C1 Unit 5: Write an Analytical Argument

C1 · LEARN THROUGH PRACTICE

Complex ideas.
Purposeful English.

Try a real task. Practice with support. Use what you learn in a new situation.

LE-C1-ARGU-01 · C1 · Reading, listening, writing and spoken interaction · Free

This is an original learning unit using fictional people and data. Work in short sessions; allow roughly 45–75 minutes and adjust your pace. The level is a curriculum design target, not a validated placement result.

Your goal

Build a qualified thesis and use counterevidence to refine the argument.

Need support? Use Earlier-level support. You can review one skill while continuing here.

1. Pre-check: keep a first attempt

Read the source at the start of Step 2, then try the task below before opening answers, language help or a model. Keep your first response and note the date and help used.

Write a 220–300-word argument with a thesis, two source-based reasons, a substantial counterargument and a qualified conclusion. Attribute the fictional sources.

2. Presentation: read and notice

A center proposes all-digital materials. A small staff log suggests digital files take less time to update than printed stock. Learner consultation includes requests for enlarged text, offline use and shared-device access but gives no counts by preference. The budget supports a digital master and limited print stock, not printed copies of everything for everyone. Efficiency evidence does not establish universal access or superior learning. Equally, a limited print option cannot simply be declared sufficient. An analytical argument must connect claims to the scope of evidence, take the strongest practical objection seriously and explain how the recommendation could be revised.

Language in use — open after your first attempt

Keep the thesis within what evidence can support.
Use a counterargument to refine the position.
Explain the reasoning between a source and a policy choice.

3. Practice: understand the meaning

What does the log address?

Staff update time, not learning or universal access.

What is unknown in consultation?

How common each requested access format is.

What tension remains?

Efficient updating and varied access under a limited budget.

Listen for meaning

Listen before opening the transcript. For practice, listen once for the main point and again for details. Record replays or slower playback with your result.

Listen in American English

Audio uses an American English voice available on your device. Pause and Stop appear when a session starts.

What can the log support?
What remains unknown?

Transcript — open after listening

A staff log supports easier digital updating. It does not establish universal access. The uncounted requests identify types of need, not their prevalence. A targeted print option requires a way to detect unmet demand rather than an assumption that it is sufficient.

Listening answers and reasons

A claim about update efficiency. Prevalence of needs and adequacy of print supply.

If you read the transcript before answering, record that as supported practice rather than an independent listening check.

4. Production: create your own response

Write a 220–300-word argument with a thesis, two source-based reasons, a substantial counterargument and a qualified conclusion. Attribute the fictional sources.

Try before opening the example. If you work alone, speak aloud or record on your device. With a partner, ask one real follow-up question and respond without reading a script.

A compact model — compare meaning, not exact wording

The center should use a digital master with a targeted print option rather than an exclusively digital policy. The staff log supports easier updating, not universal access. Consultation identifies offline and shared-device needs, though their frequency is unknown. Limited print stock also leaves possible unmet demand. A request process and review should therefore test adequacy instead of presenting either format as a complete solution.

This example shows the main communication moves. Your wording and conclusion may differ when supported by the facts. For a project with several outputs, use it as a starting structure and complete every output requested.

Four-part self-check

Use 0–3 for each area. Not tried yet is separate from 0. Judge this task, not your whole English level. Do not convert these scores into an exam score or certificate.

Task completion

0 — The required communication is not yet achieved.
1 — Some relevant work is done, but key requirements are missing or inaccurate.
2 — The response achieves this goal: Build a qualified thesis and use counterevidence to refine the argument.
3 — It achieves the goal clearly and handles relevant detail or follow-up without inventing facts.

Clear meaning and organization

0 — The main message cannot yet be understood.
1 — The reader or listener needs substantial help to connect the ideas.
2 — The response is understandable and organized for the task.
3 — Structure and emphasis make the reasoning or action easy to follow.

Fit for the situation and interaction

0 — The response does not address the audience or situation.
1 — Some choices fit, but tone, attribution or response causes confusion.
2 — The response suits the audience and handles the other view or question fairly.
3 — It adapts effectively, clarifies limits and helps communication move forward.

Language range and control

0 — There is not enough relevant language to communicate the meaning.
1 — Limited words or errors obscure important information.
2 — Suitable precise source relationships, qualification, register and controlled cohesion communicate the main meaning; errors do not usually block it.
3 — Those resources are chosen effectively and controlled well for this task.

5. Post-check: use a fresh situation

A team can afford captioned videos with a short print guide or a large print manual without video. Feedback describes reading and listening preferences without counts. Make a qualified argument.

Use the same amount of help as before. Complete the task before opening the checking guide. Score the new response against the same goal and rubric.

Checking guide — more than one response can work

Choose a feasible option with explicit priorities, represent the alternative’s strength and identify evidence that could change your choice. Do not infer prevalence from uncounted requests.

Review and return

Keep: date, task, help used, listening answers, four rubric judgments, a phrase supporting each judgment, and one next step. A longer response is not automatically a better one. After about a week, try another situation with changed details without copying the model.

Next: Unit 6: Present and Negotiate Under Constraints

Return to C1 home or Check Your Progress. Answers are not submitted or saved by this page. If audio is unavailable, use reading support and leave listening unassessed.

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Guided speaking: answer one question at a time

Answer about the situation or your own response in this unit. Each question stops for your answer. Take as long as you need, then choose Continue. Pause also works while you are thinking; Resume replays that question. This page does not record or upload your voice.

Guided spoken practice