Level 4 — Upper Intermediate · Argument Writing
Task 30: Separating Data From Interpretation in Writing
Write a paragraph that states an observation, then clearly separates it from what you think it means and how far that meaning can travel — the writing side of Lesson 30's evidence and interpretation skills.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this task, you should be able to:
- Write an observation and an interpretation as two distinct sentences, rather than fusing them into one
- Use support-language precisely — suggests, is consistent with, supports — instead of overclaiming with 'proves'
- Match a claim's stated scope to the actual size of its sample or evidence
Introduction
Lesson 30 taught you to pull apart the layers a careless reading blurs together — data, interpretation, inference, and conclusion. This task asks you to build a paragraph that keeps those layers honestly separate on the page: what you observed, in one sentence, and what you think it means, in the next.
The Rule, for Writing
Core Concept
State your observation first, in plain factual language, with no interpretation attached. Then, in a separate sentence, say what you think it means, using a support-language verb sized to your evidence: "suggests" or "is consistent with" for limited evidence, "supports" for stronger evidence, and never "proves" unless your evidence is genuinely that conclusive. Finally, state your claim's scope honestly — don't let a claim about "our team" quietly become a claim about "every team."
Example
Data/observation: Sales at the pilot branch rose twelve percent in the month after the new layout was installed. Interpretation: This is consistent with the new layout encouraging customers to browse more of the store, though the branch also ran a seasonal promotion that same month. Scope: The finding applies to this one branch during this one month; it does not yet show that the layout would work chain-wide.
Your Turn
Your Turn
Write a paragraph about a real or plausible result you know something about (a change at work, a personal habit, a small experiment). Include, as clearly separate sentences: the observation/data itself, an interpretation using "suggests," "is consistent with," or "supports" (matched to how strong your evidence really is), and a final sentence stating the claim's actual scope — who or what it does and doesn't cover.
Vocabulary in Context
interpretationnounformal
what a writer thinks an observation means, kept separate from the observation itself (ব্যাখ্যা)
Often with offer an interpretation, alternative interpretation, open to interpretation
“The data are clear, but their interpretation is open to debate.”
scopenounformal
how far a claim is meant to apply: the group, place, or time it covers (পরিধি)
Often with scope of, limited scope, beyond the scope
“The scope of the claim is limited to export cargo.”
Model Answer
Show a model answer
Container dwell time at the pilot terminal fell by eighteen percent in the six weeks after staff began using the new yard-mapping app. This is consistent with the app helping drivers locate containers faster, although the terminal also hired two extra yard staff during the same period. The finding covers only this one terminal over six weeks; it does not yet show that the app alone would produce the same drop at a larger or busier terminal.
Self-Check
Self-Check
- Are your observation and your interpretation written as two clearly separate sentences?
- Does your support-language verb (suggests, is consistent with, supports) match how strong your evidence actually is?
- Did you state your claim's real scope, rather than letting it quietly widen?
- Did you write this directly in English, without translating from Bangla first?
Next: Writing 31 — Assumptions, Hidden Premises & Logical Gaps: writing an argument, then naming out loud on the page the unstated assumption it secretly depends on.