Responding to a Survey

Task 2

Survey Format: There are three paragraphs to any opinion response, with a word count of 150 – 200 words, that you should complete in approximately 26 minutes.

3 Paragraph Essay

1. An Introduction paragraph of no more than 2 sentences
2. A Body paragraph with a proper topic sentence and 2 or 3 ideas that are supported with examples/detail

iii. A Concluding paragraph of only two sentences.

Survey method

1. Read the prompt and choose an Option (A or B)- this is called a position (your position or the side of the argument you have chosen will guide your entire response)
2. Write 2 or 3 reasons why you support your position
3. Write your introduction (usually a neutral statement + thesis = (your position, rewritten using different words to have the same meaning as the question prompt–see examples that follow)
4. Write the topic sentence (topic and controlling idea) for your body paragraph that generally suggests ‘why’ you have chosen your position–keep it general (i.e., for several reasons–see examples below)

** NEVER give REASONS in your introduction–just a neutral statement and the position you have chosen.

5. Add your ideas and support these ideas with examples–remember to use signal words to add to the readability of your essay
6. Write a 2-sentence conclusion (see examples below)
7. Try to leave yourself 3 to 4 minutes to re-read your essay and make corrections to spelling and sentence structure, etc. at the end of the time limit.

A note on surveys:

It does not matter what side/ option you argue (option A or B); it only matters ‘how’ you argue. So, by writing a solid introduction, a body paragraph with 2 or 3 ideas that are supported, and a conclusion, you will undoubtedly score a 7 or higher if your text is logical with little spelling or sentence structure errors. If you follow this format, your text will look organized (face validity) and this will go a long way toward you getting a higher score.