Oppgave

Example texts

Here are some example texts of two different short answer tasks.

(CC BY-SA)Sist oppdatert 26.03.2019

Person sitting on green checklist survey tick. Illustration. — Du kan bruke innholdet fritt.
Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke

In order to gain a better understanding of what a good short answer text looks like, we have included some examples written by students. Read or listen to the example texts below and think about what you can learn from how these students chose to solve the tasks. At the end of each text, you can read how an English teacher explains why these tasks are considered good short answer tasks.

Task 1

“Breaches and violations of norms and rules can make newspaper headlines. Create a short text showing what kinds of breaches of norms and rules you may find in the profession or trade you are aiming for. Do you think any of these breaches could become newspaper headlines?”

The importance of norms and regulations

0:00

The importance of norms and regulations

Example text - task 1: The importance of norms and regulations
Following norms and regulations is essential for electricians. These norms and regulations exist to ensure that proper safety measures are taken while working, and to guarantee safe, high quality installations. In this text, I will discuss what kind of consequences breaching norms and regulations can bring in the field of an electrician. Can a breach of norms and regulations potentially reach the newspaper headlines?

In vocational professions, a norm is an official standard that an organization is expected to reach. These are not to be confused with social norms. In almost every field in engineering, you have norms that you need to follow, and these are often set according to market standards. Norms are guidelines to maintain official standards. Rules and regulations on the other hand, are set by committees or tribunals, and are mandatory for every electrician. In Norway, the Norwegian law is a foundation for rules and regulations.

Engineers and electricians alike take pride in making their work look organized and neat. Making the installations functional is only half of the job. There are a lot of unwritten rules for making an organized installation. At what length to strip the cables, where to clamp cables to a wall, or placement of switches and cable boxes are all examples of this. These seemingly trivial skills are vital to an engineer’s skillset and are arguably equally important as following the official rules and regulations. Breaking these norms does not pose a threat to personal or structural damage, but it can lead to the customer being dissatisfied.

A vital aspect of an electrical installation is to choose the correct diameter of the cables. In Norway, the NEK-400 norms (Norwegian Electronic Committee) are used as guidelines for picking the right cable diameter. Varying thickness of cables can conduct different amounts of current without overheating, and it is therefore important to calculate exactly how much current your components will draw. Installing a cable with the wrong dimension can have critical consequences. To have a wider cable than necessary causes no technical problem. However, if the cable is not rated for the appropriate currents, the cable will overheat and potentially catch fire.

To know the norms and regulations is crucial to an electrician’s field. As I have discussed, not following them can have unfortunate consequences. An installation could be certified by official rules while being unorganized. Likewise, you could have an installation that looks expertly executed, but is indeed a fire hazard. Breaching official regulations have the greatest potential to have a critical outcome. Simply choosing too narrow of a cable could have the potential to for example spark a large-scale factory fire. I would argue that this is a headline-worthy event. In conclusion, rules, norms and regulations should always be followed to ensure a safe and expertly done installation.

Why is this a good short answer text? Below, you find an explanation by an English teacher:

part	Explanation
Content	The student manages to include all aspects of the task. He describes what breaches of norms and regulations mean in the profession he is aiming for in a concise and understandable way, uses frequent examples and includes a reflection on whether breaches can make newspaper headlines. Although many facts and examples are included, the content can still be considered short and concise as the student has chosen to focus on two main aspects of breaches of norms and regulations.
Structure	The text has a good structure with thematically divided paragraphs, a clear introduction and conclusion, and good coherence between the different paragraphs. The student uses varied and proper linking words (such as however, in conclusion, on the other hand) to increase the coherence.
Language	The student demonstrates a varied vocabulary and sentence structure throughout the text. The student also uses a relevant vocational vocabulary (yrkesfaglig ordforråd).

A good short answer text needs to show knowledge of the topic, good structure and write with fluency - but each short answer task can be answered in different ways. Below, you find examples of how two students have answered the same task.

Task 2

“The two news articles below are about the same type of crime: joyriding*. Create a short text in which you briefly comment on the differences in language, content and the journalists’ attitudes.”

How journalists shape our news picture

0:00

How journalists shape our news picture

Example text 1: How journalists shape our news picture

How can a journalist’s own views and language shape the depiction of an event? How can different use of language affect the message of a news article? In this text, I will compare two news articles portraying similar incidents to analyze how the journalist’s opinions and language shape the articles. Both news articles are reports of a 7-year-old illegally driving a car, although it is not the same child. Article 1 regards the white middle-class child Preston Johnson, while article 2 concerns the Afro-American child Leon James.

There is a striking difference in language when comparing the two articles, and this is apparent already in the title. While “7-Year-Old Boy Borrows Car to Get to Church” is the title of article 1, the title of article 2 is “7-Year-Old Joyrider Steals Grandma’s Car “For Fun””. The language used in article 1 is overall more positively loaded and conservative compared to the other article, using words such as borrow instead of steal, and 7-year-old boy instead of joyrider. Another example of this, is how the journalists ask their questions. In article 1, Preston is asked whether he was trying to get to church on time, while in article 2 the journalist asks Leon if he is aware of the consequences of his actions. This theme continues throughout both articles.

