A long essay is similar in format. It has several paragraphs that are each constructed as shown above. In addition, one paragraph flows into the next just as one sentence flows into the next within each paragraph. Furthermore, the whole essay is framed with in introduction paragraph and a concluding paragraph that resemble the opening and closing sentence style within each paragraph but on a larger scale. Thus, essays use the same format whether the writer is constructing paragraphs or an entire paper.
Reports are similar.
Though your reports will be broken up with headings, graphs, figures, and the like, the format is similar to a basic essay. You want to introduce a reader to what the lab is about. This is the body of your report. Each section of the body should have an introduction for the reader. Then it should have a body to it.