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Short answer tasks
During the course, you will complete short answer tasks. These tasks are intended to train you in the basic organisation of information. Once you can do this, you will be able to write coherent and concise responses, a skill that will serve you well in all writing from work emails to completing application forms.
As mentioned in the introduction, the model we recommend is thesis - justification - support.
Thesis - this is the main idea or opinion you have
Justification - the reason(s) why your idea / opinion are valid
Support - the detail / statistics / examples that show your reasons are realistic
Below you will see two student responses to a short answer task on inferior goods. Read the two responses and decide which you think is clearer and more concise. Make your choice by clicking on the appropriate link underneath.
Student 1
Write a summary of the term 'inferior good' based on the excerpts from textbooks that identifies the key idea
An inferior good is a good for which an increase in income results in a reduction of its consumption i.e. an inferior good has a negative income elasticity. The determination of a good as inferior depends on the income level we examine.
Give an example of a good that is likely to be inferior in the country that you come from. Explain why you think this good is likely to be inferior.
Baked beans are an example of an inferior good in the UK. As income increases a UK consumer buys less baked beans; the new budget enables the consumer to buy more luxurious goods e.g. organic runner beans, instead. As income decreases, a consumer buys more baked beans because they are more affordable than organic vegetables. The income and substitution effects for this good work in opposite directions; if the price of baked beans increases, price elasticity of demand is negative (we substitute baked beans for other goods) and income elasticity of demand is negative (we buy more baked beans).
Student 2
Write a summary of the term 'inferior good' based on the excerpts from textbooks that identifies the key idea
1.) An inferior good is a good with a negative income elasticity of demand. This means that as income rises, the quanitity of that good demanded falls.
Give an example of a good that is likely to be inferior in the country that you come from. Explain why you think this good is likely to be inferior.
2.) Baked beans are likely to be an inferior good in the UK. This is because they are very cheap and when people's incomes are low they are likely to consume it as the main part of a meal (e.g. beans on toast). As people's incomes rise however, they are likely to either consume it as a side dish or replace it with fresh vegetables and therefore reduce their consumption.
| Student 1 | Student 2 |