In terms of content, these two articles are largely contrasting, but similar in structure. Both contain a brief interview with the child, as well as with a family member. Journalist 1 does not interview other people than Preston and his parents. Consequently, the situation is only presented from people with biased opinions. Journalist 2 has chosen to include an interview with the police and has laid emphasis on punishment of the crime. The article includes only one perspective, but includes more reputable sources, like the police, and a more distant family member. The article concludes that Leon is likely to become a criminal, due to black men being overrepresented in prison. This could be interpreted as racial bias from the journalist’s side, as these statistics are not necessarily relevant. Both articles are equally one sided in my opinion, though article 2 seems more reputable.

Combining the language and contents of the articles, we can see how the journalist’s views affect the presentation of the news. Article 1 is worded conservatively and tries to portray Preston as innocent. Article 2 is more eager to portray Leon as a criminal. It is apparent that both articles present a heavily biased opinion. The journalist’s attitudes are reflected in the way the articles are worded, and what content is included. News articles should be as neutral as possible to make it easier for the reader to judge the situation for themselves. It is equally important that the readers are critical to news media to not get affected by bias.

How journalist bias may affect the reader

0:00

How journalist bias may affect the reader

Example text 2: How journalist bias may affect the reader

In this text, I will compare the two news articles provided about joyriding. The first article is about Preston who “wanted to get to church,” the second is about Leon who “wanted to do gangster stuff with his friends.” I will look at differences in language, content, the journalist’s attitude, and how these differences affect the reader.

Article 1 is, compared to Article 2, written in a positive tone. The difference in word choice is striking. I want to emphasize the words borrow and steal, used in their respective headline. Borrowing is used in the first headline and has a positive charge. Stealing is used in the second headline and has a negative charge. The two words represent the sound the articles will have as article 1 is generally positive, while article 2 is not. Already after the headline the tones for the two articles are set. The differences in language in the two texts affect the reader in their respective directions.

Though reporting on the same crime, the contents of the articles are very different. Article 1 belittles the severity of the crime. It makes a point out of Preston’s arguably noble intentions of wanting to get to church and lifts all guilt off his shoulders. The only tangible consequence is him losing his video game perks for a week. Article 2 exaggerates the crime’s severity. It focuses on Leon’s future as a potential repeat offender and how the police must handle the case, as his guardian is portrayed as unable. Article 1 wants to convince the reader that Preston is nothing more than a normal boy who made a mistake. Article 2 conveys the message that Leon is a problematic child, who will become a criminal when he grows older.

It seems the first journalist is not bothered by Preston’s actions. He is from an evidently white, middle-class family, which might make the journalist to believe this is a one-time mistake. The second reporter explicitly points out Leon’s skin color and economic situation, implying this has affected the writing process. The second journalist makes a point out of Leon being black and poor. As Leon is portrayed as an almost certain future convict, it is relevant to ask whether the presentation in the news article is an example of racial bias. Either way, the article makes Leon seem guiltier than he most likely is, as both the police and concerns about Leon’s future is remarked. What the journalist writes is what the reader reads. Preston made a mistake, while Leon foreshadowed his criminal future. When the journalist is biased in their writing, the uncritical reader may get biased in their understanding as well.

Task 3

You have now read three different examples of a short answer text, where the two last texts were different answers to the same task. Re-read task 2 and the student texts. Discuss with a learning partner which text you think answered the task in the best way. Make your arguments clear by filling out the form below:

Example texts

Task 1

The importance of norms and regulations

Task 2

How journalists shape our news picture

How journalist bias may affect the reader

Task 3

Time Management: How to manage your time more efficiently

The short answer text

How to Improve Your English

How to Search the Internet

How to Use, Evaluate and Cite Sources

How to Use Google Docs (Free Accounts)

Written English Exam

Written Exam - Preparation

Introduction to Self-assessment

The short answer task

How to structure your text

A Step-by-Step Guide to Managing your Time

Video: How do you manage your time?

Suggested Year Plan, SF

Suggested Year Plan, YF

Tips for Learning English

Oral Exam - Preparation

Comparing key terms

Interpreting short answer tasks

Planning your text

Example textsDu er her

Listening activity: Conflict at work

Listening activity: New York

Check your understanding

Listening activity: Soul Food

Oral Presentations - Assessment Sheet

Written Tasks - Assessment Sheet

Self-assessment - Basic Language Skills

Self-assessment - Motivation

Self Assessment - Strengths and Weaknesses

Self-assessment - Vocabulary and Grammar

Strategies for Improvement

Self-Assessment - Grammar

Self Assessment - My Level of English

Self Assessment - Projects

Test Your English Skills – British Council

Web Search Strategies

Oral Exam – Udir link