CAEL Writing: Short Response Synthesis 4

Question 1

On the CAEL exam, how much time is typically recommended for planning a short response synthesis before writing?

Accepted Answer

A brief 2–3 minutes to identify key points from both sources before writing

Answer

A short planning phase helps test-takers identify the most relevant points to synthesize, leading to a more focused and coherent response.

Question 2

A student writes a synthesis response that is mostly a copy of sentences from the sources. How will this likely affect their CAEL score?

Accepted Answer

It will score poorly because it demonstrates copying rather than synthesis

Answer

CAEL assessors penalize responses that copy source language rather than synthesize ideas in the student's own words.

Question 3

Which cohesive device is most effective for showing that a second source adds new evidence to a point already made?

Accepted Answer

Furthermore

Answer

'Furthermore' signals additive information, indicating that the second source builds on or reinforces the established point.

Question 4

When paraphrasing information from a source in a CAEL response, which approach is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

Restate the idea in your own words and sentence structure while preserving the meaning

Answer

True paraphrase changes both word choice and sentence structure while accurately conveying the original meaning.

Question 5

A student's synthesis response includes: 'The reading says X, the lecture says Y, and I think Z.' What is the key problem with this structure?

Accepted Answer

The response includes a personal opinion, which may be off-topic in a synthesis task

Answer

In a CAEL synthesis task, adding personal opinions shifts focus away from integrating the sources, which is the primary evaluation criterion.

CAEL - Canadian Academic English Language Practice Test