Writing Task 1: The Online Learning Survey Report
You have 25 minutes for a Writing Task 1 prompt that gives data in words, not as a chart. A survey of 600 students across three faculties asked whether online learning was 'effective.' Engineering: 64% agreed, response rate 22%. Business: 51% agreed, response rate 48%. Arts: 73% agreed, response rate 19%. Overall: 61% agreed. The instructions say: 'Write a 150-200 word report. Summarise the key features and make comparisons where relevant. Do not give your opinion.' A candidate's first draft lists every percentage and response rate in the order given, then concludes, 'Therefore online learning is effective for most students.' The report must not present the overall figure without noting the uneven response rates.
1. Write an overview sentence for the report.
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Overall, satisfaction with online learning was highest in Arts and lowest in Business, but the response rates varied widely, so the faculty figures should be treated cautiously. An overview should not list all six percentages. It should group the main pattern (Arts highest, Business lowest) and name the key limitation (uneven response). A weaker overview would say 'Engineering had 64%, Business 51%, Arts 73%' - that is data, not an overview. The phrase 'should be treated cautiously' is not an opinion about online learning; it is a comment on the data's reliability, which Task 1 allows.
2. Which two comparisons are most important, and why not list every number?
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The two most important comparisons are Arts versus Business (73% versus 51%, a 22-point gap) and the contrast between the overall 61% and the low response rates. The first is the largest faculty difference; the second qualifies the overall figure. Listing every number would turn the report into a data dump and leave no room for comparison. Task 1 rewards selection: the reader needs the pattern, not the table. Engineering's 64% is close to the overall 61%, so it adds little unless the report is discussing the middle group. Response rates belong with the comparison because they affect how much weight the percentages deserve.
3. How should the report conclude without giving an opinion and without ignoring the response rates?
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The conclusion should be a summary of the data's limits, not a recommendation. For example: 'The overall figure of 61% suggests moderate satisfaction, but because response rates ranged from 19% to 48%, the faculty percentages may not represent all students. The Arts figure in particular rests on a 19% response rate, so it should be read alongside the Business figure, which has the highest response rate.' This avoids 'online learning is effective' because that is an evaluative claim beyond the data. It also avoids 'therefore the university should improve online learning,' which is a recommendation. The task asks for key features and comparisons, not a verdict.