# report on sth

CEFR A2 · Phrasal verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/report-on-sth
Updated: 2026-04-24

## Definition

to give people information about something you have studied or discovered.

For teachers: 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.

## Pitfalls

- Not "He reported about the accident." but "He reported on the accident." — while 'about' is sometimes heard, 'on' is the standard preposition for professional or formal accounts of a topic.

## Usage notes

- 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).

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.