Phrasal verb
report on sth
Definition
phrasal verb. to give people information about something you have studied or discovered.
phrasal verb. to provide a formal or official account of a specific subject; often used in journalistic, academic, or professional contexts to indicate the scope of an investigation.
Examples
“The journalist will report on the election results tonight.”
“Our team needs to report on the progress of the new project during the meeting tomorrow.”
“The committee was commissioned to report on the environmental impact of the proposed highway before any construction could begin.”
Examples
simple
“The journalist will report on the election results tonight.”
contextual
“Our team needs to report on the progress of the new project during the meeting tomorrow.”
complex
“The committee was commissioned to report on the environmental impact of the proposed highway before any construction could begin.”
Usage
the object is usually a topic, an event, or the results of a study.
Teaching tip
contrast with 'report sth' (which focuses on the content of the message) versus 'report on sth' (which focuses on the general topic or investigation).
Pitfall
He reported about the accident.
He reported on the accident.
while 'about' is sometimes heard, 'on' is the standard preposition for professional or formal accounts of a topic.
Phrasal verb
Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
report + on + object