
• The warehouse team noticed the problem at 4 pm.
• They compared the payment report with the order list.

Now see how we can combine these ideas using time and reason clauses.

Using time clauses.

We can show when something happened:

• After the system was updated on Monday morning, the connection between the systems failed.
• When the warehouse team compared the payment report with the order list, they noticed the problem.

Pattern:

• After / When + past clause, past simple main clause.

Using reason and result.

We can show why and what result:

• The connection between the systems failed, so several orders stayed in pending status.
• Several orders stayed in pending status because the payment status was not sent correctly.
• The payment status was not sent correctly. As a result, several orders were delayed.

Patterns:

• past clause, so past clause.
• past clause because past clause.
• past clause. As a result, past clause.

Your goal.

In the activity, you will receive a set of short sentences about the incident. Your task is to combine them into 2–4 longer sentences, using:

• at least one time clause (after, when), and
• at least one reason/result phrase (because, so, as a result).

This will help you write incident reports that sound both professional and easy to follow.

Practice & Feedback

Use the simple sentences in the resource and combine them into 2–4 longer sentences that explain what happened in the BrightDesk incident.

Follow these steps:

1. Read all the short sentences so you understand the story.
2. Decide which ideas belong together in one sentence (for example, when something happened and what happened).
3. Join them using time words (after, when) and reason/result words (because, so, as a result).

Try to write a short mini-paragraph of 3–5 lines. Make sure the order is logical and that your verbs stay in the past tense. Do not worry if your version is not exactly like the original incident report; focus on being clear and accurate.

5. From basic notes to a fluent written report.

You have practised combining short sentences with time and reason clauses. Now it is time to move closer to a real written report. Often, when something goes wrong, staff first write basic notes: short sentences, missing links, not very elegant. Later, someone has to turn those notes into a clear paragraph for a manager or for a formal report. In this block, you will see both stages. First, you will read a very basic version of the BrightDesk incident, written as simple notes. Then you will compare it with a more fluent paragraph that could go into a real report. I want you to notice how the writer uses past tenses, passives and linking expressions to make the text sound professional. After that, your task will be to write your **own** short incident report paragraph about a small problem, using the same style. It can be about BrightDesk, or about your own work or study situation, but it should be clear enough for a non‑expert to follow easily.

Stage 1: basic notes.

Here is a very simple version of the BrightDesk incident, written as basic notes by a stressed colleague:

> - System update on Monday morning.

> - Payment status not sent to order system.

> - Orders stay in pending status.

> - Customer does not get confirmation email.

> - Warehouse notice problem at 4 pm.

> - Orders processed manually.

> - Customer order delayed by two days.

This is understandable, but it is not really a proper report yet. The sentences are short, the grammar is not always complete, and there are almost no links.

Stage 2: fluent report paragraph.

Now compare with this more polished version:

> On Monday morning, the payment system was updated and, as a result, the payment status was not sent correctly to the order system. Several customer orders stayed in pending status and no confirmation emails were sent. The warehouse team noticed the problem at 4 pm, when they compared the payment report with the order list, and they processed the affected orders manually. As a result, Ms Harris’s order was delivered two days later than normal.

Notice how the writer:

• Uses past simple passive: was updated, was not sent, were sent, was delivered.
• Adds time clauses: On Monday morning, when they compared….
• Uses cause and result: as a result, so, because (or similar phrases).
• Joins ideas into longer, logical sentences instead of separate notes.

Your task.

You will now write a similar paragraph, but based on a small problem you choose. It could be:

• a delayed delivery,
• a timetable mistake at school or university,
• a technical problem with a website,
• or you can reuse the BrightDesk incident.

Aim for 6–8 sentences that a manager or teacher could read quickly and understand without asking extra questions.

Practice & Feedback

Write one clear paragraph of about 6–8 sentences describing a past problem or incident.

You can:

• either describe the BrightDesk payment incident again in your own words,
• or describe a real or imaginary problem from your work, study or daily life (for example, a late delivery, a computer crash during an exam, a booking mistake).

Make sure your paragraph:

• uses past tenses correctly,
• includes at least two passive forms (was delayed, was not sent, were processed),
• and contains at least three linking expressions, such as when, after, because, so, as a result, in the end.

Imagine your reader is a manager who does not know the situation. Give enough information so they can understand what happened, why it happened, and what the result was, but avoid unnecessary personal opinions.

6. Simulating a chat with your manager about the incident.

To finish the lesson, let us move from written reports to a quick, realistic interaction. Imagine that your manager at BrightDesk messages you on the company chat tool. They do not have time to read the full written report yet, but they need a fast, clear explanation. In this final block, you will write a short chat-style conversation where you explain both the **normal order process** and **what went wrong** in the incident. This is a great way to integrate everything from the lesson: present simple and passive for the general process, past tenses for the specific problem, and linking words to show sequence, cause and result. On the screen, you will see your manager’s first message. Your job is to reply in several short chat messages, like you would in a real workplace chat. Keep each message short and focused, but make sure that, together, they give a complete, professional explanation. Afterwards, you will get feedback, and I will also reply briefly as the manager, so you can see how your explanation works in context.

The situation: a quick manager chat.

You are working at BrightDesk when your manager, Amir, sends you this message in the internal chat system:

> Amir (Manager): Hi, I have to join a meeting in five minutes. Can you quickly explain how our online order process normally works and what went wrong with Ms Harris’s order yesterday?

You do not have time to send the full written report, so you reply in short chat messages.

Planning your reply.

Think about the two parts of Amir’s question:

Normal process

• Use present simple and passives: First, the order is received and checked…
• Keep it to 2–3 short messages.

The incident

• Use past tenses and cause/result language: Yesterday the system was updated, so… As a result, her order was delayed.
• Use 3–5 messages to explain what happened and why.

You can write your messages like this, each on a new line:

> You: First, the order is received and checked in the system.

> You: Then it is sent to the warehouse if the payment is accepted.

Tips for a professional tone.

• Be polite but direct: answer the question quickly.
• Use clear sequencing: First, Then, After that, In the end.
• Show cause and result: because, so, as a result.
• Avoid too much emotion: focus on facts.

In the activity, you will write your side of the chat. Afterwards, you will receive feedback and a short simulated reply from Amir.

Practice & Feedback

Imagine you are replying to Amir in the BrightDesk chat.

Write 5–8 short chat messages. Put each message on a new line, starting with "You:". For example:

> You: First, the order is received and checked in the system.

> You: Then it is sent to the warehouse if the payment is accepted.

In your messages:

• Use present simple and passives to describe the normal process in 2–3 messages.
• Use past tenses and cause/result language (because, so, as a result, in the end) to explain the incident with Ms Harris in 3–5 messages.
• Make sure Amir can understand both how the process usually works and what went wrong yesterday.

Do not worry about copying exact sentences from earlier; adapt the ideas so the explanation sounds natural and fits a quick workplace chat.