report on/of

[Whodunit]

Which sentence would you say? Are they different in meaning?

"I had to make a report on the job of a policeman."
"I had to make a report of the job of a policeman."

"The pedagogy teacher wanted us to write a report on how children behave in certain situations."
"The pedagogy teacher wanted us to write a report of how children behave in certain situations."

Thanks in advance.

 

[Adrenalina]

I would use report on, I don't know why report of doesn't sound right to me. Hope it helps.

 

[panjandrum]

Both on and of are OK after write a report. It depends on what follows.
Write a report on the behaviour of children under stress.
Write a report of your holiday in Afghanistan.

 

[Whodunit]

Both on and of are OK after write a report. It depends on what follows.
Write a report on the behaviour of children under stress.
Write a report of your holiday in Afghanistan.

And what are the criteria for the proper preposition? What has to follow that I may use "on" or "of?" Would it be incorrect to use "on" in your second example sentence?

 

[panjandrum]

I'm generalising, based on how I would use on/of in this context.
Here is my report on ... Here is my analysis of a topic.
Here is my report of ... Here is my record, my recollection of, an event or series of events.

 

[Britbop]

you can also say, "I had to do a report about the policeman" , as well as on the policeman

 

[Whodunit]

All right. I think I would use "on," because this sounds best to me. "Of" reminds me of some other meaning I can't explain. But if most of you say that they are completely interchangeable, I will believe it.

I think "report about" is less common than the other versions, isn't it?